So I decided to take a walk down Cambridge’s Mill Road from the town end to the top and look at how its newsagents store both Lads’ and porn mags. "Unedited" shots refer to covers featuring pictures of topless models where nipples aren’t obscured by stars.
Nip In Express
Top shelf occupied by porn magazines, many with whole front page displayed, no modesty covers on any. One lads’ mag – FHM – on display at child’s-eye level in contravention of National Federation of Retail Newsagents’ Guidelines on Diplaying Adult/Top Shelf Titles, no modesty covers.
R.B. Stores/Mace
Top row occupied by porn mags, no modesty covers. One – Whips’n’Chains – had unedited cover picture. One lads’ mag – FHM – on top shelf.
Lally’s Newsagents
Top two rows occupied by lads’ mags, no modesty covers, often whole front pages visible, several of these with unedited shots. No lads’ mags visible.
Tesco
No porn mags. Lads’ mags on top shelf: Nuts, no modesty cover; Zoo with modesty board on front.
Londis
Top shelf occupied by porn mags. Two had modesty covers, the rest had edited shots. Two lads’ mags – Zoo and Nuts – at childs’ eye height.
The Co-op
No porn mags. FHM and Nuts on top shelf, no modesty covers.
Spar
Top shelf occupied by porn mags, many obscured by the mag in front. But some whole front pages visible, some of which had unedited shots. DVD covers – Strap on Dildos and XXX Lesbians – visible, with unedited shots. This surprised me, as Spar's homepage says it supports the NSPCC, which recently criticised how girls feel they have to look and behave like porn stars.
Personally, I have no problem with consenting adults buying magazines containing pictures of consenting adults. But putting such images on covers which are then prominently displayed is skewing the way both genders, especially young people, view women. Change in the way these magazines are stocked and displayed is needed.
Gerry Dorrian
Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment