Rolling Stone Magazine Stirs Controvery By Publishing Glamour Photo Of Adolph Hitler On Cover
New York (LBT) – Accused Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler’s face on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone sparked a backlash against the magazine in social media and in boardrooms around the country.
“Der Fuhrer” the cover reads. “How a Popular, Promising War Veteran Was Failed by A Flawed Peace Treaty, Fell Into A Radical Political Party And Became A Monster.”
The photo of a youngish, attractive Hitler is one the former German leader favored himself and had posted on his Gesichtbuch page at the Nazi headquarters.
A groundswell of criticism objecting to Herr Hitler’s placement on Rolling Stone’s cover emerged Wednesday on platforms such as Israeli Twitter and Facebook and among leaders in New York, where many Jewish people settled in the early-20th century.
But some people defended the magazine’s decision, saying it draws attention to the story of a young man who seemed an unlikely dictator.
Martha Bernstein, president of the Professional Guidance Counselors of Long Island, called it “insensitive.” Using a Hitler photo from his years in power might have been one thing, but a photo that shows “the innocence of youth” gives the wrong message, Bernstein told CNN.
“The cover image we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues,” Rolling Stone said in a statement released on its website. “The fact that Herr Hitler is young in the image makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue.”
In an interview on the PBS program We The Media, Rolling Stone senior editor Christian Hoard defended the cover by pointing out Herr Hitler’s connection to music: “Any historian will tell you that Hitler had a passion for opera that was unmatched.” He added that young people today “could learn a few things” about music appreciation from the former dictator.
Three prominent New England-based businesses — CVS pharmacies, Stop & Stop, and Tedeschi Food Shops — heard the public outcry and announced they will not sell that edition, which will be on newsstands soon.
“Music and fascism don’t mix!” the Tedeschi firm said on its Facebook page, which carries the cover image with a circle and a line crossed through it.