Kiwi's erotic ambition provokes debate
By MARCUS STICKLEY - Stuff.co.nz
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A New Zealander has been courting controversy in the UK as the editor of a women's erotic magazine that this month published explicit pictures of a sexually-aroused man.
After earlier this year publishing a non-explicit first issue of Filament, Suraya Singh, who was born in Taranaki and lived in Wellington before moving overseas, found the printing company she had worked with refusing to be involved with the second issue over a pictorial showing a man with an erection.
"We were initially told, when I said I'd like to print explicit material, that this was fine as long as it wasn't 'erections, penetrations or ejaculations'…," Singh said.
The printers were concerned that other clients - "particularly those in the women's/religious sectors" - would stop working with them as a result of the Filament pictorial.
Other publishers had questioned whether the pictures would be legal under the Obscene Publications Act and some UK distributors had refused to take a women’s magazine with a man on the cover.
Singh's plight in getting her pictorial published has been covered by several major British media outlets.
The issue was reviewed by The Guardian and The Independent under the headlines "A limp response to women's erotica" and "Seen but not hard: The big penis debate".
However, Singh has now found success and Filament last week launched its second issue complete with erection photos after being approached by another printer. It now lays claim to being "the first UK women’s magazine to publish an erection pictorial".
"There are several gay mags given out in nightclubs and available in sex shops that contain erections. There have also been women's magazines who have published isolated erection photographs [for example] as part of an editorial, but none who have done a full pictorial," she said.
The photos in the Filament pictorial were taken by the model’s girlfriend and are accompanied by an interview with him. "…The intensity of feeling just shines through beautifully: that intensity of feeling is fundamental to good erotica," said Singh, who runs the magazine from her North London bedroom.
She is concerned that the message "being screamed out from at least 50 percent of magazine racks" is that women are looked at sexually by men, "and never the other way around".
Singh said she was six-years-old when she first noticed a pornographic magazine and at the time asked her mother if there was such a thing for women.
"Given that there is porn in this world and it’s not going away, I think how that question is answered is quite critical to how young women grow up conceiving of how they will express themselves sexually as an adult."
Singh hopes to soon sign a distribution deal that would make her magazine available in shops worldwide, but for now is selling it to overseas readers online.
* What do you think about the issues Suraya Singh has faced in wanting to publish an erotic magazine for women? Post your comments below.
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Good on Suraya Singh for being so brave, and a sweet looking kiwi girl too. Provided there are no under-ages, or forced involvement, porn is fine in my book, whether that be girlie mags for us boys, or the other way around. Good one!
If the image in question isn't on the cover, what's the problem??? I'm a christian, by many people's standards I would be considered a prude, but seriously, what's the issue, I don't get it. If someone is offended by such images surely the simple answer is "Don't buy the magazine." Duh!!!
Thank goodness, finally a magazine that I actually enjoy cover to cover and not just for the articles.
The 'objectification' argument is a poor one. Beautiful people get jobs at models, and are shown naked in magazines. Just like smart people get jobs as scientists, and write in magazines. People don't want to read articles from idiots in 'Scientific American', just like they don't want to see ugly people in fashion magazines. Certain people are suited for certain roles. And if someone is absolutely beautiful to look at, then it appeals look at them. Just like it appeals to real a well-written, intelligent article. From all accounts it seems this magazine does both. (In saying that, erections are the last thing I want to see when reading a magazine. But I'm a straight male...)
Its a hard subject. A lot of people have firm beliefs that this is either wrong or right but its a personal choice which can be ignored by those who are offended by it. Good on her for being up to the task, getting amongst it, and coming out with the result...
Puns intented
Fully support Suraya. There is an important distinction to be made between erotica and pornography, and I don't think society in general is capable of making that distinction. Using this forum as a microcosm, obviously not.
I don't particularly agree with the sentiment that "it has been ok for women to be displayed to men like this so it should be ok for men to be displayed to women". If you disagree with the sexualisation of women, you don't solve it by the sexualisation of men.
However, that being said, I can see nothing wrong with this magazine. I'd be perfectly happy for my wife to have a copy.
I haven't read anything about Suraya, but I get the distinct impression that she is not trying to "balance the books". She saw a market for true women's erotica - by women for women - and did something about it.
I just hope the printers and distributors grow some balls and accept her business.
Interesting and good to see a balancing out in terms along with catering to an obvious demand.
Question though; regardless of whether it's a good or bad thing, how is it not porn? You know, a sexually explicit image designed for titillation? Hard to argue on an artistic basis I would have thought.
@ quiet #34 You can buy the magazine online at www.filamentmagazine.com
And I strongly recommend this magazine to friends, for the intelligence of its articles as much as for the very beautiful pictorials.
If it is smaller than mine ,I am all for it...if it is larger, this sort of thing is an abomination which should be stopped IMMEDIATELY!
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Mike at # 26 I quote you:
"OK, lets get real, Filament magazine is never going to show men that look like me or my mates"
There is one way to fix this. Contact Filament magazine and offer to model.
I am a straight female with the exact same curiosity that straight men have about what is under the opposite sex's clothes. I would love to see what you and your mates have under there - as long as your showered and groomed of course - I think you'll find that although us women all have different tastes, we can still appreciate all the different sizes and shapes men come in. Some of the men in Filament don't appeal to me but I can appreciate their spark, their beauty. Others DO appeal to me. Great!
Don't whinge that they wouldn't put you or men like you in the magazine till you've either tried to be in it or you have seen the men in the mag for yourself.
As for the magazine itself - I love it. Lovely men, the respectful way their bodies are treated, intelligent articles, no diets or 'how to wear this season's handbag' type of rubbish. It's a refreshing read, I'm glad it's around and I support it fully.