The fracas over the candid picture of Lara Bingle – allegedly circulated by footballer, Brendan Fevola and, according to sources, now on the phones of many a footballer and cricketer, has attracted public censure. Certainly, Fevola has revealed himself to be a prat of the highest order who has no respect for boundaries or others’ dignity. A great deal has been said about him and the type of person who would circulate a picture of a naked ex (whether it was during an affair or not), never mind the people who accepted the photo, kept it and/or passed it on. He’s not the first – and probably won’t be the last.
While I would never condone Fevola’s actions, they’re not, sadly, that surprising. The specific and narrow notion of masculinity that dominates too many of our football codes is shown to be alive and well. Fortunately, not all players follow this, but when something like the photo ‘scandal’ erupts, it tarnishes the men, casting aspersions on all players and putting their behaviour in the spotlight. What we see is not pretty. One can’t help but feel for Michael Clarke, Bingle’s fiance – where’s mateship in all this? While Clarke is oblivious (one hopes) to what is being passed behind his back, his sporting peers are having a perve at his lady – a perve courtesy of a sleazy ex. There’s something really unsvaoury about this. I feel for Bingle and Clarke. It’s a betrayal at so many levels.
Speaking of betrayals, not enough has been said about the women’s magazine who saw fit to publish the photo that Bingle is now suing Fevola for releasing. One of our prominent magazines not only published a story about Bingle’s recent public ‘meltdown’ at a 20/20 match, but published the photo at the centre of Bingle’s distress. A magazine that also prides itself on being for and about women. A magazine that offers pages of advice, diet, fashion and medical tips and, of course, the ubiquitous celebrity gossip. A magazine that will put aside ethics for the sake of profit, but dress up what they’ve done in psychobabble and excuses.
When challenged as to why she saw fit to publish the photo of Bingle, in light of the angst she knew it was causing the subject, the editor, in a radio interview with Neil Mitchell of 3AW, cited as her reason the fact it was already being circulated and had been for years. Yes, that’s right. Years ago – in 2005 or some such. Yes, it was – she’s right – among a group of men – not a readership of over 400,000 in 2010. She also defended the decision by saying ‘others had published it’ (the Herald Sun) and it was ‘newsworthy’. When asked if she felt it might not be an ‘unreasonable intrusion’ the same reasons were given. By that logic, if others have done ‘it’, then it’s OK if we do ‘it’ too.
Oh please. Let’s call it what it is and say it’s nothing but a tacky strategy to sell magzines and beat others at the profit game. Scandal and naked photos – particularly ones from a murky past, involving a pretty, popular woman, never mind the blessing of her partner being a cricketer, sell. Usually very well.
This reveals so many women’s magazines for what they are – little more than over-priced publications that feed on women’s insecurities and angst – they pretend to be your friend when they’re your femeny – a female enemy. BUt they weren’t always like this.
In her book, The Beauty Myth, Naaomi Wolf notes that ‘women’s magazines… have been one of the most powerful agents for changing women’s roles…’ for the last century. They function like a social barometer. Initially preoccupied with the home and the ‘housewife, where women were persuaded, through advertising, to become ‘insecure consumers of household goods,’ they slowly shifted focus.
With changing social forces and the rise of feminism, the female body became the object of scrutiny. The ‘natural’ state of women, the naked form, which had never been the locus of these magazines before, suddenly became a’problem.’ Magazines and marketers starting providing a range of ever-changing solutions – from diet, to hair-removal, to how achieve soft skin, to these days, anti-ageing products as well. Arguably, they have taught women to ‘hate’ their natural state and seek radical solutions.
It’s easy to accuse mags with such a focus as being trivial – and it’s a criticism that’s been levelled at them for some time. Focussing on the body, men, celebrities, diet, gossip, sexiness and fashion, these same magazines also reflect the mass culture from which they arise. They are contradictory (publishing photos of Bingle while at the same time decrying the man who initiated them). Wolf believes that ‘Women react so strongly to these inconsistencies since they probably realise the that the magazine’s contradictions are their own.’
In their book, The Great Feminist Denial, Monica Dux and Zora Simic argue that (citing Cyndi Tebbel, the former editor of New Woman magazine), feminism is the single most taboo subject in women’s magazines. This rejection of any type of feminist discourse is based on a fear that it will alienate the readership who it’s believed are only interested in men, clothes, gossip etc. While some magazines are the exception (and there are some good ones), almost all of the others dedicate over 3/4 if not their entire publication to so-called women’s pursuits. Even magazines for teens and tweens do this. They are trivia incarnate.
This persistent focus on beauty, gossip and the darker side of the feminine mystique (which is no longer so mysterious anymore), and other women’s ‘concerns’ both brings women together and drives us apart. We recognise it for what it is and indulge, believing that it’s entertaining, short-term and light. It’s escapism. But is it really? Surely, this kind of narrative, the stereotypes presented and the self-hatred it promotes, eats away at any notion of sisterhood and support. These magazines teach us to compete, to stare, compare and despair – at ourselves and each other. They feed on our insecurities and teach us to kick ourselves when we’re down and seek succour in shopping and bitching. It also teaches us that its OK to kick others when they’re down.
