Critics Blast Newsweek’s 'Tone Deaf' Penis Balloon-Popping Trump Cover
Newsweek is facing criticism over its latest cover.
For the upcoming Nov. 17 issue, the weekly news magazine used an image of a feminine hand jabbing a needle into a penis-shaped balloon to promote its lead article about women fighting against systemic sexual harassment.
″#MeToo is taking down powerful men in all fields. Is Donald Trump next?” the publication asks in the cover blurb.
New cover story: How Donald Trump rules America's Garden of Dicks and sparked the #MeToo movement https://t.co/yOwHK8O4Aq pic.twitter.com/cR9V6mAKJj
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) November 9, 2017
The cover story, titled “How Donald Trump rules America’s Garden of Dicks and sparked the #MeToo movement,” drew little comment but Newsweek’s cover image has been described as “tone deaf,” “terrible” and “wrong.”
Some critics used Twitter to ask the magazine why it seemed to equate female empowerment with the harming of men. Another accused Newsweek of turning the “exposure of sexual assault into satire.”
Newsweek has not yet commented on the claims of insensitivity, a sampling of which appear below:
So men's dicks are being deflated because they're being called out on sexually harassing and assaulting women? Oh, so sad for men's dicks that they can't be part of sexual abuse. That cover is fucking dumb.
— Jarvis (@arvistj) November 9, 2017
This is a terrible cover. Depicting women who say they were sexually assaulted as just wanting to hurt dude's dicks is insensitive
— Josselyn Berry (@joss_berry) November 9, 2017
You can find it yourself if you wish. I won't retweet it. The latest @Newsweek cover is incredibly tone deaf.
— Lee Larson (@sportsdr44) November 10, 2017
Cancel this cover and delete your account and every issue of your magazine @Newsweek. https://t.co/KHi7xNmKj7
— Rebecca Cohen (@GynoStar) November 9, 2017
Hey @Newsweek your cover is all the NOPE https://t.co/lD4J0GaAGy
— ALLKAPPS (@srslyomg) November 9, 2017
Thank you. This is a MAJOR ugh. Why does every attempt at female empowerment and safety-seeking get equated with castrating or otherwise "harming" men? Enough.
— Lily Burana 🗽 (@lilyburana) November 9, 2017
The. Worst. Cover. Ever. #tonedeaf
— chris pederson (@christina39ap) November 9, 2017
Terrible cover in so many ways.
The painted nails, the popping of the inflated penis and the comic book styling.
Bravo. You just turned exposure of sexual assault into satire.
Recall this cover.— LisaFromEarth (@LisaFromEarth) November 9, 2017
What an absolutely horrible cover image. WTF, @Newsweek? https://t.co/v5KpvwHELS
— Opal O'Doy (@brightcardigans) November 9, 2017
Related Coverage
Did Harvey Weinstein Sexually Harass You?
Every Woman I Know Has Experienced Sexual Harassment Or Sexual Assault #MeToo
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
