To ask you all to sign the "No More Page 3" petition?

[UnrequitedSkink]

It's a bit of a no-brainer really. How are we ever supposed to show our kids that women are more than just sex objects when Page 3 exists? It's archaic and totally unnecessary. It's also an anachronism and offensive. Please sign if you believe that pictures of topless girls don't belong in a so-called family newspaper.

More info here and a facebook page here

Fantastically, the petition has gone from 2,000 signatures yesterday morning to over 16,000 today!

complexnumber - I don't have time now as am off out soon but I will look into this. The guy that writes that column (Sun Lies) is normally pretty rigorous in his sourcing etc. As I say, will investigate further.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been nice about my writing . I have flirted with the idea of trying to write for money (if only someone would pay me for posting here!) so it's good to know some find my arguments clear and lucid.

Strawberry - To be to be totally fair to DadDancer I misinterpreted something he said about boob size. I thought he was saying he wasn't a 'big-breast fan' (i.e. that he preferred small ones), but he clarified he meant he preferred other body parts to breasts. Whether that was an appropriate thing to say in the context of this debate, and whether it adds to his argument or you feel the same, I will leave to you to assess, but I didn't want to mislead anyone myself.

Especially because I think my arguments are better than his so can afford to play fair

Finally for now, I think we can all agree that even if posters here disagree with this petition or stuff I've written, it is hideous that look at the comments at the bottom of any article on this, be it in the Sun or a broadsheet online, or Huff Post or blog post, and the comments from some (mainly but not exclusively) male posters is vile. Just horrible and nasty. We should be able to debate these issues as a country without that, no matter what you think of the issue. Terribly, terribly depressing.

Here's a dilemma for you the emcwill.
What if the Sun offered you a job as a writer?

Perhaps emc would seek to change from within ;) (but I'm sure she'll come back with a much more articulate answer for you).

Emc I would also like to thank you for your intelligent responses on this thread (and your support of my posts). Personally, I thought daddancers post about 'not being a big breast man' could have been interpreted either way - but I was uncomfortable with either interpretation, in the context of this thread.

I agree Sabrina. It's so nice to see atopic debated so calmly, intelligently and robustly by most people concerned

StrawberrytallCAKE
Comparing glamour to nude modelling was not the point i was making although i do think sometimes the two can overlap. In the case of Britains next top model which I watched, think it was the (3rd series) there was a nude photo shoot where the girls had to wear only a G-string and various body jewellery. It was quite difficult to say if it were glamour or nude and some of the photos could have been used for page 3. I specifically remember the photographer and judges even saying to one of the girls that she should go down the glamour/page3 route. Either way i don't think it is fair to say one genre is tasteful and one is not. This is a good example which i just googled which could be considered as borderline: (warning may not be suitable for work place viewing)

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1299620/Hot-chocolate-Britains-Next-Top-Model-hopefuls-strip-challenging-shoot-date.html

By banning page 3 or directing it to the top shelf, as a consequence the above images would almost definitely be effected too.

emcwill74

Especially because I think my arguments are better than his so can afford to play fair

Finally for now, I think we can all agree that even if posters here disagree with this petition or stuff I've written, it is hideous that look at the comments at the bottom of any article on this, be it in the Sun or a broadsheet online, or Huff Post or blog post, and the comments from some (mainly but not exclusively) male posters is vile. Just horrible and nasty. We should be able to debate these issues as a country without that, no matter what you think of the issue. Terribly, terribly depressing.

Agreed!

So by the Sun agreeing to stop page 3 (just a reminder, that 'ban' word does not feature in the petition [I put it to you that he misleads the court yet again even though this has been pointed out many times, Your Honour]) other tabloids might reconsider what images of randomly naked women not suitable for work place viewing they put in their national newspapers? Horrors! Where will it end? Those female jockeys being interviewed in their clothes about their sport? (Because I'm struggling to remember the last time the Sun asked a professional footballer to get down to his undies to discuss his imminent transfer deal. Or a male jockey in his undies for that matter.) Or perhaps the Scottish Sun interviewing professional musicians like Nicola Beneditti and not focusing the interview entirely on what she looks like and then taking the piss out of her when she gets annoyed because she wants to talk about her work instead of whether she plans to get her kit off for the lads? The Mail might rethink its non-sequitur headlines obsessing over female celebs' weight like 'Despite her weight gain, Gaga was polite to fans' (was that made up during a game of fold-the-paper consequences?) Perhaps GoldShip's women's magazine might even start considering whether it really should focus on telling its readers how to be skinny and please their men, instead of enjoying life and pleasing themselves? Quick! Call the petition off! It's getting dangerously close to promoting sexual equality! [Thinks back to Hollie's video above] hmmmmm, then again...

Don't worry Nancy, not too much of a dilemma. The Sun aren't too interested in the views of shrill, hysterical feminists. And I'm sure by the tone of my writing you can just hear how terribly shrill I am!

They use Julie Buchill ....don't come much shriller than her.

emcwill74
Yeah i know! I know! the petition is not asking for a ban but people are now piggy backing this campaign and are actually calling for one. Also there has been a number of people on this forum requesting for the sun to be placed on the top shelf. This thread has evolved far beyond the original intentions of it.

Have you not considered the posibility that even if the Sun did drop page 3 that one of the other tabloids may decide to feature it instead or do something similar? The Daily Mail is half way there already! In yesterdays edition which i was reading at the bar it featured nearly a full page spread of some nude girls posing for a calendar in riding gear (well just the hats and the boots!)

(Because I'm struggling to remember the last time the Sun asked a professional footballer to get down to his undies to discuss his imminent transfer deal. Or a male jockey in his undies for that matter.)
So now your admitting that you are a Sun reader, otherwise how would you have knowledge of this? You must buy a lot of papers

...does nobody remember the ill-fated Sun Page Seven Fellas?

DadDancer you really don't have to try very hard to convince me what a pile of poo poo the DM is! Believe me!

OK so I don't read the Sun (my parents did so I grew up with it) and maybe, just maybe, it's choc-full of interviews with footballers in skin-tight boxers whilst the interviewer sidelines the beautiful game and talks about his pecs and bulging pants. I look forward to link upon link being posted in fact...* But somehow, when I have heard so many men say they only look at the Sun for the sport, I think that may not be the case.

• Slightly facetious - no objectifying men doesn't make it all OK.

Whether the petition gets many more signatures or not, the issue is getting attention in a way it hasn't since Claire Short came in for all that vile ridicule back in the 80's. This time round it seems like there's a much bigger groundswell of support for getting rid of it, one way or another (personally I don't care if it's banned, moved to the top shelf or just quietly dropped). I'm quite optimistic.

PlentyOfPubeGardens but on balance there's been a lot of objection to banning it too. On this forum many people have been against the petition, even given its stronghold of feminists.

Don't think the page 3 models need to fear losing their jobs anytime soon

Hi just to say I back the no more page three completely think the star should follow suit also ban the making and sale of the sport and men's mags and calenders also stop putting half naked women on the front of any paper as this is not news

This is from 2012! Check the dates before posting 😬

While this is a zombie thread and Page 3 is ridiculous and (now even more) out of date.... I'm interested to see how one would police a "half naked" ban.