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Tesco - porns more harmful than pyjamas!

Felix Gonzales | 28.03.2010 22:53 | Gender | Social Struggles

Over 30 pyjama clad activists descended upon Tescos on Picadilly, London on Friday the 26th of March 2010 to campaign against lads’ mags being openly displayed within their stores.

Tesco devalues women

Watch the video report

http://www.youandifilms.com/2010/03/tesco-porns-more-harmful-than-pyjamas/

Tescos have recently banned shoppers from shopping in there pyjamas and put up a notice “To avoid causing offence or embarrassment to others we ask that our customers are appropriately dressed when visiting our store (footwear must be worn at all times and no nightwear is permitted).”

Tescos says – “We do, however, request that customers do not shop in their PJs or nightgowns. “This is to avoid causing offence or embarrassment to others.”

However Tesco openly promotes the sale and display of Lads magazines such as Zoo, Nuts, FHM and the Sun openly and within view and reach of young children and so in protest Object wrote slogans on paper bags saying things like ‘This magazine is sexist, don’t buy it’, ‘Women are human too’, ‘This magazine promotes violence against women’ and took it in turn to place every sexist magazine and newspaper in a bag and covered the entire lads’ mags displays objecting to the sexist portrayal of women as objects.

OBJECT has been campaigning on the issue of sexism, lads’ mags and newspapers since 2003.

http://www.object.org.uk/

Felix Gonzales
e-mail: felix@youandifilms.com
Homepage: http://www.youandifilms.com

Comments

Hide the following 24 comments

agree

29.03.2010 08:17

I agree. These so-called "lads mags" should be banned!

the ban it mob

But...

29.03.2010 10:00

...your local newsagent likely sells them in plain view, too. Are you going to go and cause a nuisance there, or just Tesco out of principle?

AH

Well done

29.03.2010 13:32

Good on ya! There's loads of people who agree with what you did, but they don't have the confidence to speak up. It's not just the 'lads' mags that are shit, they're all shit.
These publications are just an extension of the TV,music distraction programming culture.
@cringe - maybe thats one of the reasons why not much happens in supporting women around the world, because even the 'right on' left crowd can't see the connection. May i suggest you .... no.... don't bother, your support or understanding is not required.
@AH -why don't you ask a few of your female aquaintenses what they think - old and young - then maybe, maybe not you might like to pop along with them to the local said newagents and have a word about not displaying wank mags in full view.
Anyways I know your laughing and feeling you have the winning argument, but really is it your argument or the one you've been programmed with, mmmm I wonder. x

Hamish

@Hamish

29.03.2010 13:51

I'm not laughing, just wondering if it is just an excuse to have another dig at Tesco, because it seems to be particularly trendy at the moment.

AH

Is this it then?

29.03.2010 13:58

Hardly anyone reads 'lads mags' anyway, their readerships have been falling for ages now. Aren't there more pressing targets than this for your ire than this?

Just another person

...

29.03.2010 14:30

because that is totally the worst thing tesco do ...

not impressed

censorship is a slippery slope

29.03.2010 14:36

i would never advocate censorship of any kind and feel saddened that my sisters are doing so.

i guess you don't share other women's problems such as poverty, and real oppression, and apparently you also lack the imagination to understand our experiences either. otherwise why would you be prioritising this issue over all the real ones affecting our lives?

by us, i mean poor and disenfranchised and/or queer and/or black etc etc women.

the men in our lives don't buy or read these magazines because they can't afford to, neither do we or our men shop in tesco's - because we can't afford to or because tesco's does not have outlets in our countries. our lives would not be improved one iota by you succeeded in censoring these magazines.

perhaps yours would, perhaps you live amongst men with money to spend on such luxuries, well lucky you is all i can say.

anarcha-feminism

False dichotomies

29.03.2010 15:12

I very much doubt that the people who did this are only interested in attacking lads mags. Most feminists are concerned with a very broad range of issues and show solidarity with oppressed women around the world. As with anti-colonial struggles, anti-patriarchal struggles in the rich world are most effective when taking on the patriarchy here rather than making meaningless (and often racist) statements about the oppression of Muslim and African women. That said, it is possible and common to care about all of these issues! It is not a case of one or the other.

