Thought this might interest people if you're not already signed up to the Object
newsletter - perhaps we could get involved in some of the things they suggest?




>From: Object <ido@...>
>To: sasha <ido@...>
>Subject: OBJECT - FEB 06
>Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 13:57:34 +0000
>
>.. This newsletter should be in easy to read, in Arial font throughout,
>with
>larger, bold pink headings and no excessively large gaps. If not try
>setting
>your email programme to 'show formatting' (or similar) - Tell us if that
>helps..
>
>
>EVENTS
>
>Warwick Mon March 06 - Can You Help ?
>To mark international Women's day, Warwick University has invited women's
>groups to showcase their work
>
>We cannot travel up for the day
>Are you based in Warwick ? Are you interested in 'representing Object' on
>the day ?
>
>This doesn't have to be any more involved than handing out leaflets !
>.. we can send leaflets and other publications for the day and cover any
>relevant expenses
>It should be fun !
>
>Interested ? Contact us on ido@...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Object UK
>UK Objectors who want to meet up / email other local objectors. If you are
>based near the areas below and are interested, send us an email
>
>Leicester
>Jen in Leicester
>
>Standish
>Evelyn in Standish (GL10)
>
>Shropshire
>Angela - keen to petition outside local Sport/Lads Mag retailers
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Get Involved - Playboy Peddlers
>
>Argos- Playboy to little girls
>Argos is now on the act of selling the Playboy brand to little girls - this
>time with pink bunny duvet covers
>
>To order (!) :
>http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalo
>gId=4501&langId=-1&searchTerms=1060018&go.x=0&go.y=0
>
>Contact Argos @
>https://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ArgosEmailUsEntry?krypto=K
>uSadKz%2BB7tc1VfR4v4wZExeZ6eiBu5V5Z6pl0aZKuU%2B4VMuloLDHd8qauWJztSYO9kKObKA%
>2FsnH%0ABgz92JicLFcrZTCL7Qp6
>
>
>
>WHSmith
>WHSmith's sale of pre-teen Playboy stationery has been reported in The
>Guardian
>and challenged by Object, Mind the Gap (Cardiff) and Coloma School, Croydon
>
>WHSmith
>customer.relations@...
>Rachel Bell in the Guardian
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1549124,00.html
>Petition (over 200 signatures to date)
>http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=1897
>
>
>
>'The Hard sale of soft porn'
>Excellent website on the marketing of porn to children
>http://talkintrash.com/playboy/PB.toc.html
>
>
>
>Future Activism ?
>London Feminist Network and Object plan a joint demo.
>Interested ? Contact us @ ido@...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Get Involved : Porn-NO Newsagents
>They do exist! Hamdy's newsagent stood up to pressure from porn
>distribution
>giant, WHSmith, to see sales shoot up by 20% and establish a network of
>over
>500 'porn free' newsagents
>
>Julie Bindel tells all in
>http://society.guardian.co.uk/offdiary/story/0,14093,1659500,00.html
>
>
>
>Why not write to Hamdy's in support : Hamdy's News Ltd (Egyland Travel
>Ltd)
> 167
>Stoke Newington High Street
>
>London
>N16
>
>
>Send a 'Porn-NO' Postcard: SWAP even has " Thank you for being porn
>free"
>postcards you can send.
> Contact SWAP @
>ffswap18@...
>
>
>Unfortunately Hamdy's do appear to stock 'lads mags' -but that is something
>you can raise in a postcard
>Thank you Anja for finding Hamdy's address
>
>
>
>News
>Betty Friedan Mourned
>Betty Friedan (1921-2006), American feminist and author of the best-selling
>'The Feminist Mystique' 1965.
>
>Her ground-breaking book asked 'is this is?' 'Is women's function to be the
>dutiful housewife ?'. It resonated with women in the USA and UK, before the
>'60s/70's 'second wave' of feminism.
>
>Betty went on to found the National Organisation of Women (NOW) which
>continues to campaign successfully for women's human rights
>
>Her work still resonates today - only now our function appears to be 'do it
>all, be it all, whilst gyrating around a pole' or in Natasha Walter's words
>"is this the 21st century or the 1950's?"
>
>
>Feminists pay tribute:
>http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1704077,00.html
>Contact us for Object's review of Betty Freidan's work
>
>
>Natasha Walter : Loaded - 'I got it wrong'
>Natasha Walter, a leading feminist writer, had argued that feminists should
>'stop telling women how to behave and what to wear'. Her liberal view was
>interpreted as "lap dancing and lads mags are empowering ; its ok to want
>to
>be sexually submissive; equality in sex is 'vanilla sex' ".
>
>In an equal society maybe. But in an institutionally sexist society, where
>1
>in 3 women experience male violence, this widespread interpretation takes
>on
>detrimental, if not very dangerous connotations.
