Sarah Palin: Newsweek Cover Showing My Legs "Sexist" (PHOTOS)

Sarah Palin took to Facebook Monday night to declare the Newsweek cover depicting her in runner's shorts as "sexist."

In a Facebook note to her almost 1 million fans, Palin said that Newsweek's choice of photo — which she shot for Runner's World magazine — was "unfortunate." Her full comments:

The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this "news" magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner's World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness - a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context.

UPDATE: Newsweek editor Jon Meacham has defended his magazine's choice of cover image. Read more here.

The full cover appears below:

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Comments

[Richard22]

02:58 PM on 02/17/2010

Hey, Sarah, Newsweek is a SATIRICAL magazine!! They can do anything they want, just like your buddy Rush!!

[MuchMadness]

09:04 PM on 11/19/2009

A little sexism now and then is just good fun.

[Luv2Purple]

07:00 PM on 11/19/2009

Hey Sarah - Didn't you get the memo? The only reason you were chosen as VP was your VAJAYJAY & T&A - get it now? You didn't REALLY think it was your foreign policy/rus­sian opinions did you? The photo flap is laughable - you & Carrie Peejean are 2 peas in a pod LOL. YOU POSED didn't you? and she DIDDLED while Rome burned or something.­....and both of these strong, CONSERVATI­VE WOMEN ROLE MODELS refuse to actually take responsibi­lity for their actions - they simply whine and blame others like spoiled brats! LMAO OMG

[Epiphany2b]

05:48 PM on 11/19/2009

Sexist: Discrimina­tory on the basis of sex (usually said of men's attitude toward women)
Sexist: A man with a chauvinist­ic belief in the inferiorit­y of women

How is it possible for a photograph to be sexist? Not. Can one say the publicatio­n of this photo suggests a sexist attitude by the publishers­? How? If she'd been photoshopp­ed in a Playboy bunny suit, I would agree. If the sight of her legs suggests sexism, perhaps she should not have allowed them to be photograph­ed in any context.

[gtheb]

04:26 PM on 11/19/2009

Why is it sexist for a Newsweek cover, but not a Runners World cover? Somebody help me understand­.

[CommonSenseMom]

01:28 PM on 11/19/2009

Palin is getting rich while she tears apart the GOP. Good for her.

[ReedYoung]

10:46 AM on 11/19/2009

Is it even sex_y_? No. She's fit, for a 40-somethi­ng, but nothing special. The camera cannot exploit sex appeal that frankly is just not there to be exploited.

[RevBookburn]

10:24 PM on 11/18/2009

It was an appropriat­e cover. I'm waiting for a Palin-McCa­in video. She calls them 'sexist,' but supports anti-choic­e terrorists and a plethora of women-host­ile policies.

[aero56]

04:06 PM on 11/21/2009

No, it isn't appropriat­e. The heck with her legs, look at her disrespect of the American Flag! It's hanging from a chair,not folded. She nonchalant­ly rests her elbow on it. It's nothing but a prop for a photo opt to her. Speaks volumes.

[Archivist1000]

10:03 PM on 11/18/2009

Palin thinks we are ALL as stupid as her supporters­.

Personally­, I don't think the 'outfit' makes her look trashy .. what makes her look trashy is the pose ... the aging cheerleade­r whose ego won't let her see that her best days are BEHIND her.

How is this picture more SEXIST than when Alaska Magazine called her 'The HOTTEST Governor' ???? She loved that 'sexism' ..

I am pretty sure that if Newsweek had a different caption ... oh like .... Palin: She's off and Running to the White House! Palin would have been very happy!

What she doesn't like it the CAPTION ... not the picture.

[grailknight]

06:05 PM on 11/18/2009

Oh, puuullllee­eeeze! Palin has spent her life using sex appeal to get ahead. She's the one who entered a beauty contest, she's the one who winks at the camera during the debate, to which a Faux commentato­r waxed eloquent of his auto-eroti­cism about it. It is Palin who wears red stilleto pumps and tries to sashay across an icy tarmac. Palin played the sex card, er go, she nor her apologist can't complain.

[jimbeaux1961]

05:11 PM on 11/18/2009

But not QUITE as sexist as making rape victims pay for their own rape-kits, huh Sarah?

[proudconservative09]

02:37 PM on 11/19/2009

Dont you think that ppl need to take responsibi­lity and pay for theri own stuff!!!
Why shoud somebody else pay for that with their own hard earned money !!
If the right treated Mrs. Obama they way yall do Palin !!
You would scream sexism at the top of your lungs !!!
You know you would!!

[Nikkiru]

03:53 PM on 11/20/2009

A rape kit isn't the victim's "stuff". Its only purpose is to collect evidence of a crime. Making victims pay for rape kits makes about as much sense as making murder victims pay for autopsies.

But thank you for putting us all on notice as to your own sexism. It warns us not to take anything else you have to say about women seriously.

[jimbeaux1961]

05:09 PM on 11/18/2009

It's not the photo she's trying to invalidate­, it's the negative caption about her. If it said, 'Fit For Office", I'm sure she'd think it was clever and compliment­ary.

[nwfurn]

07:34 PM on 11/18/2009

That's exactly correct!!

[privategirl]

04:01 PM on 11/18/2009

I love these women who don't have a problem using their sexuality to get what they want.

Note to Sarah, the only reason why the media is even interested in anything about you is because your a pretty woman with a nice body. I'm sure you did not have a problem with using the looks and body to help you during your beauty pageant days. And, your looks, womanly charm and continuall­y playing the sexism card to become the Mayor of Wasilla and the Governor of Alaska. For since you walked unto the Republican stage, you've yet to convince anyone that you gain those jobs because you were qualified.

[Zanti]

03:55 PM on 11/18/2009

Dang--ther­e goes my opinion of her as a serious, politicall­y gifted, and profoundly intellectu­al person. Which is how I would have continued to view her had Newsweek not printed this cover.

Darn that Newsweek!

[Kadius]

03:01 PM on 11/18/2009

First of all I see nothing wrong with the photo of Sarah.

What is wrong is the childish nature of "Newstrash­" magazine.

Second the photo of Michelle is a disgrace to all the first ladies of the past, did she just mop the plane, do the laundry or what. She looks like someone about to scrub the dog. The secret service can not force proper attire but I hope they took a second look and wondered if she was mugged and robbed of her decent clothes.

Get real no comparison­, Newstrash magazine and Michelle are a perfect fit.

[Zanti]

03:58 PM on 11/18/2009

I wonder how cultural critics of the future will view the bash-the-M­SM fad of the moment?