The New Yorker

=== Controversial covers ===
==== Crown Heights in 1993 ====
For the 1993 [[Valentine's Day]] issue, the magazine cover by [[Art Spiegelman]] depicted a black woman and a [[Hasidic Jew]]ish man kissing, referencing the [[Crown Heights riot]] of 1991.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=James |date=August 28, 2004 |title=Drawing pains |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/aug/28/comics.politics |url-status=live |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828045435/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2004/aug/28/comics.politics |archive-date=August 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="npr">{{Cite web |last=Chideya |first=Farai |date=July 15, 2008 |title=Cartoonist Speaks His Mind on Obama Cover: News & Views |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2008/07/cartoonist_speaks_mind_on_obam.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413132622/http://www.npr.org/blogs/newsandviews/2008/07/cartoonist_speaks_mind_on_obam.html |archive-date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=October 15, 2010 |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> The cover was criticized by both black and Jewish observers.<ref name="shapiro">{{Cite book |last=Shapiro |first=Edward S. |title=Crown Heights: Blacks, Jews, and the 1991 Brooklyn Riot |publisher=[[UPNE]] |year=2006 |page=211}}</ref> Jack Salzman and [[Cornel West]] called the reaction to the cover the magazine's "first national controversy".<ref name="salzman">{{Cite book |last1=Jack Salzman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C2MJkRjpOHoC&q=Struggles+in+the+Promised+Land:+Towards+a+History+of+Black-Jewish+Relations+in+the+United+States |title=Struggles in the Promised Land: Towards a History of Black-Jewish Relations in the United States |last2=Cornel West |publisher=Oxford University Press US |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-19-508828-1 |page=373}}</ref>

==== 2008 Obama cover satire and controversy ====
[[File:New Yorker magazine Politics of Fear.png|thumb|right|Barry Blitt's cover from the July 21, 2008, issue of ''The New Yorker'']]
"The Politics of Fear", a cartoon by [[Barry Blitt]] featured on the cover of the July 21, 2008, issue, depicts then presumptive Democratic [[2008 United States presidential election|presidential]] nominee [[Barack Obama]] in the [[turban]] and [[shalwar kameez]] typical of many [[Muslim]]s, [[fist bump]]ing with his wife, [[Michelle Obama|Michelle]], portrayed with an [[Afro]] and wearing [[Military camouflage|camouflage]] trousers with an [[assault rifle]] slung over her back. They are standing in the [[Oval Office]], with a portrait of [[Osama bin Laden]] hanging on the wall and an American [[Flag desecration|flag burning]] in the fireplace in the background.<ref>{{Cite news |last=The Associated Press |date=July 14, 2008 |title=New Yorker cover stirs controversy |publisher=Canoe.ca |url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2008/07/14/6151776-ap.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080715174935/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2008/07/14/6151776-ap.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 15, 2008 |access-date=July 14, 2008 }}</ref>

Many ''New Yorker'' readers saw the image as a lampoon of "The Politics of Fear", as was its title. Some Obama supporters, as well as his presumptive Republican opponent, [[John McCain]], accused the magazine of publishing an incendiary cartoon whose irony could be lost on some readers. Editor David Remnick felt the image's obvious excesses rebuffed the concern that it could be misunderstood, even by those unfamiliar with the magazine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2008 |title=Was it satire? |url=http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/143986--was-it-satire |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717031905/http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/143986--was-it-satire |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Hamilton Spectator]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2008 |title=Barack Obama New Yorker Cover Branded Tasteless |url=http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/world/266893/barack-obama-new-yorker-cover-branded-tasteless.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724122550/http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/world/266893/barack-obama-new-yorker-cover-branded-tasteless.html |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |website=[[Marie Claire]]}}</ref> "The intent of the cover", he said, "is to satirize the vicious and racist attacks and rumors and misconceptions about the Obamas that have been floating around in the [[blogosphere]] and are reflected in public opinion polls. What we set out to do was to throw all these images together, which are all over the top and to shine a kind of harsh light on them, to satirize them."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tapper |first=Jake |author-link=Jake Tapper |date=July 14, 2008 |title=New Yorker Editor David Remnick Talks to ABC News About Cover Controversy |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/new-yorker-edit.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522022349/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/new-yorker-edit.html |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |website=[[ABC News]]}}</ref>

