http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2202037441#/group.php?gid=85555267501&ref=ts
Agree or Disagree?.
Me love Sophie howard, she's owning them.
For the people that do not have FB this is what a women whose trying to stop page 3 from Showing topless women in their news paper because she say it cause men to rape womens, which is bullshit.
How do you feel about Page 3?
Is it harmless fun or harmful?
Do you think there is any place for it in the 21st century?
When MP Clare Short first introduced her Private Members Bill in the House of Commons in 1986 to ban Page 3, her postbag the following Monday was overflowing with heartfelt letters from women and men, children & pensioners from all walks of life and of all nationalities and political persuasions from all over the country. This was clearly a topic that moved the people, however, it failed to move the old school male dominated parliament types so the debate was kicked out. (For further reading go to: Dear Clare … this is what women feel about Page 3).
Well it’s time to put this back on the agenda.
According to the organization End Violence Against Women as many as 3 million women a year are victim to violence. In the UK alone this includes domestic violence, rape and sexual violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, crimes in the name of honour, trafficking and sexual exploitation. You could say it is practically legal to rape a woman in this country when you consider that the conviction rate in rape cases is only 6.1 percent. 30 years ago it was more than 33%.
Does Page 3 – and its ilk – have anything to do with violence against women. Specifically sexual violence? Is the saturation of soft-core pornography into the mainstream press and media having any impact on society at all, however mild or extreme? And is it purely coincidence that as pornographic imagery within society has increased, conviction rates for rape have decreased?
The Sun is the UK’s most popular newspaper is read by a broad spectrum of people from all walks of life. With this in mind, do you think Page 3 could play any part in shaping attitudes towards girls and women at all?
Is a young girl or woman staring provocatively at the reader, with her breasts exposed for public consumption, served up amongst our daily news having any effect whatsoever on our psyche? So prevalent is the ‘female as submissive sex object’ in the British press and media, might society have been brainwashed into believing that girls and women exist purely for men’s sexual gratification and titillation? If society does believe this then it certainly could explain these shockingly low rape convictions.
Sexual harassment in the workplace and on the streets is an everyday occurrence for most women. Could The Sun and Page 3 culture be fuelling this? Does it program men into thinking we are all ‘up for it’? Most girls and women would say they feel uncomfortable when they are sat or stood next to a male who is looking at Page 3 – particularly when that male is old enough to be the model’s father, or even grandfather. If the eradication of Page 3 meant girls and women felt less threatened or intimidated when going about their day to day life, would men care if it didn’t exist?
Is it not a bit sickening that these images sit amongst stories on war, terror, murder … rape? Furthermore, isn’t it incredibly troubling to see The Sun run a front page story on rape only for you to turn the page and find a young girl photographed with her breasts out staring provocatively at the reader? What message is this giving out?
Rupert Murdoch first introduced Page 3 to The Sun in 1970. A few years later, in 1975 Britain would see the introduction of the Racial Discrimination Act. Part of this act prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.
We are still waiting for a law which prohibits sexism.
In more recent times we have become a nation that believes it is politically incorrect to attack, discriminate, excite or stir up hatred against minorities. Whether it is race, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, society is becoming increasingly intolerant to archaic attitudes and beliefs that surround these issues however, overt sexism still remains. Well, why? Again, with violence against women being a global pandemic, is the saturation of soft porn helping with women’s fight to be seen as and treated as human beings? Would eradicating Page 3 be a step in the right direction?
Some argue “well, if the girls choose to do it and they earn money out of it then who are we to argue?” but since when has money been any sort of moral justification? And, say the girls did ‘choose’ to do this, freely, why should the rest of us suffer? Why should we have this ‘thrust’ in our face on a daily basis? In a country that has only just legalised the right for a woman to BREASTFEED in a public place, why should having young girls’ naked breasts on public display be ok? The answer is a fairly dark one; that women’s breasts are only socially acceptable if they exist for men’s sexual consumption. The most natural role a woman can fulfill, the most natural of female instincts and female functions is seen as wholly offensive. WELL, WHY? Is this an indication of women’s true status in society?
How can Page 3 have any place in modern Britain when we are supposed to be a multi-cultured society? How can we really have true equality whilst Page 3 (and other forms of soft pornography) is in mass circulation and pushed in the public’s face whenever we walk into a newsagent’s or turn on the TV? Is this really being respectful of others’ faith?
Is Page 3 (and alike) the reason why 66% of teenagers would consider plastic surgery and 63% aspire to be glamour models or lap dancers? Is this a healthy aspiration for the next generation?
