The 20 most talked-about magazine covers of 2014 (that didn’t feature nudity)

Magazine covers often try to be provocative to attract attention.
Sometimes they become news stories themselves.
What follows are some of the most talked-about magazine covers of 2014. I’ve excluded the notable ones that involved nudity because they were too numerous and I discussed them in an earlier article.

The New Yorker; Jan. 20, 2014

When New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was accused of shutting down the George Washington Bridge as political payback, the New Yorker magazine depicted him as a little boy with a ball stopping traffic on the bridge.

GQ, February 2014

GQ may have gone bust trying to get this issue on the rack.
The cover features pop singer Katy Perry with her breasts nearly popping out of her top.
In the accompanying article, Perry talks about praying for large breasts as a young girl. She got her wish.
(See GQ photo spread and articles by Us Weekly and E Online.)

Rolling Stone, Feb. 13, 2014

Pope Francis scored another magazine cover with his appearance on music magazine Rolling Stone. It was the first time Rolling Stone has featured a pope on the cover.
(See articles by the Huffington Post and Information Overload.)

Milwaukee Magazine, March 2014

Milwaukee Magazine caused a stir with its cover story on same-sex weddings. The cover featured a lesbian couple in wedding gowns embracing.
Sendik’s Fine Foods in Brookfield, Wis., blocked the cover, thinking it would offend customers. Instead it ignited a debate about censorship.
(See articles by Jim Romenesko, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and WISN.)

Newsweek; March 14, 2014

The March 14, 2014, issue of Newsweek promised to unmask the mystery man behind the crypto-currency Bitcoin. The article erupted into a firestorm of controversy after the story’s accuracy was questioned.
(See articles by Adweek, Reuters, Medium, Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed.)

Jalouse, April 2014

French magazine Jalouse caused controversy when it featured 12-year-old Thylane Blondeau as its cover model. It touted her as the next Kate Moss.
The Jalouse cover raised concerns about the sexualization of children.
(See articles by the Daily Mail and Huffington Post.)

Vogue, April 2014

A lot of people were outraged that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were on the cover of the April 2014 issue of Vogue.
A Vogue cover is a major accomplishment for fashion models. Giving the cover to a reality-TV fame whore and an egotistical rapper was inappropriate, critics said.
(See articles by New York Magazine and Hollywood Life.)

Golf Digest, May 2014

Golf Digest took heat for its choice of model Paulina Gretzky as its cover subject for the May 2014 issue.
She doesn’t play professional golf but is engaged to PGA tour star Dustin Johnson.
The move irked members of the LPGA, who are largely ignored by the magazine.
(See articles by the Huffington Post and Business Insider.)

Time, June 9, 2014

Laverne Cox made headlines when she became the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. Cox, who stars in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black,” was featured on the June 9, 2014, issue. (See article by Entertainment Weekly.)

People; June 16, 2014

The June 16, 2014, cover of People magazine sparked concerns about the health of possible presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. In the picture, it looked like Clinton was using a walker. She was actually leaning on a patio chair. (See article by Business Insider.)

Sports Illustrated, Aug. 25, 2014

Thirteen-year-old sensation Mo’ne Davis became the first Little Leaguer to grace the national cover of Sports Illustrated.
(See article by Mother Jones.)

People; Aug. 25, 2014

People magazine’s best-selling cover of the year was its Aug. 24, 2014, issue on the death of actor Robin Williams.
The issue earned the inaugural People Magazine Award for Best People Magazine Cover of the Year.

Wired, September 2014

The Wired profile of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden featured a cover without text except for the magazine’s title. The dramatic design earned many plaudits.

Time, Sept. 1, 2014

Time magazine earned kudos for its Sept. 1, 2014, cover about the racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
(See article by the Huffington Post.)

Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 5, 2014

Entertainment Weekly did four covers for its Sept. 5, 2014, issue about the fifth season of the “Walking Dead.” The most popular cover, according to a reader poll, was that of Danai Gurira as sword-wielding zombie killer Michonne.

The New Yorker, Sept. 8, 2014

The Sept. 8, 2014, issue of the New Yorker earned stellar reviews for its cover featuring the retirement of New York Yankees great Derek Jeter.

The New Yorker, Sept. 29, 2014

The New Yorker cover on Sept. 29, 2014, about the NFL’s legal problems was an attention-grabber.
The New York Times did an article about the magazine’s covers shifting from polite to provocative.

Bloomberg Businessweek, Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2014

Bloomberg Businessweek did a cover story on the spread of Ebola.
The cover reflected the terrifying nature of the disease.

Vogue China, November 2014

The November 2014 issue of Vogue China earned headlines because the model was wearing the upcoming Apple Watch. The smartwatch was modeled by Liu Wen.
(See articles by the Huffington Post, the Verge and Fashionista.)

Time, Dec. 22-29, 2014

Time magazine chose the Ebola fighters for its Person of the Year issue. It created five covers for the special edition.