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''More Demi Moore'' or the August 1991 ''Vanity Fair'' cover is a controversial handbra nude photograph of then seven-months pregnant
Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
taken by
Annie Leibovitz Anna-Lou Leibovitz ( ; born October 2, 1949) is an American Portrait photography, portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid ...
for the August 1991 cover of '' Vanity Fair'' to accompany a cover story about Moore. The cover has had a lasting societal impact. Since the cover was released, several celebrities have posed for photographs in advanced stages of pregnancy, although not necessarily as naked as Moore. This trend has made pregnancy photos fashionable and created a booming business. The photograph is one of the most highly regarded magazine covers of all time, and it is one of Leibovitz's best known works. The picture has been parodied several times, including for advertising '' Naked Gun : The Final Insult'' (1994). This led to the 1998 Second Circuit
fair use Fair use is a Legal doctrine, doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to bal ...
case '' Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp.'' In addition to being satirically parodied and popularizing pregnancy photographs, there was also backlash. Some critics rated it grotesque and obscene, and it was also seriously considered when Internet decency standards were first being legislated and adjudicated. Others thought it was a powerful artistic statement. In each of the subsequent two years, Moore made follow-up cover appearances on ''Vanity Fair'', the first of which propelled Joanne Gair to prominence as a trompe-l'œil body painter.


Background

In 1991, Demi Moore was a budding A-list film star who had been married to Bruce Willis since 1987. The couple had had their first child Rumer Willis in 1988, and they had hired three photographers for an audience of six friends for the delivery. In 1990, she had starred in that year's highest-grossing film, ''
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
'', for which she was paid $750,000, and she had earned $2.5 million for 1991 roles in '' The Butcher's Wife'' and '' Mortal Thoughts''. Following the photo, she would earn $3 million for her 1992 role in ''
A Few Good Men ''A Few Good Men'' is a 1992 American legal drama film based on Aaron Sorkin's 1989 play, produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, financed and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was written by Sorkin, directed by Rob Reiner, and produced ...
'' and $5 million apiece for roles in '' Indecent Proposal'' (1993), '' Disclosure'' (1994) and '' The Scarlet Letter'' (1995). Annie Leibovitz had been chief photographer at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' from 1973 until 1983, when she moved to '' Vanity Fair''. In 1991, she had the first mid-career show, ''Annie Leibovitz Photographs 1970-1990'', ever given a photographer by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., with a similarly titled accompanying book. The show traveled to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
at the International Center of Photography for a showing that would run until December 1, 1991.


Details

The photograph was one of several taken by Leibovitz of 28-year-old Moore, then seven-months pregnant with the couple's second daughter, Scout LaRue Willis. The photographs ranged from Moore in lacy underwear and spiked high heels, to a revealing peignoir. The final selection had Moore wearing only a diamond ring. Joanne Gair was the makeup artist for the shoot. Samuel Irving Newhouse, Jr., chairman of Conde Nast Publications, was very supportive of the cover despite the potential for lost sales. Tina Brown, ''Vanity Fair'' editor, quickly realized that there would be harsh backlash for regular distribution of the magazine; the issue had to be wrapped in a white envelope with only Moore's eyes visible. Some editions had a brown wrapper that implied naughtiness. However, Brown viewed the image as a chance to make a statement about the decade of the 1990s after a decade dominated by power suits. Approximately 100 million people saw the cover. The use of a pregnant sex symbol was in a sense an attempt to combat the
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
representations of the anathema of the uncomfortable and grotesquely excessive female form in a culture that values thinness. Leibovitz' candid portrayal drew a wide spectrum of responses from television, radio, and newspaper personalities and the public at large ranging from complaints of
sexual objectification Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire (a sex object). Objectification more broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without regard to their personality or dignity. Obje ...
to celebrations of the photograph as a symbol of
empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...
. One of the judges in '' Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp.'' stated that the image evoked
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...
's '' Birth of Venus''. The retrospective view of some was that the photograph is "high art". The intent of the photograph was to portray pregnancy with a celebrity in a way that was bold and understated in an "anti-Hollywood, anti-glitz" manner. It was successful in some regards as many perceived it as a statement of beauty and pride. However, many took offense and the cover drew unusually intense controversy for ''Vanity Fair'' in the form of ninety-five television spots, sixty-four radio shows, 1,500 newspaper articles, and a dozen cartoons. Some stores and newsstands refused to carry the August issue, while others concealed it in the wrapper evocative of porn magazines. The photo is not only considered one of Leibovitz's most famous, but also an almost mythical representation. It is considered emblematic of Si Newhouse's reputation for "newsy features and provocative photos." It is the first photo mentioned in the ''New York Times'' review of Leibovitz's exhibition ''Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005'' at the
Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...
and it is contrasted with another of her female pregnancy photographs (of Melania Trump). A year later, Moore still did not understand the controversy that caused photos of a naked, pregnant woman to be viewed as morally objectionable. Moore stated that, "I did feel glamorous, beautiful and more free about my body. I don't know how much more family oriented I could possibly have gotten." She considered the cover to be a healthy "feminist statement." In 2007, Moore stated that the picture was not originally intended for publication. She had posed in a personal photo session, not a cover shoot. Leibovitz has had personal photo sessions of Moore and all of her daughters.


