Body Image
I have CNN in my RSS reader (NetNewsWire if you’re wondering) and I saw a story pop up about breastfeeding. Since Elaine feeds Monkey when she’s home and pumps while she’s at work so I can feed him during the day, we’re obviously big advocates of breastfeeding. In fact, we both feel that it’s almost criminal to not breastfeed if you can (we were just talking day about how we feel that formula should be on a prescription-basis). Anyway, the article is pretty short, so read it yourself then come back.
All done? Good.
Hopefully, you’re as upset by this as we are. First off, it’s not even a picture of a breast. It’s a picture of the side-swell of a breast, with no body attached and no nipple or areola showing. How is that at all pornographic or sexual? I mean, yeah, if you’re 9-years-old it might be a little exciting, but if you’re a parent, you should be above that.
Secondly, I (and Elaine too) don’t think the problem is where these complainers are saying it is. It’s not with the husbands or the sons or the strangers in a restaurant. It’s with the moms. They seem to have this screwed up body image where they feel like they’re sitting around nude in public being sexual when they’re feeding their child. Maybe it’s something with American values, how we find Victoria’s Secret’s yearly lingerie parade to be good clean entertainment, but we fine CBS some $500,000 for showing a two-second shot of Janet Jackson’s obscured breast and nipple. Somehow we have developed a problem with nature’s perfect feeding system.
Now, I admit, Elaine and I are a bit more crunchy granola than a lot of people out there. We don’t ever really take Monkey out into public, so breastfeeding in public isn’t a common situation for us, but when we’ve done it, it hasn’t been a problem. Elaine has taken him out to the car to feed him, both for a bit more privacy and also for the ease. If we were in a restaurant or something, though, she’d have no problem feeding him in the open. If he needs to eat, he needs to eat, and it’s the only way he can.
Anyway, getting back to the body image, I have to wonder about the woman who said:
“Men are very visual[.] [...] When they see a woman’s breast, they see a breast—regardless of what it’s being used for.”
First off, she can’t really make the statement that she’s making; she’s not a man and so can’t say how men think. But let’s assume she can make that statement. Can she say that for all men? How about men in African and South American tribes where the women are nude or topless most of the time? Where women pass babies from one to another to feed so that the mother can work? Do they see breasts as purely sexual body parts? Or do they only see genitals as being sexual and breasts being part of a person’s life, the way they feed as babies and toddlers? I think it’s more of the second way, that they see the breasts as being the way to feed a baby and nothing more. I think most fathers of breastfed babies have the same thoughts (or can, once they learn to control themselves and their urges!).
Anyway, I don’t want to come off as a boob Nazi or something. I just think this society has some very screwed up morals and ideals when it comes to women’s bodies. Breastfeeding is a beautiful and natural part of a child’s life and it should be supported, not shot down by those who can’t keep their minds off of sex.
Posted Jul 28, 04:58 AM
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Teresa - Aug 1, 02:29 AM
