Pro-tip for those celebrating the death of #page3

The Sun has reportedly ended its tradition of putting topless models on Page Three

Well done @nomorepage3, you did it.

The pressure you and others put on The Sun, combined with a general changing of popular opinion, means that the newspaper has decided to stop putting topless models on page three.

The “Page Three Girl” no longer exists.

And that’s a good thing. Boobs aren’t news. I don’t buy The Sun regularly, but forgetting that Page Three was a ‘thing’ and then seeing an (admittedly attractive) topless women with no context when I turned the front page was always jarring.

I didn’t always have a problem with Page Three, and thought it was just a bit of fun, but then my brother and his wife had children. My sister-in-law buys The Sun and once her son reached four, she had to start putting it out of reach, like you would scissors or matches or a The Exorcist DVD.

Why? Because they didn’t want their lad seeing rude pictures in something that is supposed to be a “family” publication. And that makes sense to me.

When a newspaper has to be treated like a dirty secret, then something has to change.

The #takedownpage3 campaigners claimed they were doing it because they felt Page Three objectified women and sent out unhelpful messages to young girls, but the end result is the same so I say again — well done @nomorepage3.

But here’s where I start giving advice.

BE HAPPY FOR THE CHANGE AND MOVE ON.

Don’t crow about it, don’t start partying and going on media tours. Don’t start popping up on talk radio, don’t write article after article for The Guardian. Just chalk it down as a win, and move on.

There are still many, many people out there who think you hated Page Three because you hate men, and behaving in a classless fashion will only make them think it more.

And here’s my next piece of advice.

Choose your next target wisely.

Prove that you care about improving depictions of women in the media and not just attacking straight male sexuality by turning your attentions to women’s magazines.

Zoo magazine, FHM, Loaded and other men’s magazines are just that: *men’s magazines*

They are usually on higher shelves in shops, there are age restrictions on buying them and in most shops their covers are obscued by modesty boards.

Women’s magazines on the other hand… oooooh boy.

SHOCKING BODIES!!!!!

Heat, New, Now, Reveal, Closer, Star and others are all aimed at *young women*. Schoolgirls buy these magazines for celebrity gossip, fashion advice and pictures of hot men.

But what they are subjected to are countless examples of perfectly healthy women labelled “too fat”.

Women who are dangerously thin are called “curvy”.

And then editorial schizophrenia comes into play.

Grossly obese women are lauded for “celebrating their curves”.

Meanwhile obscenely underweight, clearly ill, women are described as looking “better than ever”.

However you slice it, weekly women’s magazines hate their readers, want them to feel bad about how they look and likely want to kill them if the messages they send are anything to go by.

No matter who you are, you are too fat or too thin OR “bubbly and curvy” (morbidly obese) or “so hot it hurts” (probably suffering an eating disorder).

Cellulite on beautiful women is highlighted with red circles

Deodorant marks on the expensive clothes of A-listers with more money than you or I will ever have are pointed out and the wearer mocked

Wrinkles are pointed and laughed at

Women who have given birth are humiliated for having slightly saggy tummies

Stretchmarks on natural boobs that many would gladly pay for are treated like a deformity

Even knees (KNEES!) get the “circle of shame” treatment

Now compare that to men’s magazines.