Lads' mags in children's sight: the game is ON!

[RowanMumsnet]

After canvassing your views, we're extending Let Girls Be Girls to cover the issue of lads' mags on display where children can see them in newsagents, supermarkets, stationers and petrol stations. Have a look at our press release and survey results here. We're contacting all the major retailers to ask them to sign up, and will keep you posted about how that goes. If you'd like to cull some copy from the press release to compose your own letter to your local independent newsagent, please feel free, and post here to let us know what you've done.

Some of the retailers have asked us for examples of individual stores that are presenting problems, so if you've seen material inappropriately displayed in a specific branch, again, please post here and we'll pass the information on.

Cheers,

MNHQ

I'd like to know how long it's going to take Tesco's to 'roll out' the new policy. My local Tesco Express has them displayed at 1.2 m just like WhSmith - perfectly level with my 8 year old's eyeline.

Am now in a war of attrition with the (very sweet) security guard who watches me turn them all so the front cover is facing inwards, waits a polite 15 mins, then patiently turns them back again. Gah.

Might be worth naming the branch of Tesco Express and seeing if MNHQ can compile a list and make contact with the stores.

WHSmith has no plans to comply at present, so no joy (yet) with them, unfortunately ?

sorry, ? should have been !

I took a listen to Gabby on FiveLive last Wednesday and must say 'Well done' to Katie who was on, clearly stating the MN has no wish to completely ban mags, but have them presented in a more acceptable way (of course they will never be acceptable to the campaigning org mentioned the other day (sorry, not on screen to be sure of name).

One report said the association of newsagents (or similar) was concerned about the cost of having plastic covers on to obscure covers. I think that MN ought to push this with all the female MPs (all parties) to get it forced into legislation (or ask Ed Vaizey to take it to whichever part of government is appropriate).

If the magazines and Daily Sport, Daily Star had to cover up their front covers if they include partly clad people, they will have to absorb the cost and/or pass it on in the retail price, to the buyers. Seems fair. Does not move them off shelves but hides images from children and may cost a bit more to boot!!

Having the covers on would then no longer be an issue for newsagents (insofar as it costing them to put covers on - indeed they take 30% or so of cost price so if it goes up, they get a few pence more!)

It would mean that however they were displayed (short of newsagent ripping covers off, and not permissable if it became law!) then the grubby garage shop and anywhere else with low shelves could put the trashy mags where they wanted and there'd be nothing to see apart from the title, month, and cost.

Sealed bags would also mean no 'browsing' by people (OK, men!) with no wish to buy, but just flicking through the pictures.

Im not a mother myself but as a young women i do not only believe that this sexualises children but young women too, as i student i receive a lot of unwanted attention from men my age and older than me. I have noticed in Sainsburys Fallowfield in Manchester they fully display their 'lads mags' as well as Tesco Fallowfield. I also often see them in many big stores across the country, i don't believe that they are doing what they are saying. I also believe that pornography on the internet should not be accessible, especially to children! It is a fact that on average boys start watching porn from the ages of 11 and above! soft porn and pornography is destructing our society and we must do something about it!

Hi Im new to mumsnet and came on as a result of the news that mumsnet have got some retailers to agree to stock lads mags out of sight of children. This is such great news as I have been campaigning about this in my local area for years.To give credit to my local Tesco - which is a huge Tesco Extra -they changed their whole layout about 9 months ago after I spoke to the manager. (I had complained at least 8 times previously to supervisors - who just stared at me blankly and did nothing).My local garage refuse to put lads mags out of sight of children although they have put a sticker over the Daily Sport bin.As a result of writing to my MP on the issue he made me aware of a survey carried out by the Govt on the Mothers union site which is looking at sexualisation of children by the media. I have completed the survey as I think the more pressure that is put on the govt the better. Although a code of conduct and agreement from retailers is great, until some laws are put in place, retailers can tell anyone that complains, that they can display these magazines where they wish. This is what my local garage keep telling me and unfortunately they are right. I thought Networkguy made a good point about getting the 38 degrees organisation (who were recently successful with stopping the sell off of forests)involved in this campaign. So many women/mothers feel strongly about this issue - eg thefrontpagecampaign, object organisation etc. I can't believe that enough signatures could not be collected to mobilise the govt into action. In the meantime I think the more people that complain and speak out at their local shops - the better.

