Even though he kept his shirt on, Taylor Lautner‘s December cover for Men’s Health is generating heat. It’s hard to miss the glaring similarities to the magazine’s October 2007 cover, which featured Jason Statham. When it comes to 1,293 ways to eat better, six-pack abs, dressing for more sex, and the ultimate cardio plan, it seems we’ve seen it all before. No, really, we have. Compared side-by-side, cover lines like “Gain Muscle, Lose Pounds” are exactly the same, word for word, and appear in exactly the same spot.
The magazine’s editor tells Mediaite that the recycling is an intentional stunt, and that they sent an alternate cover to subscribers. “Rest assured-it’s this originality and reporting rigor that’s made us the biggest men’s magazine brand in the world,” says editor-in-chief David Zinczenko. He added in an interview with The New York Post that “it was part of overall branding strategies.”
So maybe they really did just want to make us look. But then wouldn’t Lautner alone have done the trick?