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Petitions and activism

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Original poster

No More Page 3 petition about to hit 80,000 signatures. What do you think about this? Have you signed it?

217 replies

ashesgirl · 14/02/2013 22:02

www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/dominic-mohan-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3

OP posts:
greengoose · 15/02/2013 13:14

My first sight of bare breasts as i was growing up was in the Sun. My parents were very private with thier bodies, but got the Sun. I hated the way my older brothers leered at it, and my Mum called it 'healthy' for teenagers to do this. Beer cans also had women on the side with similar figures. The mixture of sex and alchohol always made for a fun environment. For a long while I thought these women were the 'ideal' and hated being a teenager with small breasts.

I know that it's not the biggest feminist issue, obviously, but what does that mean anyway? It takes less time to act on it and sign the petition than to read this thread, so that's a daft argument, it's not either or, is it?

I find it confusing that some women seem to not differentiate between these types of images and more natural images of women's naked or part naked bodies... It has taken me a long time and breast feeding two children to feel comfortable with my body, I wish I had been able to when I was younger.

As for the poster who said all kids phones have porn on them.. Not in my world, and if they did they wouldn't have phones anymore! I'd like to think my boys have more insight into the rights and wrongs of it, and act accordingly.

EmpressMaud · 15/02/2013 13:19

I've never read The Sun either, but did, of course, sign the petition.

millie0210 · 15/02/2013 13:32

Not signed yet, only just heard about it.I suppose it is a bit dated in this day and age.

BridgetBidet · 15/02/2013 13:34

Jesus, I must be the exception. It's a pair of boobs, a girl smiling. It's a naked body, it's not obscene, it's nothing to be ashamed of. They have far worse in European papers.

When young boys have internet access to the most appalling exploitative violent internet pornography it's probably one of the healthier examples of sexuality young men see. I really don't see the problem.

LittleAbruzzenBear · 15/02/2013 13:39

I signed this. I was discussing it with DH who said it has no place in a newspaper and shouldn't be where children can see it. He said sadly though, many colleagues and other men he knows think it's ok. He said (in his words) they are 'the same dirty bastards who perv at teenage girls'.

Onlyconnect · 15/02/2013 13:45

Ive signed it and am just about to phone the Sun to complain about today's front cover. In case anyone else wants to dthe same the number is: 02077824101

Original poster
ashesgirl · 15/02/2013 13:50

You're not the only one complaining, Onlyconnect - hundreds of people have ...

www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2013/feb/15/sun-oscar-pistorius

OP posts:
Onlyconnect · 15/02/2013 13:52

I was given the email address of what was described as 'our ombudsman' if anyone's interested: [email protected]

ouryve · 15/02/2013 13:53

I've never bought the Sun, but I signed when the campaign first launched on Twitter.

Original poster
ashesgirl · 15/02/2013 13:56

Thanks, Only. I will email her.

OP posts:
SharkSkinThing · 15/02/2013 13:58

I've signed too.

spixblue · 15/02/2013 14:03

Sorry... I've not bothered to read the whole thread here. I've signed the petition. If the Sun was prepared to address the balance with a big hairy pair of balls on page 2, I might buy it. (I'm joking).

Original poster
ashesgirl · 15/02/2013 14:03

Great comment from Greenslade's article on lechery over a a corpse.

"One bright fact to note: The Sun and the Daily Star used to sell, between them, more than twice as many copies as they do now. That's progress, is it not?"

OP posts:
ironhorse · 15/02/2013 14:06

greengoose if you think kids dont have porn on their phones you need to take your head out the sand. no parent likes to think their kids do any wrong but you need to be realistic about what they get up to. Did you know that london school of economics carried out a survey and 60% of GIRLS under 13 had watched porn online, by the time they reached 16 yr old GIRLS it went to 97%? 80% of 15 yr old boys regularly watch hard core porn, sexting is the norm in schools with most 11/12yr olds upwards seeing it on a weekly basis? these are stats given out by NSPCC

boobs in the sun are nothing compared to the real dilema facing kids.