Hi, I'm new here but i have been banging on about this subject for years as it has personally affected me quite alot.
I have also written to david cameron about it recently and recieved two confirmation letters back from government and am now awaiting his personal reply, but i set up a facebook group about protecting children from inappropriate material and bringing back the watershed two years ago and it has other ideas on it about how to protect children and what could be changed in society, so anyone interested please join, i am regually posting links about this subject on the group as the subject is broader than lad mags displays, but that was a major one for me that i really felt needed changing as well so well done mumsnet, that was actually one of my top priorities. the big one is bringing back the 9pm watershed as it seems to be failing children currently!

if you feel this is inappropriate as its promoting a group then i understand if it's deleted but it really is quite relevent and may soon be getting media coverage. I would appreciate the support and have been interlinking it with mumsnet. thanks. claire king.

www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=10150102040194639#!/group.php?gid=127951171932

incase the link isnt working my facebook group is called

Bring back the watershed! 9pm-protect children from inappropriate material.

under groups. it is extremely relevent

please join

Bring back the watershed! 9pm-protect children from inappropriate material.

under groups on facebook. It is extremely relevent to this subject as a whole-and has other idea's I have sent to governement about protecting children from harmful content, and I'm interlinking it with mumsnet.

I would like to work together with mumsnet on this, thanks.

claire king.

Ideas I sent to government-

backing David Cameron's campaigns to protect children from premature sexualisation link- www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-condemns-inappropriate-sexualisation-of-children-1903287.html

? I agree with the banning of sexualized children?s clothing-padded bra's and other inappropriate merchandise e.g. playboy pencil cases etc.

? Move lads mags up to the top shelf again in newsagents, the shop owners could just select their favourites if there?s not enough room, they shouldn?t be as low that children can easily see them or even pick them up!

? Stick to the 9pm watershed carefully on tv and even radio.

? remove porn and music channels from cable/freeview/sky, with an opt in scheme instead.

? Reduce sexualized advertising before the 9pm watershed

? Cleaner billboards with less sexualized images on them, just keep them in magazines for adults and on tv past 9pm or wherever appropriate.

? Age limits on some magazines for girls so that they read the appropriate content for their age and the same for lads mags, they should be I.d?d at the counter, you get I.d?d for knives, alcohol, cigarettes and dvd?s etc but there?s no strict rules for porn, including soft porn like zoo and nuts, or the sun newspaper.

? Make software more available so it?s easier for parents to control viewing content on internet and tv

? There is however the problem of controlling the downloading of music on the internet or videos from utube, perhaps on the back of an I.d card/learners/drivers license/passport/birth certificate etc they?d have to select the form of I.d and type in a code, even if it were a once they?ve done it once for a site they don?t need to again or something and it?s up to the people around them if they want to cheat this system-could also use a third party to check age like virgin mobile.

? No porn in public- an extension of the usual no porn at work rule, e.g. not viewing rude magazines on public transport and leaving material around etc

?Stricter rules on nudist beaches- I think better sign posting and someone patrolling the cut off line to prevent children wandering into them, like I once did!

CLAIRE KING

Claire - Have you looked at the thefrontpagecampaign website as they are also fighting the same issues - it is mentioned earlier in this thread. They also want to work with mumsnet to try to get laws in place - particularly on the lads mags issues. My feelings are that there are lots of separate organisations working in isolation for the same goals and if everyone joined forces - we would be a huge number.

yeah i agree, only just found out about mumsnet caring about the same subjects i have been for years even though i have researched the subject so many times, its strange.

i deffinately think the more voices there are, the more people will be heard so have joined mumsnet but if anyone is interested in the seperate work i have done so far and would like something to go to on facebook i have already done a page but it needs more coverage.

i will look into the frontpagecampaign website as well thanks, everyone should all start working as one massive group, would be brill, but its great that people are doing their bit too where they can as individuals, i've seen some people have been able to make a difference at local levels so that's great to hear.

i've already done a group sorry, its under groups

i'm gonna put a link to it on my group, thanks, sounds brill!!

About a year ago there was a TV debate between Anna van Heeswijk of OBJECT and lad mag editor Piers Hernu. Hernu was complaining that if the mags were covered up they would go out of business.

