Newsweek's 'crazy eyes' Michele Bachmann cover

(Image credit: Newsweek)

last updated 8 January 2015

The image: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, made Newsweek's latest cover — but that may not be a good thing for her campaign. Tagged "The Queen of Rage," the cover photo captures the Tea Party darling with what's being characterized as a startled, glazed-over "crazy eyes" expression. (See the image below.) In 2009, Newsweek was also criticized for a "sexist" cover featuring Sarah Palin in tight and presumably alluring workout attire.

The reaction: "Memo to conservative women," says Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. When approached to be a Newsweek cover subject, "always bring your own photographer." This photo makes Bachmann appear helpless and robotic, says Jonathan Capeheart at The Washington Post. "It’s as if someone is dangling a treat (or maybe it’s a line of Scripture) to get her to look at the camera...." It's shocking, says Michelle Malkin at her blog, that a respected editor like Newsweek's Tina Brown would resort to "recycling bottom-of-the-barrel" photo cliches in order to make conservative women appear crazy. And let's be honest, says Jessica Grose at Slate. It's unlikely that the magazine would "portray a male candidate with such a lunatic expression on his face." Judge for yourself: