Video: Did Newsweek try to make Palin look bad on its cover?
posted at 6:12 pm on October 8, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Via Media Blog, submitted for your disapproval. I honestly don’t know what Tantaros is on about, though. This is the biggest shot of the Newsweek cover I can find and I think Palin looks great. There’s a slight blemish on her cheek, but compare it to some — emphasis, some — of the Obama hagiography here. There’s plenty of five o’clock shadow in the Time and Vibe covers, and Newsweek’s “Black & White” photo isn’t exactly flattering.
Shot in the dark: Anyone here subscribe to Newsweek and willing to confirm or deny based on the full size cover?
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BAWWWWWWWWWWW MY PICTURE LOOKS UGLYYYYYYY
BAWWWWWWWW
oh god, this is worth a full segment on national television?
ernesto on October 8, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Ladies tend to dwell on such things. The real concern is how Todd plays this one, buy it… don’t buy it… he’s screwed either way.
regal on October 8, 2008 at 6:16 PM
I don’t think that’s a blemish. Birthmark or something. All I know is that after the Us Magazine thing, I would not want to be a magazine editor facing Megyn Kelly…
Jim Treacher on October 8, 2008 at 6:16 PM
any segment with megyn kelly is worth it.
lorien1973 on October 8, 2008 at 6:16 PM
We know, Ernesto. We know.
Jim Treacher on October 8, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Allah,
Somebody has to do it.
What we wouldn’t do for our “Queen” don’t you know.
When are you ever going to learn?
Mcguyver on October 8, 2008 at 6:17 PM
“She’s One Of The People (And That’s The Problem)” Oookay. Surely that’s a teaser headline.
SouthernGent on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
I don’t think this is worthy of a news segment, but from the link provided, I don’t think it’s a flattering picture at all.
Her nose looks overly pointy, her eyes look overly racoonish, and her skin looks porous, which isn’t to say she looks horrible or anything, but it’s certainly not her best picture, in my opinion.
Esthier on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
The democrat trying to make this seem just fine and dandy isn’t very convincing.
wise_man on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
I thought they only did that to Black men.
TheBigOldDog on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
She looks great. My problem would be with those that were retouched, not those that weren’t.
Ronnie on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
so, you’re ugly AND stupid. Getting much?
Janos Hunyadi on October 8, 2008 at 6:19 PM
I’m not really concerned about the photo.
I’m annoyed, however, that their covers of Obama and Gov. Palin are different in the effect–Obama has no negative lead stories on the cover with his photo. Gov. Palin’s has a negative story on the cover with hers.
Enoxo on October 8, 2008 at 6:20 PM
To paraphrase Rush “she’s a babe”. Newsweek can’t change that. It blows me away when the opposition attacks her appearance. She’s is gorgeous!
edgehead on October 8, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Ok, I followed the link and I think I get it… with the cropping and zoom her nose is really prominent. Palin is a JOOOOOO.
/sarc
Y-not on October 8, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Eh, she looks gorgeous anyway.
spmat on October 8, 2008 at 6:22 PM
From the “biggest picture you can find” article:
Maybe that’s the bright light in all of this… maybe we’ll actually get to hear good news once-in-a-while. Maybe even (gasp) good news out of Iraq, like soldiers helping kids, etc.
Actually on topic: I am not upset much by the no touch-up thing. Good. I want someone who’s not afraid to show people who he or she actually is. WAAAAAAAY better than the mysterious shadowy figure we have as the Democratic nominee.
(Did I say “shadowy”? Guess that’s just my racism kicking in.)
Abby Adams on October 8, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Oh, and another thing, Sarah Palin is lucky that Newsweek didn’t hire the creepy liberal woman who took snapshots of children she made cry as a response to Bush’s re-election to be the photographer.
But they did save themselves the 5k in typical expenses to hire the touch-up treatment for people’s faces that they usually do for all covers from a photoshoot.
wise_man on October 8, 2008 at 6:22 PM
ditto!
I’m still saving my screen cap of her after attending one of Bush’s inaugural parties.
Awsome red dress… When they cut to Brit Hume, all he could say was Wow!
edgehead on October 8, 2008 at 6:24 PM
No, but I watched the VP debate in HD. They could have made her look much worse if that was the goal – she has a bumpy neck.
