Suicide in fashion photography and in art

A few days ago Vice magazine published a fashion shoot inspired by some famous female writers who committed suicide in a violent manner. We are talking about people such as Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Iris Chang. The reaction was, predictably, very negative and the whole thing was even interpreted as encouraging suicide. Come now!

Vice took down the feature and apologised to readers, but the shoot can still be seen on Policymic.
I was surprised by this hysterical reaction. All right, the photography may not be outstanding but the subject matter is not as offensive as it has been made out to be.
Suicide has been a subject for artistic depiction for a long, long time. There are paintings and sculptures showing famous mythological as well as  historical characters as they are taking their life, with a full depiction of gore, as Delacroix "Death of Sardanapalus." Suicide is often seen in films and people will not bat an eyelid.

Image source: Wikipedia

Alexandra Cardinale, author of the Policymic article says, very thoughtfully, that the photo shoot "presenting these figures in such visceral moments of their lives through carefully designed clothing, location, and action reminds us that their deaths were just as surprising and detrimental to the rest of the world as their work was inspiring and unforgettable".
The problem seems to be that most people still regard fashion as being trivial, about selling, whereas fashion, and especially fashion photography, should be regarded as a form of artistic expression. If people could make this shift, then there would not be such an outcry every time that a fashion photo shoot addresses a point  that is not to do with the specific concerns of fashion design.
The purpose of art is to ask questions,  and sometimes such questions can make you feel uncomfortable. The main issue with this photo shoot was, apparently, that under each photo the clothes' designer was credited and a price was given for the garments.

Frieda Kahlo "The Suicide of Dorothy Hale" source: Wikipaintings

How different is this from, say, having a painting such as "The Suicide of Dorothy Hale" by Frieda Kahlo, being sold at an auction and thus being put in a catalogue with its starting price?  (this is a hypothetical question, just to make a point). Or reproductions of it, sold online?
It is hypocritical to view fashion photography as being solely about consumption:  all art ultimately is, because of the economic structure of the society in which we live.