NUTS! this is just a Loaded Nuts!

mike65 · 27-05-2013 9:59am #1

A campaign launched by UK Feminista and the anti-objectification organisation Object aims to put pressure on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda and WHSmith to remove lads' mags from their shelves.

If they fail to act, the lawyers threaten to bring a test case and will support employees uncomfortable with images of naked and near-naked women on magazines.

"For too long supermarkets have got off the hook, stocking lads' mags in the face of widespread opposition, but this time we have the law on our side," said Kat Banyard, founder of UK Feminista. "Every shop that sells lads' mags – publications which are deeply harmful to women – are opening themselves up to legal action."

The group says retail employees have told them they dislike handling the magazines but feel powerless to take up the issue with their employers.

"One woman said to us: 'Those magazines don't do women any favours, they are appalling and demeaning to women, but what can little old me do about it?' Well, employees need to know they don't need to put up with it any more."

Sophie Bennett, campaigns officer for Object, said: "Lads' mags dehumanise and objectify women, promoting harmful attitudes that underpin discrimination and violence against women and girls. Reducing women to sex objects sends out an incredibly dangerous message that women are constantly sexually available and displaying these publications in everyday spaces normalises this sexism."

The lawyers' letter supports the campaign and urges high-street retailers to immediately withdraw magazines and papers featuring explicit covers from their stores.

You couldn't make this up, The Daily Mash might have tried at some point before giving up on grounds of credulity being stretched to unreasonable levels.

El Guapo! · 27-05-2013 10:04am

This is the type of crazy feminism that gives them all a bad name.
One of my pet hates is this kind of feminism and stories like this really get my blood boiling.

OldGoat · 27-05-2013 10:04am

Pics or GTFO

Funny thing is that you could substitute the term "Womens mags" for every time they say "Lads mags" in that article and the arguments would still be valid.

kneemos · 27-05-2013 10:05am

Totally agree(with the feminists)

Crooked Jack · 27-05-2013 10:05am

These type of people really give feminists a bad name. Will this case also apply to the dozens of daft women's magazines with topless pictures of male celebrities on the front complemented by headlines like "PHWOAR"

Baneblade · 27-05-2013 10:06am

thats a load of nuts

Crooked Jack · 27-05-2013 10:07am

publications which are deeply harmful to women

How can they say stuff like this. They dont represent all women, least of all the women in these magazines. None of them are being photographed at gun point, they all do it very willingly and are very handsomely rewarded for it.

muppetkiller · 27-05-2013 10:08am

Someone made a great comment on the news about how crazy this is...He said he was on a diet and seeing all these Cooking Magazines upset him too and he wanted them banned lol
Sums it up perfectly I think.

Shenshen · 27-05-2013 10:11am

So they're going to leave all the rubbish gossip rags, because of course they do marvels for the perception of women as rounded human characters with souls and deep thought. :rolleyes:

I would regard myself as a feminist, but "actions" like this make me want to hide in shame.

Duggy747 · 27-05-2013 10:11am

Fine, then ban all the celebrity women garbage magazines that have stories about "love rat" men or men and their dopey habits........

......and at least 1 story of a woman who made love to a ghost.

The Backwards Man · 27-05-2013 10:11am

They are outdated and old fashioned, they will die a death on their own anyway, me cynically thinks this may be a bit of a PR stunt to draw attention to themselves.

27-05-2013 10:12am

They should ban women's mags too. Lets have non-gender specific magazines .. About kettles. You dont see many of those.

Sergeant · 27-05-2013 10:14am

I like Kat Banyard. She has interesting things to say, especially about pornography.

27-05-2013 10:14am

"One woman said to us: 'Those magazines don't do women any favours

Neither do feckin gossip rags

LOSE 20 LBS IN A WEEK OR YOU'RE A FAILURE

If you don't like them don't look at them

GalwayGuy2 · 27-05-2013 10:14am

"Lads' mags dehumanise and objectify women, promoting harmful attitudes that underpin discrimination and violence against women and girls. Reducing women to sex objects sends out an incredibly dangerous message that women are constantly sexually available and displaying these publications in everyday spaces normalises this sexism."

One thing I really hate about that sort of argument, is that there is a very thin line between saying "Naked women on a magazine make men rape", and "Women in short skirts make men rape". It's really strange how, sometimes at least, Feminism verges on a past conservative belief.

And of course the lack of evidence, or link of any sort.

El Guapo! · 27-05-2013 10:18am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They should ban women's mags too. Lets have non-gender specific magazines .. About kettles. You dont see many of those.

You obviously don't subscribe to "Kettle Monthly" or "Irish Kettle Watcher".
They're a hoot.

Obliq · 27-05-2013 10:19am

I'd say ban em all. I don't get (and I'm a woman) how women's magazines are seen as any better for body image or perpetuating stereotypes about us. They're all a pile of sh*te. Ban those too, or leave the lad's mags where they are. I don't have to look at them, same as I don't look at the women's mags.

languagenerd · 27-05-2013 10:19am

Ban the womens' magazines too! Ban them all! :pac: The "celeb gossip", "real life" and "women's" mags are just as bad for gender perceptions. They're all about getting that perfect beach body (what's a perfect body?), how to attract men, ogling topless male celebrities and seeing who can tell the most scandalous sob story.