As to the idea that the kind of misogynist discourse promoted by lads mags and porn papers doesn't affect women's lives - come off it! The objectification of women that is encouraged by these rags has a very real and oppressive effect on women in this society.

Not a wank mag reader

@ anarcha-feminism

29.03.2010 23:34

"the men in our lives don't buy or read these magazines because they can't afford to, neither do we or our men shop in tesco's - because we can't afford to or because tesco's does not have outlets in our countries. our lives would not be improved one iota by you succeeded in censoring these magazines."

That you might not have a Tesco's on your doorstep is neither here nor there. Does that negate the validity of the partcipants' feelings?

"perhaps yours would, perhaps you live amongst men with money to spend on such luxuries, well lucky you is all i can say."

Again, you're undermining the experiences & beliefs of what you call your 'sisters' just because you see poverty as a more worthy women's issue.

And come off it, while the majority of the world's population have to work their arses off to survive, a large number in the Global North can and do priortise these luxuries over others. In relative terms, a copy of the Sun aint that expensive.

"i guess you don't share other women's problems such as poverty, and real oppression, and apparently you also lack the imagination to understand our experiences either. otherwise why would you be prioritising this issue over all the real ones affecting our lives?"

And why are you placing greater importance on the effects of poverty on women, than the effects of a culture of objectification and misogyny, reinforced by some of these magazines?

Sexual abuse, violence and rape is a pretty much universal phenomenon which transcends race and class.

another anarchafem

Mary Whitehouse must be vproud!!. What about women own mags etc??,

30.03.2010 00:44

who have for years devalued men, gigiloes, etc. Why arent you more bothered about the 10 million girls& boys on average dying of poverty & preventable disease-malnutrition?or women in other slave trades proven by UNICEF???
You could argue they devalue men as well, but no, I dont think so,
in fat its lovely to see a beautiful healthy body,
why is it ok for women to admit they pleasure themselves everyday, but men are wankers??

target companies promote heroin chic& children in sexy clothing etc, or get a life,plz

Tesco suck for devalueing many workers labour, farms etc, Ive seen more fuss over abit of porn whilst Hakim Bey spouted pro soft paedophilia drivel.

Baby P

You have goodpoints, cant you just ask them calmly to put it on the top shelf?

30.03.2010 00:50

Iam sick of seeing Mary whitehouse fubar anywhere whilst loadsa senseless violence is ok'd,
that does suck, please dont come across like Vizs millie tant though really, not good

Baby P

@Baby P

30.03.2010 10:01

"What about women own mags etc??, who have for years devalued men, gigiloes, etc."

I don't think this really compares with the objectification of the female body in our society. Women are portrayed as mere sexual objects in these magazines. This objectification is a massive contributor to the normalisation of sexual harrassment and worse. But of course, objectification of men and women is wrong.

"Why arent you more bothered about the 10 million girls& boys on average dying of poverty & preventable disease-malnutrition?or women in other slave trades proven by UNICEF???"

I am. I'm sure that the people who took these actions are too. But it is much easier to take action on something on your doorstep than it is to do anything about something as massive as world poverty. Sometimes you just have to fight what's in front of you first.

"its lovely to see a beautiful healthy body"

Not as lovely as it is to see a beautiful healthy human. These magazines don't portray humans - they portray objects to get horny over. They lie about what they represent and this results in a load of shit that women throughout society have to deal with.

"Ive seen more fuss over abit of porn whilst Hakim Bey spouted pro soft paedophilia drivel"

Are you seriously suggesting that paedophilia is seen as more acceptable than porn? What world are you living in!?

Go back and read the article again - no one is talking about censorship. This was an action to raise awareness about the sexual objectification of women for profit.

Not a wank mag reader

another example of middle-class feminism...