Cover story

One journalist's professional account of the cover story describes it as "relentlessly long", and a second journalist's description is that it is a "very long profile". The article discussed the then three-year-old Rumer Willis and husband Bruce Willis. Willis and Moore discuss each other in the article. The article also spends three pages recounting her life. The article spent little time on her next film, '' The Butcher's Wife'', or the child she was pregnant with, Scout Willis.


Legal issues


''Naked Gun ''

The photograph was parodied on several occasions, including the computer-generated ''Spy'' magazine version, which placed Willis' head on Moore's body. In '' Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp.'', Leibovitz sued over one parody featuring
Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...
, made to promote the 1994 film '' Naked Gun : The Final Insult''. In the parody, the model's body was used and "the guilty and smirking face of Mr. Nielsen appeared above". The teaser said "Due this March". The case was dismissed in 1996 because the parody relied "for its comic effect on the contrast between the original". In a parody ruling, the court must determine whether a work is transformative in a way that gives a new expression, meaning or message to the original work. In this case, the court ruled that the "ad may reasonably be perceived, as commenting on the seriousness and even pretentiousness of the original." It also ruled that the ad differed from the original "in a way that may, reasonably, be perceived as commenting, through ridicule on what a viewer might reasonably think is the undue self-importance conveyed by the subject of the Leibovitz photograph."


Other issues

When the Internet arose as a popular and important medium and the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
issued a ruling on the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA), Moore's image was described as a sort of litmus test to determine if the law could be reasonably applied in the current environment by the trial court. When
John Paul Stevens John Paul Stevens (April 20, 1920 – July 16, 2019) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1975 to 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the second-oldes ...
rendered an
opinion An opinion is a judgement, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive, as opposed to facts, which are true statements. Definition A given opinion may deal with subjective matters in which there is no conclusive finding, or it may deal ...
over a year later, the image was still on the minds of legal scholars.


