Tampa, Florida - It's the one phrase we've all heard over and over again. Sex sells. But, is there a point where the sex is just too much?
The February issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, some say, is bordering on bait for pedophiles. The Cosmo cover is causing big controversy as a 17-year-old actress is surrounded by sex. Wide-eyed Dakota Fanning is now all grown up, showcased on the current Cosmo cover with long blonde hair, a slinky pink dress and heavy eye make-up.
Fanning has played child roles in such movies as "War of the Worlds", "Man on Fire", "I am Sam", and "Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat", to name a few, plus the recent "Twilight" movies. On the cover next to the teenage actress are headlines that read: "HIS BEST SEX EVER" and "TOO NAUGHTY TO SAY HERE". Plus, there's a racy question, asking "UM, VAGINA ARE YOU OKAY DOWN THERE?"
Mothers are outraged. The grocery store chain, Publix, won't even show the cover on the newsstands. There is a placard in front, so the headlines can't be seen. It begs the question: Are these appropriate articles for a teenage cover girl?
10 News went one-on-one with several saavy students at the popular and nationally acclaimed fashion program at Spoto High School in Hillsborough County. It is an A-grade school recognized for academic excellence. These bright students with promising futures had plenty to say about the Cosmo cover, a magazine that's not even allowed in their fashion classes.
Mariann Byrd, who is a sophomore, told us, "I saw her, and then all I saw were the headlines. I didn't even see what dress she was wearing."Mariann has a keen interest in fashion and can be found reading such publications as InStyle and Marie Claire.
Cosmo, she says, just isn't for her. Then, there's Gerald Gold, a senior who is ready to spread his wings and move to Canada after graduation for a career in fashion. Even he admits that the cover is just too much.
Gerald laughed and said, "If that was my daughter, I'd be mad. I'd sue the company. I wouldn't want my daughter to be seen like that. Nobody wants their daughter to be seen like that."Another student, junior Amber Peach, is thrilled about her fashion classes at Spoto. She hopes to one day run her own spa and continue her creative streak becoming a make-up artist or even a hair stylist.
The petite blonde was not exactly thrilled with the cover either. "It's surprising in some way," Amber said. The students were ultimately disappointed in Dakota. Mariann told us, "I thought she was that little girl I saw in the movies that she is my favorite, she's just so cute, and you know, I see those magazines and you're like, that's really disappointing."So, what was Cosmo's comment about this tawdry teen cover causing raised eyebrows all over the Bay area and the world?
10 News contacted their offices in New York, and they admitted we weren't the first to ask about it, that they were already getting heat over the headlines. But, ultimately they skirted the issue.
They released this statement saying, "Dakota, who turns 18 this month, is a mature, fearless young woman and we are proud to honor her as our fun, fearless female of the year."Still, the loyal readers of Cosmopolitan were not at all happy with the recent cover.
One comment on the webite read, "Get ready for a controversy! She's turning 18 at the END of February. She's way too young to be promoting sex."Another woman wrote, "Love her but she is way too young. Not a smart move Cosmo!"An additional reader said, "Way to support pedophiles, Cosmo."