Is Newsweek's Exploding Tampons the Most Sexist Magazine Cover Of the Year?
How could Newsweek Pakistan report on the delicate topic of female suicide bombers in a sophisticated and mature way? With lots of bold red writing, a bunch of explosive tampons and a headline that literally reads "LADY PARTS" in all-caps. Are we being punk'ed by Newsweek or did they just accidentally let a bunch of 14-year-old boys run their creative team? Either way, the feminists are not amused.
The rise of women serving as terrorist agents is a serious issue that merits discussion, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the cover.
The article (that's actually quite good if you ignore the title and cover) goes into detail about how appealing female recruits are to terrorist organizations because they "know that female bombers generate eight times more media attention than male ones." Because "a bearded man with wild eyes could be a dead giveaway," having a woman on your mission has its comparative advantages. The feature also explains that female bombers "offer more opportunities for hiding explosives." In August, London’s Heathrow airport almost shut down because women were rumoured to be hiding explosives in breasts implants. Some other strategies involve something called "pregnancy prosthetics," devices “that mimic the look of a pregnant woman."
Samantha Lewthwaite who was recently charged for "alleged possession of explosives in December 2011 and an alleged plot at that time to bomb a number of tourist resorts"
Who would have known such a well-researched and penetrating piece was hiding behind such an offensive and distasteful cover? More importantly, who would have known that an image that looks like it could have been designed by Freud to explain female hysteria, actually made it through Newsweek's editorial process?
Don't ever judge a book on its cover ... unless it rehashes sexist stereotypes that women have been tirelessly trying to eradicate for centuries.
What do you think? Is Newsweek Pakistan just ignorant or is this just a part of a weird publicity stunt? Let me know on Twitter and Facebook.
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