The Year's Most Controversial Magazine Covers   Elton John’s
adorable baby judged unsafe for “young shoppers”  No, it’s not
the bizarre expression on Elton John’s face that caused Arkansas
supermarket chain Harps to censor the January Us Weekly cover
above. The issue apparently merited the kind of “Family Shield”
you see blocking explicit porn magazines from public view
because it pictured a pair of gay dads and their new baby.
According to Harps president, the shield was placed after “our
store manager received some complaints” and then removed after
sane customers pointed out that it’s actually kind of homophobic
to suggest that gay families are somehow offensive. Elton John:
respectable enough for British knighthood, but too controversial
for grocery stores in the South.