30.03.2010 10:31

'Let's do something really attention seeking like going into Tescos in our pajamas and ask they take lads mags off their shelves despite every other supermarket and corner shop selling them'.

This seems publicity grabbing and self-congratulatory rather than constructive direct action. Steal a whole bunch of the mags, steal some gay porn mags/something boring like 'golf monthly' or 'knitting weekly' and staple the Lad's mags cover onto these and sneak them back onto the shelf. Common deceny stops at leadt half of its readership from flicking through it right there in the store, and it'll piss off people who pick 'em up as well as confusing Tesco's and giving them- and the publications- bad press.

This still comes across as dumb, distracting middle-class feminism. Lad's mags institute horrible ideals and stereotypes, but these pale in comparison to the sexual slave trade, the treatment of women and girls in workshops, female gential mutilation, and rape as a tool of war in countries like Nigeria and the DRC where Western-backed wars still rage. Put down the PJs and dare to look beyond your posh doorstep and pick up some direct action.

another anarcho-fem

anarchists are sexist too

30.03.2010 10:45

I am so fed up of seeing so many negative comments whenever a specifically feminist article or action is posted on indymedia. It is seriously depressing. The main reaction seems to be one of dismissal, that these issues are not important or not worth bothering about, that the posters are just being silly hysterical females for bothering. Of course the pervasive objectification of women for the gratification of men is a pressing issue; how can you think otherwise? Unless you're a man who can't empathise with women as humans?

Every time this happens I question more and more my attachment to this movement. Mainstream capitalist society sees women's issues as non-existent, not important, easy to shrug off and dismiss; I wanted something different from the anarchist movement but I haven't found it.
Surely we on the radical left are supposed to be in a position, by merit of our analysis, where we are more inclined than others to question all heirarchies and unequal power relationships. Sexism is so ingrained and so insidious that it is hard for a lot of people (especially men) to recognise it; it's readily perpetrated and readily dismissed.
We can't pretend that we come to this fresh, with no learned prejudices, no recieved understandings that need undoing. Is it really that alien to think maybe, just maybe the cultural attitude to women may still be at work in you even if you're an anarchist? Even if you read Emma Goldman, maybe, just perhaps, it doesn't undo the work of years of socialisation.

Obviously a lot of things on indy get negative and dismissive comments but this attitude seems to be at least as pervasive here as it is in any mainstream forum, and more eagerly so- a lot of the time on indymedia if people don't care one way or another for a post they just don't comment. Whereas if it's a feminist issue it seems important, urgent that the total irrelevance of feminist analysis be established as quickly as possible. If you really thought this was irrelevant you wouldn't be posting at all.

female human

odd logic

30.03.2010 11:01

'you don't share other women's problems such as poverty, and real oppression, and apparently you also lack the imagination to understand our experiences either. otherwise why would you be prioritising this issue over all the real ones affecting our lives?'

'Why arent you more bothered about the 10 million girls& boys on average dying of poverty & preventable disease-malnutrition?or women in other slave trades proven by UNICEF??? '

'Lad's mags institute horrible ideals and stereotypes, but these pale in comparison to the sexual slave trade, the treatment of women and girls in workshops, female gential mutilation, and rape as a tool of war in countries like Nigeria and the DRC where Western-backed wars still rage.'

etc... etc...

I'm sick of this argument. Things are worse for women elsewhere, so we should what, be grateful? Thanks to the patriarchy for not kicking us as hard as they're kicking other women? Things are worse elsewhere, therefore it's wrong to do anything about culturally endemic oppressive attitudes in Britain? This is ridiculous, it's not like this action excludes the possibility of direct action, or excludes the possiblity of solidarity with women around the world. It's all related.

