Marathon Bomber: Cover of Rolling Stone?!

What the fuck is this world coming to? This kid is a 19 year old punk, and for his face to be on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine is only more fuel to his twisted ego. This is the coward who stood up in court, smirking. In his mind, not only did the killings boost his personal status in the world of islam, but now he's a star, on the cover of one of America's biggest magazines. And it's not a mugshot of him all disheveled and exhausted looking, you all know what im talking about. I could yap on and on about my disgust over this subject but i'll end here and leave it to the rest of you

The cops shoulda given him his bris in the hospital instead of his miranda warnings.

Dude deserves a summary execution, not the cover of the roiling stone.

Gonna see my smiling face...."On the Cover of the Rolling Stone"

They should have Charles Carniglia give him an acid enema to start with.

Fucking idiots are trying to defend it


'Rolling Stone' defends Tsarnaev glam cover amid outcry

by Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY

Rolling Stone, hit by a storm of criticism and boycotts over its cover treatment and glam photo of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, defended itself Wednesday, saying it was within its tradition of "serious and thoughtful coverage" of important cultural and political issues.

Readers, particularly from the Boston area, slammed the magazine on its Facebook page, charging that the cover treatment turns the accused killer into a "rock star."

Walgreens, the CVS pharmacy chain and Massachusetts-based Tedeschi convenience stores said they are refusing to sell copies of the magazine, which goes on sale Friday.

The article, by contributing editor Janet Reitman, is titled "The Bomber: How a popular, promising student was failed by his family, fell into radical Islam and became a monster."

The lengthy piece draws upon interviews with childhood and high school friends, teachers, neighbors and law enforcement agents.

In a statement, Rolling Stone editors said their hearts go out to the victims of the April 15 bombings, but that the cover story was an attempt to grapple with an important issue.

"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 statement said.

The Bob Dylan-style photo, which riled many on social media, shows the 19-year-old Tsarnaev with long, curly hair, mustache and goatee, staring straight ahead.

As the image made the rounds on social media, the anger grew, particularly in Boston and New England, where "Rolling Stone" was trending all day on Twitter.

Tedeschi Food Shops, which is based in Rockland, Mass., is refusing to sell the edition of the magazine at its nearly 200 outlets, saying on its Facebook page that it "cannot support actions that serve to glorify the evil actions of anyone."

"Music and terrorism don't mix," the company said.

Woonsocket, R.I.-based pharmacy chain CVS also said it was boycotting the edition. "As a company with deep roots in New England and a strong presence in Boston, we believe this is the right decision out of respect for the victims of the attack and their loved ones," the company said on its Facebook page.

Walgreens tweeted simply that it "will not be selling this issue of Rolling Stone magazine," thanking people "for sharing your thoughts with us."

Rolling Stone's own Facebook page was also flooded with comments, most of them negative.

A sampling:

• "I think it's wrong to make celebrities out of these people. Why give the guy the cover of Rolling Stone? TIME gave Charles Manson the cover and all the magazines carried pictures of the Columbine shooters on the covers, too. Don't make martyrs out of these people."

• "Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs, should be on cover"

• "The best example yet of why Facebook needs a 'dislike' button."

• "Look at these comments... what an awful mentality this country has... too brainwashed to read read the article or have an intelligent conversation regarding both sides of the story... I wonder how many of you would like to see him dead on the cover of THIS magazine without a trial???"

• "Is this for real?! Why don't the VICTIMS get the cover instead? It's sick that no one cares that people died, real people with lives and families, they just care about whatever will sell"

• "I hope not a single person from Boston or New England ever buys your magazine again. the most copies. Want to see true terrorism? Look to the media."

• "I am so disappointed with Rolling Stone Magazine. I have enjoyed your magazine up until now. I will no longer buy/read the mag. You have just made him a "rock star". How could you?"

The editors of Rolling Stone issued a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to the wave of criticism:

'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'

Rolling Stone earlier told USA TODAY that the outcry is reminiscent of another polarizing cover, more than 40 years ago, on cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson.

That cover, in June 1970, including a prison interview with Manson, became one of Rolling Stone's biggest selling issues and won a National Magazine award.

The Tsarnaev profile provides new insight into the life of the young man known to friends as Jahar.

• FBI negotiators were able to get a wounded Tsarnaev to surrender April 19 while huddled in a boat in the backyard of a Watertown, Mass., home by relaying a plea from his former wrestling coach to give up.

• In the months leading up to the bombings, Dzhokhar was increasingly isolated, with his parents away and his relations with two sisters strained. When a friend asked to meet Dzhokhar's 27-year-old brother Tamerlan, the suspected mastermind of the Boston Marathon attack, the younger brother said, "No, you don't want to meet him."

• Around 2008, his older brother Tamerlan confided to his mother that he felt like "two people" were inside of him. A friend had suggested to her that he might need a psychiatrist, but his mother instead pushed Tamerlan deeper into Islam in hopes it would cure his inner demons and growing mental instability.

• Dzhokhar never spoke about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center but once told a high school friend he thought the attacks could be justified. He pointed to U.S. policies toward Muslim countries and U.S. drone strikes.

• One of his former nurses allegedly has said Tsarnaev cried for two days after he woke up in the hospital.

Yes, it's disturbing, to say the least. It's sensational, in the worst sense of the word. It's making hay out of tragedy. These are all reasons why they shouldn't do it. However, they have every right to do it, just as we all have every right to boycott it, and the advertisers in the issue.

The only thing that a company like this would hear is the sound of falling revenue.

You are right in what you say....but after a while wouldn't doing this almost become a form/way of censorship.
Keeping people from printing or saying some very true thoughts because of fear of losing their job or even their own business?

almost a form of bullying if you look at it from a side view. Right in one way but oh so wrong in another.

Kill that fucking coward

Shock value. Rolling Stone should be ashamed of putting a person like that on the cover. Their just looking for shock value to sell magazines. I hope this kid is counting his blessings because their gonna bring back the death penalty in Mass and he's a dead man. Sad thing about the death penalty/death row, is that he'll sit their for 12 years just like all other death row inmates in this fucking whacked out country of ours. We as tax payers get to pay for him too.

Rolling Stone is a liberal rag that's usually good for nothing but using it's pages to line hamster cages.

You are absolutely right on the money their Mr. IvyLeague.

Totally wrong!!

They are getting people talking and probably selling more magazines. That was their point.

So you feel the same way about this country as the terrorist on the cover of the Rolling Stone.