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Original poster

Subtle objectifying in the upskirting debacle

41 replies

ChipsForSupper · 22/06/2018 00:04

Today at work I had to research various articles from different media sources regarding last week's news story about the "upskirting" bill being rejected after MP, Christopher Chope's, objection to the passing of a private member's bill.

Nearly all of the articles were, to some degree, critical that this bill was not passed and definitely reported upskirting as a bad thing which was demeaning for women. However, nearly every article/news-site/blog etc also showed a posed picture of a woman's skirt and legs - generally quite a pretty skirt and attractive legs. There were no posed pictures of aggressive looking men holding cameras.

So, even when reporting how terrible it is that women are objectified - the images accompanying this outrage are objectifying and titillating. And, of course, the emphasis on the these pictures implies that this is all a problem in the first place, not because men are predatory, but because women are just so attractive - it can't be helped, really. Unavoidable.

OP posts:
UpstartCrow · 22/06/2018 09:51

They could have done something useful and showed the different types of cameras voyeurs use, to educate readers.

Vicky1990 · 22/06/2018 09:47

I have not seen on the TV or in the newspaper any images of up skirting, so I am not entirely sure what it is or how it is done.
Can someone explain what is involved.
Of course I have a rough idea what it means, but how would someone do this without it been obvious ?.

haXXor · 22/06/2018 09:40

Oh dear. I googled for shoe cameras and got to Object%5D Gizmodo, which in turn took me to a vendor's online catalogue. Can anyone think of a benign use for a camera concealed in a toilet brush? I can't.

I might start another thread this evening, once I've analysed what I've found and how it would be abused in practice.

Ifonlyus · 22/06/2018 09:16

There were no posed pictures of aggressive looking men holding cameras. Excellent point.

When watching the news after the bill was rejected, I saw some news footage of CCTV of men caught in the act of taking a photo up a woman/girl's skirt. I realised it was the first time I had seen it. I expect the majority of the people who saw it found it abhorrent.

Unless someone had taken the time to read the accounts of females who have been victim to this act, many might wrongly assume 'upskirting' refers to the photographing of women's underwear when they wear skirts that are extremely short, or when the wind catches their skirt, or paparazzi catching the shot when female celebs get into their car. When you see it for what it truly is, caught on film, no-one can deny the crime is carried out by agressive, perverted, creepy men.

I agree we need the media to more readily put out the image of perverted, predatory men and stop illustrating their stories with women's/girls' bodies.

womanformallyknownaswoman · 22/06/2018 08:50

It's the usual DARVO that the media use - they really need to be called out time and time again as these images form part of the social gas lighting of "its the woman's fault"

Thx for raising the issue

QuarksandLeptons · 22/06/2018 08:43

Great observation and deserving of a newspaper article if any journalists are reading...

haXXor · 22/06/2018 08:34

They could have shown a man's shoe with a shoe-mounted camera on it. It would shift the blame back to the perp and educate the reader about the tactics used.

Good spot about it always being a beskirted woman shown, I'd not conciously clocked that.

BesmirchingMotherhood · 22/06/2018 01:37

Yes, one I saw on the bbc was not far off upskirting itself.

MrsTerryPratchett · 22/06/2018 01:12

I do not get the , aggressive looking man comment.

Are you assuming it's happy, nice, smiling, well-adjusted men sexually harassing women in this way? Really?

FloralBunting · 22/06/2018 00:53

You certainly did. I explained this to my dad, who didn't understand what the fuss was all about, being of the generation that 'admires' a pretty woman walking down the street, views it as a compliment and for some reason thinks that upskirting is the same order of behaviour.
The tweet about women dressing appropriately so this wouldn't happen is an Outre example of why this needs to be criminalised, and the suggestive pictures accompanying the reporting are the flip side to the idea of covering up - there's no focus on the violation aspect, it's all a bit Carry On Camera.
We're still trying to wrap our heads around consent as a society, and we're not doing very well.

LighthouseSouth · 22/06/2018 00:52

Yes op I noticed this too and it really bothered me.

ErrolTheDragon · 22/06/2018 00:40

You explained it perfectly well.

Original poster
ChipsForSupper · 22/06/2018 00:37

Well, most of the articles seemed to spout the view that upskirting is an act of aggression - it's unacceptable and makes victims feel as though they have suffered from some form of aggression. But instead of an accompanying image showing an aspect of this aggression - such as the aggressor holding the camera used to upskirt in the first place, most images showed a sexy image of legs. This subtly alters the emphasis of the article away from the perpetrator and puts it back onto the victim. Plus, ironically, the articles purport to disagree with upskirting, saying it is a bad thing, but then show you an image that is very close to the type of image it is supposedly against.

I don't know how else to explain it really!

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 22/06/2018 00:25

I do not get the , aggressive looking man comment.

Really? Well, I suppose it could have been a depiction of a sniggering boy -I don't know exactly what sort of pathetic people indulge in 'upskirting'. The point is, if they had to have a photo with the piece, why choose one which further objectifies women?

Vicky1990 · 22/06/2018 00:15

I do not get the , aggressive looking man comment.

SardineReturns · 22/06/2018 00:09

Yes I noticed this - article I saw had a snap which which was from low down showing legs and up skirt (not all the way).

It's bizarre. Can't they see how tone deaf it is?

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