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The Beaver | 20.11.2012 the women at large who are subject to worse forms of sexism?â€? A further question highOLJKWHG WKH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQFH EH tween a paper that espouses
ideology behind hate crime and rapeâ€? as a necessity. Last to speak was Ben Green, who approached the issue from a satirical perspective, announcing that if the LSE were to remove The Sun then it “may as well remove the Daily Express and all other publications that are KRUULன FDOO\ VH[LVW ‍ ڕ‏7DNLQJ on a more serious frontier, Green questioned whether the motion has commercial or political motives, arguing that people have their own discretion whether they want to buy a certain newspaper or not. After all the speakers gave a brief pitch, the UGM turned to a rigorous question and answer session. A large set of questions focused on the marginalisation of sex workers, characterisations of women, institutional gender oppression and the arbitrary line between “acceptable sexismâ€? in some newspapers and “unacceptable sexism.â€? The response from those supporting the motion was that given the Sun’s low readership on campus, removing the Sun would not be economically detrimental, but more of a political move that would signify an intolerance towards sexism towards women; an attitude most prominent in Page three. One speaker asked: “If removing the Sun is characterised as an attack on Page three women, who model consensually, then what about
LEON PUPLETT
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an opinion and one that is out rightly criminal. Referencing the phone-hacking, the speaker asked those opposing the motion “why they would propose a publication that was pending criminal investigation should remain on campus?� To this Stott swiftly replied that the case on removing the Sun largely concerned Page three, not criminal investigation. By passing motion to remove the Sun, LSESU would be sending out the message that, as an institution, it doesn’t value Page three women or respect their
choices, and it would be “alienating a group of people who are already disproportionately frowned upon by the patriarchy.� Green supported Stott’s
$IWHU WKH ன QDO URXQG RI questions, votes were taken. Of those attending the UGM, 64 per cent voted in favour of the LSESU removing The Sun from the SU shop.
mates, who make banning and opposition their default position do not represent me.â€? Meanwhile, Chris Moos, a postgraduate Management student was unfazed by the decision. “There is no human right to buy the Sun on campus, so if the SU decides they don’t want to sell it, that is ok to me.â€? In response to these accusations, Jay Stoll tweeted “if you don’t like the decision, try turning up [to the UGM] next time!â€? According to Alex PetersDay, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, “if women feel uncomfortable with a newspaper being sold which promotes a certain stereoW\SLன HG YHUVLRQ RI D ZRPDQ then absolutely we are well within our rights to remove such a publication.â€? She added, “It’s not about ‍Ú?‏VWLŕŽ‹ LQJ IUHH VSHHFK‍ ڑ‏DQG LW‍ڑ‏V not about censorship, it’s about respecting women and argument by reiterating the $ ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI FRQWURYHUV\ ensuring that we do not profact that it is not up the SU’s surrounded the result of the mote sexist materials.â€? responsibility to decide who UGM, with numerous people According to the store can and can’t read The Sun. tweeting that as an institu- manager of the SU shop, the However Stott’s com- tion which prides itself on Sun sells “maybe oneâ€? copy ments sparked retort from liberalism, it was ironic that per day, and that publications Rowe, who accused Stott of LSE was resorting to “press such as the Guardian and misconstruing the question censorship.â€? the Financial Times are a lot DQG DJDLQ FODULன HG WKH GH Rupert Pickering, a sec- more popular in the shop. bate was about the removal ond year Anthropology stuHe said that the newspaof the Sun, not banning Page dent was bewildered that due pers were obtained through a three. Rowe addressed Stott to “twenty peopleâ€? who voted wholesale retailer, which supand stated the motion was in the UGM, “the choice of plies all the publications sold about “taking a stand against 10,000 is limited.â€? in the SU shop. He also noted racism and sexism, and when “Until the SU becomes WKDW WKLV LV WKH ன UVW WLPH ‍ڔ‏DV trying to make a political a representative body I will far as I can knowâ€? that the SU point, you choose a paper consider every decision of shop has cease selling a pubZLWK KXJH FLUFXODWLRQ ன JXUHV there’s to be a farce. A cou- lication. to raise awareness.â€? ple of left-wingers, and their
