“Selecting a photo for the cover of a pop-culture magazine used to be a simple equation.
“The cover star needed to be as recognisable as possible, but not so recognisable that he or she had nothing left to tell readers.
“Plus, they needed to be white (magazine editors have for decades believed that black people don’t sell magazines), and not wearing sunglasses. Other than that, the decision was usually a simple balance between popularity and intrigue.
“This week, all that changed, as US Vogue’s cover of Kimye (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West) is proving. It is either a disaster or a publicity stunt that confirms longstanding editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s publishing genius.”