In an interview on ''[[Larry King Live]]'' shortly after the magazine issue began circulating, Obama said, "Well, I know it was ''The New Yorker''{{'}}s attempt at satire... I don't think they were entirely successful with it". Obama also pointed to his own efforts to debunk the allegations the cover depicted through a website his campaign set up, saying that the allegations were "actually an insult against Muslim-Americans".<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 16, 2008 |title=Democrats' bus heads South to sign up new voters |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/16/democrats_bus_heads_south_to_sign_up_new_voters/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113012428/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/16/democrats_bus_heads_south_to_sign_up_new_voters/ |archive-date=January 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tapper |first=Jake |date=July 13, 2008 |title=Obama Camp Hammers New 'Ironic' New Yorker Cover Depicting Conspiracists' Nightmare of Real Obamas |url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/new-ironic-new.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522022401/http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/new-ironic-new.html |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |website=Political Punch |publisher=[[ABC News]]}}</ref>

Later that week, ''[[The Daily Show]]''{{'}}s [[Jon Stewart]] continued ''The New Yorker'' cover's argument about Obama stereotypes with a piece showcasing a montage of clips containing such stereotypes culled from various legitimate news sources.<ref>[http://www.cc.com/video-clips/twlbqc/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-obama-cartoon "Obama Cartoon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202035441/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/twlbqc/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-obama-cartoon |date=February 2, 2017 }}, ''The Daily Show'', July 15, 2008.</ref> Stewart and [[Stephen Colbert]] parodied ''The New Yorker''<nowiki/>'s Obama cover on the October 3, 2008, cover of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' magazine, with Stewart as Barack and Colbert as Michelle, photographed for the magazine in New York City on September 18.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wolk |first=Josh |date=September 30, 2008 |title=''Entertainment Weekly'' October 3, 2008, Issue #1014 cover |url=https://ew.com/ew/inside/issue/0,,ewTax:1014,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427075552/http://www.ew.com/ew/inside/issue/0%2C%2CewTax%3A1014%2C00.html |archive-date=April 27, 2009 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>

''New Yorker'' covers are sometimes unrelated to the contents of the magazine or only tangentially related. The article about Obama in the July 21, 2008, issue did not discuss the attacks and rumors but rather Obama's political career. The magazine later endorsed Obama for president.

This parody was most likely inspired by [[Fox News]] host [[E. D. Hill]]'s paraphrasing of an anonymous internet comment in asking whether a gesture made by Obama and his wife Michelle was a "terrorist fist jab".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beam |first=Christopher |date=July 14, 2008 |title=The 'Terrorist Fist Jab' and Me |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2195347/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227041719/http://www.slate.com/id/2195347 |archive-date=December 27, 2009 |access-date=January 23, 2010 |website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fox News anchor calls the Obamas' fist pound 'a terrorist fist jab' |url=http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/09/fox-news-anchor-calls-the-obamas-fist-pound-a-terrorist-fist-jab/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610230043/http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/09/fox-news-anchor-calls-the-obamas-fist-pound-a-terrorist-fist-jab/ |archive-date=June 10, 2008 |access-date=June 10, 2008 |website=[[Think Progress]]}}</ref> Later, Hill's contract was not renewed.<ref>[https://huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/10/fox-news-changes-terroris_n_106306.html "Fox News Changes: 'Terrorist Fist Jab' Anchor E.D. Hill Loses Her Show, Laura Ingraham In At 5PM"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180723141246/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/10/fox-news-changes-terroris_n_106306.html |date=July 23, 2018 }}, ''Huffington Post'', June 18, 2008.</ref>