Human Rights organisation Object campaign specifically and tirelessly on challenging the sexual objectification of women in the media and popular culture. Even though my project also raises awareness about the proliferation of pornographic images in our press, I am campaigning and calling for the eradication of Page 3. We cannot move forward as a society whilst this celebrated ‘iconic’ image is still in existence and lauded in our most popular newspaper. It really is as simple as that.
I believe if Page 3 was eradicated it would be so significant – because of its popularity – that the rest of its ilk would have to stand up and take notice. SOCIETY would then too stand up and take notice and we would witness the birth of a revolution. We would witness the first major step in recent years in women’s fight for true gender equality.
I often ask young girls what they think about Page 3. Thankfully and surprisingly many aren’t entirely comfortable with it. One 19 year old summed it up perfectly when I asked her how she felt, she replied “it makes it socially acceptable to perv over women and treat them as sex objects”. Exactly.
Men & boys, if you suspected that Page 3 played a part, however small in anything mentioned here, would you mind living without it? Ask yourself … could you live without it?
Shouldn’t we be spending time proving that it DOESN’T have an effect on society rather than it having an effect on society?
It’s time for change. We are becoming an increasingly morally conscious nation. We take steps to protect our environment. We strive to end world poverty. We strive for peace and go out in our millions to march on the streets and protest against wars. We have, in our lifetime, witnessed our first black president and hopefully understand the significance of that (for further reading read The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Clayborne Carson). Women too have come a long way but we still have far to go and we won’t know, recognize or fulfill our true potential unless we are seen as truly equal and while we are being viewed as mere sex objects we are not being seen as human. We need to move on. It’s time to say enough is enough. This is Great Britain. We should be leading the way. This archaic symbol of sexism has no place in the 21st century.
So, whoever you are, whatever you are, wherever you are, it’s time to … GET YOUR BACKS UP and GET YOUR BACKS OUT … !
This is what inspired this campaign. If you agree on any level about anything written here, then join the ‘TURN YOUR BACK ON PAGE 3 campaign. Take a picture of your back with the campaign slogan ‘TURN YOUR BACK ON PAGE 3′ and upload them onto this page or email them (and your opinions) to turnyourbackonpage3@hotmail.com
Make the point that you too are turning your back.
Contact Info
Email:
Agree or Disagree?.
Me love Sophie howard, she's owning them.
For the people that do not have FB this is what a women whose trying to stop page 3 from Showing topless women in their news paper because she say it cause men to rape womens, which is bullshit.
How do you feel about Page 3?
Is it harmless fun or harmful?
Do you think there is any place for it in the 21st century?
When MP Clare Short first introduced her Private Members Bill in the House of Commons in 1986 to ban Page 3, her postbag the following Monday was overflowing with heartfelt letters from women and men, children & pensioners from all walks of life and of all nationalities and political persuasions from all over the country. This was clearly a topic that moved the people, however, it failed to move the old school male dominated parliament types so the debate was kicked out. (For further reading go to: Dear Clare … this is what women feel about Page 3).
Well it’s time to put this back on the agenda.
According to the organization End Violence Against Women as many as 3 million women a year are victim to violence. In the UK alone this includes domestic violence, rape and sexual violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, crimes in the name of honour, trafficking and sexual exploitation. You could say it is practically legal to rape a woman in this country when you consider that the conviction rate in rape cases is only 6.1 percent. 30 years ago it was more than 33%.
Does Page 3 – and its ilk – have anything to do with violence against women. Specifically sexual violence? Is the saturation of soft-core pornography into the mainstream press and media having any impact on society at all, however mild or extreme? And is it purely coincidence that as pornographic imagery within society has increased, conviction rates for rape have decreased?
The Sun is the UK’s most popular newspaper is read by a broad spectrum of people from all walks of life. With this in mind, do you think Page 3 could play any part in shaping attitudes towards girls and women at all?
Is a young girl or woman staring provocatively at the reader, with her breasts exposed for public consumption, served up amongst our daily news having any effect whatsoever on our psyche? So prevalent is the ‘female as submissive sex object’ in the British press and media, might society have been brainwashed into believing that girls and women exist purely for men’s sexual gratification and titillation? If society does believe this then it certainly could explain these shockingly low rape convictions.
Sexual harassment in the workplace and on the streets is an everyday occurrence for most women. Could The Sun and Page 3 culture be fuelling this? Does it program men into thinking we are all ‘up for it’? Most girls and women would say they feel uncomfortable when they are sat or stood next to a male who is looking at Page 3 – particularly when that male is old enough to be the model’s father, or even grandfather. If the eradication of Page 3 meant girls and women felt less threatened or intimidated when going about their day to day life, would men care if it didn’t exist?
