being heterosexual is SUCH a problem.

Author Prof Daphne Patai wrote a book about Heterophobia.

No – heterosexuality not a problem – misogyny is, (you may need to consult a dictionary – the two terms are not mutually inclusive). There are many other car festivals that do not invite such an atmosphere – the problem with Summernats is not with the cars but the promotion of sex industry sponsored events such as the "Wet T-shirt" comp and the encouragement of rude misogynistic behaviour along with the spin that it is a family friendly event. By all means have an adult sexpo event if you want but if you are going to have a women and family car festival – make it just that – a car festival - so EVERYONE can go along and have a great time.

Yes, and...?

"the Canberra car festival each year has gained the reputation as being not necessarily a place to appreciate fine automobiles and people’s passion for their hobby."

While I agree that it is regrettable that more money can be made by taking the event downmarket, surely this is a reflection on the attendees, not the organizers?

If I were a sponsor, I would need to be pretty sure that I was getting in front of a sufficiently substantial segment of my target audience. The fact that those sponsors include Jack Daniels and some tit'n'bum mags speaks volumes for their expectations.

And as an organizer, I need sponsors. QED.

Excellent article Beth - thanks for highlighting yet another extremely hypocritical aspect of our society.

Along with the promotion of such an atmosphere at these events, we seem to wonder why we have increasing levels of sexual abuse, STIs and sex-related incidents among sporting teams and associations.

Pericles, granted that the organisers need sponsors, but surely they can look further afield than desperate men's magazines?

If planners of these events actually thought about the issues in our society that are exposed daily in the papers, surely they would put 2 and 2 together.

Here again secular humanism producing its rotten fruit.The sponsorship by the pervert industry will inevitably lead to unwanted pregnancies, abortion and violation of women. It won't be long that this perverted industry will be sponsoring sex education classes in public schools. It would go hand in hand with the many 'regressives ' in the ACT Government. It is no surprise that the ACT Government is pushing so hard to legalise what they call 'gay' marriage.

The SummerNats is for those people who enjoy that sort of spectacle, we all know what it is about, so you don't go if you don't want. (it's not illegal)

Some folks feel strongly about it, as some folks feel strongly about "artists" photographing adolescents and teenagers (children).

The difference between handing out what some call pornography and what some call manufacturing pornography, is all the difference here isn't it?

It may or may not lead to future problems, as photographing children and teenagers may alter their values and lead to future problems - it might not too.

I don't think you can ask for something to be changed or banned just because you don't like it when some parts of the community clearly do.

Amicus

I agree with most of your well-explained points. Agreed that this is probably not something that can or should be banned.

It's just that organisers of these events need to be made aware of the implications of their actions. Certainly there would be plenty of people who enjoy cars that do not enjoy gawking at half-naked women, and the point is that they shouldn't have to put up with such a culture.

There is definitely a culture of ignorance about the exploitation and sexualisation of women in our country and perhaps these events could be very successful without being tinged with such a downgrading culture.

stop&think - I think you give too much credit to people actually thinking through their actions to consequences.

Most of the people involved in manufacturing "art" or organizing SummerNats type events see only as far as their next mortgage payment and no further.

You can't afford to indulge your conscience or morals when you have a job to do and need the money.

Let's face it if the people selling advertising at the SummerNats don't meet their targets, they will be out of a job. If the owners of such magazines don't sell the magazines to their demographic, they close it and jobs are lost and an industry suffers. If "art" is not produced, "artists" starve, or in reality become unemployed, and if your "art" is not selling, you are already unemployed.

The decisions to be made are at the high level, such as publishers asking do we need to publish such a magazine, the response usually is well if we don't someone else will.

I note there are several magazines competing for the same audience at the SummerNats, so there is clearly a market, can't say the same about some "art" though.