==== 2013 Bert and Ernie cover ====
''The New Yorker'' chose an image of [[Bert and Ernie]] by artist Jack Hunter, titled "Moment of Joy", as the cover of the July 8, 2013, issue, which covered the Supreme Court decisions on the [[Defense of Marriage Act]] and [[California Proposition 8]].<ref name="New Yorker">{{Cite magazine |last1=Mouly |first1=Francoise |last2=Kaneko |first2=Mina |title=Cover Story: Bert and Ernie's 'Moment of Joy' |url=https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/06/new-yorker-cover-bert-ernie-gay-marriage.html |url-status=live |magazine=The New Yorker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625163138/http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/06/new-yorker-cover-bert-ernie-gay-marriage.html |archive-date=June 25, 2014 |access-date=February 17, 2015 |quote='It's amazing to witness how attitudes on gay rights have evolved in my lifetime,' said Jack Hunter, the artist behind next week's cover}}</ref> The ''[[Sesame Street]]'' characters have long been rumored in urban legend to be homosexual partners, though [[Sesame Workshop]] has repeatedly denied this, saying they are merely "puppets" and have no sexual orientation.<ref name="snopes">{{Cite web |last=Mikkelson |first=Barbara and David P. |author-link=Snopes.com |date=August 6, 2007 |title=Open Sesame |url=http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/gaymuppet.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405142555/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/open-sesame/ |archive-date=April 5, 2022 |access-date=February 17, 2015 |website=Urban Legends Reference Pages |publisher=Barbara and David P. Mikkelson |quote=The Children's Television Workshop has steadfastly denied rumors about Bert and Ernie's sexual orientation...}}</ref> Reaction was mixed. Online magazine ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' criticized the cover, which shows Ernie leaning on Bert's shoulder as they watch a television with the Supreme Court justices on the screen, saying, "it's a terrible way to commemorate a major civil-rights victory for gay and lesbian couples." ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', meanwhile, said it was "one of [the magazine's] most awesome covers of all time".<ref name="ABC News">{{Cite web |last=Christina Ng |title=Bert and Ernie Cuddle Over Supreme Court Ruling |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/06/bert-and-ernie-cuddle-over-supreme-court-ruling/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701045715/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/06/bert-and-ernie-cuddle-over-supreme-court-ruling/ |archive-date=July 1, 2013 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |publisher=[[ABC News]]}}</ref>

==== 2023 "Race for Office" cover ====
The cover of the October 2, 2023 issue, titled "The Race for Office", depicts several top U.S. politicians—[[Donald Trump]], [[Mitch McConnell]], [[Nancy Pelosi]], and [[Joe Biden]]—running the titular race for office with walkers. Many have questioned the mental and physical states of these and other older politicians, particularly those who have decided to run for reelection.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seddiq |first=Oma |title=The top US general 'was certain that Trump had gone into a serious mental decline' after the 2020 election, book says |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/top-us-general-certain-trump-had-mental-decline-after-election-2021-9 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-30 |title=Mitch McConnell freezes for second time during press event |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66665682 |access-date=2023-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mascaro |first=Lisa |date=2023-09-08 |title=Nancy Pelosi says she'll seek House reelection in 2024, dismissing talk of retirement at age 83 |url=https://apnews.com/article/pelosi-house-speaker-democrat-congress-san-francisco-a251e03986a589d5c0bd7f1122f291e4 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Montanaro |first=Domenico |date=2023-05-23 |title=More than 6 in 10 say Biden's mental fitness to be president is a concern, poll finds |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/05/23/1177617666/more-than-6-in-10-say-bidens-mental-fitness-to-be-president-is-a-concern-poll-fi |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=NPR}}</ref> While many acknowledged the cover as satirizing this issue, others criticized the "ableism and ageism" of mocking older people and people who use walkers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moran |first=Lee |date=2023-09-26 |title=New Yorker Slammed For Cover Depicting Biden, Trump With Walkers |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-yorker-cover-trump-biden-walkers_n_65129ba6e4b00b70c63ad035 |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Daunt |first=Tina |date=2023-09-25 |title=New Yorker Cover Showing Top US Politicians Using Walkers Draws Cries of Ageism: 'Disgusting and Vulgar' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/new-yorker-magazine-cover-donald-trump-joe-biden-walkers/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}}</ref> ''The New Yorker'' said the cover "portrays the irony and absurdity of the advanced-age politicians currently vying for our top offices."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Mouly |first=Françoise |date=2023-09-25 |title=Barry Blitt's "The Race for Office" |language=en-US |magazine=The New Yorker |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cover-story/cover-story-2023-10-02 |access-date=2023-10-09 |issn=0028-792X}}</ref>