During the Olympics I picked up a copy of The Sun newspaper to read on the train. As I flicked through the paper I noticed that there were no bare breasts on Page 3, or on Page 5.
But then I got to page 13 and there she was, a beautiful young woman in just her pants. Her photo was the largest of any woman in the issue, larger even than those of Jessica Ennis who had just won a gold medal.
Newsreaders on TV don’t say, ‘And now let’s look at Courtney, 21, from Warrington’s bare breasts,’ in the middle of the 6 O’Clock News, do they? But The Sun, Britain's biggest daily newspaper, continues to show semi-naked women in it's 'news'.
That's why I have started a campaign on Change.org called No More Page 3, appealing to Dominic Mohan, editor of The Sun to please, please (I am asking very nicely) take the bare breasts out of his newspaper. Click here to join me.
I have nothing against these beautiful glamour models. Nor do I believe that people will stop buying The Sun if these images are removed. The Sun on Saturday and Sunday don’t have Page 3 girls and still have thriving circulations. I believe that Page 3 is outdated and this is a long overdue outcry.
Home Office figures state that over 300,000 women are sexually assaulted each year and 60,000 are raped. It's hard to deny that showing women as sexual objects contributes to these figures.
The Sun is the most widely read newspaper in the UK. Families across the land buy it, it lies on breakfast tables and living rooms, it’s found on trains and buses. Our sons and daughters see it. So it's not just women speaking out, already many fathers have signed my petition, alarmed by how disturbing this is for their daughters.
All I am asking is that women be treated, and represented, with respect. Like men are. Please click here to join me and more than 10,000 others in telling The Sun: No More Page 3.
Thanks,
Lucy Holmes
PS: you can follow the campaign @nomorepage3 and like us on Facebook for campaign updates - including how you can put pressure on the Sun’s main advertisers in October.
13 comments:
I could use some of the drugs she is on.
How about a few bars of "We shall Overcome" at Wapping.
Firstly The Sun is an obscenity but unless you want to start a Eugenics Program the mindless will want to read it.
The mindless prefer breasts to the musings of Kirkegaard.
Nothing will change that.
Secondly the editor of The Sun is a vulgar uneducated man I know him personally.
The breasts are nothing to do with him he may get to chose what breasts but breasts in that rag come from the board of News Inc and that obscenity Rupert Murdoch.
I personally feel we should have Dr Dellow on page 3 to bring warmth to the hearts of local ladies.
Must run I need to talk to some ladies from Greenham Common about Lentil Soup and Joni Mitchell albums.
Chris - alias Dr Albert Hoffnungdung.
We have a rule here that you don't get published. However there are always ways"under the wire" for crafty and humerous people.Sadly I don't have that gift. . . . Each to his own.
I will be Chris again I just had a Chlorpromazine sandwich it helps more so if it is garnished with Li.
I have been busy trying one last thing.
Happy New Year according to The Hebrew Calender.
Must run I need to ask Maimoniides what he thinks of the Page 3 girl.
Trying levity but alas faking it.
Great to hear from you Chris - at least someone reads the stuff I write. I must admit it's done entirely for my own benefit!
Chris - re your last unpublished comment - admit it - you're just having a rant. . .
I guess ranting is better than getting drunk and weeping.
Lets just say I am disgusted with buffoons within the division bell.
Your friend that is trying to "FIX" The Sun her heart is in the right place,I just suggest she knows nothing of the nature of the beast.
If she wanted to get them going have people Email Board Members of News Int direct.
I go back up the mountain tomorrow Take Care Chris
Yes, I'm all for a good rant - as long as there is some logic to be found somewhere.
Now with the internet, we ill informed naive people can register our views. You'll agree that if 1,000,000 votes were achieved, now that would make the board members sit up and take notice.
The timing could also be in her favour. Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, may have a small influence !
I am heading off back up the mountain today.
However let me know if you want the email addresses of the board of News Int.
The email addresses go direct to their Blackberry or whatever so at least you can let the board know your views.
You will not find compassion there as to get that high up the ladder involves Yes Rupert,but of course Rupert how could you possibly be wrong Rupert.
I personally find it very sad that such drivel as The Sun has a circ of over 3 million.
Years ago Eddie Shah tried with a Daily Mail clone and failed.
I want to publish a paper called The Daily Bunny Rabbit and all our stories would be about Bunny Rabbits falling in love and moving to Normandie to make more Bunny Rabbits,but alas.
Take Care Geoff
"Home Office figures state that over 300,000 women are sexually assaulted each year and 60,000 are raped. It's hard to deny that showing women as sexual objects contributes to these figures."
Is it? It may well be true, but I would like to see the evidence. You could just as well make the argument that not letting people see bare breasts in a newspaper encourages more frustration and sexual assaults.
Thanks Mike,
My argument would be that we have developed a warp perception of people.
Having clothes on all the time makes one feel that seeing people without clothes on is unusual. The nudist movement would, I suspect have something useful to say. I stumbled on a nudist colony on a beach at the bottom end of the Isle Wight. There I had quite long conversation about nothing in particular with a totally nude attractive woman and felt "What's all the fuss about".
I believe that nudity should be no big thing and that it's Sun type papers and sexually peverted young people that see sex and as a major thing in their life that is the problem.
My response is "Get a life" Sex is only a part - a very enjoyable one - of a rich life of varied activities. To gain a perspective on a balanced life we need to be part of a society where nudity is common and no big deal. There, I assume sex has it's place but in a balanced way that doesn't include rape.
Couples, living together know this balance - they don't get turned on every time they see their partner nude. However they might if they saw a picture in the paper - What's that about? Or are couples living together naturally not as 'turnonable' as single people?
Sadly we don't seem to be able to discuss the subject 'sensibly'. Imagine talking about this in a pub!
As I am still here and I once lived in Amsterdam En ik ook praten Nederlands.
Children walk home past sex shops but there is very little sec crime in The NL.
Why is is not taboo it is not hidden in the dark.
In Belgium vending machines sell beer but teenagers are not passed out before vending machimes.
Beer C'est Normal.
My problem is not with sex but with Murdoch's chimps using sex to sell news for the mindless.
As for Gloria Steinem wanna be's talking about objectification of women.
Objetification sells crap .
You will find buffoons on Golden Square and Madsion Ave using that to sell crap we do not need.
You like the red car I like the blue car.....
Only yesterday I was saying to my sister (in Nottingham) that it is totally unnecessary to have these page three images. (My sister reads the Sun) She agreed with me. But it will make no difference if a campaign goes forth. It will just sell more papers. Even so, I was going to sign until I saw that it requires you to give your email address. (Why?) No thanks. I get far too much junk male already to invite more. Do the images increase sexual crime? I should have thought that there are thousands of near-bare breasts to be seen (of various sizes whether natural or false) in the street, no matter what the weather, for men to gawp at. The girls in the Sun obviously enjoy the exposure so I can't see it ever being stopped. There are far more sexual goings on - of a more dubious nature on videos and TV.
Gladys
"Do the images increase sexual crime? I should have thought that there are thousands of near-bare breasts to be seen (of various sizes whether natural or false) in the street, no matter what the weather, for men to gawp at. "
This confirms my concern that we have a sick, sick society. Sadly many young girls and men see their sexuality as their selling point. They want to be liked so dress to "kill".
"The girls in the Sun obviously enjoy the exposure"
Girls 'enjoy' being prostitutes. - Or do they?
Contract assassins "enjoy" their job - Does that make it desirable?
"There are far more sexual goings on - of a more dubious nature on videos and TV."
Is this the kind of society we want to encourage?
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