The Sun boobs with Page 3 cancer campaign
Tuesday 4 March, 2014
More than 50,000 people a year are found to have breast cancer. It is the most common form of the disease in this country and it kills about 12,000 a year. It is also treatable if detected sufficiently early. So any move to promote awareness and encourage people to be alert to changes in their body is to be encouraged?
The Sun is banking on everyone answering that question with a 'Yes'. And it will doubtless answer any criticism of its approach with 'If even one life is saved it will have been worth it.'
If the Sun suddenly wants to be a force for good, a breast cancer awareness campaign might seem a natural choice. But is this really about saving lives - or saving page 3?
When David Dinsmore took over the editorship he had the ideal opportunity to break with the past and recognise page 3 for the anachronism that it is. SubScribe has written before that the appearance of topless women in a newspaper is not the biggest issue facing women and that if pretty girls want to make some money by taking off their bras then good luck to them. But the other side of that coin is that page 3 does objectify women and entrenches sexist attitudes among boys and young men.
But instead of retreating, Dinsmore has introduced boobs to page 1. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the Sun and the Star front pages - and over the past couple of months, it's the Star that's been looking more grown-up. Today's Check 'em Tuesday front page is an affront to all women and even more of an affront to those who have suffered from the disease. The photograph of Rosie, 22, from Middlesex isn't designed to capture women's attention. It's more likely to induce men to go groping with the handy excuse that it's the day to 'cop a feel'.
The CoppaFeel! charity has been going for five years, since its founder's cancer was diagnosed. Kris Hallenga's story is told in the eight-page supplement in the middle of today's Sun, and readers are also introduced to the Boobettes, women who had cancer before they were 35. The charity aims to make young people realise that breast cancer isn't exclusively an old woman's disease; its website is lively and its activities youthful. It doubtless saw the chance of a partnership with the country's best-selling paper as the key to a goldmine and it would be astonishing if it did not benefit hugely from the deal. Good luck to them.
But that still doesn't make the paper's approach right. It is trivial and tatty. It links a killer disease with sexuality. It shows perfect breasts rather than telltale signs. SubScribe came across this picture of an eggbox full of lemons from worldwidebreastcancer.com and thought it was terrific. Really helpful and accessible.
More than 50,000 people a year are found to have breast cancer. It is the most common form of the disease in this country and it kills about 12,000 a year. It is also treatable if detected sufficiently early. So any move to promote awareness and encourage people to be alert to changes in their body is to be encouraged?
The Sun is banking on everyone answering that question with a 'Yes'. And it will doubtless answer any criticism of its approach with 'If even one life is saved it will have been worth it.'
If the Sun suddenly wants to be a force for good, a breast cancer awareness campaign might seem a natural choice. But is this really about saving lives - or saving page 3?
When David Dinsmore took over the editorship he had the ideal opportunity to break with the past and recognise page 3 for the anachronism that it is. SubScribe has written before that the appearance of topless women in a newspaper is not the biggest issue facing women and that if pretty girls want to make some money by taking off their bras then good luck to them. But the other side of that coin is that page 3 does objectify women and entrenches sexist attitudes among boys and young men.
But instead of retreating, Dinsmore has introduced boobs to page 1. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between the Sun and the Star front pages - and over the past couple of months, it's the Star that's been looking more grown-up. Today's Check 'em Tuesday front page is an affront to all women and even more of an affront to those who have suffered from the disease. The photograph of Rosie, 22, from Middlesex isn't designed to capture women's attention. It's more likely to induce men to go groping with the handy excuse that it's the day to 'cop a feel'.
The CoppaFeel! charity has been going for five years, since its founder's cancer was diagnosed. Kris Hallenga's story is told in the eight-page supplement in the middle of today's Sun, and readers are also introduced to the Boobettes, women who had cancer before they were 35. The charity aims to make young people realise that breast cancer isn't exclusively an old woman's disease; its website is lively and its activities youthful. It doubtless saw the chance of a partnership with the country's best-selling paper as the key to a goldmine and it would be astonishing if it did not benefit hugely from the deal. Good luck to them.
But that still doesn't make the paper's approach right. It is trivial and tatty. It links a killer disease with sexuality. It shows perfect breasts rather than telltale signs. SubScribe came across this picture of an eggbox full of lemons from worldwidebreastcancer.com and thought it was terrific. Really helpful and accessible.