I bet you don't comment on posts about demos against police brutality and tell them they should look beyond their comfortable doorstep because things are a lot worse in Tibet.

female human

re: human female

30.03.2010 11:28

Dear 'Female Human',
Unfortunately your moaning seems to feed into the weak female stereotype we should actively be resisting. Oh, don't criticize me or I'll cry! If you feel the movement is sexist, make an active change about it and campaign not moan on indymedia about how you hate being criticized. Let's be honest, all posts get criticized by somebody on indymedia- whether its on marching against the EDL, smashEDO or bombs in Athens. Critique and working to fix any flaws in the movement/actions and make them better, stronger is important. We owe it to our sisters to have the strength to register problems and try to fix them- not adopt a sensitive disposition and throw a strop and say 'I'm leaving! you're all so mean!' when they don't give you or particular actions you support adequate praise.

riot girl

re: criticism of feminism ... is seriously depressing

30.03.2010 15:09

@female human: "I am so fed up of seeing so many negative comments whenever a specifically feminist article or action is posted on indymedia. It is seriously depressing."

I wouldn't stress too much about it. Indymedia is a troll's paradise with its lack of a "reputation" system, so half the negative comments will be from right-wing trolls. The other half will be from people who like to "critique" absolutely anything anyone else ever does - they are just professional whingers who never have anything positive to say.

anon

re: odd logic

30.03.2010 17:44

"I'm sick of this argument. Things are worse for women elsewhere, so we should what, be grateful? Thanks to the patriarchy for not kicking us as hard as they're kicking other women? Things are worse elsewhere, therefore it's wrong to do anything about culturally endemic oppressive attitudes in Britain? This is ridiculous, it's not like this action excludes the possibility of direct action, or excludes the possiblity of solidarity with women around the world. It's all related. "

For one, you could give a shit instead of this counter-productive single-issue feminism. I live for the day that middle-class feminist groups like Object look beyond their doorstep and would at least acknowledge that there are greater- and more dangerous- problems facing women. But to pretend like the issue of Tesco (and why Tesco, when most supermarkets and corner stores sell it? it's so bloody counter-productive, targetting one shop out of the guilty chains is just lazy and confusing) is such an important and consuming issue that you can't campaign for women's rights- locally and globally- at the same time? Register the problem, pledge to try to combat it and that lad mags is not the only or most important thing on your agenda.

The PJ thing seems a cheap PR stunt for self-congratulatory kicks. Why else would you target just one shop? Why else would you put a paper bag that while easily- and most definately- be removed by the next customer (the buyers of lad mags who wont care what your paper bag says) or employee?

Fuck that. While you're out running about in your PJs the rest of us will be trying to make the world a better place for all women, not just those in our immediate vicinity/culture.

another anarcho-fem

Really good action but...

30.03.2010 18:58

I can't see why anyone is criticizing the action itself, it seems really well done and the point of the action made very clear. There were a good number of participants and linking it in with Tescos policy of not allowing people to dress as they choose seems brilliant.

However, I am critical of the message itself. I accept my view may come from the perspective of a socially conditioned male but if you want universal acceptance of your ideas then you will need to persuade people like myself. I don't understand why sexual images of females are sexist (they may be distasteful but that is another matter) people can be admired for lots of reasons, including looks. Objectification is clearly wrong but sexual attraction does not mean that you consider the person to have no other aspects to them.

It is true that women are more often represented in this way then men, but that isn't sexism against women, it's the fact men are stupid enough to hand over money for this stuff and less women are. I think your position comes from misunderstanding of the male mind and how simplistic it often is, sexual attraction is normally a lot higher in males then females, it's just nature.

socially conditioned male

riot girl

30.03.2010 19:52

'Unfortunately your moaning seems to feed into the weak female stereotype we should actively be resisting. Oh, don't criticize me or I'll cry! If you feel the movement is sexist, make an active change about it and campaign not moan on indymedia about how you hate being criticized.'

I wasn't moaning about how I hate being criticised; no one criticised me. I have nothing to do with the poster of the original article. The very reason I posted rather than simply leaving be is because, as you say, if I feel something needs to be said surely saying it is better than staying quiet? I would have thought the comments section on an article like this would have been the first forum to voice my opinions? Surely speaking up is the first steop of making an active change?

As for the fella above, my god... where to even begin...

