Should the Sun Get Rid of Page 3?

Photo by mjtmail

It's a debate as old as its subject matter and one that has dominated the hearts and minds of the British people, if breezing in and out of public consciousness counts at all as domination. That debate is: should The Sun abolish Page 3, their flagship feature and daily dose of boobs for anyone who still hasn't discovered the internet?

The page has always had its critics, all of whom were presumably thrilled to hear that Rupert Murdoch is thinking of scrapping the naked ladies in favour of "glamorous fashionistas". So, once again, the debate is back out in the public forum. But the problem with public forums and their tradition of mounting a soapbox and having your word heard is that if you get on a soapbox in the middle of the street nowadays, people will think you're either religious or mental and ignore you. So we went to ask some people a question with a camera instead. London, should The Sun get rid of Page 3?

Frederica, designer: Erm, no?

VICE: How come?
It’s just a part of British culture nowadays – it’d be a shame to see it go.

You don't feel insulted by how The Sun presents women?
Nah, that’s not something that bothers me, to be honest. The models are the ones who decide to do it and they make a lot of money from it, so who am I to stop them from doing that?

Do you think there’s still a place for Page 3?
Well, it’s part of what The Sun is. It's trash, isn’t it? It’s in keeping with The Sun's reputation, so it just adds to the trashiness that the newspaper is already known for.

Oliver (left) and Lucy, students.

Oliver: Yes, they should.
Lucy: No, I reckon keep it.

Okay, now argue with each other.
Lucy: I just really like it.
Oliver: But it demoralises women!
Lucy: I think it's just a humorous little thing, isn't it? You know, all their quotes and all that?

So it's more aesthetic comedy than exploitative junk?
Yeah. I mean, if the girls don't mind doing it, then I don't see the problem. I don't personally see it as demoralising for women.
Oliver: Maybe you should just clearly state now that you’re not a lesbian.
Lucy: Ha, yeah, I love the ladies! But no, I don’t really have a problem with it at all.
Oliver: Well, I don’t like it. I think it should go. I think it just demoralises and objectifies women.

Do you think Rupert Murdoch’s idea of replacing them with "glamorous fashionistas" could work?
Oh, god no. The Sun definitely shouldn’t do anything concerning fashion. I don't even think anyone would miss it that much if they were to scrap it. The internet exists nowadays – you can just type in "boobs" and it'll come up with pages and pages of them.

Too right, mate. Too right.

Alex, "an Aussie in London": I'm Australian, so I don't know too much about it. But it blows my mind that you can get a newspaper with boobs in it – we’d never have anything like that in a mainstream newspaper in Australia. I don’t really know, though – where does The Sun sit amongst other newspapers?

It's basically the most widely read paper in the UK, and also arguably the worst in terms of everything about it.
Ah, OK. Well, I personally don't think it has a place, but as an outsider I suppose I don't know too much about it.

So you think the whole concept is just a bit strange?
Yeah, I think it’s just the context of it that weirds me out. You wouldn’t have it on daytime TV or anything, you know? It seems a little bit baffling. I don’t get why there's an exception made here in that one space, but nowhere else.

Sarah, model: Well, that’s what it’s known for, isn’t it?

That's what everyone keeps saying, but then there's the whole feminist argument about it, too. 
Yeah, but I just see it as a bit of a laugh, really. It's not like I read it, though. I mean, if it was next to me on the tube, I'd pick it up like any other paper. Although, it's not really a proper newspaper, is it?

I suppose it's not, no. As a model, what would you do if someone offered you a lot of money to be on Page 3?
I wouldn’t do it.

Do you judge the girls who would?
I've done a job before where they were shooting next door and yeah, you do kind of judge them. They had their kids running around and stuff, which doesn't seem like the best idea. But I dunno – I'm not a very judgemental person. If that's how they want to make a living, then fair enough.

Daniel, waiter: Ah, I don't know. It's not really a respected newspaper, is it? So I suppose it kind of fits with the trashiness of it all.

Is it time to see it go?
Well, it’s definitely out of touch with the times, but there’s also still a market for it. I think maybe they’d lose readers if they got rid of it.

What do you think about the feminist viewpoint on the whole issue? 
I can totally understand why they’d feel that way, but at the same time, I do understand why The Sun print it – to sell papers.

Nailed it.

Previously - What Were Those Things Hitting Russia from the Sky This Morning?