Guide Note

The August 2008 cover of Vanity Fair Magazine is a satire of The New Yorker's controversial Barack Obama cover of the previous month. The Vanity Fair version depicts John and Cindy McCain, instead of Barack and Michelle Obama, and caricatures McCain's age, rather than Obama's alleged lack of patriotism.

Fast Facts

1. On the satirical cover, Vanity Fair logo appears in the same font used by The New Yorker
2. John McCain is depicted as infirm, balanced on a walker
3. Cindy McCain holds prescription drugs—a reference to her one-time addiction¹
4. Painting on the wall is of George W. Bush (original shows Osama Bin Laden)
5. Constitution burns in the fireplace (instead of American flag)
6. New Yorker and Vanity Fair editorial staffs share the same Manhattan address: 4 Times Square²