No More Page 3

1) Research the No More Page 3 campaign. Who started it and why?

The campaign began during August 2012 with the petition asking The Suns editor Dominic Mohan whether they should remove images of topless women in page 3. The petition had accrued 84,000 signatures by March and in January the petition reached a great amount of 215,000 signatures.  In February 2013 the campaign ran a tweet Murdoch day asking supports to flood Murdoch with messages, the company has done a lot to get rid of page three as the founder of this campaign believed that it is highly sexualising women as sexual objects and it encourages Mulveys theory of the male gaze which then causes young males to grown with the wrong values. 

2) What are the six reasons the campaign gives for why Page 3 has to go?

1) It’s 2014! Page 3 was first introduced in the sexist 1970s. A lot has changed over the last 30+ years in our society, we think it’s time The Sun caught up…

2) It’s soft porn in the UK’s no.1 selling family newspaper that children are exposed to. Until 2003 the models were only 16 (and made to dress up in school ties and hats – seriously!) It’s never been OK. One day we’ll look back on this and think “oh my goodness, we did what?!”

3) What does it teach children? They see page after page of pictures of men in clothes doing stuff (running the country, having opinions, achieving in sport!) and what are the women doing in this society they’re learning about? Not much really, other than standing topless in their pants showing their bare breasts for men. It’s not really fair, is it?

4) Women say, do and think so many interesting and incredible things and should be celebrated for their many achievements. They are people, not things! Not ‘that’. The fact that we hear ‘look at the tits on that’ or ‘I’d do that’ is disgusting, disrespectful and objectifying. Page 3 of The Sun is the icon that perpetuates and normalises this horrible sexist ‘banter’.

5) Every single weekday for the last 44 years in The Sun newspaper the largest female image has been of a young woman (usually of a very particular age, race, physicality) showing her breasts for men, sending out a powerful message that whatever else a woman achieves, her primary role is to serve men sexually. Pretty rubbish that really.

6) The Sun newspaper could be so much stronger without Page 3. Because currently, any story they run about women’s issues such as rape, sexual abuse, harassment, domestic violence or the dangers of online porn is drowned out and contradicted by the neon flashing sign of Page 3 that says ‘shut up, girls, and get your tits out.’

3) Read this debate in the Guardian regarding whether the campaign should be dropped. What are Barbara Ellen and Susan Boniface's contrasting opinions in the debate?

The article explores how page three is wrong but it also explores why it is positive. I looks at how its an income for females who pose for page 3 and getting rid of it could cause so models to be out of business. They also put forward the argument that celebrities always pose for nudes so this isn’t really that different. They show both the pro and against argument to this. I think it is always good to consider both sides to an argument as it shows the negatives as well as the positive. If only the negatives was shown this wouldnt be a structured argument with a valid point. 

4) How can the No More Page 3 campaign be linked to the idea of post-feminism?

The possible link is made that women have the freedom to do whatever they want and they shouldn’t be hold against it. They also claim that with the more freedom women receive the more they should be allowed to do whatever they want. However, it is a valid point that the more women receive rights, the more they sabotage themselves and become only an object to the male gaze which is a theory put through by Mulvey which mentions how the media uses women to please the male gaze.

5) What are your OWN views on the No More Page 3 campaign? Do you agree with the campaign's aims? Should the campaign continue?

I believe that the campaign against page 3 should be continued until success. I believe that it is wrong to sexualise women in such manner and I think that women shouldn't be seen as an object. However, I think that it should be considered that some people's live depends on it, The sun might not have that extra element that makes the newspaper special and therefore people might end up having financial problems especially the models as their lives might revolve around having this job, I think it is however a fair campaign to be put through.

6) Do you agree that we are in a post-feminist state or is there still a need for feminism?

In my opinion we still need feminism, I think feminists need to start many campaigns against many things that go against female rights and make females out to be sexual objects which then encourage rape. I also believe that so far feminism has done an incredible job and it simply needs to continue carrying out their duties as there is still unfairness going on which are not currently taken seriously, The company has done a lot to get rid of page three as the founder of this campaign believed that it is highly sexualising women as sexual objects and it encourages Mulveys theory of the male gaze which then causes young males to grown with the wrong values.