Big S on October 8, 2008 at 6:24 PM
I think Sarah is going to be more concerned about the title. It’s a cut, a put down of average Americans. Having Newsweek attempt to mock her would be a badge of honor.
JellyToast on October 8, 2008 at 6:25 PM
This is like the McCain cover photo hatchet job.
The zoomed in so close they literally had to cut off half of her face to contain the image on standard cover. Then they don’t retouch it? Riiiight. Very professional Newsweek. Well played.
econavenger on October 8, 2008 at 6:25 PM
The obligatory: Newsweek is endearing Palin to the common folks, post.
Thanks Allah.
Please don’t change a thing and watch Obama lose in a landslide, which is what you want of course, of course.
Mcguyver on October 8, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Yeah, I think they made her deliberately look bad.
Blake on October 8, 2008 at 6:26 PM
ernesto on October 8, 2008 at 6:15 PM
You are not to speak. I don’t like you.
Bishop on October 8, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Glad to see this getting attention. I smelled a rat when I saw the cover earlier in the week. It is in bad form to frame human beings like that, much the same reason why you don’t crop someone at the knees or at the neck. It’s just bad photography. Hacking her face in half and putting it on an angle is clearly a twist of the knife.
Disgusting.
MarcusBrody on October 8, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Palin’s face is huge – couldn’t even fit it all on the cover. It’s a very unflattering presentation, but she is so pretty, I think it backfires.
Redhead Infidel on October 8, 2008 at 6:27 PM
This is a rhetorical question, right?
thirteen28 on October 8, 2008 at 6:27 PM
They only hit us till we cry. Then they give us what we want. So, elect Republicans, and we will be punished; elect Democrats and we get rewarded.
America is slowly succumbing to Stockholm syndrome.
spmat on October 8, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Newsweek had to work really hard to get a bad picture of Gov. Palin but as hard as they tried, they failed, she still looks good. Better luck next time Newsweek.
Speaking of Leftist rags, does anyone remember this same trick from Time magazine, trying to make my beloved Ann Coulter look like Hatty the witch.
Maxx on October 8, 2008 at 6:28 PM
Sarah Palin has a mustache? Go figure.
barry norris on October 8, 2008 at 6:28 PM
I think its a great picture. I was surprised to find it wasn’t retouched.
Maybe they could’ve got rid of the black mark on her tooth but really, she looks great.
cyclosarin on October 8, 2008 at 6:28 PM
Try???
barry norris on October 8, 2008 at 6:29 PM
A few years ago I noticed two issues of Newsweek on my parents coffee table while watching TV. I asked my Dad why he poisons his brain with such a liberal rag. I then threw them out for him.
Sapwolf on October 8, 2008 at 6:31 PM
Just how stupid do you think we are?
Metro on October 8, 2008 at 6:33 PM
Here’s the deal, Palin is a natural beauty so the cover is decent…HOWEVER, seeing as covers of The One are portrayed in such a manner as to make him look deity-like, then the bias exists. Quothe Sean Hannity: journalism is dead.
ocbrat on October 8, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Annie’s a babe barry, but of course you being the wired backwards liberal that you are, you would probably prefer this.
Maxx on October 8, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Funny. And timely. I like it.
Abby Adams on October 8, 2008 at 6:35 PM
E-mail Newsweek, (Editors@Newsweek.com) and tell them you cancelled your subscription. Doesn’t matter if you don’t have one- they’ll just get the news that you’re pissed. It’s a really unflattering picture, and the article is full of “jounalistic impressions” (Lies)
anniekc on October 8, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Given that we are talking about Newsweek, and given that we at talking about a real person it is not too bad. It is a really tight closeup like they were looking for melanoma, but hey–it is Newsweek.
I expect their pictures to be doctored.
lsheldon on October 8, 2008 at 6:36 PM
It’s newsweek. I mean, it’s newsweek. It’s not journalism, it’s advocacy.
And I don’t care if Palin is retouched to look like ‘the one’. Palin is beautiful, inside and out. Subscribers can talk with their money.
Spirit of 1776 on October 8, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Anyone here subscribe to Newsweek…?
Why subscribe when Al Qaeda videos are free online?
ChePibe on October 8, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Get a good look at it in person. You can see her moustache. And, no, I’m not being a wiseass. It’s rare to see a photo that isn’t retouched to hide the subject’s “flaws” and attempt to show them in a flattering light. Newsweek made no such attempt.
