Vogue Portugal Lands In Hot Water For Its Controversial ‘Mental Illness’ Cover
Image via Vogue Portugal
Vogue Portugal magazine suffered backlash after publishing a controversial cover for its July/August 2020 issue.
The ‘Madness’ cover issue featured model Simona Kirchnerova crouching in a white bathtub and looking terrified, while being handled by two nurses—with one pouring water over her head.
The cover has been criticized by readers, who claimed that it was an attempt to glorify mental illness as well as the usage of the term “madness.” Many also disliked how the patient was treated in the cover, calling it “insensitive.”
One of the critics was Victoria’s Secret model Sara Sampaio, who commented on the magazine’s Instagram page. “These kinds of pictures should not be representing the conversation about mental health. I think it’s very bad taste!” she said.
Clinical psychologist Dr Katerina Alexandraki also weighed in on the issue, writing, “Promoting the aesthetics of mental health is very problematic. It’s never a fashion, that is so invalidating.”
Talking about why it chose to publish a mental health issue, the magazine tweeted, “It’s about love. It’s about life. It’s about us. It’s about you. It’s about now. It’s about health. It’s about mental health. #themadnessissue. It’s about time.”
The model, Kirchnerova, however, paid no attention to the criticism and praised the cover, expressing her delight about being able to pose with the nurses, who are actually her mother and grandmother.
“My career highlight. Made it to Vogue with my mother and grandmother. three generations on Vogue cover,” she wrote.
THE MADNESS ISSUE.
— Vogue Portugal (@VoguePortugal) July 2, 2020
It’s about love.
It’s about life.
It’s about us.
It’s about you.
It’s about now.
It’s about health.
It’s about mental health. #themadnessissue It’s about time.
Pre-order the july/august issue at https://t.co/7vQX0f1u8F pic.twitter.com/3PX5nUWOPb
Who signed off your cover ‘The Madness Issue’? It’s repulsive and makes a mockery of those with mental illnesses and who have been sectioned. It is not something to be glamourised.
— 'Muhammad' RLee 🥊 (@RLCuppaTea) July 3, 2020
Dear editors @vogueportugal I applaud your attempt to cover the severity of mental health. I deplore the choice of cover and the phrasing. Mental illness isn’t a ‘vogue’ issue for many it’s a long term and painful experience @rcpsych @DrKateLovett @TrudiSene1
— Adrian James (@DrAdrianJames) July 5, 2020
@VoguePortugal not very palatable. There is no space to sensationalise mental illness.
— supriya agarwal@bodymindheal (@talktosup) July 6, 2020
Such an AWFUL representation of Portugal to the world. Be ashamed, be very ashamed of producing this - recall, apologies, and educated.
— Daniel James (@danflyingsolo) July 3, 2020
Every person who saw that picture of an archaic and degrading depiction of a mental illness institution should be ashamed of themselves. Disgusting to call it the madness issue too. Well done for making mental illness even harder for people to deal with.
— Lisa Sell (@LisaLisax31) July 3, 2020
[via The Guardian, opening image via Vogue Portugal]
