Should newsstands censor topless men?
Dossier Journal's latest cover features an androgynous man without a shirt — and retailers are racing to cover him up

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The image: While some magazines may be comfortable blurring the lines between male and female identities, it became clear this week that some retailers who sell those magazines are not. The fashion magazine Dossier Journal's latest cover features a photo of androgynous male model Andrej Pejic, his blond hair in curlers, taking off a white shirt to reveal his bare chest. (See the cover below.) The problem, say Barnes & Noble and Borders, is that Pejic looks too much like a topless woman. They have reportedly asked Dossier's publishers to cover the magazine in the opaque plastic usually reserved for pornographic content, so as not to make customers uncomfortable.
The reaction: We're glad the cover made people uncomfortable, says Dossier co-founder Skye Parrott, as quoted by Jezebel. That's kind of why we chose it. But censoring it is ridiculous. "Guys are shirtless on magazine covers all the time." Well, apparently shirtless men are only acceptable when they're buff, says Danica Lo at Racked. How many times have you felt "besieged by the countless covers featuring oiled-up topless beefcakes flexing their pecs?" Clearly, this is "about keeping a clear divide between male and female," says Elizabeth Flock at The Washington Post. When it comes to accepting any blurring of that line, "retailers like Barnes & Noble still have a long way to go." Judge for yourself:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Today's political cartoons — September 30, 2023
Saturday's cartoons - Trump's poll numbers, the Hunter Biden investigation, and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 30, 2023
Daily Briefing Government shutdown looms after failed House vote, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein dies at 90, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
All about Zealandia, the Earth’s potential 8th continent
The Explainer The secret continent went undiscovered for over 300 years
By Devika Rao Published