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Anything you can do, GQ can do meta. A coquettish Sascha Baron Cohen — posing as a nude Bruno — is visually appealing, funny, and self-mocking all at the same time. Don’t you see dear reader – they’re in on the joke! And that’s a good thing too – because this is just happens to be their (annual?) Comedy Issue — a topic that’s not necessarily in the GQ wheelhouse.

Mediate Grade (A-) – The truth is this cover looks great. And putting the current comedy IT boy on the cover lets us know that the editorial staff has the right- sense of humor.

Esquire also features a (nearly) naked subject

on its cover, but chose instead to go in the opposite direction as GQ. Bar Refaeli wears merely a white bikini bottom and some body paint cleverly painted outlining the contents of the July issue – a Stephen King cover.

Mediate Grade (B-) – We love the way this looks – and kudos for the creative minds at Esquire for doing something cool — but  it’s been done. More to the point — something doesn’t quite feel right with this cover. Nobody is going to complain about the beautiful shot of Ms. Refaeli, vut what does she – or this concept — have to do with Stephen King? Or the rest of the contents of this issue for that matter? Color us confused.

Maxim features Olivia Wilde wearing a shear covering (with naughty bits smoothed over by Photoshop). Who is Olivia Wilde you might ask? Well she’s plays a Doctor on House – though something tells me that the editors didn’t book her on the cover because of her acting career (ed. – which is a shame

– House is awesome)

Mediaite Grade (C-):Coverlines of “Recession Sex!” and “United States of Awesome!” reveal more about the target audience – and the shamelessness of its editors.

Bradley Cooper graces the cover of the July Details issue timed to promote blockbuster hit The Hangover. And if that won’t get you to pluck the issue from the news stands – then how about an article on how President Obama can make you better in bed? Excuse me while I run to the local magazine retailer right now, if only to figure out what they’ll say! Wait. Nevermind.

Mediaite Grade (B-): An interesting choice of cover lines – announcing the beaming movie star’s mug as “That Guy from Wedding Crashers.”  When the talent you book for the cover has to be explained as that guy, well that’s not ideal. All is not lost – the cover at least looks great.

COVER WARS WINNER: Call us suckers for shameless publicity stunts, but we’re all very excited about the upcoming Bruno

movie. GQ won this round with the booking alone (though as usual, Creative Director Fred Woodward delivered the goods.)
Tags: Cover Wars, Esquire, GQ, Magazines, Stephen King