June 5, 2007:
For the second time in three years,
the British Royal Navy is trying for forbid sailors from posting newspaper
pictures of topless women in work or living areas. In Britain, it has long been
the custom to publish a picture of a topless woman on page three of some
newspapers. The pictures are called "Page Three Girls." In 2004, the Royal Navy
tried to ban sailors from displaying these pictures, but backed down after two
months because of massive protests from sailors, and lots of bad press. This
time, there is no official ban, but officers and Chief Petty Officers have been
quietly told to order sailors to remove the pictures. Thanks to the Internet,
sailors quickly figured out that it wasn't just a few puritanical superiors
getting on their case, but a navy wide policy. When confronted with this, the
navy admitted they had decided it would be a good idea to get rid of the
pictures, but had not made it an official policy. Most sailors are not
impressed with these goals, or methods, and morale has taken a major hit
because of it. The senior leaders of the navy insist they are just trying to
avoid hurting anyone's feelings, and to encourage sailors to respect the
feelings of others.