I think Glenn Reynolds had it right when he said that the MSM is throwing objectivity to the winds in order to win this one because they know it’s the last election cycle in which they will be relevant.
MikeZero on October 8, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Chick on the right overreacted a little bit, didn’t she?
cyclosarin on October 8, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Newsweek?
If it wasn’t for that story and this post only 35 people or so would have seen it, unless you had a doctor’s appointment.
reaganaut on October 8, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Puh lease, Maybe this is more to Barry’s tastes. (Look close. Closer.)
wise_man on October 8, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Not really, no.
wise_man on October 8, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Pretty hard to make her look less, but c’mon, a microscopic pic of jus the right side of your face and one eye???
Anyone in photography would tell you that this was designed to be less flattering. Just ask yourself, would you want 1/2 of your face, of all the dozens that were taken, and they pick this?
Shabby. Tried to emphasize her glasses.
Starlink on October 8, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Exactly what “annie” are you talking about being a barry babe? I looked and didn’t see another one-
anniekc on October 8, 2008 at 6:45 PM
edgehead on October 8, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Edgehead:
Forget the screencap, here’s a quality picture!
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/original/BanderasKelly_4.27.JPG
flytier on October 8, 2008 at 6:45 PM
It’s a lady thing … the wife didn’t like the photo either, she didn’t know why, just didn’t think it flattering. uummmpphhhmp
tarpon on October 8, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Ugh. Too much estrogen.
ManlyRash on October 8, 2008 at 6:51 PM
Here’s more on the story via NoQuarter.
And check out the Palin centerfold Newsweek has!
Unbelieveable.
lansing quaker on October 8, 2008 at 6:52 PM
Do the same for Biden. Settle this whole BOTOX-in-the-forehead thing once and for all.
kurtzz3 on October 8, 2008 at 6:56 PM
I USED to buy Time, Newsweek and other publications. I stopped months ago. I will not buy any magazine that promotes leftist, liberal agendas. Never.
By the way, they CAN’T make Sarah look bad!
Star20 on October 8, 2008 at 6:58 PM
she is HOT and at least our VP is not a KLINGON Warrier….
SDarchitect on October 8, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Hommina hommina hommina hommina ,,,
wise_man on October 8, 2008 at 6:59 PM
I hate the MSM.
*eats*
Grue in the Attic on October 8, 2008 at 7:02 PM
My liberal grandmother (God rest her soul – old-school lib, at least) taunts our family from beyond the grave with a neverending Newsweek subscription. She died in 2002; nobody renews it…but we’re still getting it. Tried to cancel a few years ago, but it still arrives every week.
My first reaction on seeing the cover was something along the lines of “ew, what a bad shot of a beautiful woman.” NO ONE looks good at that angle, that close. Intentional? I’ll go with it, being bitter about receiving Newsweek against my will and all.
JeepGirl on October 8, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Lipstick and Glasses, this is all the Left will acknowledge when it comes to Palin.
cannonball on October 8, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Nope. Still cute as hell.
Zoom in closer, please.
Grr…
NoamSayin on October 8, 2008 at 7:23 PM
Last time I actually read a Newsweek, many years ago, I concluded the only thing it was suitable for was lining the bottom of a birdcage.
Snidely Whiplash on October 8, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Forget the photo. Look at the headline. “She’s One of The Folks (And that’s the problem)”. That’s a pretty big slam on not only Palin but millions of Americans.
SoulGlo on October 8, 2008 at 7:29 PM
She is freaking gorgeous and there is not way to make her look bad.
carbon_footprint on October 8, 2008 at 7:29 PM
I wonder who’s subsidizing Newsweek, since I doubt it has enough subscribers to make money. Anyone want to take a guess on that one?
m064404 on October 8, 2008 at 7:30 PM
The left are a bunch slimy pigs with no sense of right or wrong or decency. This poor sick ass country is coming to its destructive end. Sad by true.
rplat on October 8, 2008 at 7:33 PM
Im offended by FOX showing a copy of Newsweek on the air.
I swore off looking at that rag many years ago,
fogw on October 8, 2008 at 7:42 PM
BAWWWWWWWWWWW MY PICTURE LOOKS UGLYYYYYYY
BAWWWWWWWW
oh god, this is worth a full segment on national television?
ernesto on October 8, 2008 at 6:15 PM
I don’t understand why someone would have to explain the point to you Ernesto.
