Oh BBC home page picture editor could you be more annoying?

[Trou]

This story is about normal-bodied middle aged presenter investigating swimming as a health activity. So why have an image of a super thin model in a too-small cozzy as the click-through image on the home page?
Also
Imagine the disappointment of those who do like a young ladle-ogle when they find the reality is Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall in a pair of swimming trunks.

[VickyEadieofThigh]

We thought we'd erased the objectification of women, only to find that it's front and fucking centre everywhere.

[Strongmummy]

1. she’s not super thin; she has muscle definition 2) she looks like she’s a swimmer 3) This doesn’t look like a model shot and she very well could be a real life open water swimmer . No idea of the problem.

[Strongmummy]

@VickyEadieofThigh why is it objectification to see have an attractive woman in a swim suit....on a story about swimming. I’m 42. I’m attractive. I look like her in a swimsuit. If someone took my pic for an article about swimming , I wouldn’t feel objectified....coz it’s an article .....about swimming

[Kantastic]

Does anyone know why Mumsnet doesn't have an "ignore poster" option? It would improve the experience so much and nearly every other forum has it.

It does seem like we got to enjoy about a decade or so when women's bodies weren't viewed as window dressing. I'm sure the BBC pictures editor is responding to incentives and the thumbnail gets more clicks that way, but that doesn't make it any better. If any media organisation shouldn't be responding to incentives like that it's the BBC.

[LangittleClegabbage]

1) she’s not super thin; she has muscle definition 2) she looks like she’s a swimmer 3) This doesn’t look like a model shot and she very well could be a real life open water swimmer . No idea of the problem.

That is not the sort of swimming costume a serious "swimmer" would wear. Too likely to slip off the shoulders. Also, that does not look like a typical "swimmer's" physique to me.

[Strongmummy]

@langittleclegabbage I’m a swimmer, I look like that. I also lift weights. Apologies if my physique offends.

Agree re: costume, but I have seen swimmers in open water swim in similar. They’re just not in training and are taking it easy

[Fieldofgreycorn]

No idea of the problem.

The article is nothing to do with the person in the picture. They’re using the picture as ‘decoration’ to ‘sex up’ the article to draw in clicks.

[Ibloodylovewomen]

Do you not see that the point is that there isn't a picture of Hugh F-W, but a model in a swimsuit? I doubt that if it was an article about a young, slim woman swimming they would have a picture of a middle aged man instead?

[Strongmummy]

@Fieldofgreycorn it’s an article about open water swimming .....she’s a swimmer....Hugh F-W is trying it out...but it’s about open water swimming.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

^ This.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Ibloodylovewomen's point, is what I meant.

[TakeANote]

Yanbu I completely agree with you. It’s depressing. Why not just use a pic of the people in the article? We know why...

[AbsintheFriends]

I have a bit of involvement in open water swimming and 99% of swimmers wear caps. Especially if they have long hair like the woman in the picture. (At the very least it would be tied up.)

In fact, they look far more like... the women in the article, who are actual open water swimmers but obviously weren't deemed attractive enough to tempt people to click

I don't know why evidence of the BBC's sexism still surprises and disappoints me, but it does. I guess because they are at such great pains to be cringingly respectful of other protected characteristics.

[VickyEadieofThigh]

Do you not see that the point is that there isn't a picture of Hugh F-W, but a model in a swimsuit? I doubt that if it was an article about a young, slim woman swimming they would have a picture of a middle aged man instead

Exactly.

I saw a thread over on AIBU where someone was saying there should be a separate 'Gender' forum becuase all we talk about on FWR is 'gender' and not women's issues.

And when we do (which we do, regularly), the usual suspects wade in with the usual shite.

[TemptressJosepheen]

I agree.

And the point isn't even whether she's thin or fat. It would be equally demoralizing to use a prick click-bait photo of a sexualised, glamourised plus-sized woman. It's about objectifying women for cheap titillatory thrills for readers and normalising that, generally.

Meanwhile, in the photos related to the article, the people are allowed to appear 'unairbrushed' and unglamourised and 'human'. The click bait photo had been utilised so there was no need.

[MorrisZapp]

Too true. See also the financial pages, which use every opportunity to use pics of young, pretty women to illustrate the latest share fluctuations.

And exam results day. Obviously no male, non white or unattractive people take exams.

[FrogsFrogs]

Can you link to the article? I am keen to find out the name of the woman it's about and what motivates her etc.

[deydododatdodontdeydo]

Kind of agree apart from that she's super thin. She's not.
She's not dressed for swimming though - no cap.

[LangittleClegabbage]

Well done Strongmummy, you are obviously very pleased with yourself for winning the genetic lottery.

But you are missing the point. Using women as "decoration" does us all a disservice. Even the hot ones like yourself.

[LangClegsOpinionIsNoted]

Basically, the picture editor could have used any of the many pictures (let's face it, hundreds probably) taken of the group of swimmers that Hugh F-W went swimming with.

Instead, the picture editor went off and found a picture of a very pretty woman sitting - not swimming!! - near the water.

Why did the pic ed do that? Because pretty woman = clicks. Pretty woman not wearing much = more clicks.

Woman = commodity.

[Strongmummy]

@langittleclegabbage yes I’m very fortunate , but I also train hard.

I’m not missing the point. I have a different point of view. I don’t feel this woman is being objectified. It’s an article about open water swimming, she’s a fit looking woman who is outside in a swimming costume, not in a sexual pose, sitting and looking at water. It fits the brief! She just happens to be attractive and it’s that fact that seems to be the rub.

[StrangeLookingParasite]

^Apologies if my physique offends.


Because that's not twisting people's words at all.

[AbsintheFriends]

She is also unconnected with the article strongmummy

Let's turn it around, shall we? Why do you think a picture of the actual swimmers featured in the piece wasn't used?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/cold_water_swimming That's the article, with far more suitable photographs illustrating it.

[Strongmummy]

@StrangeLookingParasite I was responding to the point that the woman was super thin. She isn’t. She looks healthy and has definition. It’s called context