Comments on: Demo against WHSmith: Stop Selling Lads Mags! http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/ The feminist activism of charliegrrl and co Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:31:42 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: silkie http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-17783 silkie Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:17:07 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-17783 Brilliant well done girls!! Yesterday on our local news was a story on a lady in Greenock Scotland, who had taken it into her own hands to petition retailers on displaying these so called magazines out of the sight of children. So inspired by that I trotted off to my local newsagent, who diplayed FHM,Nuts Zoo and more (not to mention all the porno "newspapers" on the floor), and asked her if she would cover them up - which she said she would - the magazines anyway. I feel great about doing this and would encourage anyone who is offended to do the same - I am also going to take it up with my MP. These mags have gone too far. Come on girls we can fight back -lets go!!!! xx Brilliant well done girls!! Yesterday on our local news was a story on a lady in Greenock Scotland, who had taken it into her own hands to petition retailers on displaying these so called magazines out of the sight of children. So inspired by that I trotted off to my local newsagent, who diplayed FHM,Nuts Zoo and more (not to mention all the porno “newspapers” on the floor), and asked her if she would cover them up – which she said she would – the magazines anyway. I feel great about doing this and would encourage anyone who is offended to do the same – I am also going to take it up with my MP. These mags have gone too far. Come on girls we can fight back -lets go!!!! xx

]]> By: Arantxa http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-17632 Arantxa Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:49:43 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-17632 What Karl has pasted in is from the National Federation of Retail Newsagents is of little meaning. Not only are these 'guidelines' voluntary, but they apply to any magazine a consumer may find offensive, including women's glossies and the emphasis is on <em>reducing the number of complaints</em>. These are not guidelines that WHSmith follow. WHSmith promote lad's mags by putting them on offer, advertising them on posters and placing them on several rows (floor to top) at the very entrance of the store where many passersby and every single customer entering the store will see them. What Karl has pasted in is from the National Federation of Retail Newsagents is of little meaning. Not only are these ‘guidelines’ voluntary, but they apply to any magazine a consumer may find offensive, including women’s glossies and the emphasis is on reducing the number of complaints. These are not guidelines that WHSmith follow. WHSmith promote lad’s mags by putting them on offer, advertising them on posters and placing them on several rows (floor to top) at the very entrance of the store where many passersby and every single customer entering the store will see them.

]]> By: Karl http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-16781 Karl Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:43:10 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-16781 To minimise complaints from consumers without adversely affecting the sale of these titles the voluntary guidelines recommend that: * retailers do not display these titles at children’s eye-level or below, to ensure they are not in the direct sight and reach of children * retailers do not display these titles adjacent to children’s titles and comics * where display space restraints preclude the above, those titles with front covers that may cause concern are part-overlapped with other titles so as to minimise the potential for offence to parents with children. WH Smiths follows all of these guidelines, magazines are kept 4 shelves up, childrens comics are 4 aisles away from them, and the space is not an issue. Thank you and shut up complaining To minimise complaints from consumers without adversely affecting the sale of these titles the voluntary guidelines recommend that:

* retailers do not display these titles at children’s eye-level or below, to ensure they are not in the direct sight and reach of children
* retailers do not display these titles adjacent to children’s titles and comics
* where display space restraints preclude the above, those titles with front covers that may cause concern are part-overlapped with other titles so as to minimise the potential for offence to parents with children.

WH Smiths follows all of these guidelines, magazines are kept 4 shelves up, childrens comics are 4 aisles away from them, and the space is not an issue.

Thank you and shut up complaining

]]> By: Jessica http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-14021 Jessica Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:15:13 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-14021 I think what you girls are doing is great however I think displaying such images on the highstreet is disgusting a lot of women go out of their way to hide these sort of images from themselves, their husband and their children. I think if you're to place these images up at least cover the women in the pictures, it's a harsh reality but those who do know it's wrong don't want to have to relive the discomfort while shopping. Please cover them up next time girls, other than that I'm all for what you're doing. Jessica. I think what you girls are doing is great however I think displaying such images on the highstreet is disgusting a lot of women go out of their way to hide these sort of images from themselves, their husband and their children. I think if you’re to place these images up at least cover the women in the pictures, it’s a harsh reality but those who do know it’s wrong don’t want to have to relive the discomfort while shopping.