Is it not a bit sickening that these images sit amongst stories on war, terror, murder … rape? Furthermore, isn’t it incredibly troubling to see The Sun run a front page story on rape only for you to turn the page and find a young girl photographed with her breasts out staring provocatively at the reader? What message is this giving out?
Rupert Murdoch first introduced Page 3 to The Sun in 1970. A few years later, in 1975 Britain would see the introduction of the Racial Discrimination Act. Part of this act prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.
We are still waiting for a law which prohibits sexism.
In more recent times we have become a nation that believes it is politically incorrect to attack, discriminate, excite or stir up hatred against minorities. Whether it is race, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, society is becoming increasingly intolerant to archaic attitudes and beliefs that surround these issues however, overt sexism still remains. Well, why? Again, with violence against women being a global pandemic, is the saturation of soft porn helping with women’s fight to be seen as and treated as human beings? Would eradicating Page 3 be a step in the right direction?
Some argue “well, if the girls choose to do it and they earn money out of it then who are we to argue?” but since when has money been any sort of moral justification? And, say the girls did ‘choose’ to do this, freely, why should the rest of us suffer? Why should we have this ‘thrust’ in our face on a daily basis? In a country that has only just legalised the right for a woman to BREASTFEED in a public place, why should having young girls’ naked breasts on public display be ok? The answer is a fairly dark one; that women’s breasts are only socially acceptable if they exist for men’s sexual consumption. The most natural role a woman can fulfill, the most natural of female instincts and female functions is seen as wholly offensive. WELL, WHY? Is this an indication of women’s true status in society?
How can Page 3 have any place in modern Britain when we are supposed to be a multi-cultured society? How can we really have true equality whilst Page 3 (and other forms of soft pornography) is in mass circulation and pushed in the public’s face whenever we walk into a newsagent’s or turn on the TV? Is this really being respectful of others’ faith?
Is Page 3 (and alike) the reason why 66% of teenagers would consider plastic surgery and 63% aspire to be glamour models or lap dancers? Is this a healthy aspiration for the next generation?
Human Rights organisation Object campaign specifically and tirelessly on challenging the sexual objectification of women in the media and popular culture. Even though my project also raises awareness about the proliferation of pornographic images in our press, I am campaigning and calling for the eradication of Page 3. We cannot move forward as a society whilst this celebrated ‘iconic’ image is still in existence and lauded in our most popular newspaper. It really is as simple as that.
I believe if Page 3 was eradicated it would be so significant – because of its popularity – that the rest of its ilk would have to stand up and take notice. SOCIETY would then too stand up and take notice and we would witness the birth of a revolution. We would witness the first major step in recent years in women’s fight for true gender equality.
I often ask young girls what they think about Page 3. Thankfully and surprisingly many aren’t entirely comfortable with it. One 19 year old summed it up perfectly when I asked her how she felt, she replied “it makes it socially acceptable to perv over women and treat them as sex objects”. Exactly.
Men & boys, if you suspected that Page 3 played a part, however small in anything mentioned here, would you mind living without it? Ask yourself … could you live without it?
Shouldn’t we be spending time proving that it DOESN’T have an effect on society rather than it having an effect on society?
It’s time for change. We are becoming an increasingly morally conscious nation. We take steps to protect our environment. We strive to end world poverty. We strive for peace and go out in our millions to march on the streets and protest against wars. We have, in our lifetime, witnessed our first black president and hopefully understand the significance of that (for further reading read The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Clayborne Carson). Women too have come a long way but we still have far to go and we won’t know, recognize or fulfill our true potential unless we are seen as truly equal and while we are being viewed as mere sex objects we are not being seen as human. We need to move on. It’s time to say enough is enough. This is Great Britain. We should be leading the way. This archaic symbol of sexism has no place in the 21st century.
So, whoever you are, whatever you are, wherever you are, it’s time to … GET YOUR BACKS UP and GET YOUR BACKS OUT … !
This is what inspired this campaign. If you agree on any level about anything written here, then join the ‘TURN YOUR BACK ON PAGE 3 campaign. Take a picture of your back with the campaign slogan ‘TURN YOUR BACK ON PAGE 3′ and upload them onto this page or email them (and your opinions) to turnyourbackonpage3@hotmail.com
Make the point that you too are turning your back.
Contact Info
Email:
