The girls on page three of The Sun as making the news again today, only because their future is not certain. Yesterday saw history made when there were no nipples on show and the paper’s editor, David Dinsmore said, “It is not set in stone that there must be a pair of breasts every day on page 3.” However, he then went on to say that page three is an intrinsic part of the brand and removing it would be brand erosion.
For years these ladies have been the butt of many a joke, enraged women’s rights groups and been seen as the launchpad for a few celebrities. Arguments have raged about whether these women are suitable role models for up and coming models, whether their bodies are realistic and whether this soft porn should be so readily available. In fairness, compared to what is on the internet, readily available to all, page three is mild! It seem to be an endless steam of faceless young women who are destined for tomorrows chip paper, and I feel sorry for them as they clearly see this one day wonder to be the height of their career.
They have fuelled a whole genre of photography… that of Glamour. I’m not sure it is a term I think appropriate, but that is what it is called. I cannot think of a single female photographer who specialised in Glamour Photography. The new softer, Boudoir style, yes, but not the perky tits, suggestive poses of the The Sun. That said, I find some of the men offering boudoir style photographing producing something akin to glamour, in my opinion. There is still a large market out there of women wanting photographs of themselves wearing very little. Lots and lots of them want to be seen as objects of male desire, albeit it rolling round on a bed in soft focus or in all their pointy perky glory.
Friends ask me if they can have some pictures of themselves for their partners presents, some of them in their undies. I remember an occasion in a club when all the female bar staff got onto the bar wearing bikinis, cowboy hats and chaps and danced along to some tune or other while all the men in the club cheered them on. I was amazed to hear the very intelligent, career professional friend I was with say “I really want to be one of those girls…”. Really????
I myself, while on a photography course earlier this year asked one of the tutors to take some boudoir style shots of myself to celebrate what I have as things can only get worse now! I had just written the TMK post “Growing Old Disgracefully” and it made me think about my vainer side. Despite ageing I still want to be seen as desirable and sexy and the line between this and being an old slapper is a fine but fuzzy one.
I for one will be sorry to see The Sun girls go. I don’t think anyone takes them seriously. There will always be someone who finds them erotic and a turn on, and at 40p I suppose this is a bit of a bargain, but I suspect these are in the vast minority. In the TMK ‘Office” we have the odd “Diet Coke Break’ where we share a picture of a hunky, usually topless man, in fun…
Just my view…
Penny x
