"You are missing my point. The issue is where is the sexualisation coming from?" says Shadow Minister... well, it comes from the very heart of capitalism for a start, as part of the insatibale demand for endless growth and the sale of 'things that are made to be sold'.

That women are targetted for a market niche is not a shock.

But of course, some of those who shriek about this are engaged in it, up to their armpits.

Hillsong owns a shabby programme called 'Shine'.

A sexist gendered programme desigend to capture young girls into empty church pews.

It's all about make up and 'looking good' and is yet another part of the sexualisation of young girls.

Are you going to write about that Melinda?

"BTW: Should car enthusiast magazines be forced to show cheap second hand family sedans, pictured with a bit of dust and mud?"

Well at least the hobbyist engineering magazine I read does show old lathes and other tool's from real people's workshops. The guy's from Top Gear do drive old bomb's fairly regularly.

Severin how can the plight of children in eastern europe come close in seriousness to people's free choice's to read certain magazine's or buy into particular fashion trends? What were you thinking?

I have my doubt's about the sum's of money involved in the report you linked to but even without that it was staggering.

For those not to tied up in the horror's of size 14 women being considered sexy you might prefer some light reading to add to Severin's earlier post (no not the first link to my photo, the other link)

http://gvnet.com/childprostitution/CzechRepublic.htm

Try not to do that just after eating or straight before bed.

R0bert

Sylvie,

Considering that local magazines compete with international magazines, forcing them to use less suitable models means losing market share. This is why no one is stupid enough to try this.

As many of the fashion cues come from overseas, this will simply enforce the idea that Australia is a fashion backwater.

Until the world changes, there can only be small changes here.

"The whole aim of beauty advertising is to make women feel bad about themselves, inadequate and in need of improvement."

The same could be said for the way magazines use self-esteem. Women are told they have a mental problem called "low self esteem" if they don't think they are beautiful. What will make them beautiful? Some over-priced clothes and skin treatments of dubious theraputic value.

Shadow Minister

Good point. Australian magazies are never going to stray too far from what the real powerbrokers in the fashion industry think is in fashion.

Reminds me of a send-up a certain magazine on The Simpsons once called, "Better Homes Than Yours".

Poirot

:D

I understand that MTR is concerned by women being objectified by over-sexualisation of women's images. This occurs across all stratas of media. While women's mags present a clotheshorse ideal, the men's mags present women as if they were born silicon injected and never grew pubes.

AS TBC has pointed out there are other sinister methods in which the focus on female appearance is used to indoctrinate and subjugate women into various religions such as Exclusive Brethren through to the extreme of Sharia Law.

It is a concern for both sexes, who wants their daughter (or son) to strive for a look and way of behaviour that is not only unachievable but can be harmful?

However, I take issue with MTR's focus on the relatively benign image of an attractive size 14 as being problematic.

Fact: Some people are very attractive.

Fact: We are sexual beings motivated by the visual (both women and men like to see attractive people - hence my photo image at the beginning of my first post).

That we see more sexualised images of women than we do of men has more to do with the balance of power held by mostly men in the media. Even, when (if) there is a 50/50 balance of power held between men and women, we will still be subjected to sexy images - thank goodness.

The reason I posted a link to sex slavery is to place the focus where it is needed: when women, girls and boys are treated as commodities, denied their humanity and used up and spat out by wealthy people (mostly male but some female as well).

Again I ask MTR and her posse to use her media savvy to focus on issues where people are harmed, instead of on these 'powder-puff' pieces that harm no-one.