UPDATED Thursday, Jan. 22, 1:44 a.m GMT, to reflect clarification by The Sun.
UK newspaper The Sun is having a real laugh.
Another NewsCorp publication, The Times, revealed Tuesday that the controversial topless Page 3 girls would be no more. The Sun, however, has now tweeted a photo of what it claims is Thursday's edition -- with boobs galore. (The cover is embedded below, the Page 3 is NSFW.)
Tomorrow's front page: pic.twitter.com/jOt1kho5mo— The Sun (@TheSunNewspaper) January 21, 2015
In the reverse troll of the century, The Sun advertised its Page 3 comeback under the title “We’ve had a mammary lapse.” It then apologised on behalf of media outlets everywhere who picked up News Corp's false original report (including us, originally, though we've now updated this story to reflect the about face).
The correction, or "clarification," reads: “Further to recent reports in all other media outlets, we would like to clarify that this is Page 3 and this is a picture of Nicole, 22, from Bournemouth.
"We would like to apologise on behalf of the print and broadcast journalists who have spent the last two days talking and writing about us.”
The Sun's Page 3: a more unwanted comeback than Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dapper Laughs and ripped jeans.— Sophie Hall (@SophLouiseHall) January 21, 2015
The greatest trick The Sun ever pulled was convincing the world Page 3 wouldn’t exist.— Patrick McPartlin (@p_mcpartlin) January 21, 2015
The pictures of topless women had been part of the British tabloid The Sun for nearly half a century.
Last Friday's edition was thought to be the last to feature a woman baring her breasts -- usually offering her take on the news of the day -- on the third page of the paper, although topless pictures were slated to continue on the website behind a paywall.
Page Three has split opinion in recent years. A 'No more Page Three' campaign, started in 2012 by Lucy-Ann Holmes and featuring the tagline "boobs aren't news," has attracted more than 200,000 signatures. It's also been backed by MPs and anti-sexism charities.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas wore a "No more Page Three" T-shirt during a media sexism debate in Parliament in 2013.
The paper had refused to confirm reports of Page Three's demise, but The Sun's head of PR Dylan Sharpe recently tweeted a jokey reference to the story.
Page 3 will be in @TheSunNewspaper tomorrow in the same place it's always been - between page 2 and page 4.— Dylan Sharpe (@dylsharpe) January 19, 2015
It's believed that News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch signed off on the decision. He brought up the issue in a series of tweets last year, branding the concept "old fashioned."
Brit feminists bang on forever about page 3. I bet never buy paper I think old fashioned but readers seem to disagree.— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) September 10, 2014
Page 3 again. Aren't beautiful young women more attractive in at least some fashionable clothes? Your opinions please.— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) September 10, 2014
The paper will continue to show women in their underwear, the Telegraph reports, and it's thought the decision will be reversed if sales drop as a result.