Bauer Media to close People and Picture after retailers ban softcore pornography titles
Bauer Media will close its two softcore pornography magazines, People and Picture, at the end of the year as retailers refuse to stock the titles, making them commercially unviable.
Picture launched in 1988 while People launched in 1974, but recent pushback from organisations including Collective Shout have forced supermarkets and service stations to refuse to sell the two titles which feature topless models and readers’ sex stories.
A Bauer spokesperson said the lack of commercial opportunities forced the publisher’s hand.
https://twitter.com/CollectiveShout/status/1186108318277754881
“Discussions to close Picture and People Magazines have been taking place as the magazines have lost ranging, which has affected their commercial viability,” said the spokesperson.
“As closures impact a number of people, including some staff and suppliers, they need to be well considered and timed appropriately. The magazines will be closing at the end of the year and we’re working closely with staff to find suitable redeployment.”
Service stations run by 7-Eleven and BP refused to stock the titles in September and October respectively, after social media campaigns made the claim the titles “normalised sexual harassment” and “sexualised and objectified young women”.
The titles would include ‘nipslip’ and ‘upskirt’ pictures, both of which encourage practices which are illegal in Australia, it was claimed.
Collective Shout issued a release upon the announcement from Bauer Media saying it welcomed the decision. Movement director Melinda Tankard Reist commended Bauer on the choice.
“Bauer has recognised that society has moved on. These sexist titles cannot co-exist in a society that claims to care about sexual harassment and other forms of mistreatment of women,” Tankard Reist said.
“The sexist behavior of the St Kevin’s students just this week is a reflection of boys’ conditioning by a pornified culture. They learn early that women exist for their gratification. We can’t change behaviour without addressing the cultural normalising of it. A sexist culture grooms sexist boys.
“All the women and girls we represent thank Bauer Media for demonstrating corporate social responsibility. May other companies follow their lead.”
After the news was broken earlier this week by The Guardian, the twitter accounts for both titles were shut down.
.@Coles you dropped ads from 2GB due to comments about NZ PM Jacinda Ardern.
But today you still profit from #sexism and sexual objectification of women.
“Rack in black”
“Huge Jugs!”
“Girl on Girl”
Do women need to become PM to be worthy of Coles’ respect? #binsexistmags pic.twitter.com/viZYhdVeCH
— Melinda (@MelLiszewski) October 22, 2019
Collective Shout reports the titles are still being sold by Coles in Coles Express stores. A campaign from Collective Shout campaigns manager Melinda Liszewski on Twitter drew BP’s attention to the lewd content in the titles, with Liszewski still campaigning for Coles to drop the magazines.
Booooo!
User ID not verified.
Like all magazines they’re either failing or struggling because the internet has changed everything with a lot of this stuff now excessed for free, even though “Collective Shout” likes to take some credit for it.
User ID not verified.
RIP
User ID not verified.
*Booooo(b)!
User ID not verified.
As a contributor to these magazines (selling both writing and photos) Collective Shout need to understand there is a market for these magazines and they are doing many Aussies out of earning an income
User ID not verified.
“ As a contributor to these magazines (selling both writing and photos) Collective Shout need to understand there is a market for these magazines and they are doing many Aussies out of earning an income”
Here’s some of your work Ben, describing women as an “Asian Buffet” telling men they’ll be “wok hard” and apparently trying to incorporate a stereotypical accent in writing about these women:
“EVER wondered what a roroom s smells klike fafterhe Asa porn ’ been double had -donged O up DICKbum? m Well,up now eyou can bumb? W buying o“After u Anal”, par by of a irangAfter scented par candles of the rangXXX ostar ented at candlesboasaakira b .com. We’re quite asaakira.com. WeClub LockonRoom”.rip”
Was it you who described teenage girls as “Fresh flesh?” Another young woman described as “Ariel the sperm-aid?” What about the advertising in picture and people for mail order Traci Lords porn? Lords was a child at the time she was filmed and all her titles are illegal, considered child porn. Your magazine offered them for sale.
If anyones job is dependant on promoting porn to an all age audience, with the kind of sexist racist trash you wrote on those pages, nobody is entitled to that job. After everything you’ve said about women and girls you don’t get to play the victim here.
Analysing the content in these magazines I found myself wondering how the content creators could sleep at night or look at themselves in the mirror.
Anyone defending this garbage might want to take a closer look at what they’re defending. See here: https://www.collectiveshout.org/picture_and_people_mags_consigned_to_history_s_bin_of_sexist_rubbish
User ID not verified.
I understand the position you are taking, but can you confirm it was Ben who wrote what you have cited? I am only asking as I feel like the VERY IMPORTANT responsibility of fact-checking goes to the side far too often.
User ID not verified.
Here we go – the Media God Squad are at it again.
Pipe down Melinda and enjoy the buffet!
User ID not verified.
@Ben so you would have to take some responsibility I assume, way to completely miss the point. You seem as out of touch as the readers of these mags.
User ID not verified.
What were the mags called ? Forgotten already.
User ID not verified.