Webchat with Reg Bailey, author of the government report on sexualisation of children, Friday 10th June, 11am to 12pm

[KatieMumsnet]

Reg Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers' Union and author of the government?s Let Children be Children, is joining us for a webchat this Friday, 10 June, 11am to 12pm.

Following our Let Girls be Girls campaign , launched early in 2010, we?ve been asking retailers to commit not to sell products which play upon, emphasise or exploit their sexuality.

The government has now responded to our campaign and Reg Bailey?s report, which included these recommendations:

? Retailers to ensure magazines with sexualised images have modesty sleeves.

? Music videos to be sold with age ratings.

? Procedures to make it easier for parents to block adult and age restricted material on internet.

? Code of practice to be issued on child retailing.

? Create a single website for parents to complain to regulators.

? Change rules on nine o'clock television watershed to give priority to views of parents.

Please join us live to ask Reg about the report, or if you can't make it, please post your question here.

Maybe you need more education....

Everyone always needs more educating. But at least I am aware of the existence of research which shows that pornography does harm, which you appear not to be.

And also, if you think that moving in an environment which shows women as fuck-objects the whole time is a healthy and OK and doesn't damage the status of women in our society, you are kidding yourself. If we continually portrayed black people in positions of subservience and happy idiocy, it would re-inforce racism, whcih is why advertisers, film makers etc., try not to do it (though they don't always succeed, being peopled mainly by members of privileged groups and ahving too few members of BME groups). Similarly with homosexuals, disabled people etc. - there are whole depts devoted to ensuring that minority groups are portrayed as full human beings and not just as stereotypes. It's only when women are portrayed negatively, that everyone pretends that doesn't affect the wider attitude to them and their status and safety in society.

"And also, if you think that moving in an environment which shows women as fuck-objects the whole time "

It clearly doesn't.

Nothing clear about that at all. Kids are bombarded with imagery which shows women as the sex class

I want to move to Planet Catmilk! It sounds fantastic! Literally. The product of fantasy.

It's a stupid exaggeration. You notice it more because you hate it so. It's confirmation bias. Society shows women as politicians, tv presenters, scientists, experts, writers, artists, lawyers, heads of Amnesty, the list goes on. Sometimes these representations are problematic, often they are empowering. It shows women in a sexual way. Sometimes these representations are problematic, often they are empowering

You do your arguments no good when your exaggerated language makes you look like the one living on a different planet.

This 'women as the sex class' idea is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard, completely ignoring the world around them and just believing what makes them feel the way they want to feel.

You don't notice it more because you're de-sensitised to it.

And don't give me that crap about it being empowerfulising. The thing that empowers women, is power. Being surrounded by pictures showing them clearly that they're on Planet Earth to be fucked, isn't empowering or if it were, we'd make sure the sex with real power - the male one - was also surrounded by pictures of itself in a state of arousal the whole time. After all, that would re-empower them, no?

I can't believe that women buy this argument that pictures of them in states that men want them to be in, is empowerfulating (or should that be in epowerfellating?) Do you also think it's empowering to show women cleaning skid marks off men's pants, or vacuuming the house? "There you go darlin', iron my shirts will you, it'll empower you". "OK Sweetie, I'm such a dumb fuck that I believe that one. When I've finished the ironing, I'll clear your dishes away, polish the furniture, empty the bins, scrub the loo and then suck you off for four hours. I'll be so empowered by the end of it, I expect someone will put me in charge of foreign policy."

Sheesh.

1.The sexuality of women is well-presented in this society - YES.

1. Is it demeaning or empowering - DEBATABLE, with many women enjoying porn for example. They would be PLAIN WRONG according to you. Still, the issue is debatable whether you like it or not. I love to be reminded of the power and beauty of women, in the sexual area.

1. Does the fact that women's sexuality being shown, in a society where women are ALSO DEFINITELY in important non-sexual roles, more so all the time, make a phrase like 'The Sex Class' anything else but a silly phrase used by hysterical extremists? That's up to the reader I guess.

'Daddy, when I grow up I'm going to be a businesswoman.'

'Don't be ridiculous, you are a female and therefore nothing more than a part of The Sex Class, to serve us men."

I AM a Feminist, but by God over the last few decades has it radicalised a lot of people to believe the very worst of men and to see women as victims at every turn. These are the people that are ruining Feminism, and making many young women want to have nothing to do with it, which is a terrible shame.

DD got given a Sylvanian Families toilet for her birthday today (among other things). On the front of the box is a furry animal in men's clothes standing next to the toilet. On the back is a furry animal in women's clothes cleaning it.

(I just mentioned that to make HerBex laugh. It's true though.)

Fair point swallowedafly. How do you think female sexuality could be better represented in society?