Even if you are not an avid reader of The Sun newspaper, it is unlikely that the existence of ‘page three’ will have escaped your notice. The story began in 1970 when The Sun newspaper started to print topless photos of glamour models on the third page of their paper. Other newspapers followed suit and the term ‘page three’ was soon coined. Over the years the feature has been a stalwart of the paper and helped launch the careers of a number of famous faces – Jordan and Samantha Fox to name just two. However, the last few months have forced The Sun Newspaper and Editor, Dominic Mohan, to reconsider after the ‘No More Page 3’ campaign found a voice on social media. Supporters include Alastair Campbell, Eliza Doolittle and Glamour magazine.
You only have to glance at the petition on change.org to understand why people are calling for the ban. Whilst some suggest that page three offers young people an “easy route into pornography”, others suggest that it cannot possibly be classified as ‘news’ and thus should not be included in a ‘newspaper.’
Perhaps the most strongly addressed argument is the negative image it presents of women. Parading a woman’s naked body is derogatory. It suggests that it is freely available to a man, should he wish, and nurtures the idea that women are sex objects that can be degraded and abused. Lucy Holmes, the founder of ‘No More Page 3’ even claims that the increased numbers of sexual violence in the UK can be linked to the existence of page three and the over sexualisation of the media. Many of the supporters concur with Holmes, one suggesting “Page 3 is the biggest thing normalizing sexual objectification in our country.”
Not only does it present this image to men, but women too. There are so many campaigns against size zero models due to the fact they do not aptly represent the female body. Why should page three be any different? Seeing a string of young women with beach-bronzed skin, perfectly toned stomachs and perfect unmarked breasts is hardly representative of most young women. Page three is only reinforcing the dangerous stereotypes that beauty can only be defined in one way. Moreover, many women who have ended up making a living through page three claim that it is because they did not believe themselves to have any other prospects. In many ways this is not surprising. What are young, impressionable girls meant to conclude if they see countless images of clothed males going about their business and one large image of naked woman posing for the camera? We should be ashamed of ourselves as a nation if the press and public alike have degraded the image of women so badly that many feel they have no other option than to take their clothes off.
Perhaps there was a time in which page three was highly demanded, but that time does not exist anymore. Speaking to a number of males about the issue of this newspaper feature, none of them were particularly enthusiastic about its existence. Few admitted to looking at page three, and many claimed they felt awkward and quickly turned the page. I’m all for the phrase “if you’ve got it flaunt it!” but for most men, the idea of what is hidden is more likely to set their pulses racing. There has clearly been a change in gender roles over the past few decades – better laws of equality and an increased recognition of women in society have made them much more respected and equal in the eyes of men. Why then, are women still degraded on a daily basis in supposedly family newspapers?
If you think women are worth more than their naked bodies and want to ban page three, join the campaign by following @NoMorePage3 on twitter or signing the petition at change.org.
Image Credits: nomorepage3.tumblr.com, guardian.co.uk, nomorepage3.wordpress.com