I'm not going to get in a comments war here, I just wanted to clarify my position and motives for making that post in the first place- like, I never threatened to cry did I? I just wanted to express my opinions on this issue clearly rather than being annoyed by what I was reading and not saying anything. I again don't see why that's a bad thing, or why it should exclude me being active in another way.

female human

I agree with Female Human

31.03.2010 17:16

regarding the feminist bashing/dismissing that goes on, on indymedia, and that's one of the reasons why I reckon there are hardly any feminist postings on indymedia. There is a wealth of feminist activism going on and indymedia would be a good platform to share this news- but there aint much point if it is not taken seriously.

Charlie Little
Homepage: http://www.charlielittle.wordpress.com

ang on

03.04.2010 01:32

I think it's unfair and unconstructive to pass off people's comments (socially condiotned male's comments) with 'my god...where to even begin'... you cant change society with direct action alone, discourse, talking and communicating is important. As uninformed/misinformed as you might think the bloke is at least he's coming out being honest and saying what he don't understand and what he thinks.

I think the criticism that feminist actions get loads of stick on indymedia is totally true, and it depresses me too. That's not 'whining', that's pointing out something that aint right. But I'm a male human, so is it okay for me to say that? Surely as a male if i make that comment i'm not feeding into a weak stereotype? But hang on, if it's a female saying that then it's feeding into a stereotype and shouldnt be said?

Theres a few seperate arguements going on here but i just wanna ad that as a young lad growing up, you weren't really much of a man unless you read FHM etc. being a young male teenager, finding yourself/becoming a man is very important, and looking back these mags which were marketed at us at that age did fuck all to help me to that, as well as the way in which they objectify women they had a pretty negative effect on me, just made me feel more and more that if i wasn't out shagging as many women as i could and trying to get as rich as i could in life then I wasn't worth shit. so fair play for the action.

las

Don't ban things we like ban things we don;'t

24.05.2010 16:50

Object are protesitng the banning of one thing by calling for the banning of another.

"Stop selling Nuts, Loaded and Zoo!"

Why should Tesco prevent it's customers from purchasing certain publicaitons just because a minority group object to their sale?

Dan Factor

Urgh...

01.09.2010 14:11

Thanks to Ias, for a very astute comment, seeing as like you said, your opinion will likely less be regarded as being weak and moaning for saying the same thing as Female Woman.

Single issues all interact. Sexism is one of the most ingrained. I don't see how doing stuff to the magazines is not direct action? Nor how it means that many against certain legitimised versions of pornography (ie not considered porn but something that everyone can see and most can get hold of, whilst probably having more overt covers than the porn) would necessarily mean you would want to 'ban' it so much as sabotage the companies or educate people on why they believe this is problematic. Yes Tesco have a lot more to answer for, and yes I'm pretty sure many feminists have taken similar action outside of supermarket chains, however people are often a little less sure about wanting to affect small businesses.

There has been many links between types of pornography readily available in communities and other aspects of the sex industry and the rates of sexual abuse and rape. When people are taught to look at some others from a purely self-satisfactory perspective it is hard for part of them not to feel hard done by when their perceived 'right' to sex is taken from them.

It isn't about attraction only though; it is about the certain type sold over again, not just the beauty standard, but the poses and the lack of really talking or interviewing them as people more than a sex doll. The pushing of the idea of getting people to send in pictures of their tits for men to rate and things like this. Also, the normalisation. when stuff is labelled porn it is seen as fantasy. When it is labled lifestyle, and all the examples of women are either 'nags', 'bitches' or 'whores' with the odd sweet virgin as lifestyle yes thats wrong. So are women's magazines that treat men as similar beings who cant be expected to help themselves but cheat or rape, or not know how to use a blender, but quite frankly, it is excusing a lot of learned behaviours. Those magazines do not exactly promote strong women either.

And yes, I care about worldwide poverty.

Feminist trying to get into Anarchism...
mail e-mail: anchoredwunderlust@hotmail.co.uk