Page 3: If Britain's going to have a culture war, can it be about something serious?
Then this morning, with a cheeky little wink, who should pop up, but Nicole, 22, from Bournemouth. Cue jubilation from the burly, breast-embracing guardians of free speech. Or 40p nipples. And cue splenetic outrage from the heroic superwomen of feminisms crack no boobs at breakfast brigade.
I like culture wars. I think we need culture wars. The alternative to conflicts over culture is conformity over culture. And any society that finds itself practicing cultural conformity, either by accident or design, has serious issues to address.
But if we are going to have culture wars, could we at least go to war over something substantive? Or heroic? Or maybe even just marginally relevant?
When the scrapping of Page 3 was first reported, it was as if we had witnessed a second Charlie Hebdo. In fact, people literally claimed it was a second Charlie Hebdo. Wheres the 'Je suis Page 3' movement? asked Brendan ONeil, in Spiked. As surely as Islamists want to crush blasphemy, so they want to crush the Sun. I know, not with guns, but certainly with pressure and harassment and shame. And as Ray Bradbury said, Theres more than one way to burn a book.
Yes, but thats the point isnt it. The anti-Page 3 campaigners havent burnt anything. Or shot anyone. You may not agree with them. But they got organised, made their case and won. The Sun is currently having a laugh at their expense. But one day soon Nicole, 22, will put on her top for good.
And will it matter? Will the fact that in 2015, a national newspaper doesnt have a semi-naked woman adorning its pages really usher in a new dark age of press censorship?
If the pro-Page 3 lobby want to wage a culture war or a cultural rearguard action on behalf of the oppressed British male, great. Im with you brother. But why not pick a fight worth having? How about the way the debate about maternity rights constantly overshadows the debate over paternity rights. Or challenging the focus on breast cancer, rather than prostate or testicular cancer. Or question the absence of public awareness campaigns to tackle violent crimes committed against men, when a man is twice as likely to be the victim of such a crime as a woman?
I suspect its because fights like that require a bit too much heavy lifting. Which is why the anti-Page 3 lobby have picked their particular cause as well.
A couple of years ago I wrote about the superficiality of modern feminist campaigning. All nipples, notes and internet trolls. Well, the trolls have been jailed. We have Jane Austen on our ten pound notes. Page 3 is on the way out.
And whats happened? Nothing has happened. Yes, the longest march begins with the smallest step. But 87 years ago feminism was securing universal suffrage. Today its engaged in a game of peekaboo with Rupert Murdoch. So what precisely is the direction of travel here?
Continue reading here:
Page 3: If Britain's going to have a culture war, can it be about something serious?
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