Newsweek/Reuters File
NOW Defends Bachmann Against Newsweek
One of presidential candidate Michele Bachmann’s major political opponents is defending her against what it says is blatant sexism on the part of Newsweek magazine.
Monday, the National Organization for Women (NOW) spoke out against Newsweek’s most recent cover, which features an extreme close-up of Michele Bachmann and the title “The Queen of Rage.”
“It’s sexist,” NOW president Terry O’Neill told TheDC. “Casting her in that expression and then adding ‘The Queen of Rage’ I think [it is]. Gloria Steinem has a very simple test: If this were done to a man or would it ever be done to a man – has it ever been done to a man? Surely this has never been done to a man.”
While some have pointed out that Newsweek has used unflattering photos of men such as Rush Limbaugh and John McCain on its cover, O’Neill says that is not the issue.
“Who has ever called a man ‘The King of Rage?’ Basically what Newsweek magazine – and this is important, what Newsweek magazine, not a blog, Newsweek magazine – what they are saying of a woman who is a serious contender for President of the United States of America…They are basically casting her as a nut job,” O’Neill said. “The ‘Queen of Rage’ is something you apply to wrestlers or somebody who is crazy. They didn’t even do this to Howard Dean when he had his famous scream.” Read more at dailycaller.com.
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Tina Brown Says Her Newsweek Cover Conveys Michele Bachmann’s ‘Intensity’
Newsweek has been catching a lot of flak today for its latest cover, in which Michele Bachmann is shown with an expression you might see on the face of a serial killer who has just spotted a new victim. Newsweek editor Tina Brown disagreed in a tweet today, contending that "Bachmann’s intensity is galvanizing voters in Iowa right now and Newsweek’s cover captures that." Read more at nymag.com.
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Backlash Over Bachmann Newsweek Cover
Newsweek's latest issue features a Michele Bachmann cover that's sure to stir up controversy.
The cover shows Bachmann standing against a stark blue background, looking directly into the camera with a wide-eyed expression. The headline advertising the magazine's story reads, "THE QUEEN OF RAGE."
"Rage" is a word that doesn't appear in Newsweek's actual profile of Bachmann, though author Lois Romano does criticize what she calls the "radical" nature of the Tea Party that Bachmann champions.
Conservative websites are already crying foul over the cover, with some saying it makes Bachmann look "crazy" and one blogger asking, "Can anyone really say with a straight face that the mainstream media is not totally biased against conservatives?" Read more at huffingtonpost.com.