Barnes & Noble, Borders Censor Andrej Pejic’s Shirtless Dossier Cover

[Shana A]

Barnes & Noble, Borders Censor Andrej Pejic's Shirtless Dossier Cover

by Julia Rubin | 5:23 pm, May 14th, 2011

http://www.styleite.com/media/andrej-pejic-dossier-cover-censored/

Andrej Pejic is a man. He appears on the cover of the newest issue of Dossier without a shirt on. However, since he's a pretty man who sometimes gets mistaken for a lady, bookstores are censoring the less-than-risque cover.

The folks over at Elle attended the launch party Dossier's 7th issue, and they dug up some ridiculous dirt:

    The hot topic of the night was the controversy surrounding the cover, which features the androgynous young Jean Paul Gaultier model Andrej Pejic who appears topless. Turns out newsstands (OK, we'll name them: Barnes & Noble and Borders) are covering the image for being too risque. Little do they know they're censoring the image of a shirtless man. Katherine Krause, Dossier's Editor-In-Chief, says that both bookstores have been made aware of Pejic's gender but will move forward with the censoring. What's more, it's Dossier's financial responsibility to pay for the black poly bags with which their distribution people must cover the magazines.

[Devlyn]

That's just stupid!

[Janet_Girl]

I can see why some narrow minded people could miss read the picture, but you should see some of the ones they do have.  I see nothing wrong with it however.

[tekla]

Isn't Border's going out of business?  Might this be the reason?

[Shana A]

Book giants censor Aussie male model's breasts
Megan Levy
May 17, 2011 - 10:42AM

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/book-giants-censor-aussie-male-models-breasts-20110517-1eqas.html

A magazine cover featuring groundbreaking Melbourne model Andrej Pejic has been deemed too racy for magazine stands in the US because the gender-bending "Broady boy" is bare-chested and looks too feminine.

[...]

But his latest magazine cover for the New York-based magazine Dossier Journal - in which he is pictured taking off his shirt with his long blond locks in curlers - has been ruled too risque by US bookstores Barnes & Noble and Borders, which are covering the image with an opaque sleeve.

[tekla]

The reality of this is even sadder than it first appears.  It would be one thing if this was about censorship and ultraconservative morality and corporate power.  But I doubt it is.  People who run and work in bookstores, even Barns and Nobles, tend to the more liberal end of the spectrum.  So my guess is that it's about B&N and Border's trying to avoid a bajillion ugly in-store incidents with stupid, loudmouth parents who think that really is a chick ranting at bookstore staff and management for allowing their little crotchfruit to see nekkid wimmin in a family store.

Tragically, that is a far more likely reason because we let the mouth-breathers set the standards on all sorts of things like this. Time after time, we do this and yet they're still pissed-off all the time. . . . maybe we should stop listening to them.

[Stephanie]

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/book-giants-censor-aussie-male-models-breasts-20110517-1eqas.html

[lost904]

wow....i didnt know people like him existed.hes beautiful....i think i'm in love.lol very interesting thanks for the post!

[juliekins]

I'll play the part of contrarian here. First, Andrej makes his living primarily as a female model. We are addressing gender expression here, not absolute sexual congruence, physically. If Andrej was a self described transwoman, which I believe he has not, then we would be in favor of her being treated as any other woman. If the model had not had BA, would she be any less female?

Since Andrej is not self describing as female, I get everyone's POV. However, Andrej is playing his cards close to the vest. From what I have read, Andrej hasn't quite ruled anything in or out for his future, gender wise. Judging by some other physical tells that I can see, our model could actually be IS or may have a variant chromosomal pattern.

If we accept the premise that women should be allowed to appear topless on any newsstand, that's fine. However, going with the premise that society mores are such that women's breasts should be covered while appearing in fashion magazines, I believe that B & N is not as nuts as everyone thinks.

I think Andrej is laughing all the way to the bank with all the hoopla. Good for business, I'm sure.

[Lisbeth]

I only know one thing for sure. They would censor my breasts.

[Shana A]

Posted at 01:27 PM ET, 05/17/2011
Andrej Pejic's image censored because he looks androgynous
By Elizabeth Flock

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/andrej-pejics-image-censored-because-he-looks-androgynous/2011/05/17/AFhMRr5G_blog.html

But listen to how Barnes & Noble defended the directive. They said that while they knew Pejic was a man, "the model is young and it could be deemed as a naked female."

[...]

Dossier co-founder and creative director Skye Parrott identified that discomfort as the reason for the directive, telling Jezebel.com: "We knew that this cover presented a very strong, androgynous image, and that could make some people uncomfortable. That's partly why we chose it. I guess it has made someone pretty uncomfortable."