If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
No More Page 3 has never asked for parliamentary time or legislation, it does not affiliate itself to a particular party, it enjoys the support to those with the common sense and insight to realise the time has come for change.
So, now and then, it seems The Sun takes itself seriously, it grows up and cleans up its act as a show of 'respect' for a particular tragedy and, in doing so, its editorial team reveal two important things.
Sign the petition and say no to Page Three because women contribute to society in many ways that do not involve a man's erection.
Or maybe it's because, actually, a woman's opinion of her own body is nowhere near as important as the judgement of strangers (particularly men). Maybe that's why you chose to call the online version of the article 'Do men like you naked?'
Just perhaps seeing a young woman in just her pants, in the newspaper everyday affected me as a child and still does and perhaps I want a better future?
What business is it of ours if Mr David Sherborne, barrister to the victims of phone hacking and other alleged press abuses at the Leveson Inquiry, stamps his feet, warbles his throat and unfurls his tail feathers to attract a mate? If a relationship is explored during a public inquiry between two counsel on different sides of such a high profile event then there is a genuine public interest in the timing and extent of those rituals.
If breasts are seen as fundamentally sexual then the idea of putting one in a baby's mouth can be shocking. If breasts are understood as the producer of nourishment and comfort to babies then the sight of a woman breastfeeding in public may become more socially acceptable.
So, word on the street is that spring might actually be here. Just in time for the London Marathon, which, is a huge relief. The Marathon in wintertime would be just plain weird. Like blowing birthday candles out whilst standing on your head. It doesn't make sense.
It was only when I lived and worked in Honduras briefly aged 21 and suffered daily cat-calls, hisses and spitting from local men in the street, that something truly and irrevocably sank in. Being treated differently for occupying a female body wasn't just frustrating and irritating.
We had a little victory this week. I mean we've had quite a few "Whoop" moments of late but this was different. The thing is it has occurred to me, for reasons which I will explain (whether you like it or not) that people mostly have no idea whatsoever how important or amazing they are or how much of a difference they can make.
If anything, American Apparel should be commended for its unprecedented and unpretentious level of self-awareness; after all, even brands that don't sell revealing clothing rely almost exclusively upon scantily-clad sex symbols to sell their products using 'gratuitous emphasis on the groin'. Is that sexist?
Ninety-six fans, sons and daughters never made it home, and it was all the fault of their fellow Liverpool supporters. This was the narrative that Margaret Thatcher played a crucial role in perpetuating. There will have been few tears shed on Merseyside on Monday evening at her demise.
It's wrong that the dominant image of a woman in The Sun is consistently one of a young, bare-breasted model posing in a thong because it sends a powerful message about a woman's position in society: that her primary role is to be sexually attractive to men.
So I will not mince my words in saying that Page 3 needs to go, not just because it is a national embarrassment and a dinosaur of the 1970s but because it is anything other than a "harmless fun".
No More Page 3 supporters do not look down their nose at the Page 3 girls at all, but what about the newspaper in which their pictures are showcased? How much are these women paid for their work in comparison to the profit made?
In the digital age newspapers are out of date by the time they are published. This is one of the reasons why publishers are investing more in their wider media strategy, with the Evening Standard recently announcing the forthcoming launch of a television channel. One side effect has been the rise of some very successful online publications, but most blogs are volunteer run and don't have enough resources or attract a broad enough readership to compete with the established media in quality terms.
