Many of you tuned in to last Monday’s The Forum Live to hear Victoria Bateman’s fascinating discussion of her new book, Naked Feminism. BN’s 100-strong welcoming audience gave Victoria a boost, she said, after a day in which Amazon Ads banned the book and she received unpleasant social media messages. Here’s what happened:
Amazon Ads refused to advertise the book (though it was available to buy on the website). This prompted a tweet from Victoria: Amazon Ads have BANNED my new book #NakedFeminism on the basis that the cover is - apparently - "sexually suggestive". Does my body make my words less worthy? Challenging the idea that women must choose between their bodies and their brains is, ironically, the point of the book.
To Amazon Ads, Victoria wrote: “Why are you afraid of my breasts? Best wishes, Victoria.”
It’s not clear what induced the company to change its mind, but Victoria tweeted today: VICTORY! Amazon Ads have now reversed their decision to ban my new book from being advertised on Amazon. Thank you to everyone for your support in this fight against the #CultofFemaleModesty.
She also thanked Telegraph education editor Louisa Clarence-Smith, who took up Victoria’s cause in an article published yesterday: #NakedFeminism has been set free! An enormous thank you to @LouisaClarence for breaking the story and for your support in overturning the Amazon Ad ban.
What to make of all this? Well, it’s censorship. Not to launch into a rant, but considering the amount of sexual content available everywhere in today’s society, online and offline, it makes no sense for Amazon to refuse to advertise Victoria’s serious academic work because the book jacket has bare breasts on it.
The point is: Who does this censorship protect? Anyone offended by the sight of a naked woman won’t buy the book. Ironically, as noted, the book was freely available on Amazon’s website – it just wasn’t advertised. So anyone who wanted to buy the book could do so freely anyway.
And a larger question for us Naturists: After all the years of trying to explain to the public that naked bodies are not always “sexually suggestive”, is there more we can do to make our case? Or is Amazon Ads’ ridiculous decision just a storm in a teacup?