Mother Over 50 Cover Wins Award

This provocative photo illustration was deemed the best magazine cover of the year.

It was an image and story that would stand out on any newsstand: a naked woman of a certain age -- with a sleek silver haircut and her fair share of wrinkles -- covering her breast and cradling a very pregnant belly. "Is She Just Too Old For This?" -- an article looking at the social and scientific issues around parents having children past their 40s and 50s -- appeared in the October 3, 2011 issue of New York Magazine to much discussion, reaching over 6,700 Facebook shares. (See the full cover by reading the article here.)

The American Society of Magazine Editors took notice as well, naming it the Cover of the Year in its 2012 Best Cover Contest. ASME gave its reasoning for the win in a press release:

The editors deliberately chose a model representing the story at its most extreme and photographed her in the pose made iconic by Demi Moore on the cover of Vanity Fair. Her belly was plumped with a prosthetic pillow, then carefully retouched to look real. The over-the-top poster-like cover was meant to stop consumers in their tracks -- and it did.

The article was just as engaging. Read the New York Magazine cover story that won the 2012 ASME Best Cover Contest here and vote in our poll below.

Quick Poll

How Old Is Too Old To Have Kids?

35-40

41-45

46-50

51-55

55+

VOTE

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Comments

[goldy67]

09:46 PM on 06/11/2012

There is a huge double standard with age and parenting. Older men-- much older men--, father children all the time in spite of the increased risk for autism and other things that comes with old sperm. Sure, older women have a risk with pregnancy. But many older women adopt or pursue other means. I am just sick to death of fiftysomething dads with thirtysomething wives having babies, while people go apoplectic when the woman is older.

[fifiwereking]

04:23 PM on 05/09/2012

it may have stopped consumers in their tracks, but it begs the question - if the article is about becoming a mother post-50, why did they use a model who looks nearly 80?

the photo isn't as much controversial as it is manipulative - nearly everyone is going to respond to that photo by thinking "that is soooo wrong"....

[lemurtide]

01:03 PM on 05/09/2012

I assume these survey results apply to men too?

[TraceyES]

10:54 AM on 05/09/2012

It's utterly asinine to assume that there is a "correct" or "right" age to have children. Everyone's experiences are different. If we spent half as much time trying to fix this country as we do judging other people, we'd have a much better country in no time.

[Lisa A Dillon]

09:50 PM on 05/08/2012

there are too many physical risks during pregnancy after 45.

[J R M]

07:21 PM on 05/08/2012

It gets harder to keep up with them as they grow.

My wife was 37 when our daughter was born and 41 when our son was born. She got hit by fibromyalgia / chronic lyme disease shortly thereafter. Dealing with energetic kids when you are sick and low on energy (something that is more common when you are older) is hard.

I can see doing it, but you are taking a risk. I am rather older than my wife, so I have picked up much of the load. If I am able to delay retirement til my early 70's, I will get them educated before I retire.

[TraceyES]

10:57 AM on 05/09/2012

It gets harder to keep up with them physically, maybe. I was 39 when my daughter was born and I have more patience, more wisdom and more income than I had in my 20s, and I don't feel like I missed my youth raising children.

[Robert Kelley]

04:33 PM on 05/08/2012

I didn't really need to see that magazine cover. I'll be having bad dreams for the rest of the week.

How old is it to have kids? From my experience, any age.

[RhiannonRings]

08:42 PM on 05/08/2012

Hear hear!

[Georgia Biology Professo]

10:50 PM on 05/07/2012

I was surprised by the percentage of votes indicating 40-50 was too old for children. Many grandparents in this country either raise their grandchildren or devote significant efforts to their upbringing. If grandparents can raise their grandchildren shouldn't they raise their own children later in life if so desired?

[fifiwereking]

04:24 PM on 05/09/2012

excellent point!