Which are more sexist? Image: weatherill-hunt A little while ago I wrote on XOJane and completely alienated myself from, y'know, general feminism by saying I wasn't planning on signing the petition asking Dominic Mohan to take the bare boobs out of The Sun. Not because I like Page 3, I don't even read The Sun. I struggle to see how a smiling busty young woman is more damaging than the porn star poses on the cover of the Daily Sport. There's more nuance to it than that of course - I wish it was all as simple as Object et al make feminism out to be. Cover up and patriarchy will be smashed.
That is not the message though. In a way the disapproval of Page 3 and other similar items is that it unintentionally perpetuates the idea of these models as objects. Whether you see them as silly objects to shag or silly objects to save you have still objectified these women. I know that isn't the end goal, I know it is supposed to free women, free them from wanting to do such a thing (hm) and free other women (the rest of us) from feeling bad about our bodies. It just slips a little too easily into the Tory 'hardworking families' rhetoric for me to sign up, sorry. Not everyone at Squeamish agrees with me.
| At the time of writing the No More Page 3 campaign has a massive 103,139. The popularity of the campaign has perhaps encouraged Object and UK Feminista to launch the Lose the Lads' Mags campaign. Note this isn't a campaign for lad mags to update their content to portray women in a more rounded way. Or to make their covers less risque. Just a demand shops out right stop stocking them. | But protection and censoring are hard to get right and going from one extreme to another means people get left behind. |
Sophie Bennett, the Campaigns Officer for Object, said: "Lads' mags dehumanise and objectify women, promoting harmful attitudes that underpin discrimination and violence against women and girls. Reducing women to sex objects sends out an incredibly dangerous message that women are constantly sexually available and displaying these publications in everyday spaces normalises this sexism. It is unacceptable that major retailers continue to expose staff and customers to such sexist and degrading material. It's time we saw an end to Lads' mags in shops and the very real harms to women that result!"
Do I want to end discrimination and violence against women and girls? Why yes, I do. And, as I included women, it should automatically mean I include sex workers. And anyone who identifies as a woman. And I'm happy to. But protection and censoring are hard to get right and going from one extreme to another means people get left behind.
Let it never be said I don't have a problem with the current lad mag culture. In 2011 I wrote about the site UniLad and its worship of lad culture. One of the things that irked me was the insistence of the writers that they had a right to treat their fellow women students as vulnerable girls. Anyone who didn't adhere to their image of how a 'girl' should behave was not just wrong but RUINING THEIR LIVES, KILLJOYS.
I believe lad culture has the capacity to endanger. But I don't think it's through images, in fact I think it is problematic to focus on the images as the problem. As Sarah Harman wrote, comparing a cover of Loaded with a Vogue cover: "If the first one is sexist, degrading, adding to women's inequality and oppression, is the second? Is a woman's naked body obscene? If you enjoy looking at female bodies are you inherently disrespecting women?" We risk continuing the notion a naked woman is dirty and rude - only this time it's the feminist message not patriarchy.
So whatever you wear, where ever you go...careful what you wish for.
Squeamish Kate
Related posts
UniLads Bursting the Bubble
Lads Party like it's 1999
Do I want to end discrimination and violence against women and girls? Why yes, I do. And, as I included women, it should automatically mean I include sex workers. And anyone who identifies as a woman. And I'm happy to. But protection and censoring are hard to get right and going from one extreme to another means people get left behind.
Let it never be said I don't have a problem with the current lad mag culture. In 2011 I wrote about the site UniLad and its worship of lad culture. One of the things that irked me was the insistence of the writers that they had a right to treat their fellow women students as vulnerable girls. Anyone who didn't adhere to their image of how a 'girl' should behave was not just wrong but RUINING THEIR LIVES, KILLJOYS.
I believe lad culture has the capacity to endanger. But I don't think it's through images, in fact I think it is problematic to focus on the images as the problem. As Sarah Harman wrote, comparing a cover of Loaded with a Vogue cover: "If the first one is sexist, degrading, adding to women's inequality and oppression, is the second? Is a woman's naked body obscene? If you enjoy looking at female bodies are you inherently disrespecting women?" We risk continuing the notion a naked woman is dirty and rude - only this time it's the feminist message not patriarchy.
So whatever you wear, where ever you go...careful what you wish for.
Squeamish Kate
Related posts
UniLads Bursting the Bubble
Lads Party like it's 1999
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