To be deeply cynical regarding The Sun's page 3 campaign?

[Spanglecrab]

I am a man (33 years old and 40-38-36 if it's relevant to anyone) and work in an industry where there is usually a copy of the sun laying around - although I'm not a fan myself.

Today the front page headline is - page 3 saved my life and tells the story of a mum of four who as a direct result of the sun's check'em Tuesday campaign has discovered stage two cancer that would otherwise have gone unchecked.

Now I would never dispute that this is a good news story having witnessed the heartbreak and misery caused by cancer first hand but AIBU to wonder if the real reason for the campaign as far as the proprietor is concerned is not to save Wendy and others like her but instead to save page 3 itself?

Also even assuming that my suspicion is correct does saving the life of one women and quite possibly many more justify having to put up with page 3 and the casual sexism that it promotes?

Agree hiddenhome.

And if the woman whose life was saved was over 60 I bet she wouldn't have made the front page.

The Sun are taking the piss big time.

Does anyone really think they give a shit about women or their health?

They have stooped even lower today than usual in my opinion with their front page

I don't think they DON'T give a shit about women and their health. Page 3 is there to sell newspapers. Just like anything any newspapers prints is. Morality doesn't come into it. But no, I don't think the Sun editorial staff actually hate women and want women to die of breast cancer. That would be ridiculous.

TusconGirl

I'm not saying The Sun want women to die of breast cancer either but if they are serious about promoting Breast Cancer Awareness why have they not joined up with breast cancer care or a similar charity? Why the need to show young, half naked "perfect" women cupping their perfect breasts instead of survivors of breast cancer complete with scars, mastectomies etc.

As you say morality doesn't come into it (which I think is really sad) but I just wish they wouldn't pretend that they do care by "dressing it up" like this.

Page 3 is one of those things which nobody would start but which being there aren't going to end anytime soon.

A bit like Samantha on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue except that that ought not to end!

Would Breast Cancer Awareness want to associate themselves with the Sun?

"Why the need to show young, half naked "perfect" women cupping their perfect breasts instead of survivors of breast cancer complete with scars, mastectomies etc. "
Because the former sells a lot more papers than the latter.

" I'm not saying The Sun want women to die of breast cancer either but if they are serious about promoting Breast Cancer Awareness why have they not joined up with breast cancer care or a similar charity? Why the need to show young, half naked "perfect" women cupping their perfect breasts instead of survivors of breast cancer complete with scars, mastectomies etc."

Bravo!

Nope, you're deluded if you think Page 3 will survive. It won't. There is too much weight behind the campaign to get rid of it, and The Sun is starting to look seriously silly keeping it.

Mark my word - it'll be gone in a year.

You may be right, JapaneseMargaret. If it goes I wonder what spin they will put on the surrender!

Page 3 doesn't compare with actual porn via the medium of the internet, and if you think it does, it's no wonder you don't see that Page 3 is in its death throes.

Casual sexism and misogyny has no place in a daily newspaper. This is the crux of the issue.

It doesn't matter that the weight of opinion against it comes from non-Sun readers. That is irrelevant. Thankfully!

I'm sure the vast majority of Sun readers buy the Sum despite page 3 rather than because of it. I can't really see it lowering circulation. I'm sure they would drop it if they could let it go without losing face.

But why would they get rid of it? It would make no business sense whatsoever. It wouldn't get them any new readers, it would lose them at least some current readers, and the casual sexism and misogny would be just as much in evidence as it is now.

How can you say it makes no business sense?!

Page 3 seriously alienates advertisers, who carry far more financial clout than piddly readers...,

I would be interested to know weather the sun on Sunday/Saturday which has no page three loses and market share as a percentage in comparison to the weekday edition .

I also wonder why the weekend editions are nipple free? Are children less likely to read the sun during the week? It makes no sense

I imagine that children are less likely to read the Sun, during the week. People buy it and take it to work during the week and probably throw it in the bin there. On Saturdays it gets taken home.

I don't know what the circulation for Saturday would be but I don't think page 3 would have anything to do with it. People buy the Saturday paper for the TV guide and for the football previews.

What advertisers refuse to advertise in the Sun, that would likely advertise there if Page 3 was abolished?