We hope you like different tops and countdowns as much as we do because now we’re ready to show you our top of trashy covers of the magazine, which challenged the taste and sense of humor since it was born. Hara-Kiri was a monthly satirical magazine that existed in France for 26 years, from 1960 to 1986.
Banned
During its’ publication history, this journal was banned by the French government several times due to the harsh satire aimed at local politicians, religion, state, and society. In fact, it was Hara-Kiri that later would become famous Charlie Hebdo. The latter started after the death of Charles de Gaulle when Hara-Kiri released an edgy cover related to this event and was predictably banned one more time.
The very first issue of “Hara-Kiri” released in September 1960*
Special card with a journal mascot
Professeur Choron
Georges Bernier (Professeur Choron)
French humorist Georges Bernier (1929-2005), known as Professeur Choron, was a founder of Hara-Kiri magazine together with François Cavanna and Fred, whom he met when in the 1950s he took the position of a sales manager of the satirical newspaper Zéro. Early orphaned and poorly educated Bernier was a soul of Hara-Kiri, according to the memories of his colleagues.
Roland Topor
He was a perfect editor and an attentive discoverer of talents, which allowed him to gather young unknown designers around his magazine. Together with his team, Professeur Choron created an avant-garde and anti-puritan journal. Such masters of satire as Roland Topor contributed to this magazine along with the less-known artists.
Humor and Salt
The reader can totally judge Hara-Kiri by its’ cover as here he faces the sharp and provocative title with the unacceptable image. At the same time, we can’t classify the covers as merely pornographic because they display a lot of humor and salt. That’s why we think it’s worth presenting to you our selection of their best covers!
30. Devoted to Kanenari
Right: Phallus-headed bird by Kanenari
The cover of the 308th issue opens the top because of Kanenari vibes that we caught looking at this amusing bat on the left side of the cover. As you may know, bats were the luck bringers in ancient Japan. This bat will raise your spirit for sure!
29. Lesbians
We continue the top with “Limitless lesbians!” from the 265th issue. The theme may seem not so sharp but remains classic.
28. Hypocrisy
Hara-Kiri didn’t like puritans, and we don’t like them too.
27. Knitting
The charming 99th issue couldn’t not draw our attention to it as we are fancy of tricot magazines, especially in winter.
26. Robots
The 117th issue was devoted to the pornographic film “The Robotic Woman” (1980) by Frédéric Lansac. According to the plot, a sexually hyperactive scientist exhausting his partners decides to invent a robot that would satisfy him. By the rules of the story, the invention enslaves its’ creator. Nowadays, both the film story and the cover of Hara-Kiri provoke us to think of the female objection problem, which is surely significant.
25. Cunnilingus
The 25th position takes the amusing cover of the Hara-Kiri supplement.
24. Wrestling Inside a Vicious Circle
The 194th issue asks: “The Porno Wrestling: Is It Yet a Sport?”
Such a question reminds us of thoughts of the psychiatrist Viktor Frankl on sexuality: “Sexual relations don’t give you the effect of happiness if you only seek for satisfaction. The risk of getting sexual disorder is in direct ratio to the human concern about physical feelings. The less attention human pays to the partner, and the more he focuses on the sexual act itself, the less is the possibility of a healthy and complete sexual act to happen. It can be seen through the example of male patients who try their best to demonstrate to female partners their virility and also through the example of female patients who want to assure themselves in their capability of reaching orgasm. The risk of libido disorder raises due to the human urge to fill the existential vacuum with sexual experience. In fact, we live in times of excessive sexuality, and the excessiveness always – as it happens in the economic field – comes amid devaluation. The devaluation of sexual experience is directly connected to the dehumanization of sexual relations.”
Male Porn Actors
Indeed, male porn actors often have to do injections to be able to erect. However, the excessiveness of sexuality in our society is caused by economic reasons: everybody knows that sex stimulates sales. This way, sexual satisfaction becomes to the consumer a synonym of happiness. In our view, the cover of the 194th Hara-Kiri issue is an example of a vicious circle: the journal reflecting on the problems of sexuality and consumerism escalates these problems while attempting to satirize.
23. Wearing Milk Moustache
“The surplus of milk and the obstinate ones who are milking women!” We aren’t sure about what they meant, but human milk is especially healthy. That’s why people produce the soap out of the surplus of this milk in China and “Baby Gaga” ice cream in London.
22. Doggy-style In Waiting
The cover of the 150th issue (1974) was devoted to the anticipation of the 2000th year. He: “We’re ready!” She: “You harm me!” After 1974, we haven’t changed much, have we?
21. Courbet Upside Down
Judging by the headings (“The channel won’t drown anymore” or something like this; “The Real Unpunished Crime,” “Absolute Horror“), we deal with drowned corpses of the murdered men or, what’s more likely, with a reportage mocking this kind of press. Anyway, homage to Gustave Courbet and his “Origin of the World” is very impressive.
20. Pin-Up
The 20th place of our top is occupied by the cover of the 128th issue with the heading “How to make your seeds grow?” (Woman: “Every year it’s all the same!”) Whether this issue was devoted to the gardening or the problem of male infertility, we definitely like this old-school pin-up style!
19. Pornocrates
The next position is the 303rd issue with a cover that was seemingly inspired by the famous “Pornocrates” (1896) of Felicien Rops.
18. Champignons
The 105th issue returns us to agriculture again. By the way, your future corpse could become a sustenance for mushrooms, what do you think?
17. Halley’s Comet
And, of course, we couldn’t ignore the 282nd issue released in March 1985, because next time we’ll see this comet is only 2061. He: “I see it!” She: “I feel it!” Though it’s said that Halley’s comet was visible from the earth in 1986, amateur-astronomer Stephen James O’Meara first saw it in January 1985.
16. The Beach Beauties
We can hardly imagine a magazine that wouldn’t contain any information on fashion trends. That’s why we’ve included the 154th issue in our top. This cover suggests you the most original swimming suit ever.
On that note, we end the first part of our top 30 trashy covers of the Hara-Kiri magazine. The second part, where we reveal the most creative and inspiring covers, can be found HERE…!
*all covers are taken from harakiri-choron.com
Sources: wikipedia.org; Страдания от бессмысленности жизни. Актуальная психотерапия / Виктор Эмиль Франкль; Новосибирск, 2015.
What is your favorite Hara-Kiri magazine cover? Leave you reaction in the comment box below….!!
