Lads' mags have 6 weeks to "cover up": your reaction, please!

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

You may already have seen/heard the news today that the Co-op has given "lads' mags" six weeks to cover up their front page with sealed "modesty bags" or be taken off sale in its stores.

The Co-op says it's responding to concerns by its members, customers and colleagues about images of scantily-clad women on magazine covers.

We're being asked what Mumsnetters think of this move by the Co-op. So we'd love you to let us know: please do post up your views on this thread.

Well, without wishing to crush your soft porn career before it has begun, AF.....would men/women pay to view your boobs, AF? Outside of a niche market?

Or are being deliberately obtuse?

uughh @ "niche market"

Perhaps Saga magazine would consider me. For 10p or summat

Everybody has a price, in this commodifying world.

Good. These magazines are just vile, depressing objectification of women.

I found it hugely amusing to find a sign for erection dysfunction medication dysfunction on the shelf for these magazines in Tesco.

Thought you might like that.

We are a sentient being. We aren't ameoba-like. We apply discrimination and judgements and are open to influences, esp when young. So yes, in view of that, context, for humans, is everything.

Interesting, when I am in supermarkets or even our local shop I have never actually seen anyone buying these items. Wonder why that is?

Excellent product placement, Gosh!

Fantastic! I don't want my ds growing up thinking beauty only comes in one form - ie. plastic, gravity defying boobs, calfornian tan, bubble butt & so on. Nor do I think it's healthy for young girls to be exposed to the 'meat market'. Soft porn is still porn.Aspiring to be/look like a tart is all too common these days. No wonder our kids are growing up too fast.

I am a newsagent and have actively made arrangements in my shop so that youngsters cannot view the "top shelf" and "lads" magazines for some time. I fully support your campaign and wish that all the magazines were available in "wrapped" versions, some are already but not enough. Its a good thing that the Co-op are responding to this, but at the end of the day it is ultimately the publishers who need to act. It would also stop purchasers treating the place as a viewing room!

News - would you consider stopping stocking them altogether? It can only be a teeny proportion of your profit? And once it's known you don't stock, and why, then your footfall would increase?

And whining at the publishers is a bit weak, or am I missing something??

Great step in the right direction .well done co-op

I'm already a member and shop there regularly

And whining at the publishers is a bit weak, or am I missing something??

I think you are. If the publishers wrapped all these mags, then unless a retailer deliberately unwrapped them, then all these covers would be hidden. Job done.

Well done Coop.
I've banked with them all my adult life and made sure my DCs do as well.

I cannot think of a bad word to say about them, accolades all the way.

Magazines barely make any profit, Pan. The reasin to stock them is to attract customers who may then also purchase a drink, bar of chocolate, cigarettes or a birthday card at the same time. Choosing to not stock an entire genre of magazine cuts out a large proportion of customers as a newsagent. Conversely I probably wouldn't notice if my local newsagent stopped selling a magazine I wasn't interested in. I very much doubt it would increase custom while lads mags continue to be sold elsewhere.

No, I mean newsagents don't have to supply them at all. Possibly though there are common publishers for other items and it could become very fractious.

yeah, see that Yoni

It's welcome news.

Now if you were to say 'large supermarket chains' don't need to stock them at all - it'd barely dent their profit margins. Its not fair to expect small independents to lead the way on that.

Newsy, well done for putting the effort in to get the mags out of the way of youngsters.

Small independents are generally forced by the publishers to take the more "adult" titles if they want to stock the general interest magazines. The large chains have more bargaining power.

Excellent first step, well done, co-op. I look forward to the demise of these magazines altogether. Anything like this which 'de-normalises' them is to be welcomed.

A lot of respect for Co-op.

Co-op's just gone up in my estimation :)

Its a crying shame,

Great work Co-op. I do love the co-op for their ethical policies. Will make sure I shop there even more. We have in total seven bank accounts with them and all our insurance.

also, why onEarth do we still tolerate page 3 in the Sun in 2013. How am I going to explain how society permits that in a newspaper to my ds? I hope one day it's something like the smoking ban, where we are incredulous that smoking was ever allowed in aeroplanes or restaurants.