This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/26/the-sun-bust-in-britain-male-cleavage
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| What the Sun’s Bust in Britain competition needs is male cleavage | What the Sun’s Bust in Britain competition needs is male cleavage |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Every morning I sit down with my coffee and read a stack of newspapers (what can I say? I’m old school). A few weeks ago I spotted something in the Sun that made my heart sink. The newspaper had launched Bust in Britain 2018, its annual search to find the nation’s “cleavage queen”. In honour of the competition, the Sun dedicated a full page of the paper to some of the “best” entries this year. | Every morning I sit down with my coffee and read a stack of newspapers (what can I say? I’m old school). A few weeks ago I spotted something in the Sun that made my heart sink. The newspaper had launched Bust in Britain 2018, its annual search to find the nation’s “cleavage queen”. In honour of the competition, the Sun dedicated a full page of the paper to some of the “best” entries this year. |
| It’s hard not to conclude that, according to the Sun, you have to be a skinny white woman with long, straight hair and giant boobs to be beautiful. Everyone else need not apply. Each day I flip through the paper and the top contenders for this year’s prize look pretty much the same. I’ve counted one woman of colour who has featured in its photo spreads over the past month. I happen to tick one of the Sun’s beauty boxes (big boobs), but that’s it. If they are right, I’m too tall, too black and too curly-haired to be beautiful. | It’s hard not to conclude that, according to the Sun, you have to be a skinny white woman with long, straight hair and giant boobs to be beautiful. Everyone else need not apply. Each day I flip through the paper and the top contenders for this year’s prize look pretty much the same. I’ve counted one woman of colour who has featured in its photo spreads over the past month. I happen to tick one of the Sun’s beauty boxes (big boobs), but that’s it. If they are right, I’m too tall, too black and too curly-haired to be beautiful. |
| For years, as an overweight, geeky teenager, I believed messages such as that. I tried every diet under the sun (cabbage soup, Atkins, GI), felt crap about myself when I looked in the mirror without makeup, and straightened my hair every day. (It’s type 3 so, believe me, getting the curl out was a constant challenge.) It took me well over a decade to realise this was a lie, that plenty of people find you attractive if you don’t look like a Page 3 girl. And that I can find myself attractive without dropping three dress sizes. Now I keep my hair natural, wear clothes I like, rather than ones that make me look slim, and I’m not afraid for people to see my face without eyeliner. | For years, as an overweight, geeky teenager, I believed messages such as that. I tried every diet under the sun (cabbage soup, Atkins, GI), felt crap about myself when I looked in the mirror without makeup, and straightened my hair every day. (It’s type 3 so, believe me, getting the curl out was a constant challenge.) It took me well over a decade to realise this was a lie, that plenty of people find you attractive if you don’t look like a Page 3 girl. And that I can find myself attractive without dropping three dress sizes. Now I keep my hair natural, wear clothes I like, rather than ones that make me look slim, and I’m not afraid for people to see my face without eyeliner. |
| The Sun likes to pit people who criticise Bust in Britain against the women who enter it. So let me be clear: my problem isn’t with people who want to win £5,000 and a trip to Ibiza (honestly, who doesn’t?). All the women featured in the Sun have the right to enter the contest, and all of them look gorgeous. My problem is with the not-so-subtle message the paper’s editors send when they promote the contest to readers: if you don’t look like them, you need not apply. | The Sun likes to pit people who criticise Bust in Britain against the women who enter it. So let me be clear: my problem isn’t with people who want to win £5,000 and a trip to Ibiza (honestly, who doesn’t?). All the women featured in the Sun have the right to enter the contest, and all of them look gorgeous. My problem is with the not-so-subtle message the paper’s editors send when they promote the contest to readers: if you don’t look like them, you need not apply. |
| The good news is, I’ve checked the rules – and Bust in Britain has no restrictions on gender. So this year, Level Up is encouraging men and non-binary people to apply. We asked our male supporters to submit cleavage selfies to get the ball rolling. The results are quite something. | The good news is, I’ve checked the rules – and Bust in Britain has no restrictions on gender. So this year, Level Up is encouraging men and non-binary people to apply. We asked our male supporters to submit cleavage selfies to get the ball rolling. The results are quite something. |
| It matters when papers such as the Sun promote outdated ideas about beauty. Whether or not you read it, it is a part of British culture; its editors have a powerful platform and millions of readers. | It matters when papers such as the Sun promote outdated ideas about beauty. Whether or not you read it, it is a part of British culture; its editors have a powerful platform and millions of readers. |
| Right now the message they are sending to people of colour, men and non-binary people who buy the paper is that they aren’t attractive and no one wants to see their boobs. That’s not true in 2018. | Right now the message they are sending to people of colour, men and non-binary people who buy the paper is that they aren’t attractive and no one wants to see their boobs. That’s not true in 2018. |
| Too often I see something sexist in the media, roll my eyes and turn the page. But this stuff seeps into our brains. It’s the reason so many of us, and so many young girls, have a negative body image. And it’s not that hard to change. | Too often I see something sexist in the media, roll my eyes and turn the page. But this stuff seeps into our brains. It’s the reason so many of us, and so many young girls, have a negative body image. And it’s not that hard to change. |
| Level Up is a feminist community for all the people who are tired of sexism in the UK and are ready to take action to change things. All genders are welcome, and anyone can join. If you want to support our campaign, you can submit a body-positive selfie today. And if you work for the Sun: please crown a man or non-binary person this year’s cleavage queen. | Level Up is a feminist community for all the people who are tired of sexism in the UK and are ready to take action to change things. All genders are welcome, and anyone can join. If you want to support our campaign, you can submit a body-positive selfie today. And if you work for the Sun: please crown a man or non-binary person this year’s cleavage queen. |
| • Carys Afoko is the executive director and co-founder of Level Up | • Carys Afoko is the executive director and co-founder of Level Up |
| So Theresa May has breasts – who knew? | Laura Bates | So Theresa May has breasts – who knew? | Laura Bates |
| Gender | Gender |
| Opinion | Opinion |
| Women | Women |
| Newspapers | Newspapers |
| Newspapers & magazines | Newspapers & magazines |
| National newspapers | National newspapers |
| The Sun | The Sun |
| Sexuality | Sexuality |
| comment | comment |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |