I went into our local Somerfield with my twins to buy this weeks exciting issue of Match. The way the magazines are set out there is with three low shelves atop one large shelf. Women's interest and TV is on the left, and on the right there are 2 shelves of kids comics (I'm talking Thomas the Tank Engine and Barbie etcetera), and the top shelf is Nuts/Zoo/Boobs R Us soft porn men's mags.
Remember I said these shelves are low? Right, so my kids are almost eye level with Michelle Marshes air brushed boobage, and start saying "Mummy, why have those ladies got no clothes on?" and so on.
Hmmm.
I went back in today, alone, and I looked at the shelves and just thought how incongruous it is to have those magazines with the children's stuff. Then I thought that actually I feel quite cross about it. I am getting heartily sick of the constant reduction of women to the size of their breasts. What message does this give to young boys? It is becoming more and more acceptable to see soft porn images right across the media. I recall Labour MP's being angry about page 3 girls, and now they are everywhere.
So, I went over to an assistant and said I had a complaint. She got the supervisor. I explained that I was unhappy that the men's mags were with the children's and she said;
"That's where they are located."
"Yes, I can see that, but why are they with the children's comics, that's inappropriate surely?"
"They have to go there on the top shelf."
"Hmmm, yes, but it's nowhere near as high as for instance the top shelf in the newsagents which is well out of children's reach, is it?"
"No, but it has to go there."
"With the kid's stuff?"
"Well where else could it go?"
"Perhaps, if you must sell such things, they could go over with the women's magazines and at least not be where kids can easily see them?"
"Oh no, it wouldn't be right! The women wouldn't like it."
"...?..."
"Perhaps we could put them under the children's magazines, at the back."
"Hmmm. Perhaps you could pass on my comments to your manager?OK, thanks, bye."
1 week ago
1 comments:
Well I think you're quite right!
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