Wailywailywaily · 15/02/2013 14:14

Signed it.

I have always been Hmm at the whole page three thing.

I grew up in rural Ireland and I remember clearly as a child being at a protestant neighbours when he was reading the Sun and being shocked at page three. I pointed and said something about her looking cold. There was a shocked silence at the fact that I had brought everyone's attention to the fact that there was a half dressed girl all over the page! I was huddled out of the house and never aloud back. I still don't know why they would buy a paper with tits all over it when they clearly could not look at them! And people think its the Catholics who are uptight Hmm.

Anyway, I digress. Page three should be shelved with so many other outdated anti female prejudices.

newgirl · 15/02/2013 14:35

as ashes says:

sales of the Sun have declined dramatically in recent years - its dying out quicker than other papers.

we're moving on as a society. thank heavens

MrsMelons · 15/02/2013 14:42

I am not sure what I think but I think I tend to agree with Startails and ironhorse.

What if these girls/women actually WANT to do it. Whose right is it to decide they cannot earn a living that way. I really don't see that its anyone elses business. Yes they should be treated properly etc but I just can't see that they are being exploited.

I am more than happy to have my mind changed on this if I am completely missing the point which of course is entirely possible!

MrsMelons · 15/02/2013 14:44

I also do think there are lots of magazines/papers than show men with bare chests covered in water or oil etc - is that not ok either then?!

Meglet · 15/02/2013 14:46

I've never bought the sun but I signed it when it started a few months ago.

Boobs are not news.

I don't care how much worse there is out there, we need to start chipping away at this casual sexisim bit by bit.

Signed, a skinny jeans wearing, ex topless-sunbathing (can't afford hot holidays these days), brazillian waxing feminist.

TheOriginalLadyFT · 15/02/2013 15:11

What if these girls/women actually WANT to do it. Whose right is it to decide they cannot earn a living that way. I really don't see that its anyone elses business. Yes they should be treated properly etc but I just can't see that they are being exploited

The point is that, by doing so, they perpetuate the objectification and sexualisation of women - of all women, with all the damaging ramifications that has. An individual's 'rights' to pose in her pants does not trump womenkind's right to be seen as a human first and foremost, not wank fodder or tits with a person attached

Original poster
ashesgirl · 15/02/2013 15:16

I'm sure they do want to do it. It's not some puritanical victorian rescue campaign.

It's about the bigger picture of how women are portrayed in the media.

OP posts:
Chandon · 15/02/2013 15:19

Would happily sign a petition that makes looking at, or using violent porn a criminal offence.

I would happily sign a petition that bans violent porn.

But page 3 girls with their tits out....it just does not bother me.

Chandon · 15/02/2013 15:21

Think the page 3 women are not portrayed, they portray themselves, happily.

Their tits, their choice. They are free to do that.

curiousgeorgie · 15/02/2013 15:24

A friend of mine did page 3... She said she was treated amazingly and felt very respected and was proud of herself when she was able to see herself modelling in a national newspaper. It was a dream of hers and she was very happy to do it.

It's really not that big a deal. I don't really understand the problem.

Original poster
ashesgirl · 15/02/2013 15:37

It doesn't matter that the women pose happily themselves. I'm sure they do. It doesn't matter they were nice to her and gave her a cup of tea.

This is not about the page 3 girls themselves at all.

It's about the constant representation of women in the media as sex objects, judged for their appearance, not for their brains or other achievements.

As opposed to men who are not habitually portrayed in this way.

Although to be frank, don't think for a minute that all page 3 models and porn stars are respected. Take a look at what some of her male 'fans' posted recently on ex-porn actress Sasha Grey's facebook page:

home-of-amazons.tumblr.com/post/40902949952/these-comments-were-made-on-sasha-greys-facebook

OP posts: