It is not only a distorted image of the female body, but also condescending, ugly, dirty, sexual and degradingly portrayed. I wonder if you would get away with a similar image of a male portrayed in the same distorted, sexual, ugly way? Joy Edgecliff
The Beast's Monthly Mailbag Words The Wonderful People of the Eastern Suburbs OFFENSIVE AND MISOGYNISTIC I found the cover picture of the March 2021 edition offensive and misogynistic. This is supposed to be a local neighbourhood newsletter, not a pornographic magazine. When I looked back at previous publications, the January front page is also demeaning to women’s image and offensive. Stop putting your filthy rag in my letterbox. I will be writing to our local business and councils to stop supporting your magazine. Kids open our family mailboxes; what sort of message does it send? Don’t email me back to tell me you are right and I am wrong. I am entitled to my opinion and my privacy. I will not, as suggested, give myself an uppercut and go to bed. There is a time and place for such images. Kathleen Probably Saudi Arabia AN APOLOGY PLEASE James - I am writing to ask you to print a written apology, in the next edition, to the residents of Randwick and Waverley Local Government Areas for your front cover photo on the March 2021 edition of The Beast magazine. This image is not OK. The image is degrading and highly offensive to women in our community - thousands of us. It portrays women not only as sexual objects, but suggests and promotes potential harmful treatment of women, including rear and anal sex. It suggests dominance and entitlement rather than equality and consent.
10 The Beast April 2021
This is a dangerous message you are sending to men, women, boys and girls alike. For example, consider the trouble some young sportsmen are getting into for not being sure about consent. Are these the cultural and community values you want to promote in your publication - values that objectify and promote the potential abuse of women? If you do, I suggest you are out of touch with the times. For years police, armed forces, politicians, surf lifesaving clubs, schools and government have all walked on White Ribbon Day in our Local Government Area, and only yesterday the mayor of Randwick, Councillor Danny Said, spoke about the importance of equality and respect for everyone at ‘the rainbow’ on Coogee promenade. You only have to look at what is happening in Canberra this week and the uproar from people on both sides of parliament and beyond in the broader Australian community to determine the levels of respect expected towards women in 2021. It is my opinion you risk, and should lose, advertising income over such publication. I am going to copy the two mayors and the state member for Coogee into this email. Paula Bruce Resident and Lawyer COVER OF MARCH MAGAZINE I find the cover highly offensive and disturbing. It can be a painting better displayed elsewhere.
MISSING THE MARK Dear James - I always look forward to my monthly copy of The Beast and have been an avid reader since I moved to the east 13 years ago. It’s funny, topical and community minded. Unfortunately, I felt that this month’s edition missed its usual mark. It’s just my opinion, but I thought the cover, a beautiful image by an obviously skilled artist, was a bit dated for a community mag and more suited to an art gallery, a beach bar or a lads’ magazine. But hey, no big deal. Art is subjective and we’re lucky enough to live in a place where we’re free to form our own opinions and respect those of others. Or are we? The editor’s letter seemed to mock anyone who didn’t like the image, regardless of whether they asked for the magazine or not. For many, the letter is nothing but harmless banter. For many others, it’s typical of a culture that tells women any problem we have with how we’re represented is ours and our alone. Or to use a very clumsy analogy, if someone puts something in our (mail)box that we didn’t ask for and don’t like, we just need to relax and get over it. This is the same culture that results in some young men - good men - doing things they know are wrong because to do otherwise risks social exclusion and, yes, more mockery. Am I saying the editor’s letter or anyone at The Beast supports or encourages rape culture? Absolutely not. Perhaps it’s unfortunate timing, but when we have hundreds of young people and school principals right here in the Eastern Suburbs speaking up about a ‘pretty dark culture’ of sexual assault, routinely followed by banter that aims to undermine
