Thank you for helping close down Zoo Weekly to make our community safer for women and girls
Thanks to friends like you, a petition calling on Coles and Woolworths to stop selling ‘lads mag’ Zoo Weekly has led to the closing down of the all-ages pornographic magazine.
The petition, started by Collective Shout supporter Laura Pintur, argued that the magazine normalised harmful attitudes towards women and has no place in supermarkets that pride themselves on ‘corporate responsibility’ and ‘supporting communities’.
As Laura said when she wrote about the petition for the Daily Mail,
‘What chance does the younger generation have when they are being fed a diet of soft porn and the abuse, sexualisation, and objectification of women has become so normalised?’
The petition was also signed by a young Coles employee, Shannen, who had long felt the injustice of being required to handle and sell a magazine that promotes women’s subjugation and sexual objectification. Shannen was then inspired to take things further and submitted an official complaint to Coles.
Coles has informed Shannen that the magazine will be discontinued. She shares…
“Knowing that Coles is discontinuing Zoo magazine makes me feel relieved, for myself, and also for other young women in my workforce who no longer have to put up with selling a magazine that promotes rape culture.”
This incredible victory is a testament to the power of our combined voices. We’re grateful for Laura, Shannen and everyone who signed the petition. Your support has led to an important step towards a safer community for women and girls.
Goodbye Zoo Weekly, you won't be missed
We were pleased to report that after our successful campaign to get sexploitation mag Zoo Weekly out of Coles supermarkets Bauer Media announced the sexist lads mag was closing.
Read moreZoo shuts down: one less vehicle for sexism and promotion of male entitlement
Collective Shout takes credit for hastening Zoo’s demise: Coles dumping title was ‘catastrophic for sales’
Read moreBauer Media axes sexploitation mag Zoo Weekly
Via Mumbrella
Read moreColes to bin Zoo after employee complaints - will Woolworths do the right thing and #binzoomag?
"Other young women in my work force will no longer have to put up with selling a magazine that promotes rape culture"
A petition calling on supermarkets Coles and Woolworths to stop selling 'lads mag' Zoo Weekly has resulted in Coles agreeing to discontinue the misogynistic, all-ages porn mag.
Read moreQuestion: Who would let a child buy porn magazines?
Answer: All of us
20 reasons why Coles and Woolworths should #BinZooMag
Zoo Weekly has a long history of exploiting and objectifying women for the enjoyment of male readers. During this time, supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths have quietly profited from the sale of this unrestricted magazine in stores around the country. There are a lot of reasons why Coles and Woolworths should rethink the sale of Zoo Weekly, but we've narrowed it down to just 20, in no particular order.
Read moreZoo Weekly is putting my friends and I in danger
Petition Creator Laura Pintur writes for Mamamia on Collective Shout's campaign to get Zoo Weekly out of Coles and Woolworths.
Read moreGreens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young wins defamation case against Zoo Weekly for photoshopped bikini photo
As reported in The Guardian:
Read moreMedia Release: Video Coles and Woolworths sells Zoo Weekly porn mag to children
Collective Shout has released footage of Coles and Woolworths selling porn magazine Zoo Weekly to a 10 year old and 12 year old boy.
The footage shows that the children were able to stand in line and purchase magazines from both the self service and serviced check outs without any questioning or disruption.
Coles and Woolworths are the target of a petition started by 23 year old Melbourne woman Laura Pintur calling for both supermarket chains to pull the magazine from shelves, arguing that the magazine promotes violence against women.
Coles and Woolworths have not formally responded to the petition except to post comments on social media stating that they are abiding by the guidelines set out by the classification system and the magazine is selected and placed in such a way as to provide a ‘comfortable shopping experience.’
But this doesn’t even begin to address the concerns raised in the petition, says Collective Shout’s Melinda Liszewski.
“The concern is not about whether Coles or Woolworths have a ‘comfortable shopping experience’, the concern is a culture that is hostile to women and girls.”
“As long as Coles and Woolworths continue to sell Zoo Weekly which promotes attitudes and behaviours underpinning violence against women, then they are contributing to this hostile culture.”
“They can’t keep hiding behind the failings of the Classifications Board. The claims in this petition are too serious to ignore.”
In the petition which has now gathered over 34 000 signatures, Laura Pintur pointed to a 2011 study that compared content from lads mags (including Zoo) and statements from convicted rapists and found that people could not distinguish the source of the quotes.
“Zoo contains tips to coerce women into having sex including through the use of alcohol. They use photos of young girls that appear to be lifted from teen porn sites."
“How can we allow the younger generation be groomed to think that what Zoo magazine portrays and communicates is truth and good advice on how to treat girls?"
"We have a whole generation of kids that are growing up with only knowing women as an object for mens use and abuse.”
Melinda Liszewski says many will be shocked by the footage, but pointed out that this is happening every day.
“Zoo Weekly states that its target is ‘men’ aged 16-40, but its own market research shows that 36 000 boys aged 14-17 are among its readership. This publication is unrestricted and widely available to minors.”
“Coles and Woolworths must accept responsibility for their role in this.“
“Coles and Woolworths must take action now and remove Zoo from their shelves immediately.”