Controversial Boston Bomber Rolling Stone Cover Boycott, Stores Refuse Sale

Rolling Stone, one of the world’s most trusted entertainment and news sources, has released a controversial new cover. The focus of the issue will be the Boston Bomber, and the photo Rolling Stone used has drawn a considerable amount of criticism--especially from retailers. Some outlets are refusing to carry the magazine. Is this justified or just another example of overly conservative retailers being cry babies?

Well, if Rolling Stone’s goal was to elicit discussion about the tragic Boston bombing, they should be pretty proud. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have been abuzz since the announcement and reveal of the cover. Of course, most of that chatter has been blind rage about the photo they decided to use.

The cover features Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bomber, staring straight ahead into the camera, with curly hair. While the photo does resemble covers from the past (ie Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison), it is a realistic portrayal of how this murderer looks--and that is important.

This isn’t the “face of terrorism” everyone has come to expect and that is troubling for many people. This terrorist was popular, athletic, young and looked a heck of a lot like, well...a 'normal' American.

Rolling Stone issued a statement following the outrage:

“Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story 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 of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens. –THE EDITORS”

Still, some retail outlets are refusing to sell the August issue of Rolling Stone, namely Walgreens and CVS. Is this a justified decision? Let us know in the comment field below.