in thinking 'actually, I don't want my 4 yr old dd to see this pornographic fucking shite?

[onebatmother]

Oh just what I wish my children to see when we go and buy icecreams

It was on the lowest shelf (ground-level) with the other papers. DD (4) and DS (8) were transfixed, as you would expect.

I complained, asked Newsagent Man if he agreed it was was pornographic, and whether he would like his small children to see it. Newsagent man shrugged "yes, and no. But it's a paper..."
Me: "So someone makes you put it there?"
Him: "No but."
Me: "You are responsible for where things are displayed in this shop. You put it out of sight of children. Until then, I won't buy anything from this shop. I will be spreading the word."

Really, I was very, very angry.

I've been directed to this thread by another MNer after I posted about The Sport today.

They may have complied with regs by covering her nipples with tiny pics of Cameron (make of that what you will , but as far as I'm concerned, it's a fully topless woman with huge boobs that you can't help but notice - on the bottom row! Kids eyes nearly fell out and so did mine, then I had the questions.

How do they get away with it? Top shelf stuff!

Here's the pic from today's front page... It might have changed if you look on a different day, not sure.

So cross.

We must be able to do something to STOP THIS NOW!!!!
Can we start mumsnet campaign or something???

Is there a petition on the 10 Downing Street website???

yanbu

I went into the post office today to collect a parcel and had to walk past the newspapers, and my 2 year old stopped and was looking the "Pictures" as he says, and he stopped right at that where it was on the bottom shelf, I did not notice at first, too busy trying not to crash my pram into the card display in the too narrow aisle!

I went via the Press Complaints Commission to try see what to do about this, but they're not the right people and explained that matters of taste or offensiveness are generally not governed by 'morality' i.e. 'censored', but rather...

"most editors are aware of what is and is not acceptable to their readership and, if miscalculations are made on this score, market forces will generally dictate they are not repeated."

But in this case, it's not The Sport's readership in question...and market forces will not have any effect at all because their readership isn't exactly going to boycott the paper are they!? Market forces would have to come from elsewhere, i.e. parents?

Does this fall under the sexualisation of children, with the stuff being on the bottom shelf and at their eye level? Since the more they see of this kind of thing, the more they think it's normal, and what you 'do' if you're a girl? My kids have already picked up on the fact that 'girls show their boobies'

sorry, it's late and my brain's on autopilot - probably not under the sexualisation of children, is it?

...just spoke to a newsagent and they, at least, are not under orders to put papers in a certain position on the stand.

Magazines are different - they are 'supposed' to put Nuts on the middle shelf "with Take a Break and all that"...but they put it on the top shelf

I also found it funny that she knows there's only 2 people who buy The Sport...write their names on!!!

They stocked it face down in my local newsagent...but then, that was on the walk to school where kids stopped for their pop.

YANBU. And I'm certainly no prude.

There is no reason for that to be in view of children.

Just bumping to keep the thread up. I will be doing some e.mailing in the morning.

YANBU - there was once a really graphic picture on one of the lads' mags in WH Smith at Reading station - two girls and simulated oral sex, at child's eye level. I was treated like a loon when I told the man it was unacceptable.

I found some more info last night but don't have time to post just now.

Basically, in tandem with Govt, there are voluntary guidelines set for Newsagents to display lads mags/adult themed papers out of view of children and to avoid upset and complaints by customers ("they are your business" etc)...and if they don't Trading Standards can be informed. This was about 2006 so need to check if anything's changed.

I am not anti-porn, I am against kids having this (almost literally!) thrust in their faces.

And yes, any mention of not liking stuff like this and you are made to feel like an old fashioned prude. I am defo not. Adults can do what they like.

But my question is simply...

"OK, do you think it's ok to show soft porn to kids?"

Very few are going to say yes.

I closely inspected the newspaper display in Local ASDA yesterday. There was no sign of the Sport at all. I was strangely disappointed as I had fired myself up to complain .........

YANBU!

They really do seem to have stooped to new lows- I noticed that yesterday's offering was particularly designed to appeal to dirty-minded schoolboys who are their main purchasers by all accounts.