Newsweek's Facebook poll.

Newsweek, in response to criticisms of their current, if-Diana-were-alive-and-looked-like-Tina Brown cover, has issued a powerful rebuttal.

They posted a Facebook poll.

That poll gives the reader five options as to how Diana's "age advancement" looks, three of which are purely aesthetic ("She would have looked younger," "She would have looked older," or "She would have changed her hairstyle") and two of which play with the duality of "Brilliant!" or "Dislike." There is no option dealing with the subtleties of whether the "age advancement" was itself a good idea, or any issues the cover raises not dealing simply with a rushed-looking Photoshop job. They're doubling down, in fact--if you find a Photoshopped image of a tragically killed woman offensive, how will you feel when asked if her revivified body would look more youthful? Anyway, "dislike" is winning.

Given that Newsweek has outsourced the conversation about its editorial process--one that perhaps needs clarification aside from Tina Brown's one-sentence statement on the Newsweek Tumblr--we won't feel bad quoting from a random Facebook commenter rather than the editors: "Absolutely crazy. Who in his/her right mind would approve such a disrespectful display. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I cannot think of anything else to say except that cover may convince me not to ever buy your magazine. Please apologize."

Buzz! Crackling!

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_