To be honest before I came across the #NOMOREPAGE3 campaign I really didn’t think about nor have any issues with page 3 or the half naked women in it. But when I read “the 6 reasons page three must go” on nomorepage3.org it really opened up my eyes to the impact that page 3 has not only on those who seek it, but also on the innocent readers who just want daily news.
When I think back on my childhood to the first time I saw a page 3 girl it was shocking to see a female naked in a newspaper and also quiet funny. But after seeing it a few times it became desexualised and very normal. I remember when page 3 girls were becoming mini celebrities with their own TV shows and red carpet appearances.
However, within “The 6 reasons page 3 must go” 1 particular reason changed my perspective completely. They state the fact that page 3 could be classified as soft porn and is easily accessed by children of all ages, as there is no age restrictions on purchasing any newspaper.
That made me think, in the future would I want my son to pick up the newspaper and flick 3 pages in to see a woman half naked and being used as a sexual ploy to increase sales? Let alone my future daughter seeing it and thinking it’s the norm or even aspiring to “grace” page 3.
Recently, Rihanna’s latest perfume advertisement billboard was banned in the UK, as it was said to have been 'too sexual' for children, even though she was not exposing any of her private areas. This then begs the question, how does the British government continue to allow a daily rotation of naked women on one of Britain’s biggest newspapers?
There’s still one question I ask myself, do I care enough to campaign about it? Or even spark a conversation about page 3 with some friends? I hardly feel page 3 has been the root of any childhood trauma or distress (probably the totally opposite for teenage boys), but if I had the option for it to be there or not, I vote not! C x
I really enjoyed your blog post; it's refreshing to hear an honest and open viewpoint from someone willing to consider new ideas. I would like to share with you a perspective that you may not have come across yet, as boys aren't often open about this. I grew up with 4 brothers, I have been married to my husband for 21 years, and we are raising 3 sons. Let me tell you, there is a lot of pressure on boys to be macho. They are expected to enjoy sexual things from an early age, to be "mad for it", etc. Boys who admit that actually they find the idea of sex a bit scary, or have no desire to be that intimate with someone they have no emotional connection with, can be ridiculed by their peers either subtly or quite blatantly. They are called, "soft", "gay", or other unkind and judgmental labels and their worth and masculinity gets called into question. Although it does hurt them, again they are expected to either be tough and not feel anything, or to get angry and violent and retaliate in kind. It's sad and unfair. Please do not assume that teenage boys love seeing women strip off or pose in sexually provocative ways in public. A lot of them would really rather not see it, as they find it overwhelming, embarrassing, and confusing. At home they are taught (hopefully) to respect their sisters and mother, but then we turn around and expect them to just LOVE seeing somebody else's sister or mother treated as a piece of meat in a butcher's window. Confuse much? We really do our young men a disservice when we send them this message that they are born to be shallow and emotionally limited. And don't even get me started on the subject of porn addictions ... boys and girls alike are harmed by seeing these powerful, sexual images. It is overpowering, and scientists are now telling us that the chemical changes in the body and the brain when viewing these images can be as addictive as crack cocaine. Of course, you'll get some men and women who will say, "It never harmed me". That's the thing, it's like alcohol and gambling addictions - we don't know in advance who it will destroy and who can walk away from it without raising an eyebrow. That is why we have age restrictions on gambling and alcohol, because we recognise the seriousness of these potential risks to people's safety, self-esteem, and ability to function in society. At the moment, Page 3 has no age restriction, it is on the lower shelves and freely available to all ages. It is left open on buses and trains, and given as a complimentary reading material at supermarket cafes and coffeeshops. Because it's a family newspaper, right? I think we are being apathetic and selfish as a society when we tell boys to "man up" and not be effected by soft porn in the newspaper, just because we are mature enough to put it into perspective. In my opinion, it has no place in a newspaper available to children. Rant over, thanks again for sharing your thoughts, I thought it was really cool of you to address this topic.
ReplyDeleteWOW, thank you for your comment, you've really opened up my eyes to the severity of page 3 and any other sexually exploitation that is forced upon us from a young age. Thanks for sharing your experience!!
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