Is it just me or is this totally unnecessary?

[BewareTheBeardedDragon]

Guardian eco 'magazine' masquerading as caring about the planet while in reality being one long chain of adverts for consumer goods 🙄 but aside from that - this is the front cover illustration. I'm just struck with the question 'why?' Why the happy perky simplistic illustration has to be a woman with her legs spread and buttocks in the air drawn from behind. Wtf does that have to do with or add to why organic is the answer. I know it's minor in the grand scheme of things but it's just so tiring how this shit pervades absolutely everywhere.

Have messaged them with my objection to their sexist depiction !

I thought it was organic fertiliser too! Ie your own poo

@NonnyMouse1337

That is quite an offensive and demeaning depiction of a woman. A man wouldn't be drawn in that pose with his bum sticking out in the face of the reader. There are lots of ways to draw yoga poses that do not involve sexualising women in media. This kind of stuff is everywhere these days. It's like we are regressing in terms of how women are depicted - all kinds of sexualised imagery with legs spread apart. It's demeaning and disrespectful because men are never depicted like this. It's not funny or cute.

You're right. It reminds me of those seaside postcards.

Oh had a look at their site.

I'm not sure who they're aimed at tbh because their views are.. interesting. Lots of wholesome pictures of people with babies. Cartoon figures including our bent over woman, the men aren't pictured with legs spread and arses in the air. Funny that!

It's always been everywhere (hello boys!) so on their site whatever but why did the paper choose that image out of the cartoon people available hmmmm?

Anyway on their plan to make everything lovely.

A hipster and an ex journalist want everyone to think whether the need to buy the thing!

Not a bad thing to think obv. Capitalism consumerism etc etc.

Their categories-

Health and beauty
Food and drink
Garden and home
Clothing
Etc

In that order.

Clicked on health and beauty.

Face souffle etc. (?)

On first page for 25 nicker you can get

'Aura-Soma Yellow Pomander Air Conditioner 100ml
£24.53

This pomander carries the joyful, sparkling energy of sunlight and revitalisation and may help to access the inner light of intuition and self-knowledge.'

I think this means you squirt it about and it smells nice? Posh air freshener.

That fits well with the ask yourself if you really need it aim doesn't it

Anyway it's nonsense.

Read the article by the caveman something if you want to be more confused.
Apparently all we need to do is split the country into 10 acre plots and everyone has one and grows food organically and that's the answer!

Don't even know where to start with that!

Oh and yes.
Woman arse in air
Website seems to be aimed at women. Why always seem to be the ones exhorted to spend more money and work harder etc to SAVE THE PLANET. while men wander about in the main. Carrying on as usual.

First glance, I thought the woman was bending over being sick on the ground. Then I put my reading specs on.

I'm glad it's not just me - I saw this and immediately thought WTAF is this? Why? It's just completely bizarre and unnecessary.

That is how I water my potatoes every time, NOT

At first glance I thought it was someone having a crap too!
I quite like gardening but would draw the line at that.
The catalogue photo is interesting - such a male gaze look. Not quite sure that this does really make women want to buy those clothes!

@NiceGerbil yes I'm always struck by how so many 'green' initiatives are built on persuading people to spend huge amounts on even more unnecessary shite when it's pretty clear that consumerism and capitalism are what has screwed the planet over in the first place
The cognitive dissonance of the 'magazine' having articles which (quite rightly) exhort us to buy less clothing, while simultaneously peddling pages full of rubbish is... interesting

I had a Boden catalogue in the post and many of the pictures were of women with their legs apart, particularly in the swimwear section showing their crotch.
Clearly that photographer likes taking pictures of women with their legs apart or one leg raised…but why do companies think women want to see that in clothing catalogues. I dont want to know what clothing I would wear to work would look like on a women with legs open or apart.
It makes me so cross, the men would not be depicted like this (unless man spreading I suppose).

"I wish I could just agree that bums are funny. But the drawing is so purposefully gendered as to render that argument rather futile."

Are bums only funny when they're not on women?

My 7 and 9yos find bums hilarious, however context exists and the context of women's depictions in the media is overwhelmingly of sexualisation and objectification.

Also, unless this magazine peddling overpriced eco-shite is aimed at pre teens then 'bums are funny' is pretty irrelevant. I'm not sure their target market is reknowned for their scatalogical humour

If you actually want to buy eco products and find them in one place, I recommend Ethical Supermarket. I buy in bulk and decant.