There was a copy of Heat (I think, might have been Closer either) left behind in the hostel I was staying in last summer, I flicked through it one day out of boredom and discovered that they had a page entitled "Crotch Watch" where they zoomed in on photos of male celebrities' crotches. :eek: Imagine what would happen if a guys' magazine did the same thing...

That said, I worked in a newsagents when I was 15 and I haaaated stacking the shelves with Nuts et al. Even more awkward when a man came up to buy one off me

Devia · 27-05-2013 10:19am

Yeah I love how there's no mention of removing 'torso of the week' from women's magazines.

Glamour models are paid very well for doing little to nothing. If anything the men who buy the magazines are being taken for mugs. But let's face the facts. Removing men's mags won't supress men's sexual urges in the slightest. I think that's the most delusional part of this ridiculous campaign. At least Mr Randy McRanderson is getting his thrills from a magazine instead of getting up to worse mischief.

27-05-2013 10:20am

El Guapo! wrote: »

You obviously don't subscribe to "Kettle Monthly" or "Irish Kettle Watcher".
They're a hoot.

Thing is that the pot'll get annoyed, call the kettle black and then it becomes a race issue.

Where does it end??

JRant · 27-05-2013 10:20am

I had a good aul chuckle to myself when I read the article. What ever happened to "if you no likey, no buyie" ?

The demeaning and objectification of women may have some merit if the women in these mags didn't make a fortune from flashing their truppinie bits. I'd also argue that your as likely to see the same images in the sun or star newspapers.

As for promoting voilence against women, give me a break. I'd like to know what this group were smoking when looking at these mags, purely so I never have the misfortune of having that kind of bad trip.

You can be sure that groups like this will be looking for the internet to be shut down soon, "it's terrible Joe, nothing but that filthy pornography all over it".

iDave · 27-05-2013 10:20am

What about womens glossy mags that stalk female celebrities and post photos of them without make-up as if it were some sort of victory.

Sergeant · 27-05-2013 10:22am

Devia wrote: »

Removing men's mags won't supress men's sexual urges in the slightest. I think that's the most delusional part of this ridiculous campaign. At least Mr Randy McRanderson is getting his thrills from a magazine instead of getting up to worse mischief.

That isn't the point of the campaign. I'm not seeing any evidence that the real reason behind this is some nefarious plot to remove male sexual urges.

Specialun · 27-05-2013 10:22am

Bloody tree huggers

Have they taken a break from saving the whales

corktina · 27-05-2013 10:23am

the mags that I think really do harm to women are all the tripe mags such as my wife reads which sensationalise every celebrity crisis such as some poor actresses cellulite on the beach ..these are real exploitation. They fawn over stars one week and savage them the next...really nasty catty stuff.

Crooked Jack · 27-05-2013 10:24am

The Backwards Man wrote: »

They are outdated and old fashioned, they will die a death on their own anyway, me cynically thinks this may be a bit of a PR stunt to draw attention to themselves.

I highly doubt that. Their target audience, 16-24 year old males, or something along those lines anyway, arent going to just stop liking looking at boobs.
In fact there are more of these magazines today than ever before. It looks like they're here to stay

AnonoBoy · 27-05-2013 10:27am

Well they should ban women's mags too if that's the case.

Oh wait.... every second person has already said that.

Devia · 27-05-2013 10:29am

Sergeant wrote: »

That isn't the point of the campaign. I'm not seeing any evidence that the real reason behind this is some nefarious plot to remove male sexual urges.

Not blatantly.

"Reducing women to sex objects sends out an incredibly dangerous message that women are constantly sexually available and displaying these publications in everyday spaces normalises this sexism"

In reference to this. Removing magazines for people who want them isn't going to help the matter.

cournioni · 27-05-2013 10:32am

I'm no fan of these magazines, they are either for hormonal teenagers or thick oafs with little chance of ever getting a woman. However, do these "feminists" not realise that they are putting lots of jobs (including those of women) at risk if they pull these magazines off the shelves? All for their own little agenda.

Some women are obviously comfortable with their bodies being used in these magazines so they should respect it.

r3nu4l · 27-05-2013 10:33am

El Guapo! wrote: »

You obviously don't subscribe to "Kettle Monthly" or "Irish Kettle Watcher".
They're a hoot.

Pfft. Kettleweek is where it's at, although it is a bit like Nuts these days with the pictures focusing on the kettle's curves and lots of pics of steaming kettles

corktina wrote: »

the mags that I think really do harm to women are all the tripe mags such as my wife reads which sensationalise every celebrity crisis such as some poor actresses cellulite on the beach ..these are real exploitation. They fawn over stars one week and savage them the next...really nasty catty stuff.

