Apparently over 25,000 people have signed a petition asking for Page 3 to be banned on the grounds that it “conditions readers” to “view women as sex objects”.
Apparently over 25,000 people have signed a petition asking for Page 3 to be banned on the grounds that it “conditions readers” to “view women as sex objects”. I don’t know who these 25,000 people are but I wish they’d give it a rest. One minute they’re taking part in SlutWalks, proclaiming that women should be able to leave the house in next to nothing without getting unwanted attention and the next they’re saying that women should put their boobs away because it encourages unsavoury old men to think unspeakable thoughts about them. Which is it to be ladies? Do you want us covered up or not? Is it the men who should change their ways or the women?
It is an issue that is at best illogical and at worst ridiculous.
First of all, is it a fact that Page 3 women are being exploited and objectified? If you asked the women themselves (who I think should have a say in the matter, don’t you?), I’m sure they’d tell you that they actually feel quite empowered, not only getting paid thousands to strip off but also getting their egos fed at the same time. While I’m sure that a lot of men do view women as sex objects, I can’t see how banning Page 3 will make a difference. If a man has been brought up to view women in a certain way than he always will, no matter what the situation. Should we also ban mini-skirts, lipstick and attractive film stars? Strip clubs? Or should we just go the whole hog and blindfold men to ensure that they can never look lustfully at a woman? Of course not, it’s ridiculous!
What’s more even if women are being objectified, banning Page 3 is not even the tip of the iceberg. I know that the original argument was in reference to The Sun classing itself as a “family newspaper”, rendering pictures of topless women as inappropriate, but I can’t help but feel that this is just a thinly veiled excuse to attack the sex industry. In the United States alone, pornography is estimated to rake in between $10-$14 billion a year. If, in the bigger picture, we want women to stop being objectified, we’re going to have to ban not only Page 3, but all top shelf magazines, websites, films etc… that show anything more than a bit of side boob. It’s never going to happen!
The short answer, I’m afraid, is if you don’t like it, don’t look at it. It absolutely disgusts me how people can watch the footage on an Oxfam advert without batting an eyelid but bust a gut at a couple of nipples in the newspaper. As long as the women themselves are doing the job of their own volition and enjoying it, who is anyone to say anything about it?
Of course, then there’s the argument about the effect that stuff like this has on teenage girl’s self-esteem. Mums are complaining that their daughters are developing eating disorders or getting pregnant while they’re still at school because of the prevalence of things like Page 3, but surely it is a parental responsibility to control the things your little darling sees? And if you’re going to harp on about Page 3 causing insecurity in teenage girls, you’re going to have to start petitioning against Fifty Shades of Grey as well, not to mention Magic Mike! No girl can complain about their boyfriends’ leering over Page 3 models when they’re busy fantasising about Mr Grey and Mr Tatum every night of the week.
I don’t really know what these petition-wielding loonies want. Perhaps the feminists who have such an issue with Page 3 and the like would prefer it if these women lost their jobs and had to rely on a man to provide for them like they would have done fifty years ago. Women literally can’t win. If we don’t work, we’re oppressed and if we do work we’re either career-driven monsters who neglect our children or exploited sluts who don’t know any better, and the worst part of this is that it seems to be women attacking women this time!
I may be being far too radical here but why don’t we just let women CHOOSE what they want to do with their own bodies? Now isn’t that a thought!