A most accurate article, Beth. However, you did miss the most important point of all, one which will certainly encourage those people who find that anything to do with the medical industry is too expensive, to attend the Summernats Show to make full use of all the freebies. Explicit magazines are just the start. This year they had FREE Chlymidia testing as well and in the future, given time, we can expect other tests such as VD, ingrown toenails, diabetes, dental inspections and cataracts, together with any number of other ailments which are fast becoming too time consuming and expensive to identify in the commercial medical practices now dotting up all over Australia. So there is some value in the Summernats and one should be able to expect an improvement in the general health of attendees over time.
Sadly though, as in the case of another of the comments to your story, we have found out today from 'runner', that all these perverted behaviours such as those on display by men at Summernats, probably also the war in Afghanistan, AIDS in Africa, yesterday's earthquake in Haiti and global warming, are all due to "secular humanists" who should be condemned in conjunction to the "regressives" in the ACT government supporting 'gay marriages'. One thing we do know from reading other comments from 'runner' from the Online Opinion database is that he is not secular in any way at all and for that small mercy, all rational human beings should be truly thankful.

But are there enough of them, stop&think?

>>Certainly there would be plenty of people who enjoy cars that do not enjoy gawking at half-naked women, and the point is that they shouldn't have to put up with such a culture.<<

If there were sufficient numbers, suppliers of bourbon and publishers of ladmags would be far less interested in providing sponsorship dollars, thereby encouraging bad behaviour.

Which is your solution, obviously.

Change the demographic of the people who attend, and you'll change the nature of the sponsorship.

Simple, really.

Over to you.

Great piece Beth. Did you see Ed Yong's blog on how objectification silences women? http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2010/01/how_sexual_objectification_silences_women_-_the_male_glance.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+scienceblogs%2FRuxi+%28Not+Exactly+Rocket+Science%29

JeeWiz what a winger , if that's what they do why do you go ; if you want a dig done your way why don't you organise one ?

"The Braidwood Stentorium" Dress code strictly 1930's Courtyard .
Bogans Banned . Ladies with egregious lavish breasts not welcome . Men may not wear tight Riding Seals . Cars Black or Dark Olive Green pre 1950 if supplied with hub caps the caps must be fitted pre the event .

Sounds good 'eh , you could invite Kevvie to open your Automobilia Extravaganza but you would need to contact him early , some where in the world on your day there will be a Car / Ute Outfit catering for libidinous Chouganargies , so get cracking Dear ; you have your challenge !

Beth, I agree with your sentiments and the way that you have expressed them. But the problem goes a little deeper, in that in a liberal society young women are entittled to 'express' themselves in this way. The pity is that they are motivated to do so.

Th only other thing I would remark on is: 'Noni Hazelhurt', do you mean Noni Hazelhurst? and if so 'academic?' At least it shows that I actually read your piece.

I've never been really interested in cars, except as a mode of transport, so I have never been to the Summernats.

Yet on the flip side of the coin, we will soon be seeing a comedy titled Cougar Town, and in the news papers, there are reports of a cougar cruise.

Friends would fill me in on what went on when the ladies attended male strippers, and let me say some of the behaviour of the ladies would make the guys who go to the summernats look like gentlemen.

The point is that both genders can behave in ways at times that would make a prostitute blush.

Deary me, next thing runner will be telling us that he agrees
with Pat Robertson, that the Haiti earthquake was caused by
their pact with the devil.

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/World/2010/01/14/Haiti_made_pact_with_devil_cursed_417344.html

We have an event over here in the West, which sounds similar, they
call it Revheads. Yes, its all about cars, tits and burboun.

Umm so what? They draw a large crowd, for those who are keen on
all that stuff. Good on them. Girls are free to go as a plain Jane
or old, then they will most likely be left alone :)

Why is it that women spend so much money trying to look younger, if
they want to be left alone? Methinks that they secretly thrive on
the power of being thought of as sexy. Typical female double speak,
I want to be left alone, but I like the fact that I'm considered
adorable.

Just hang in there girls, you are growing older, every single day:)
Not so long now and no guy will pay you any attention! That will
be a relief, I am sure.

Yabby writes

'Deary me, next thing runner will be telling us that he agrees
with Pat Robertson, that the Haiti earthquake was caused by
their pact with the devil.'

The irony is that the earth worshippers and politicians blamed man made global warming for the bush fires in Victoria. Both are faith based comments although the Greens try and justify their comments with pseudo science.

“women are being taught that their worth is in how many lewd comments they get …”

Women get taught many things in life and it is up to them to sift the truth from the lies.
It doesn’t say much for a woman’s intellect if she cannot see that such attitudes are wrong and that she is under no compulsion whatsoever to behave as if they were right.

