Hot Shots

By Suzanne Weinstock

They say all publicity is good publicity. If so, these magazine photo spreads are as good as it gets. Whether they provoked cheers or jeers, they certainly made headlines.

Levi Johnston poses for Playgirl
As if impregnating Sarah Palin’s daughter weren’t tawdry enough, Levi Johnston took it (almost) all off for Playgirl in March 2010. After declaring that he was 90 percent sure he would go full frontal, Johnston ultimately kept the goods covered up.

Karl Lagerfeld shoots Miss Dirty Martini for V
“No one wants to see curvy women,” Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has famously said. He clearly changed his mind when he shot the plus-size burlesque dancer Miss Dirty Martini for V magazine’s January 2010 “size issue.”

Adam Lambert’s ‘straight’ shoot in Details
Straight stars in homoerotic photos are always good for a cheap thrill. But what about the opposite? Openly gay singer Adam Lambert caused a stir in a raunchy shoot with a nude woman in November 2009.

Models in blackface in Vogue France
Model of the moment Lara Stone was shot by superstar photographer Steven Klein and styled by legendary Vogue France editor Carine Roitfeld — in blackface. The 14-page October 2009 spread triggered debate over whether the shoot was offensive or art.

Vanity Fair publishes Annie Leibovitz’s photos of Tiger Woods post-scandal
The hubbub surrounding the cover and photo spread in Vanity Fair was all about timing. Fortunate to have taken the photos pre-scandal, the magazine got Tiger onto its February 2010 cover — shirtless, with a steely expression — shortly after the news of his many affairs broke.