If the Sun really cared about women, there would be no model on the front (not to mention another five of topless Rosie, 22, from Middlesex inside). The splash head would not be Page 3 v breast cancer. It would not have that vulgar logo or that clumsy slogan.
Instead, this is all about the Sun saying ''Look at us, girls, we're on your side...aren't we good? (And here's an eyeful for the fellas)"
The offensive front page will doubtless generate publicity and the Sun will be able to argue that it's got people talking. But they'll be talking about the paper, rather than the disease.
It has already inspired two women to take direct action: Jessica Dean of Brighton has set up a change.org petition in which the picture at the foot of this post is set alongside the Sun's front page. It has so far received 3,000 signatures.
Instead, this is all about the Sun saying ''Look at us, girls, we're on your side...aren't we good? (And here's an eyeful for the fellas)"
The offensive front page will doubtless generate publicity and the Sun will be able to argue that it's got people talking. But they'll be talking about the paper, rather than the disease.
It has already inspired two women to take direct action: Jessica Dean of Brighton has set up a change.org petition in which the picture at the foot of this post is set alongside the Sun's front page. It has so far received 3,000 signatures.
Tigs Barnes has gone further and taken off her top and posed for photographs - not that the Sun will be rushing round to put her on page three.
Ms Barnes, 42, had a double mastectomy eight years ago. Several attempts at implant reconstruction failed and in 2008 she had a bilateral diep reconstruction - the gold-standard method - which uses skin, blood vessels and fat from the patient's abdomen. As we can see from the pictures Ms Barnes took with her mobile phone, it worked, although she has scars and some nerve damage in her right arm.
Posting the photographs on Facebook, she wrote:
"The outright sexualisation of breasts on the usual page 3 has nothing to do with breast cancer issues. It is a poor excuse for an outdated demoralising portrayal of a woman as nothing more than a vehicle to be the figment of a man's sexual imagination.
This is not an easy thing for me to do. However, I have learned to speak out for what is right and I will do in any means I can.
I am not covering the front of my breasts to hide nipples in line with Facebook policies as I do not have my natural nipples. But I am hoping that by doing this my post will not be deleted due to being offensive. My body is not offensive. Neither is my body just an object for a man's fantasy. If you want to promote an awareness of breast cancer issues, do it the right way, not with soft porn. Shame on you. These are the scars of my double mastectomy. I am here. I am proud."
She further comments in her post:
"The best type of awareness, the type that lasts will not be the image of a made up model that has been airbrushed, but one of reality. Well here is my reality and that of too many woman and MEN. I hope none of my friends will be offended but supportive of the right way to get messages out there. Deep Breaths and click "post".
When SubScribe approached Ms Barnes for permission to use her photographs she agreed - so long as we used one with her face to prove that she was real.
She is certainly real. And she is going to find herself deluged with messages of support.
Well done her.
Ms Barnes, 42, had a double mastectomy eight years ago. Several attempts at implant reconstruction failed and in 2008 she had a bilateral diep reconstruction - the gold-standard method - which uses skin, blood vessels and fat from the patient's abdomen. As we can see from the pictures Ms Barnes took with her mobile phone, it worked, although she has scars and some nerve damage in her right arm.
Posting the photographs on Facebook, she wrote:
"The outright sexualisation of breasts on the usual page 3 has nothing to do with breast cancer issues. It is a poor excuse for an outdated demoralising portrayal of a woman as nothing more than a vehicle to be the figment of a man's sexual imagination.
This is not an easy thing for me to do. However, I have learned to speak out for what is right and I will do in any means I can.
I am not covering the front of my breasts to hide nipples in line with Facebook policies as I do not have my natural nipples. But I am hoping that by doing this my post will not be deleted due to being offensive. My body is not offensive. Neither is my body just an object for a man's fantasy. If you want to promote an awareness of breast cancer issues, do it the right way, not with soft porn. Shame on you. These are the scars of my double mastectomy. I am here. I am proud."
She further comments in her post:
"The best type of awareness, the type that lasts will not be the image of a made up model that has been airbrushed, but one of reality. Well here is my reality and that of too many woman and MEN. I hope none of my friends will be offended but supportive of the right way to get messages out there. Deep Breaths and click "post".
When SubScribe approached Ms Barnes for permission to use her photographs she agreed - so long as we used one with her face to prove that she was real.
She is certainly real. And she is going to find herself deluged with messages of support.
Well done her.