(Originally posted 7/28, but I bumped it back up to the top)
I saw the cover of BabyTalk magazine the other day, I forget where. I saw the boobie. I was SHOCKED, I tell you. UTTERLY SHOCKED that they would put a NAKED BREAST on the cover of a magazine that CHILDREN MIGHT SEE. The should have at least put it in that opaque plastic that the Playboys are in. Don't they know that breasts SHOULD NEVER BE SEEN? Unless, of course, they are poking up out of a tiny string bikini on the cover of FHM. Or they are selling beer or cars. Breasts are SEXUAL, people. Let's keep them in context. No CHILD should ever be in the same frame as something so BLATANTLY SEXUAL. That's GROSS. And SICK. And UNNATURAL.
Oh. Wait a second. Wrong personality.
Now, really people. The naked spherical mass on the right of the page is clearly a breast, but it's been as de-breastified as much as a breast can be. There's no hint of a nipple. There is nothing marking it as sexual, no bra strap dangling over a shoulder, no other breast meeting in the middle to form seductive cleavage. NOTHING. Take away the rest of the picture, and it could be anything. A bowl laying on it's side. A piece of peach paper.
Is it any shock that women don't nurse longer, as the cover queries? If 25% of BabyTalk's readership (25 fucking percent!) is this opposed to seeing an airbrushed debreastified breast uncovered, can you imagine the uproar that goes on in their heads when a women whips it out at storytime? And even if no one says anything, that woman tensely trying to breastfeed is going to remember the furor over this, and she's going to know she's offending someone. Do you know how hard it is for a baby to nurse from a mother who is feeling so much tension and insecurity? Do you know how hard it is to relax enough to have a letdown when you think you're offending someone? It's damn near impossible. You might as well try to have an orgasm in front of a judge.
And if you think that picture is bad, if you think that's indecent, look at this picture. This is me, nursing as I normally do at home. Want to make a statement? Leave this indecency where your children might see it. Want to be a real rebel? Post your own indiscreet nursing picture.
*UPDATES!*
Boobs from around the net...
Jody- she also has a great roundup of relevant links.
And check out this topless news report on the subject at hand. You'll notice there are two nipples visible in this one.
**If you posted a picture and I missed you, email me and I'll put up a link. If you'd rather not have the extra traffic, email me and I'll remove the link.**
I just don't understand out society. What the hell is wrong with the US?
I, too, say fuckum and breastfeed where ever I damn well please. I'm generally discrete, but I DON'T worry about what others think and I guess I've been lucky in that I've never gotten the rude comment or dirty looks (that I've noticed anyway-maybe I'm oblivious cause I don't give a rat's ass.).
Posted by: Tessy | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Thank you. I breastfeed in public when I need to, but it is so freaking hard. I'm always embarrassed at how awkward I am, and I know it's because I can't relax enough to let down and so Annie gets impatient and unlatches and yells and then I get more tense and on and on and on. Plus, if it's noisy, Annie won't focus and will unlatch and look around, which makes me even more self-conscious.
Thankfully, I have never received a negative comment. I think I would explode if that ever happened.
And on the picture: When I saw it, my first thought was "Baby!" I'm not sure what background one would have to have to see that and think, "Gozonga!"
Posted by: Casey | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:44 PM
i swear to god i wasn't copying you. great photo. i only had the one of me pumping...
Posted by: afrindiemum | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:59 PM
I just posted about this an hour ago myself.
How come it's ok for women to bare as much of their breasts as possible for beauty and sexual attraction, but not for nursing?
I wish I had a picture of me nursing, I'd post it.
Posted by: Bethany | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 04:24 PM
LOVE this post. ADORE the photo.
One of the things I am MOST looking forward to if this pregnancy works out... is nursing. I can hardly wait... I have dreams about it. Such a miraculous and loving thing it seems to me...
Fortunately, here in Canada... public nursing does not seem to be NEARLY the big deal it is in the STates.
Posted by: Manuela | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 05:54 PM
I have only been breastfeeding for 7 weeks but I figure as long as I am not 'flapping' it around and flashing the nips, people can kiss my butt.
I have not seen or heard any negative comments/looks directed towards me, but then I am usually so into watching the blissed out look on my sons face or talking to whomever I am with that I don't notice. :)
Posted by: Tana | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 06:02 PM
Unbelievable. I'm lucky that I never had any comments or nasty looks when I nursed my boys in public, though I did have a co-worker who was all grossed out by the EBM in the work fridge. That's OK, I was all grossed out by her deep fried lunches. I'll try to post a tandem feeding picture if i can find it.
Posted by: Emmie (Better Make It A Double) | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 08:04 PM
Just reading the blurbs from the cnn article made made shake with anger. I can't even start here. But I posted a pic. Wish I had something more "obscene" for you, but I just had to post what I had.
Posted by: Beth | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Obscene? Obscene is what a low rate of breastfeeding moms there are in the US, especially when there are so many that at least try it (70%). Why the drop off? Mostly because of latch problems and poor technique, but a huge part has to be the looks given that poor mom that doesn't have the fortitude to tell people to "shove it" like I do. Or simply ask them what fascinates them about the blanket over my shoulder. I'm discreet, but even in a corner with a blanket so as not to draw undue attention to myself, I get people pointing and staring. And the woman at their table is showing more boob than I am. Grrrrrrrrr!
Posted by: Gin | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 11:52 PM
I posted a picture.
I should probably look for a nursing-a-toddler (*cough*ormore*cough*) one but the decency police would definitely be after me then.
Posted by: Deirdre | Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 12:55 AM