This has now been blatantly exposed, arguably, by the Bingle bungle. An Australian woman’s mag kicks one of their own – someone who has graced their pages and, when called to account, they have no legitimate excuse. That’s not to let Fevola and co off the hook, but it just goes to show to what levels even a peddlar of the ‘sisterhood’ will stoop.
Sadly, it’s pretty low.
What do you think?
Just wanted to put in a good word here for CLEO, which I write for. In a recent issues, I was impressed to see the word ‘feminist/feminism’ mentioned at least twice (as you say, unheard of in most women’s mags). And their book reviews page is dedicated to books other than fluffy man-beauty-shopping lit (calling it ‘chick lit’ seems like an insult to chicks) and dating guides. And when the same editorial team (including Erica Bartle of girlwithasatchel.com) worked at Girlfriend, they referred to The Beauty Myth in their body image special.
And, of course, they let me write my regular features interrogating stereotypes about women in a way you don’t see anywhere else in Australia’s women’s media (including more overtly feminist-friendly mags).
I think the last women’s/girls’ magazine I read was twenty+ years ago – doesn’t sound like I missed much.
You’ve exposed some important issues, Karen.
You know, I am addicted to these magazines – they are easier to get than sleeping pills! Seriously though, I never used to read them but started to for academic purposes (as a ‘critical’ reader, I didn’t think I would be affected by them, and could easily enough decipher the bullshit. But it really is a case of “open at one’s own peril as noone is immune to the constant bombardment of crap and contradiction”). They promote absolute nonsense – and whilst Naomi Wolf is right off the mark in many ways (these days), i think she got it fairly right in some senses regarding the advertising and beauty industries. The ‘sisterhood’ is such a slippery notion, and I worry as so few even recognise that we even need feminism (or any sense of ‘sisterhood’…or plain decency) anymore. Everything is so bloody post-post-post and disconnected from reality that we don’t even realise how bad the situation has become, and there simply aren’t enough cultural critics speaking out (thanks KB). I am so over this competitive, nasty, insecure state of pettiness that the fenemies (in all their forms) promote and indulge.
Hi Rachel, thanks for your posting and I quite understand you wanting to stand up for your publication. CLEO, Vogue, Marie Claire and a couple of others do make an effort to critique and draw attention to a range of issues concerning women (and men) and produce some really interesting articles. I have worked with journalists across all three and am always impressed with their research and questions. I was careful not to name publications that I feel (and others) fail and not to name those who I think succeed to entertain and inform – but, dammit, I’ve done it now. There are others, of course. And, I have no objection to pure entertainment and fluff either – we need it too! What perturbs me deeply is that it’s framed by a nastiness that is so embedded it’s normalised. That’s sad and while it’s transparent to some, it’s not to so many and this is of concern. Thanks again!
Sadly, Sheryl, you haven’t… though there are some goodies out there. I also noticed, when I bought the Women’s Weekly to read the Tony Abbott interview (got my receipt – tax deduction!), that it has altered its approach. I found a fairly good mix of entertainment, a couple of really interesting articles (female suicide bombers – it looked like it was commissioned from a good US publication) and some others that did surprise me. Look, I like fashion and some celebrity gossip, but I don’t like denigrating other women to make readers feel better or the idea that this is all women focus on!
But yeah, Sheryl, for the most part, save your money! Though do see my response to Rachel below. Those mags do strike a reasonable balance and I have, in the past, quite enjoyed them!
BUt each to their own – just don’t succumb to the self-loathing principle that feeds some publications, hey!
xxx
Yeah, I am with you all the way, there Sarah! I really despair that women are being so pitted against each other and that often, at the front line, are these mags who are like double agents! They’re sent in to find out our feel-good strategies and burn them!!!
And yes, one day we’ll be so ‘post’ we’ll have to start all over again!
Thanks!!
xxx
Rachel’s work is one of the few exceptions. I should have written that considering that I am writing on this very subject elsewhere right now (‘young’ Australian feminists…). A very big oversight….
wow most of the opinions readers write are silly and unrelated, sometimes i ponder whether they in truth read the subject material and content before writing or whether they just simply read the post title and type the very first thing that one thinks of. anyhow, it’s useful to read sensible commentary occasionally as opposed to the very same, classic blog vomit which i quite often notice on the net
I think you have made some insightful points and I fully agree that we as women tend to be very hard on ourselves and this seems to be reflected in these magazines. Since I have begun to blog myself and follow others, I find it interesting to note the tone that most womens (or at least the ones I come across) blogs seem to share. On the whole they seem very positive, uplifting and generous and I think reflect a much more wholistic and balanced view. I have given up reading the popular magazines on offer today. My world view and the view I have of myself is far better when placed in the context of the amazing people I am meeting from all over the world who are sharing their personal lives in a real, honest way, real women telling their own stories. It may be less glam but far more rewarding and truthfull.
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