Let's hope he's right about that...

And if you haven't seen it here is the debate on youtube:

hi, i don't really mind them being in buisness, even though i hate those magazines personally, but i really think it's best they cover them up in shops and just keep it out of the way, so people can buy them if they want but the rest of us don't have it shoved in our faces. i deffinately feel like it's affected my self esteem over the years, and all of society's pressure to be 'perfect'. luckily i haven't gone as far as having a boob job, bleaching my hair and getting a spray tan, or prostituting myself. but i can see how women have done this to feel better about themselves but i just think it leads to further issues.

anyway, different subject, but i think it's best covered up for children so they are not oversexualised too young and in teens-have their self esteem lowered by feeling like they're not good enough.

i will check out the debate

Sign the official petition to get magazines age restricted and covered up at www.thefrontpagecampaign.org.uk

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I am fairly sure that it was ex-editor/writer Piers Hernu who was on Gabby's show a week ago Tuesday, and said the same thing (about 'covering up') which was quickly rejected by Katie from MNHQ, explaining that two supermarket chains had been doing so for a while and there had not been a drop in sales.

I have to say that OBJECT sometimes "puts its foot in it" because their activities verge on lawbreaking when they carry out their 'Feminist Friday' actions. MNHQ has never pushed for abolition, and seem to have a far more "live and let live" attitude while understanding most parents would prefer there not to be easily viewable adult/lads mags on low shelves at newsagents, supermarkets, or petrol station shops.

sophis - "drivers license/ passport/ birth certificate" (in relation to age verification for viewing YouTube).

Sorry, cannot agree, I was born in the late 50s but have none of those at present (not a driver, passport expired a few years ago, no birth certificate to hand following an enforced move to another house).

I can see where you are coming from, but YouTube is perhaps 'policed' by viewers so if there is something objectionable, it can be reported. Such sites and content surely come under the general parental responsibilities for determining what is OK and what is not, for that family...

Please don't expect to force such controls on everyone else... similarly the idea to have to 'opt in' for viewing some channels - just don't have TVs in bedrooms of youngsters. Seems easy enough to me!

NetworkGuy, I belong to OBJECT and we are not trying to abolish lad mags. Our position, which is quite similar to that of Mumsnet, is stated on the website:

Lads? mags and newspapers such as The Sport should be recognised as part of the pornography industry and if sold, these publications should be covered up, put on the top shelf and age-restricted.

OBJECT website

As for 'bordering on illegality' there is in fact nothing illegal about putting magazines into paper bags, or having a sit-in. A legal issue would only arise if the manager asked the protesters to leave and they refused, as that could be interpreted as trespassing

cross-posting to Feminism boards:

Lad?s magazines: Advice to a daughter

Well done Mumsnet - I have asked my (small independent) newsagent to put the Daily Sport behind other newspapers but they have not and looked blankly, making no comment when I asked them to conceal them. I'll be printing out a letter for them using your press release.

Please can we start a petition or email the retailers and/or the relevant government department using a form on Mumsnet like this one on Greenpeace for Hugh's Fish Fight?

www.greenpeace.org.uk/fishfight?utm_source=fishfightlist&utm_medium=email&utm_term=johnwest&utm_campaign=oceans

network guy-

''Sorry, cannot agree, I was born in the late 50s but have none of those at present (not a driver, passport expired a few years ago, no birth certificate to hand following an enforced move to another house).''

well sorry but at my age you have to have I.D for almost everything! im 26 and can't leave the house without i.d.

and i don't understand your point, plus i later decided without mentioning it,that youtube could have a third person policy like virgin mobile who uses a service to verify your age, which would be less hassle for the consumer anyway so don't worry about it.

the opt in scheme was just an idea, to make it so you have to go out of your way to view the desired channels of inappropriateness rather than go out of your way to avoid them.
i don't think banning tv's from youngsters rooms will work, but being able to control the viewing content would.

well done for trying coveredinfelttip-keep going

totaly agrees with this- david51

Lads? mags and newspapers such as The Sport should be recognised as part of the pornography industry and if sold, these publications should be covered up, put on the top shelf and age-restricted.

i also think more media needs to be recognised as porn/soft porn and carefully places appropriately-hence ideas above