TROLLING STONE

Everyone Hates Rolling Stone’s Dzhokhar Cover

Photo makes Dzhokhar look like a “heartthrob.”

What about the actual story? The Internet really doesn’t like Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of Rolling Stone. Critics say that it glamorizes the young Boston bomber, like any heartthrob rock star who’s had the chance to grace the magazine. Twitter erupted in anger—comedian Patton Oswalt wrote that the mag is probably excited to “use Zimmerman next.” Even fans of Dzhokhar voiced their distaste. The magazine released a statement saying that the cover falls within the bounds of journalism. “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,” the statement added. Rolling Stone has used some other “monsters” as cover boys in the past (like Charles Manson). The “sexy” image of Dzhokhar has been featured in several reported pieces on the Boston bombing, including The New York Times.