...and rather than making the point that cellulite and blemishes are fairly normal, they instead gloat about the fact that the celebrity has it! Thereby reinforcing the idea that these things are 'bad' and 'ugly'. Pathetic.

Sin City · 27-05-2013 10:34am

Do people actually buy those mags seeing as you can get everything on the net these days and for free

spankysue · 27-05-2013 10:35am

I saw a feminist on Sky News this morning talking about this and how women "Don't feel safe" around these magazines. How? The fear of getting a paper cut is the only thing I can think of :pac:

suicide_circus · 27-05-2013 10:35am

this is hysterical nonsense

but on a side note, who actually buys these lads mags?

kylith · 27-05-2013 10:37am

IMO women's magazines are much more damaging to women than Lad's mags; with their articles focussing on weight and attractiveness.

If anything women's mags are harmful to women's self image, and lad's mags are harmful to lads' ability to relate to women in real life. Ban the lot of them. We'll be grand with Woman's Weekly and Carp Fishing Monthly.

Obliq · 27-05-2013 10:44am

cournioni wrote: »

Some women are obviously comfortable with their bodies being used in these magazines so they should respect it.

Interestingly, the women who get good money to pose in these mags often have fake boobs. What is disturbing about that is how they only became "comfortable" enough with their bodies after subscribing to society's preference to large breasts. I still find the body facism of that marginally less worrying than the women's mags pointing at cellulite and a few extra pounds, not to mention the unrelenting abuse about getting older and constant barrage of products to prevent such ugliness :eek: Apparently, according to women's mags, we should be little girls our whole lives without an inch of fat. I find that more insulting than the male preference for bigger boobs.

Napper Hawkins · 27-05-2013 10:44am

@suicide circus

I reckon they sell well in airports.

Xavi6 · 27-05-2013 10:49am

languagenerd wrote: »

That said, I worked in a newsagents when I was 15 and I haaaated stacking the shelves with Nuts et al.

As a 15 year old guy, that was one of the job perks for me. Rip the front cover off, send the bar code back to the supplier for the 'unsold' magazine, keep the rest.

Free material in the days of dial up :pac:

joe stodge · 27-05-2013 10:55am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They should ban women's mags too. Lets have non-gender specific magazines .. About kettles. You dont see many of those.

Eh, here ya go. Behold! Gravies of the ancients magazine http://youtu.be/9wz0KitxtDQ

jamesbondings · 27-05-2013 10:56am

are these women just a group of unemployed women with nothing to do? genuine question....

i wonder if they are also against the Womens Institute and their horribly demeaning calendar that they sold millions of copies of?

surely there are more important things to stand up for in this day and age?

Shenshen · 27-05-2013 11:07am

jamesbondings wrote: »

are these women just a group of unemployed women with nothing to do? genuine question....

i wonder if they are also against the Womens Institute and their horribly demeaning calendar that they sold millions of copies of?

surely there are more important things to stand up for in this day and age?

This.

It really never fails to get my hackles up. Feminism should be about equal rights and equal opportunities.
It should not - NOT EVER - be about telling women which mags they can pose in, nor should it be about telling men not to look at them.

I despise the fact that feminism to some has become an excuse for the same bigoted hatred of anything nude or sexual that the moral guardians in the 1960s were rallying against.

Obliq · 27-05-2013 11:17am

Shenshen wrote: »

I despise the fact that feminism to some has become an excuse for the same bigoted hatred of anything nude or sexual that the moral guardians in the 1960s were rallying against.

This! It's true enough and I think, convenient, for certain women to point the finger at lad's mags while never, but never, questioning how they might perpetuate inequality themselves by subscribing to the kind of shaming that goes on in women's mags. There's some massive double standards happening there.

Lando Griffin · 27-05-2013 11:44am

Crooked Jack wrote: »

How can they say stuff like this. They dont represent all women, least of all the women in these magazines. None of them are being photographed at gun point, they all do it very willingly and are very handsomely rewarded for it.

What a blatant sexist remark.
Handsome being a word to describe male attractiveness.

Duggy747 · 27-05-2013 11:48am

Lando Griffin wrote: »

What a blatant sexist remark.
Handsome being a word to describe male attractiveness.

Hunky women :pac:

jamesbondings · 27-05-2013 11:50am

this.

off topic im sorry but what does that mean??? sat looking at the pc and just dont get it.

double standards all over this it seems us men bend over backwards at times in order to be overly pc, and it wouldnt surprise me if some places did stop stocking mags for a brief period.
i completely agree men=women-genitals+boobs 100% equal otherwise, however if a woman over the age of 18 wants to do that job and men want to buy a mag or two why should anyone be offended? who do these women think they are protecting?

GalwayGuy2 · 27-05-2013 12:06pm

i completely agree men=women-genitals+boobs 100% equal otherwise, however if a woman over the age of 18 wants to do that job and men want to buy a mag or two why should anyone be offended? who do these women think they are protecting?

The vibe that I'm getting is that some people believe it causes rape and violence against women. So, they'll pretty much do anything to stop it.

NUTS! this is just a Loaded Nuts!

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