Has anyone else on the Critical Geography Forum read the article in
The Sunday Times (25th April, page 7) entitled "WH Smith puts lesbian
porn on sale"? On reading the article I, and indeed several of my
colleagues/friends were surprised and disturbed by the implicit
homophobia of the piece. Richard Brooks, the Arts Editor of the
paper, and the author of the piece seems horrified at the prospect
that the "hardcore pornographic literature" is accessible to all the
shops customers.
By separating the lesbian themed books in his article from many other
of the "pornographic" publications that WH Smith sell (to which it
seems Mr Brooks has no objection) The Sunday Times seems to promote
an attitude of intolerance and prejudice surprising of a broadsheet
newspaper popular with some academics.
I'd be interested to hear other opinions.
Below is a copy of the email I sent directly to Mr Brooks this
afternoon.
Stuart Harwood
University of Sheffield.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: WH Smith article
Date sent: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 16:13:13 +0100
Dear Mr Brooks,
I read with interest (and some distaste) your article regarding the
sale of lesbian themed "hardcore pornographic literature" (Sunday
Times, 25/04/99; 7). Indeed my distaste was not with the prospect of
WH Smith selling lesbian novels, more with the hysterical way in which
you reported it.
In a country with a supposdly ever-improving legislature for gay and
lesbian equality before the law, such journalism, which can only be
described as attempting to induce moral panics, can only been sen as
banal, outdated and Draconian.
WH Smith have long stocked selected pornographic, or "top shelf"
magazines, so their policy on this is not new. Granted, part of your
article bemoans the inappropriateness of these books being stocked on
shelves which are "accessible to all customers, including children"
(i.e.not the top shelf). Has it escaped your notice that increasingly
large numbers of "mainstream" magazines, books and publications carry
an increasingly heavy sexual theme, and are "accessible to children".
Take for example, the latest trend of mens lifestyle magazines.
Hardly a page can be turned without a semi-naked, or topless female
model. Or consider if you will Just 17, or More magazine, easily
reached by, and indeed aimed at children and teenagers. These
magazine test readers sexual techniques in questionnaires and show
graphic pictures of the latest trendy sexual position. Perhaps it is
fair for me to point out to you that children are far more likely to
access and respond to such heavily visualised imagery, than they are
to pick up, flick through and filter-read the sexualised content of
these lesbian themed book.
As Arts Editor of the Sunday Times you have a responsibility to
report to the public the events and occasions within your remit.
Indeed publications, books and shopping may well be in your remit.
I'm not sure however that peddling homophobic, heteropatriarchal
propaganda and journalism is.
Yours Sincerely
Stuart Harwood.
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