Please tell me you aren’t this clueless.
Noelie on October 8, 2008 at 7:47 PM
I see what they’re talking about, but I still think this report is ridiculous and just making conservatives look whiny. Sarah Palin is f’n hot, and if her face were that close to me in real life, I’d swoon.
And trust me, it wouldn’t be because of a barely noticeable blemish.
MadisonConservative on October 8, 2008 at 7:47 PM
I’ve had this nasty chest cold for the last couple of weeks. Can’t get ahead of it so I called my Doctor. He said come right in. (really)
I sat in the office for about 10 minutes and checked out the magazines.
National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, etc.
NO Newsweek.
Anyone read this waste of otherwise good forest lately?
BTW, my Doctor doesn’t accept insurance. Doesn’t want to bother with the BS. Fan-freakin-tastic man. I suppose I’ll have to hide him in my secret loft if the fourth reich comes to power.
turfmann on October 8, 2008 at 7:49 PM
I’m sorry, I don’t get it. I see the cover and she looks absolutely stunning. She is a very attractive woman, even when you super-zoom.
jparks1972 on October 8, 2008 at 7:51 PM
Maybe they could have blacked her up like they did OJ.
Mojave Mark on October 8, 2008 at 7:53 PM
If you think the picture’s bad, read the article. It’s just horrible “journalism”.
It’s patriotic to be an elitist, or something. Worse, Meacham doesn’t understand what we mean by “elitist”. It has nothing to do with a freaking “pursuit of excellence” or “curiosity” (all of which I’m certain Palin possesses in abundance, but I digress).
I hope Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild writes Newsweek a letter and explains “elitism” and Sarah Palin to these pathetic hacks.
Buy Danish on October 8, 2008 at 7:55 PM
First off, I don’t subscribe to this rag, I got it for free for something I did or bought. Uh, thanks.
However, I didn’t see any problem with the picture. GASP: You see her pores! Not a big deal, we all have them.
If you look at the past several weeks’ covers,however, it’s amazing how biased they are. My personal favorite was the cover with her picture that had the headline: PALINTOLOGY. That really bugged me. You sure don’t see headlines like that for THE ONE.
sheesh on October 8, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Wasn’t Newsweek the one that did the Lewinsky up angle shot of Bill Clinton and retouched his crotch so it looked enormous? Or was it Al Gore? Actually, I think it was both. These kinds of games are nothing new, but it’s a pretty blatantly ugly way to treat Palin. I think she looks fine, but I think the end result, they only make themselves look petty.
austinnelly on October 8, 2008 at 8:08 PM
It’s almost impossible to take a bad picture of Palin, so they had to create one.
And…so, Obama isn’t “one of the folks?” What is he? One of the gods?
I’m getting so sick of the media and the left (sorry, redundant) espousing this idea of an American ruling class. So “the folks” are somehow genetically or intellectually unable to run things?
Plato would be proud.
29Victor on October 8, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Most posters here seem NOT to be involved or interested in the VISUAL ARTS or their professional counterparts…hence the bla bla above.
(go ahead…hate me for what I know…)
There is indeed MUCH to this cover which is intentionally visual denigration – the graphic equivalent to character assasination. One rare poster above mentioned the (valid point of the) cropping of the face. And that’s just the beginning.
The angle of the head, the emphasis of the nose, the shadows…especially that which is off the page…THE NEGATIVE SUGGESTIONS ARE NOT COINCIDENTAL.
I am grateful that a TV program took the time to raise this (it DOES affect Americans, either consciously or sub-consciously, whether you care to admit it or not)…though it is lightyears in importance from many policy issues. It nevertheless highlights the shameless bias in the press.
Lockstein13 on October 8, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Not really. The theoretical guardians of Plato’s Republic were a warrior/intellectual class. They were meant to protect it with their lives/fighting skills as well as govern it. Could you imagine Senators and Congressmen fighting against Spartans?
aengus on October 8, 2008 at 8:21 PM
Yeah Lockstein, the headline caption for the story actually matches the choice of the cover photo. The editorial point of the photo is to tell readers: “Look closer…see she isn’t as perfect as people think, or she pretends to be. And oh by the way, there’s a hidden dark side you barely can see (she’s two-faced). We tell you about that in our story.”
