Are Facebook Breastfeeding Advocates Being Too Prudish?
I participated in the whole “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding Is Not Obscene” event. And I’ll admit that even though I tend to think it’s a good sign when people who disagree on other things can unite around some common ground, I was still deeply creeped out by the supporters who posted things like “I mean, I wouldn’t want my kids to see those icky Facebook ads where two girls kiss, but breastfeeding is natural and God-approved so that should be OK.”
Marty Klein takes that a step further, arguing that the Facebook campaign organizers are shooting themselves in the foot by trying to position breastfeeding pictures as “good nudity” as opposed to those pictures that really are obscene, rather than taking a more broad anti-censorship stance. He writes: “Your right to watch South Park ultimately depends on someone else
I don’t want to see stranger’s breasts. I avert my eyes and leave public places when there are bare boobs waving around whatever the context. I am a prude I guess. I also do not go to nude beaches. I wouldn’t yell at or complain to a breast-feeding mom but I certainly wouldn’t be gazing in wonder at her beautiful breast-feeding. I actually think I have a right to be a little prudish if I want to be. I appreciate women who are kind enough to cover up and spare my blushes. I take it as a form of generous politeness. Also, just because you think of your breast as a sandwich doesn’t mean others do as well. That gawky teen (or creepy old man) across the way is thinking Wow! Big Bazooms! So unintentionally you are being sexualized. A sidenote, in cultures where women are bare-breasted all the time, all their lives, breasts are not seen in a sexual light at all. That does not describe most western or eastern cultures at all.
But they are BOTH sources of nutrition AMD playthings. Breasts have more than one function. Mature people can tell which function is operative at the moment. Teenage boys are not mature. Big deal!
Alice, if breastfeeding was allowed to be the perfectly natural thing that it is, boys would grow up to be teenagers and men that would see breasts as something other than playthings for them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with babies, children, adults, older people, or ANYONE witnessing a baby eating the way babies eat. Not all societies have these hang-ups, so I’m not sure how natural they are (the hang-ups).
I dont think it is that Facebook thinks that baring breasts while breastfeeding is sexual but that others may see it as such. Is it okay to you that your teen aged son see some womans’ breast as she feeds her child? Do you think your 14 year old son will be cool with that and not sexualize it? Of course he will sexualize them! Boys cant help it. The woman may be just feeding her baby and that is fine with me but no matter what she does the breast will still be sexualized in our society. It is only as natural as breastfeeding. I am floored that women who want to breast feed in front of my kids and demand they not be seen as sexual, will also buy push up bras or lingerie to entice the opposite sex. You cant have it both ways. They are either udders or playthings. Pick one.
it’s important to fight – if you have the energy – as there are still a lot of people who feel that breastfeeding is dirty, or sexual and would try to prevent you from doing what’s best for your baby.
I am a first time mom and I feed my daughter whenever and wherever she wants and do not cover up.
I agree with dhsredhead. why are people so prudish about nudity. we have all seen it before, what’s the big deal?
OK, I fully admit I could be missing something, but when I first heard about this protest, all I could think was “don’t these people have anything better to do?” Don’t get me wrong, I nursed my son for 12 months and did a lot of it in public. (He wanted to eat very frequently, and hated anything covering his head.) I think women should absolutely have the right to breastfeed in public, and should fight for that. But why is it so important to put a picture of it in Facebook? I do think it was silly and juvenile for Facebook to not allow these pictures, but when choosing your battles, is this really that important, especially for all the time that was spent on it?
I think breastfeeding advocates have more important issues to deal with then facebook. Also is there not a difference between sexual nudity and just natural nudity? Art and sex? That is one thing I never understood about this entire argument against breastfeeding. Public art that has women’s breasts revealed is all over my state capital, yet we did not have any law protecting a woman’s right to breastfeeding until last year.These works as art are not seen as sexual. Why is breastfeeding seen as sexual? Because a woman’s breast is involved?