Should we back the No More Page 3 campaign? Please let us know what you think...

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello all,

As some of you will know, there have been a few on-board debates about the No More Page 3 nomorepage3.org/ campaign, and whether or not Mumsnet should 'officially' join up as a supporter.

Previous threads here here here and here have been on balance supportive but not of a sufficient consensus for us to feel comfortable putting our full weight behind the cause.

With our most recent blog post on the issue, however, support seemed a bit more clear cut and there were lots of calls for us to back the campaign.

So we thought we'd canvass support more officially and widely. Do please use this thread to let us know whether you think we should sign up.

Obviously this is by no means a precise science, but in order to try to get a representative Mumsnet view, we will be placing a bit less weight on the views of those who have signed up to Mumsnet very recently.

How could you not support "No more page 3". Do we really want our sons and daughters to grow up thinking objectifying women like this is acceptable?

I would like to see MN back this campaign.

Sexually objectifying women harms everyone. It harms women to be told that their value depends on how they look and whether they present themselves as objects for sex. It harms men to be conditioned to think that this is all women are. Page 3 is only one of many daily examples of sexual objectification of women, but if it were discontinued, it would at least be a start in creating a better society for for our sons and daughters.

I used to travel to school on the train from age 11. I hated sitting next to men who were openly staring at Page 3. It made me feel uncomfortable and intimidated, although I wasn't able to articulate why at the time. I don't want any children I have to feel the same way.

Please do. Page three belongs to the Saville era. It objectifies women and gives the message that their role is for sexual titillation.
For those who are against getting rid please can you tell me how you explain its existence to your school age children and how you counter it's existence with your teenagers?

For the sake of my eight year old daughter we should be fighting institutionalised sexism at every turn. I Hree that other issues are important but that doesn't mean this one isn't.

The girl guides, the teaching unions, the royal colleges of midwifery and nursing, student organisations are amongst many that have already publically backed the campaign. If mumsnet has any political role in improving the position

Yes, please.

Of women then this is a good way if expressing that.

Well duh, of course we should back it.

Please support the NMP3 campaign. I remember being confused and embarrassed by adults looking at this in my presence when I was a young girl, it is there purely for titillation and it has no place in a publication which is routinely available for children e.g. Left on cafe tables, trains etc as a matter of course. I don't want my son and daughter growing up to think that women are available in a state of undress for men at any time. I want my daughter to be respected and my son to value equality and understand that women have more to contribute than just boobs for ogling.

Yes Page 3 needs to go. It is not about being anti nudity or a prude. This narrow and over sexualised image in a newspaper lowers kids self esteem, presents women as sex objects for male gratification and normalises the trivialisation and objectification of women. Surely none of us want this for our daughters and sons?? Can't imagine what the arguments would be from a parents point of view to keep it. It's just so awkward as a parent having to explain why there are naked ladies in the paper. Celebrations of authentic empowered women and women's sexuality are fine, but Page 3 is not that. It's a disgrace.

And please Mumsnet back the campaign!! :)

No,

I support this campaign and it brought me to you, so I have now signed up to mumsnet :-). I have a feeling a couple of people who have commented on this may be men?!? in disguise lol. Page 3 is ancient and sexist. It is there for mens gratification and it is a FAMILY newspaper, it is not for over 18s and children can see it quite easily. Why do we have a watershed at 9pm and why is nudity shown only after 9pm? because its not considered for childrens eyes! Its a male chauvinist paper and dated. Please support page three. Its about time Women became strong and respected as well as their children.

Maybe you won't place much weight on my opinion as I'm not a regular poster here (more of a lurker), but yes, I'd very much like to see Mumsnet back this campaign.
Whatever the media says about Mumsnet, I've generally found it a home for intelligent, witty and determined women; the direct opposite of how the Sun, and page 3 in particular portrays women.

yes, I'd really like MN to support it as well. Presumably MN supports women to breastfeed - yet the dominant use of women's breasts as sexual objects by men considerably reduces the confidence of women to use their breasts as feeders of babies, even though it is detrimental to infant health not to breastfeed. Why would we even for one moment consider it right to support men's right to sexual titillation over our babies' rights to good health for the remainder of their lives? - oh, and women's good health as well, since breastfeeding is known to reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

Don't know what happened there! No, I don't support MN backing it, I am well informed but don't agree with the campaign and feel unless it was a unanimous Yes from all it shouldn't be considered. Other campaigns (to my knowledge) have been over issues that were extremely unlikely any MNer would disagree with.