Yep, it’s all about communication and this is about as sophisticated as it gets.
econavenger on October 8, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Good Lord,it doesn’t take much,to entertain
and sidetrack CNN!
And yes Sarah Palin is beautiful,just like all
Republican women,however for the Libs,well um,
thats a different story,how about Janet Rino!!
canopfor on October 8, 2008 at 8:38 PM
Hey I’m eating here…
johnnyU on October 8, 2008 at 8:54 PM
lorien1973,
Barring unforeseen circumstances, I second that emotion!
William2006 on October 8, 2008 at 8:58 PM
econavenger,
Thanks for such a strong, on-the-mark insight into the story.
What a thought provoking comment!
William
William2006 on October 8, 2008 at 9:00 PM
No big deal. So Governor Palin isn’t a super model or… a left’s version of the next messiah. It would have been better not to even mention it, nothing will change from the “no touch up” story. Newsweek worships at the alter of “Duh 1″, like… who didn’t know?
Hog Wild on October 8, 2008 at 9:12 PM
How’s that new photographer that Newsweak just hired from The Atlantic working out?
viking01 on October 8, 2008 at 9:17 PM
Granted, that is not the most flattering photo of her, but Palin would still look good with bed hair and and eyes full of crusties.
The Ugly American on October 8, 2008 at 9:20 PM
I’m pretty sure that Newsweek is not available for subscription or sale to the general public.
It’s a free magazine given to doctors to place in their waiting rooms.
Dorvillian on October 8, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Delivered “Newsweek” on my mail route yesterday. Photo was unflattering, but still not as noxious as the cover photo of Ann Coulter that was run several years ago. (Not sure if that was Newsweek, though)
oldleprechaun on October 8, 2008 at 10:37 PM
Tried that with Time magazine but the bird refused to go back in the cage.
johnsteele on October 8, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Just figuring that out huh? It’s called psy-ops, and the truth or falsity of it is irrelevant after enough repetitions. People just get tired of all the bad news, and come to the conclusion, consciously or not, that they will get better news if they vote a different way than they have before.
And they are right… if Obama wins, the news is going to be wonderful! Always. No matter what… you can count on it. The people who bring you the news can make it so, if you just give up hope and do what they want you to.
Why aren’t the Democrats screaming abou the stock market? Here’s a hint… it’s going just the direction they want. The lower it goes, the better for Obama. And the more things look better for Obama, the lower the stock market goes!! The Dems have been trying to wreck the ecomonomy for years, and somehow they have timed it just perfectly.
drunyan8315 on October 8, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Hahaha…good one!
Grafted on October 8, 2008 at 10:51 PM
I don’t see the big deal here…Megyn ought to just have that US Weekly jerk on again and ream him some more.
changer1701 on October 8, 2008 at 11:09 PM
Nope,..Newsweek is not in my mailbox,..but this is really no big deal, the picture of obama shows a few holes in his face.
christene on October 8, 2008 at 11:17 PM
I quit Newsweek in my waiting room many years ago after it morbidly and callously glamorized Harris and Klebold, the slimeball Columbine killers, on their cover. I wouldn’t read that rag even if it were free. Sarah is courageous and even more lovely on the inside, which is where it counts. Newsweek only reveals its obvious bias and embarrasses itself by refusing to do a routine, close-up airbrush.
marybel on October 8, 2008 at 11:55 PM
Serves her right! She’s probably got a touch of melasma from that $65,000 tanning bed. (Paid for with funds diverted from Public Safety, don’tcha know).
Mr. Wednesday Night on October 9, 2008 at 1:26 AM
The only way I would subscribe to Newsweek is if they sent it to me for free so I could throw it in the trash where it belongs, at their expense. Like Time did.
Speakup on October 9, 2008 at 1:44 AM
I’m a mail carrier, & the ongoing joke while we’re sorting mail every morning is how BO & his family have gotten about 50 or 60 favorable cover stories on magazines, but McCain has five or six (not a scientific study, but that’s my story & I’m sticking to it).
jgapinoy on October 9, 2008 at 7:49 AM
US News & TIME are bad, but Newsweak has been to way their left for years.
jgapinoy on October 9, 2008 at 7:50 AM
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