[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Zee

How are you supposed to know what the contents of the magazine are if there are modesty bags covering up the front? Some of us read them for the articles you know

Ha! Yes. Good question.

To be honest, I don't actually think that lads mags should be covered up. Personally, I am way less bothered by lads mags showing sexy ladies than I am by something like the Page Three Girls in a newspaper.

My point was not so much that I agree with what this group are trying to do, but that their arguments should not simply be dismissed as crazy or hypocritical, in the way that most feminist arguments get dismissed. They raise valid points and deserve neither the ridicule nor the venom that seems to be the default response to any attempt by feminists (male or female) to change a worryingly unequal status quo.

In answer to your question, though: it's easy. Some gaming/entertainment magazines and most multibuy magazines have a printed cellophane outer cover which allows some of the inner magazine cover to show whilst obscuring other parts. That printed outercover often has a brief rundown of the magazine highlights on it and so it would be entirely possible to show the headline articles whilst keeping the more risque (and potentially damaging to young psyches - and if you think this stuff doesn't have an effect on how both boys and girls view the female body and its role in society then you need to reconsider the possibilities for that) images under wraps.

It isn't about being prudish, or seeking to cover up all the female flesh. It's about the messages that a proliferation of sexualised female imagery in every sphere of our culture sends out. If the bedrock of our culture says women are playthings, what effect do you think that has on the girls and boys who grow up within that culture?

[Livia]

If feminists want to get all bent out of shape about magazines perhaps they should set their sights on some of the women's mags. They put incredible pressure on young women to look a certain way while presenting them with unattainable, elongated images of airbrushed beauties.

[Kizzy]

All that's being suggested is they are repositioned on a shelf, there's no issue with the content.
Porn gives unrealistic images but can't see that being banned.... oh, wait..

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Livia

If feminists want to get all bent out of shape about magazines perhaps they should set their sights on some of the women's mags. They put incredible pressure on young women to look a certain way while presenting them with unattainable, elongated images of airbrushed beauties.

Excellent point.

But, you'll probably find that most feminists also dislike that aspect of popular culture as well.

[Jack_]

The only problem I have with these mags being placed in modesty bags is that at what age do we draw the line of who is allowed to open them and have a look? Let's get one thing straight, magazines like Nuts and Zoo are not porn mags and have no age restriction on them. Some supermarket chains put their own age restrictions on them, but the mags themselves have no legal minimum age.

I was buying Nuts magazine aged 14...and I see no problem with that, it's a book of page 3 essentially and I'd say some teenager reading The Sun is a lot worse than reading a lags mag. So if these magazines are going to be placed on the top shelf which is usually restricted to just adults, then what happens if some adolescent wishes to buy one? He's either then banned from doing so (laughably appalling) or will inadvertently see the front cover of actual, genuinely age restricted porn mags when he looks along the top shelf. Sounds like it hasn't been thought through to me.

[Kizzy]

''Sainsbury's has provided a form of modesty cover – boards placed over titles, not individual packets – for titles including Zoo, Loaded and Bizarre since 2006.''

What's all the hand wringing about Tesco, if Sainsburys can do it without fuss for the last 7yrs why can't you?

[jackc1806]

Next to pipe up will be the enviro-mentalists 'These bags use to much plastic'

Then they will put an extra charge on the modesty bag like they did with the carrier bags.

Then the whole world will end because some feminists don't like a woman in a bikini.

[jackc1806]

Why does the world listen to mental people to keep mental people happy?

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

''Sainsbury's has provided a form of modesty cover – boards placed over titles, not individual packets – for titles including Zoo, Loaded and Bizarre since 2006.''

What's all the hand wringing about Tesco, if Sainsburys can do it without fuss for the last 7yrs why can't you?

Like I said some supermarkets decide to place their own age restrictions on lads mags (which is ****ing ridiculous if you ask me) but once we start on this path we'll then have independent corner shops being forced into putting Nuts in a modesty bag/on the top shelf and then how do they decide who is allowed to look up there since the porn mags are for 18+ but Nuts/Zoo have no age restriction?

And no that isn't an excuse for a legally binding age restriction to be placed on them either, it's a book of tits

[Kizzy]

Nobody is being forced to do anything....
Tesco asked the feminist group what their thoughts were on the issue is all?