Turn Your Back On Page Three is a campaign against the daily publication of pornographic images of women on page three of The Sun, a newspaper notorious for its misogyny, racism and bigotry.
Women are more than a commodity to be exploited for commercial gain. A pout, vagina waxed to resemble that of a child, and painfully distended silicon-pumped breasts do not a woman make. Presenting this as an acceptable summation of all that a woman is – nothing more than an object for titillation and ridicule – creates a barrier to any sort of equality because, vacuous and pathetic in her attempts to attract attention, the woman on Page 3 is unlikely to receive any respect. With their massive readership, the attitude of The Sun and other publications like it, such attitudes become the norm, both for men and women and, more dangerously, for children. Girls are shown that sexualised poses and clothing are an acceptable, appropriate, and necessary way in which to get attention and boys are taught to expect and accept it. In their attempts to emulate such behaviour, donning g-strings, push-up bras, lipstick, Playboy insignia-covered clothing, pouts and poses, girls put themselves into situations with which they are not equipped to deal. Though, of course, not all men would take advantage of the girls’ innocent yet sexualised state, many would. Studies have shown that many of the women who work in the porn industry – and I include women posing for Page 3 in that – were subjected to abuse as children and, in a distorted reaction to this abuse, regard sexualised behaviour as the only way in which to gain the attention of men. Whatever other abilities and qualities they may have are seen as irrelevant – both by the women themselves and those who believe they are nothing more than the poses in their pictures. The Page 3 presentation of women and its normalisation through endorsement in the mainstream media promotes abuse and exploitation. She is merely woman as a hole – not the whole woman she should be.
To join the campaign go to http://www.facebook.com/turnyourbackonpage3 and email Councillors, MPs, MSPs, MEPs and Lords to inform them of your objection to this use of women’s bodies at http://www.writetothem.com/.
Sign the petition for the removal of page 3 at http://www.change.org/petitions/petition-remove-page-3-from-our-most-popular-newspaper-the-sun
Also, for a stealthy protest, print your TYBO Page Three image and slip it into The Sun. Be sure to cover Page Three.
If you want to be more direct, have someone write “Turn Your Back On Page Three”, take a picture then go to The Sun “I want to be a Page Three Girl” page at http://www.page3.com/freshers/index.shtml, print out the application form and send it along with your photo to the address shown on the form. Feel free to include a comment on why you object to the use of women’s bodies in this way – as well as anything else you’d like to say.
Thanks for joining the campaign against inequality, sexism, and exploitation!
