Jordan Steves on Tumblr

Newsweek’s Tumblr debuted a new feature called “also-rans” today, showcasing cover ideas that didn’t make it to print. All are different visual takes on “The Politics of Sex,” based on Andrew Sullivan’s story on the contraception culture wars. This is what sits on American newsstands right now:

And, for the sake of contrast, this is the current cover of the international editions:

Lisa Wade at The Society Pages has been keeping a semi-comprehensive running comparison of domestic and international Time and Newsweek covers, in an attempt to illustrate the “vicious circle” of Americans’ ignorance of global issues and the news media ceding to that ignorance by providing fluff. “The Politics of Sex” is not as fluffy as, say, “Who Needs Marriage?” or “My Life in Pictures,” but the point is the same. This week’s Newsweek covers may be worth a nomination.