>
>
>Natasha Walter's challenges this interpretation at
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/gender/story/0,,1694820,00.html
>Contact us for Object's review of Natasha Walter's (reviewed!) stance
>
>
>
>
>'Challenging the Sex Sells Cliche'
>An important piece that tears about the porn and sex industries, featuring
>Object and many other groups
>
>Rachel Bell :
>http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2006/02/challenging_the_sex_sells_clich
>
>
>Staggering Increase in Plastic Surgery
>British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon's 2005 audit of its
>members
>shows :
>
>22,000 operations carried out
>89% on women
>More than a 50% rise in breast 'augmentation' from the previous year
>
>The major operation for men is a 'nose job'
>Plastic surgery up by over 33% from the year before
>
>BAAPS has consistently condemned plastic surgery trivialisation as prizes
>and its promotions in women's magazines and 'loyalty cards'
>
>More on plastic marketing :
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1544520,00.html
>BAAPS : http://www.baaps.org.uk
>
>
>Object quoted in The Metro on this issue
>Contact us for our fact sheet : Beauty, Fashion, Porn - What's it got to do
>with my body ?
>
>
>
>
>
>RADIO FHM !!
>EMAP, publisher of FHM and other lads mags is to launch a radio station ?!!
>
>' Will radio kill the porno star ? Let's hope so ! '
>Catherine Harper of SWAP exposes the latest lads mag invasion
>
>Sunday Herald 8.1.06
>For a copy contact SWAP @ http:// www.swapcampaign.org
>ffswap18@...
>
>
>
>
>BBC 'RADIO FHM'
>Some BBC radio already 'sounds like a lads mag' :
>
>Chris Moyle's constant references to women's breasts
>
>The Scott Mills show "pucker up for the world cup" - text-in to ask Radio
>1presenters to kiss each other. Listeners' requests for women kissing
>women
>has been promoted on the web site, as "girl on girl action"
>
>The BBC make no apologies and cite Mr Moyle's 'immense popularity'
>
>Complain to The BBC @
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1.shtml
>
>
>
>
>Mobilise your Mobiles for Women's Aid
>Recycle your old mobiles for Women's Aid
>Contact women's aid direct or take your old mobiles into any BODYSHOP
>
>Phones will be recycled or modified so women in abusive relationships can
>use them as a hotline to call for help
>http://www.womensaid.org.uk
>http://www.thebodyshop.com
>
>
>
>
>
>Websites
>
>
>Media Awareness Network
>http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/in
>dex.cfm
>
>This educational website is a really accessible online resource for parents
>and teachers to 'promote critical thinking in young people about the media'
>(Canada but totally relevant to the UK)
>
>" loads of excellent links - like the one on 'body image' - apparently a
>'Barbie doll' body is too narrow to contain more than half a liver, and too
>weak to support her upper body ! " VIO
>
>Thank you Lis for this
>
>
>
>Respect4us
>Womankind's interactive website dealing with issues from domestic violence
>to porn-free sweet shops .. .. designed for teenagers .. it will give all
>parents some hope for the future
>
>http://www.respect4us.org.uk
>
>
>
>WASS
>Warwick Anti Sexism Site excellent site covering pay discrepancies to media
>portrayal, from Warwick University
>http://www.antisexism.org
>
>
>Sheffield Fems
>Feminist yahoo group
>http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/sheffieldfems/
>
>
>Bush Telegraph
>Started from the 'Reclaim the Night' March (against male violence against
>women) this spot-on site features events, rage pages and even men's pages
>
>http://www.BushTelegraph.uk.com
>
>
>
>
>PUBLICATIONS
>
>Object Fact Sheets
>Beauty, Fashion, Porn - what's it got to do with my body
>Kids Stuff - 'selling pornography to children'
>
>Object Reviews
>Betty Friedan - her work and its impact
>Natasha Walter - her work and its misinterpretation
>Contact us for these latest publications
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Thank You
>Thank you to everyone who has offered recently to help .. hugely
>appreciated!
>
>
>Survey
>If you have not filled in our survey yet, please do, it really is quick and
>it really does help.
>Thank you to everyone who has
>
>
>
>
>
>and finally .. Focus on - 'The Oldest Oppression'
>
>Prostitution Review - Zero Tolerance (nearly)
>Recent government proposals to reform prostitution :
>
>Prostitution is not inevitable
>Prostitution is invariably abusive, exploitative and not freely chosen
>
>Refocus to blame male buyers, not prostitutes
>Help get women out of prostitution
>Stop women/girls/children entering prostitution
>'mini brothels' to safeguard prostitutes
>
>Over 800 individuals and organisations responded to the government's
>consultation last year. Most women's groups are thrilled at this
>fundamental
>shake up in the way prostitution is to be viewed and dealt with.
>
>Media headlines focussed on the establishment of 'mini brothels' - where 3
>women can legally operate from one premises. This is to help ensure safety.
>It was already legal for 1 woman to operate alone from a premises.
>
>The proposals are unclear as to whether this is a temporary measure while
>women leave the trade or 'the acceptable face' of prostitution, although we
>suspect the former given the emphasis of the rest of the proposals
>
>
>The Links :
>
>Katherine Viner at her finest - making all the links with 'lads mags'
>,'pimp
>chique' and prostitution :
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1691589,00.html
>
>
>Julie Bindel, ' The Oldest Oppression' :
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1688909,00.html
>
>
>The endless 'lads mags' style - often jokey - statements from the bbc
>comments page , show just how much public re-education is needed about the
>reality of the industry
>http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=771&&&edition=1&ttl=200
>60207150435
>
>
>80 page Government Proposals :
>http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ProstitutionStrategy.pdf?view=Binary
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Object women not sex objects
>
>
>OBJECT
>
>ido@...
>http://www.object.org.uk
>
>
>
>
>
>



----- End forwarded message -----