Follow-ups

In the ''Demi's Birthday Suit'' August 1992 issue of ''Vanity Fair'', Moore was shown on the cover in the body painting photo by Joanne Gair. It made Gair an immediate
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
star as the most prominent body paint artist, which prompted consideration for an Absolut Vodka Absolut Gair ad campaign. The 1992 cover, which required a thirteen-hour sitting for Gair and her team of make-up artists, was a commemoration of the August 1991 photo. Leibovitz could not decide where to shoot, and reserved two mobile homes, four hotel rooms and five houses. In December 1993, Moore was again on the cover of ''Vanity Fair'', but this time she was dressed in two straps and a large red bow and was sitting on
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
's lap while he was dressed up as
Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
. Other celebrities have since posed nude or semi-nude while in advanced pregnancy, including
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
whose
billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
advertisements led to great controversy. ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' referred to the pose more than a decade later, and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' coined "demiclad" for the nude pregnant handbra pose. Eventually, '' Vogue'' and ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'' included pregnant cover models, and ''
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'' included a pregnant foursome of
Katie Holmes Kate Noelle Holmes (born December 18, 1978) is an American actress. She first achieved fame as Joey Potter on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'' (1998–2003). Holmes made her film debut with a supporting role in Ang Lee's '' The Ice Sto ...
, Gwen Stefani, Gwyneth Paltrow and
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
. They also had a "Bump Brigade" of Jennie Garth, Maggie Gyllenhaal and
Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola ( , ; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and former actress. She has List of awards and nominations received by Sofia Coppola, won an Academy Awards, Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, a Golden Lion, and a Can ...
. ''Vogue'' had a very pregnant 37-year-old
Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby (1978 film), Pretty Baby ...
on the cover of its April 2003 issue. By the time Linda Evangelista appeared pregnant (and clothed) on the August 2006 cover of ''Vogue'', pregnancy was not the emphasis of the story. However, even at the end of 2007 appearing bare-bellied and pregnant on the cover of a magazine, as Aguilera did for '' Marie Claire'', was still considered a derivative of Moore's original. When Melania Trump appeared in American '' Vogue'', she held in esteem as a model of maternity fashion by Anna Wintour. A commemoration of the photo was a self-portrait by Leibovitz in which she appeared in profile and pregnant for her ''A Photographer's Life'' exhibition.
Myleene Klass Myleene Angela Klass (born 6 April 1978) is an English musician, singer, television presenter and model. She was a member of the pop group Hear'Say, and later released two solo classical crossover albums in 2003 and 2007. More recently, Klass ...
posed for a similar nude pregnant photo for '' Glamour'' magazine in 2007. Serena Williams appeared pregnant in very nearly the same pose on the cover of the August 2017 issue of ''Vanity Fair'', 26 years after the August 1991 cover featuring pregnant Demi Moore.


Legacy

The photo has had long cultural and social impact in the U.S. Many women feel that the rush of celebrities taking pregnant photos has made taking such photos glamorous for pregnant mothers. As the photos have become more common on magazine covers the business of documenting pregnancies photographically has boomed. Furthermore, the photo is critically acclaimed. Almost fifteen years after its publication the American Society of Magazine Editors listed it as the second best magazine cover of the last forty years. In 2023 Glamour recreated a version of the image featuring Logan Brown, a pregnant transgender man.


Parodies

Two months after the photo's publication, it was parodied by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
on the cover of ''The Sensational She-Hulk'' #34 in October 1991. The cover features
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...
, a character known for breaking the fourth wall and parodying pop culture, in the same pose as Moore with a green beach ball in place of the baby bump, while telling the reader "It's not fair to accuse me of vanity! I just thrive on controversy!" ''The Sensational She-Hulk'' #34 (
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, 1991).
Marvel parodied the photo again on the cover of ''Quasar'' #29 in December 1991; this time with Wendell Vaughn posing as pregnant with the tag line: "Momma never said there'd be days like this!" In 2006, graffiti artist Banksy used a '' Simpsons''-like character to replace Moore's head for a promotion in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. He illegally posted the parody around Los Angeles to promote his
website A website (also written as a web site) is any web page whose content is identified by a common domain name and is published on at least one web server. Websites are typically dedicated to a particular topic or purpose, such as news, educatio ...
and his exhibition.


See also

* List of photographs considered the most important * Pregnancy fetishism


References

{{Authority control 1991 works 1991 in art 1991 controversies in the United States Color photographs Photographs of the United States Works about human pregnancy Works originally published in Vanity Fair (magazine) Nude photography showing women 1990s photographs Photographs by Annie Leibovitz Demi Moore