Page Three: Shouldn't We All Be Petitioning The Daily Mail, Too?

As both a woman and someone with boobs, I'm fully behind Lucy Holmes' petition asking Dominic Mohan to "Take Page 3 out of the. But I'd argue that the newspaper which is far more damaging to women's self esteem - and equally if not more adept at portraying them as merely physical objects - is the. Day after day - and hour after hour on its website, the- thecontinues to bombard us with 'stories' about women which revolve solely around how they look.

As both a woman and someone with boobs, I'm fully behind Lucy Holmes' petition asking Dominic Mohan to "Take Page 3 out of The Sun".

But I'd argue that the newspaper which is far more damaging to women's self esteem - and equally if not more adept at portraying them as merely physical objects - is the Daily Mail.

Day after day - and hour after hour on its website, the Mail Online - the Daily Mail continues to bombard us with 'stories' about women which revolve solely around how they look.

How much weight they've gained. How much weight they've lost. What they're wearing - or the lack of what they're wearing.

One look at the right-hand rail of the Mail Online shows that the paper is never interested in these women's careers, talents or brains. It's never interested in women as actors or musicians or businesswomen. It is solely interested in how they look - and in criticising them relentlessly about it.

I'm sure that they think they're somehow making us 'real' women feel better ('real women' being an awful Daily Mail/women's magazine phrase to mean non-celebrities, as if famous people were less 'real' and thus less deserving of our respect) by holding up images of 'unreal' women and criticising them. But in fact, it damages all women - because the subliminal message is: "You know that really, really gorgeous woman who's completely beautiful and extremely slim? Well, we think she looks like SHIT! So guess what you look like?! Hahaha!"

So by all means, let's petition Dominic Mohan. But let's also petition the Mail Online's publisher, Martin Clarke. To follow Ms Holmes' example, maybe the petition could read thus:

Martin Clarke: Take The Barely-Disguised Misogyny Out Of The Mail Online #nomorerighthandrail

"We are asking Martin Clarke to drop the barely-disguised misogyny from the Mail Online.

We are asking very nicely.

Please, Martin.

No more fixating on how women look.

George Alagiah doesn't say, 'And now over to Angela Merkel, who's flaunting her curves at the G20 summit today' does he, Martin?

Philip and Holly don't tell Claire from Steps that she's wearing just the latest in a series of unflattering outfits on This Morning, do they, Martin?

No, they don't.

There would be an outcry.

And you shouldn't show naked misogyny in your widely read 'family' website either.

Consider this a long overdue outcry.

Martin, stop criticising young women for the way they look on Britain's most widely read news website, stop conditioning your readers to view women as physical objects.

Enough is enough.

Thank you."

Would anyone else like to sign it?

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