Elle Magazine broke some longstanding fashion magazine rules this month, daring to put a plus-sized star on the cover of its annual November “Women in Hollywood” issue. 
 
 But rather than embracing "Bridesmaids" star Melissa McCarthy’s curves, the publication has angered many by covering McCarthy up in a huge, oversized coat and only exposing a glimpse of flesh from her neck and calves. 
 
 “It’s a disappointment the way they covered her up so much. It is sending the psychological message that hiding is what full-figured women should do. Melissa is beautiful, talented and popular – her beauty should be flaunted not covered,” celebrity psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser told FOX411. “This shows that the fashion world is trying to strike the balance between featuring full-figured women, while still hiding them as well.” 
 
 McCarthy wasn’t the only actress celebrated with a November Elle cover – alternative covers included the likes of Reese Witherspoon in a tight, body-baring black dress, Shailene Woodley in a strappy swimsuit, Marion Cotillard in a sports bra and shorts, Naomie Harris showing off her mid-section in a cut-out tight dress, and an au natural face shot of Penelope Cruz. 
 
 Last year’s annual honor was awarded to teeny-tiny actress Sarah Jessica Parker, while curvy star Octavia Spencer also graced the issue, but in head-shot style only. And according to many confused and annoyed fans in the Twitterverse, it’s obvious that Elle had a motive in the McCarthy shoot beyond just showing off a massive Marina Rinaldi coat for fall fashion. 
 
 “She needs to show more skin, but God forbid a “big” woman be sexy,” wrote one, another observed that “the cover is depressing, as are basically all fashion mag covers nowadays,” and another tweeted: “beauty mag covering big girl in big coat, nothing to celebrate.” 
 
 Bustle.com insisted that “McCarthy’s November 2013 cover isn’t a victory for plus-size women,” and Slate.com pointed out that the question “isn’t whether or not McCarthy looks beautiful – she does,” but wondered “why Elle chose to obscure her body, whilst everyone else got to show off theirs.” 
 
 According to a poll on popular fashion website Go Fug Yourself, McCarthy is by far the most popular of the multi-covers among readers – she was favored by 44 percent of voters and Cruz received 19 percent, while Witherspoon stood at 9 percent and Cotillard at 4 percent. 
 
 Reps for McCarthy and Elle did not respond to a request for comment. ||||| Melissa McCarthy on the cover of the November 2013 issue of ELLE Credit: Thomas Whiteside 
 
 The heat is on! Not everyone loves Melissa McCarthy's Elle cover for its November Women in Hollywood issue. In fact, a significant number of fans are irate over the fashion glossy's decision to photograph her swathed in an overcoat, her face partially concealed by her hair -- especially in comparison to the magazine's other cover girls that month, all of whom are much more exposed in their photos. 
 
 PHOTOS: Melissa McCarthy's style evolution 
 
 Thomas Whiteside 
 
 In an essay for Slate about McCarthy's cover-up, culture editor June Thomas wrote of the full-figured actress' Elle shoot, "[She] was photographed in a Marina Rinaldi coat so huge that she could hide her Mike and Molly co-star Billy Gardel underneath. McCarthy’s hair covers a quarter of her gorgeous face, and with her hands stuffed deep into her coat pockets, the only visible flesh is a tiny triangle between the coat’s lapels and the briefest glimpse of calf." 
 
 PHOTOS: Reese Witherspoon's body evolution 
 
 Thomas Whiteside 
 
 Elle has since released a statement defending their styling of McCarthy. "On all of our shoots, our stylists work with the stars to choose pieces they feel good in, and this is no different: Melissa loved this look, and is gorgeous on our cover," the magazine said. "We are thrilled to honor her as one of our Women in Hollywood this year." 
 
 While the Heat star certainly looks glamorous and stylish in the cashmere outerwear, she is definitely and suspiciously far more concealed than her fellow honorees are on their covers. Reese Witherspoon wears a sexy cutout Versace dress on hers; Shailene Woodley is clad in a black one-piece swimsuit; and while Penelope Cruz, who was pregnant at the time of the shoot, doesn't show her body at all on her cover, her face is left relatively bare and natural-looking. 
 
 Nico 
 
 PHOTOS: Worst celebrity Photoshop disasters ever 
 
 This isn't the first time that a photo of McCarthy has generated controversy. Critics cried Photoshop foul over movie posters for The Heat, which featured a seemingly slimmer McCarthy next to Sandra Bullock. ||||| UPDATE: A source tells E! News Melissa "loves the cover." 
 
 Safe to say this isn't the type of response Elle magazine was hoping to receive over their annual "Women in Hollywood" issue. 
 
 The high-fashion mag has found itself on the receiving end of rampant criticism over the publication's November cover, which features The Heat star Melissa McCarthy. 
 
 And while the 43-year-old actress undoubtedly looks stunning in the shot, critics are slamming Elle for covering up the curvy actress, who's barely showing any skin while bundled up in a charcoal Marina Rinaldi coat.
– Elle responded to the uproar over Melissa McCarthy's controversial covered-up cover look in no uncertain terms, Us reports: "On all of our shoots, our stylists work with the stars to choose pieces they feel good in, and this is no different: Melissa loved this look, and is gorgeous on our cover. We are thrilled to honor her as one of our Women in Hollywood this year." Critics were unhappy that McCarthy was featured in an enormous coat, while other cover stars wore tight and/or skin-baring outfits. McCarthy herself had already called the experience of posing for Elle "kind of amazing," ABC News reports, citing OMG!. And a source assures E! that the actress "loves the cover."