UNION JACK Lo! He came with clouds descending! All the way from Jinxland, the former Prime Minister and now King, Phearse. First, though, a brief announcement from the Guardian of the Gates: three Sabbs will be growing mustaches in support of Movember. What a worthy cause! What an opportunity to make jokes about Dorothy! Onto the oration of the mighty Phearse. Phearse and others from Jinxland want all the Ozites to come on a protest in favour of education. We think. Two years ago, Ozites went on another Jinxland protest that ended up with much naughtiness. Phearse agreed that a repeat would be most unbecoming. Apart from that, the last protest had ‘too many minutiae’. To avoid that, this protest will focus on not LQŕŽ‹ XHQFLQJ D SDUOLDPHQWDU\ SURFHVV sending a message to the media, saying that MPs lied in their election prospectuses, the false dichotomy between fees & EMA but EMA is more important if we have to make
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a choice, begetting the next generation of student activists, not just having occupations and demonstrations, education, employment and empowerment, young people, fees, mobilising, Nick Clegg is naughty, and a list RI WKLUWHHQ EULHன QJV WKDW -DFN GLGQ‍ڑ‏W even have time to scribble down, QR PDWWHU KRZ IXULRXVO\ KLV WLQ\ ன VW gripped his pen. So, under no circumstances should the message for this demonstration be described as confused, PHDQLQJOHVV ZDŕŽ? H IURP DQ RU ganisation that is half-composed of Munchkins wanting to bring about the revolution, some of whom have started on dubious ‘art’ courses so they can keep reappearing at the annual Jinxland Parliament, with the other half full of wanton careerists with both halves so full of factions that getting a single, coherent message is like getting money out of Jack’s wallet. Jack was disappointed in the rebuttal to Phearse’s speech from Sir Hokus of Pokes. Sir Hokus wore his colours on his sleeve and, indeed, the rest of his rather attractive blue
sweater. The good knight was at pains to appear moderate and reasonable, with a speech that belied his origins in the Debate Hall. Jack knew that Sir Hokus didn’t quite understand the politics of Oz when he said that a rational decision should be PDGH :HOO ன UVW WLPH IRU HYHU\WKLQJ Jack supposes. When Sir Hokus started talking about mandates and FRVW EHQHன W ULVN DQDO\VHV -DFN knew something was wrong. Long gone are the days of foaming-at-themouth soundness that used to grace the stage. Phearse dealt with a couple of the points well enough by batting them away – the mandate came from the election of officers, so that the last motion passed in support of Jinxite protests was two years ago doesn’t matter. It should, however, matter, but we don’t seem to be doing motions any more. That, and the government is naughty because it doesn’t have a mandate. Oh, and WKH FRVW EHQHன W ZDV EDWWHG DZD\ similarly – the government’s costEHQHன W DQDO\VLV LVQ‍ڑ‏W YHU\ JRRG -DFN is sure that style of argument would go down very well on Question Time.
The last point wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touched at all; Phearse hopes that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no repeat of last year and, er, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. We did have a written report from 'RURWK\ DERXW KHU WULS RŕŽ&#x2030; WKH <HOORZ Brick Road. Jack notes with some disappointment that we have not heard this year from Jack Pumpkinhead, who arrived late this week, the Patchwork Girl, Tik-Tok, the Good Witch of the South, the Good Witch of the North, the Wicked Witch of the West or the Wicked Witch of the East. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give the Patchwork Girl, Betsy Bobbin, John Dough and Eureka the Cat a pass for the time being, but the other Munchkin Leaders had better start showing some reason not just for their having been elected, but why we need those positions at all. Anyway, Jack must go now. He has been listening to Die Antwoord and the new album has just dropped onto his doormat. Rest assured, though, WKDW KH ŕŽ&#x160; QN X IUHHN\ â&#x20AC;&#x153;JACKâ&#x20AC;?