So, which Jonas Brother is he?
In an editorial decision that is insanely insensitive and straight-up offensive, Rolling Stone has put Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover under a headline of “The Bomber.” So… cool, is “The Bomber” his band? Are they the next big thing? Does Jahar play synths or banjo? I can’t tell based on the way his hair is tousled.
This should go over well in Boston. Jahar, the rock star.
(Here’s the link that first teased the cover: Five Revelations From Rolling Stone’s Boston Bomber Cover Story. The shit storm has already erupted.)
This is pretty disturbing on multiple levels. Never mind due process (of course we shouldn’t), but this bit of sensationalism and contrived method of stirring up controversy is beyond unsettling. Yes, we’re sure the writer’s article is interesting and will shed light on the horrific events that led to April 15, 2013. In fact, we’ll argue that the magazine did reporter/writer Janet Reitman a disservice; few are going to absorb her article without thinking of Rolling Stone’s quest to move units, regardless of how great it might be. In the internet’s age of sharing/posting, great articles find their way to eyeballs.
But in this case it doesn’t even matter; Tsarnaev doesn’t deserve to be on any magazine covers, especially one where he’s depicted like John Lennon, or like some sort of heartthrob. Based on the subheads, the other options for cover worthiness were Jay-Z, Willie Nelson, Robin Thicke, and Gary Clark, Jr. But hey, we wouldn’t be posting about a Rolling Stone cover if Mr. Blurred Lines was up there smiling all fancy. Would Tsarnaev be on the cover if he wasn’t perceived to be good looking? Mohamed Atta was no heartthrob.
And for the record, Johnny Depp was on the cover of the most recent issue. So there’s that.
But celebrity culture demands new things, new waves of publicity, new means to get people talking, in 2013. When I was 13 I put Rolling Stone covers on my bedroom wall; it’s sickening to imagine this one going up on some misguided 13-year-old girl’s wall as well. Right next to the Jonas Brothers.
“Free Jahar” indeed.