If you want to dramatise the situation there is nothing like that tired old piece of rhetoric - ‘the objectification of women’. Exactly how do you objectify someone? A person is an object – everything that exists is an object. Does it mean to focus on a certain aspect of a person to the exclusion of all other aspects? If that is true then why is that necessarily a bad or disrespectful thing to do? If I am only interested in Tiger Woods as a golfer and am not interested in his family life, his affairs, his businesses or his hobbies am I objectifying him? Is my aim to hurt him in some way by not adopting a more wholesome approach to him? If I enquire about the local mechanic’s credentials to fix my car and take no interest in his wider humanity is that an objectification and is it a slight upon him? If I am only interested in sex with a consenting adult or in enjoying their beauty then why is that seen as such a bad thing?

If we want to change the behaviour of people because we do not like it then we should focus on that behaviour and give good reasons why it should not be tolerated. Hiding behind nefarious concepts like ‘objectification’ allows the accuser to imply aggressive or unjust behaviour that may well have no justification. It seeks to artificially inflate a situation to promote another agenda. In the case of this article it is another thinly disguised attempt to demonise men in particular whilst trying to appear concerned about inconsistencies in the values promoted by Summernats.

Never gone to the Nat's and never will. I dare say no one else who doesn't want to be there is being forced to go.

The Author seems to think that they have the only valid worldview, is able to speak for all Women. It's the evil mere male again.

Get over yourself if thats what these Men and Women want to do then I say go for it. If you don't like that sort of thing then do what I'm doing and don't go.

Posters stop feeding our troll "Runner".

Beth,

Too right, how dare these yobbos objectify women when the Catholic Church has had a monopoly on it for centuries?

Next Summernats, what about competition show bags with inspirational Catholic booklets for women? Here are some titles to whet the appetite:

Pure Womanhood;
Courageous Generosity - A Bible Study for Women on Heroic Sacrifice;
The Privilege of being a Woman; and
Courageous Women - A Study on the Heroines of Biblical History

Women's Liberation has has made things complex for the church hasn't it? Can't just rain some fire & brimstone down any more on those loose ungodly women who make a spectacle of themselves. Got to go through the back door and blame men for serving Satan and leading saintly women astray. Goes down well with some feminists and might even suck a few in.

Bless you dear, it is a return to the Fifties that you are fighting for: the glory days of the church when those little minxes had purity, God-fear and sacrifice beaten into them before Year 5 of prep school. But wait a bit, isn't that along the lines of what Mr Abbott is also demanding - that they feel the full weight of the bible early in school?

Yikes, maybe there is a Papist plot afoot that is much more subversive than that faux car show in Canberra you say is convened solely for the purpose of viewing comely tits sans tee shirts?

Enough silly thinking for today and I blame too much peppermint tea and this damn fool article for it.

Great article. I totally agree. Summernats always attracts some bad elements.

Not only are Summernats sexist and crass, they send all the wrong signals in terms of major problems confronting society viz 1.road safety: how fast can you go?how much rubber can you burn? etc. How does all this fit with road safety campaigns? 2. Global warming - remember? Yes using fuel just to lair off, burning rubber? Somehow global warming takes a back seat to profits and bread and circuses entertainment.

Its time for Canberra to show some integrity and leadership and get rid of Summenats.

*Its time for Canberra to show some integrity and leadership and get rid of Summenats.*

Zelig, fortunately we are not yet a dictatorship run by wowsers.

Perhaps its time that you showed a bit of tolerance, not everyone
lives life through your seemingly limited blinkers.

Oh dear, those poor women, obviously forced, completely against their will (and probably without even their knowledge, the poor ignorant dears) to drop their tops for the approbation of the crowd. However, there's a group of victims the author failed to mention - the ugly women. Imagine how shattering it must be to face cries of "get it back on". Perhaps this is what inspired the author?

Then there are the blokes who don't have a car good enough to inspire top-dropping. Can the author not spare some sympathy for the underachieving men who face such soul-destroying judgement?

What a lot of whining, elitist tosh, not just in the article but from the dog-whistling support base she brings to OLO. I suggest breast enhancement and paper bags for next year's event. Perhaps sponsorship for the project could be arranged by the Women's Studies dept at the ANU...