The most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2023

Artificial intelligence played a role in two of the most controversial foreign magazine covers of 2023.

German magazine Die Aktuelle ran a cover story “interview” with Formula One racecar driver Michael Schumacher that was generated using artificial intelligence software. Schumacher has not been seen in public since December 2013 when he suffered a serious brain injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps.
The publishers of magazine fired the editor and apologized to Schumacher’s family for the stunt. (See articles by Reuters, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, Sports Illustrated and Deadline.)

Glamour magazine in Bulgaria sparked controversy with the publishing industry’s first-ever AI-generated magazine cover photo “shoot.”
The magazine used an AI image generator to create a Barbie-inspired cover with the likeness model and swimsuit designer Lisa Opie.
(See articles by Creative Bloq, Trend Hunter, Peta Pixel and New York Post.)

French government minister Marlene Schiappa got tongues wagging when she posed for the cover of men’s magazine Playboy in France. Schiappa, a feminist author-turned-junior social economy minister, appeared in a low-cut white bodysuit exposing her cleavage and spread legs in the April/June issue.
(See articles by the Daily Mail, New York Post, CNN and BBC.)

Critics roasted the Times magazine in Britain for treating ISIS bride Shamima Begum like “some sort of celebrity,” instead of the terrorist defector that she is.
(See articles by the Express, Sky News and Dominique Samuels on X.)

Turkey criticized London-based magazine the Economist for its cover story that warned of “Turkey’s looming dictatorship” under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (See articles by the Greek Reporter and Daily Sabah.)

Turkey also didn’t like the cover of German magazine Stern that referred to Ergogan as an “arsonist.” The magazine said he is stoking dangerous conflicts in other countries, including Germany.
(See articles by the Stockholm Center for Freedom and Turkish Minute.)

Plus, Turkey slammed the cover of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for its May 17 cover, which featured a cartoon of the Turkish president being electrocuted in a bathtub. (See article by Al Jazeera.)

China shut down Chinese literary magazine Selected Essays after 35 years when the publication printed a cover that appeared to lampoon President Xi Jinping.
(See articles by China Digital Times, Bitter Winter, Tibetan Review and German politician Reinhard Buetikofer.)

Glamour U.K. magazine featured a pregnant transgender man on its June digital cover. Critics were quick to point out that only women can get pregnant, regardless of gender dysphoria issues and body-changing procedures a person might go through.
(See articles by Fox News, NBC News, the Independent, American Greatness, OutKick and Zero Hedge.)

A bridal magazine in India, Brides Today, divided readers by putting a hairy, bearded non-binary model wearing a dress on its April cover. (See articles by the Daily Mail and New York Post.)

Finally, supermodel Giselle Bundchen shocked fans with her unrecognizable makeover for Vogue Italia’s March cover. (See articles by the Daily Mail, Page Six and Loudwire.)