I would like Mumsnet to back the campaign. Any notion that any part of the sex industry empowers women is 99% misguided. Obviously you get the odd woman like Katie Price who capitalises on it but the vast majority are taken one way down a dead end paths that exploits them in the short term and then leaves them in a way worse position by the end of their time. Not many employers look at a Cv with years of topless modeling and think 'yep I have got my ideal employee' and tbh if they do you would have to question some of their motivation.

This youtube clip is of Lucy Holmes, founder of NMP3, explaining why she founded the campaign. Mumsnet why don't you post a link to this so people can educate themselves about the campaign so they can make an informed choice on the subject

Yes, I would be thrilled to see Mumsnet supporting the No More Page 3 campaign which is asking the editor to change their policy on this. This 'permission giving' image I.e. It helps to normalise the sexual objectification of women should have no place in an equal society. Does this mean that I am a prude ? I believe not. Porn and this is a gateway image to porn has, hijacked and exploited sexuality. See The Porn Trap for an interesting read on how this works. We can do better and need to. See recent government reports on the negative effect of the sexualisation of the media and ready access to Internet porn on today's children e.g. The majority of 11 year olds have seen Internet porn! And this is affecting their behaviour towards each other (Sexualisation of Young People Review/ Basically Porn is everywhere: A Rapid Assessment on the Effect that Access and Exposure to Pornography has on children and Young People). We. want our children and grandchildren to like their bodies and enjoy a healthy and satisfying sex life. Page 3 delivers none of these.

Yes please back this campaign.

Yes and about time too

POTC you will never ever get unanimity on any issue.

Mumsnet should absolutely support No More Page 3.

This IS an important campaign, and if your argument is - well, there's more important issues like FGM - why not let Mumsnet campaign for both? I do.

Boobs, nipples, nudity aren't the problem. The context however it. Page 3 objectifies women and leads to the normalisation of attitudes to women's breasts as sexual objects - rather than YOUR body, or for breastfeeding.

The Sun is a very prominent newspaper, it is everywhere and enters everyday life through every shop you visit, the rubbish on the streets, on the tables in cafes. Simply "don't buy it" doesn't work, no more than "don't vote for them" is a reason not to argue against the absurdity of UKIP.

Do I want to breastfeed in a cafe while men casually ogle page 3 - no. Do I want my 5 year old daughter to see page 3? No. And she will, not because she will buy a newspaper! but because, how can she avoid it? as a child I couldn't.

Did I want the walls of our tech services dept staff room AND TOILET (the mind boggles) at a national museum plastered with page 3 models because there was a perception it was somehow permissable because it was in a national newspaper? No. I felt awkward, uncomfortable - and most importantly unwelcome in my work environment.

Mumsnet, please back the No More Page 3 campaign.

Yes please back this campaign.

Well said charlieB73 and Peresphone22 I couldnt agree with you more! I felt embarassed about it as a young girl too and it doesnt make any logical sense why it is there at all. Men have also signed the campaign! Including a couple of respected male news readers and Russel Brand of all people. A man on channel 5 also talked about this and wore his TShirt "No more page three" on his show. Jennifer Sauinedrs has signed it and other strong female personalities. Ive spoken to men about it and they agree with me. Theres a time and place for nudity and mastur##* and that place is not in front of children! We want our daughters to be strong and respected and we want to teach our sons how to respect women too. Women should be seen as intelligent, independent and beautiful. Not as sex objects to be used!

Yes, please back this campaign - as others have said, it's not that breasts are dangerous and shouldn't ever be seen, it's the context of it.

Have already signed the petition and am a supporter of this campaign.

Please back the campaign, I've been a MN member for ages, but mainly as a lurker. I think this is important enough to force me out of lurkerdom!