Please cover them up next time girls, other than that I’m all for what you’re doing.
Jessica.

]]> By: charliegrrl http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6240 charliegrrl Sun, 06 May 2007 11:46:48 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6240 You are perfectly within your rights to ask the petrol stations etc to move the lads mags/newspapers out of sight of toddlers. There aren't any laws regarding the height of such magazines and newspapers though. So legally they can refuse. Object, a pressure group [link at the side] are campaigning for a law to be introduced so that sexually explicit material is kept on top shelf. There are guidelines that are voluntary, by the NFRN- National Federation for Retail and Newsagents- that state sexually explicit material should be kept out of sight of children. So you could quote this to them. I don't have a copy to hand, but here is an explanation of the guidelines http://www.ppa.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/news/article.html?uid=10461 You can ask the petrol stations if they have heard of the NFRN guidelines, you can complain to NFRN that the petrol stations keep them visible to toddlers http://www.nfrnonline.com/about/contact_us.html You can send the company who own the petrol station, a letter/email to ask them to shelve the mags/tabloids out of view of toddlers. You can downloads example letters from Object's website. Good luck! And let us know if you hear anything back from them. You are perfectly within your rights to ask the petrol stations etc to move the lads mags/newspapers out of sight of toddlers.
There aren’t any laws regarding the height of such magazines and newspapers though. So legally they can refuse. Object, a pressure group [link at the side] are campaigning for a law to be introduced so that sexually explicit material is kept on top shelf.
There are guidelines that are voluntary, by the NFRN- National Federation for Retail and Newsagents- that state sexually explicit material should be kept out of sight of children. So you could quote this to them.
I don’t have a copy to hand, but here is an explanation of the guidelines
http://www.ppa.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/news/article.html?uid=10461

You can ask the petrol stations if they have heard of the NFRN guidelines, you can complain to NFRN that the petrol stations keep them visible to toddlers
http://www.nfrnonline.com/about/contact_us.html

You can send the company who own the petrol station, a letter/email to ask them to shelve the mags/tabloids out of view of toddlers.

You can downloads example letters from Object’s website.
Good luck! And let us know if you hear anything back from them.

]]> By: theendlesssky http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6207 theendlesssky Sat, 05 May 2007 18:37:39 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6207 Can anyone point me towards current laws regarding the height these mags/newspapers should be at? I often see them at toddler height in petrol stations etc- would I be in the right to ask them to move the mags? And could I do anything if they didn't? I get the feeling the police wouldn't be too bothered. Can anyone point me towards current laws regarding the height these mags/newspapers should be at? I often see them at toddler height in petrol stations etc- would I be in the right to ask them to move the mags? And could I do anything if they didn’t? I get the feeling the police wouldn’t be too bothered.

]]> By: stormy http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6183 stormy Sat, 05 May 2007 09:11:12 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6183 Well done EmFems! Great work. FB - there are a few supermarkets that I have 'issue' with, as Shinka says, why on earth should we have breasts thrust in our faces whilst we do the weekly shop? Well done EmFems! Great work.
FB – there are a few supermarkets that I have ‘issue’ with, as Shinka says, why on earth should we have breasts thrust in our faces whilst we do the weekly shop?

]]> By: shinka http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6080 shinka Wed, 02 May 2007 20:47:39 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6080 Thank you for doing something about this problem. I do not care to see bare breasts while shopping. I most certqainly want my son to be involved in more valuable activities in society. Thank you for doing something about this problem. I do not care to see bare breasts while shopping. I most certqainly want my son to be involved in more valuable activities in society.

]]> By: Emmeline http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6038 Emmeline Tue, 01 May 2007 21:54:44 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-6038 Good on you EMFems! It's an important campaign - we should not put up with this normalisation of pornography in mainstream culture. You should be commended for taking it on. I particularly enjoy Rachel's arguments with the "dirty old man" ;-) Good on you EMFems! It’s an important campaign – we should not put up with this normalisation of pornography in mainstream culture. You should be commended for taking it on.

I particularly enjoy Rachel’s arguments with the “dirty old man” ;-)

]]> By: sparklematrix http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-5971 sparklematrix Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:04:10 +0000 http://charliegrrl.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/demo-against-whsmith-stop-selling-lads-mags/#comment-5971 Well done :) Well done :)

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