Newsweek's "Sexist" Cover Photo Stirs Up False Controversy

The internet has been growling a lot today. And most of the disgruntled tweets and blog posts are over Newsweek's cover, featuring none other than former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin. To coincide with the release of Palin's book, Going Rogue, Newsweek's editors decided to print two essays about the former vice presidential candidate and a photo from a shoot she participated in for Runner's World magazine.

The most common critique is that Newsweek has committed the crime of sexism in order to sell magazines. In defense of the image, Newsweek's Editor Jon Meacham said the image chosen was "the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do." He went onto say: "We apply the same test to photographs of any public figure, male or female: does the image convey what we are saying? That is a gender-neutral standard."

I wouldn't say this is entirely gender neutral, not to mention Meacham's response is rather misleading (you did this for marketing, not editorial, duh), but I don't actually think Newsweek is being sexist with this photo.

I've written about how the media unfairly portrayed Palin during the 2008 election and how she was used as a prop by the McCain campaign to try and snag a few extra female voters last November. She has been the living, breathing example of everything that is simultaneously wrong with politics and the media for women -- a role I do not envy, in the least.

But let's get real for a second. If Washingtonian can get away with a shirtless photo of President Obama, it is no wonder that Newsweek thought that this photo of Palin in her running shorts was fair game. Particularly because it already ran in another publication.

The Washingtonian cover is far more appalling, in my opinion, because it sexualizes a sitting President as nothing more than a Hawaiian surfer boy.

Palin, however, is an ex-governor who just published a tell-all, gossipy memoir, which shoves a cream pie in the face of several major politicians, the media, and many others (for an index of Palin's book, see Seyward Darby's handiwork here). I don't feel sorry about a photo that she posed for showing up on a magazine cover if the biggest gripe is that her shorts are a little "too" short.

Excuse me, but when did we all become Catholic school nuns with a ruler against our thighs? If she was wearing a French Maid costume I might object, but some Asics, black shorts, and a red sweatshirt? No.

Personally, I am not going to push back on this one. I don't think Newsweek has stripped Palin of her dignity with this photo. She did that to herself a long time ago when she pledged to implement abstinence-only education while her daughter was getting pregnant by a future Playgirl model (among other policy positions I object to).

Sexism is an ugly, pervasive, and serious issue. However, we can't cry "sexism" every time a woman of influence is put into the media spotlight, or this significant word will lose all of its meaning.

Photo credit: Newsweek