8degreesoflatitude

Jennifer Wilson, who blogs (very nicely) at No Place for Sheep, posted a piece today about women’s breasts and their right to exposure. Her post is here: http://noplaceforsheep.com/2013/02/21/breasts-nipples-breasts-nipples-breasts-breasts-nipples-breasts/.

It prompted comment, including from me. Here’s what I wrote:

Surely the “phwaar!” factor encompasses more than just the base sexual titillation of exposure? My Primary Question (asked of myself, not the possible object of  my desire) has always been “What shall we be able to talk about afterwards?” And anyway, I’m more of a leg man, myself.

So, risibility aside, what is the issue here? There is nothing wrong with being naked, or partly so. But we have to concede that our intellects give us rules to apply to normal everyday life, and one would hope some measure of common sense as well. As always, our actions should be guided by our assessment of what impact those actions might have on other people. It is not all about Me Me Me.

It’s a fact that women’s breasts are subjectively sexualised in much – if not all – of human society. Whether this is fair, or logical, is surely rather beside the point. It’s also a fact that the overwhelming bulk of sexual presentation in the media and beyond is orchestrated by men for the interest of men. Sadly, it’s also true that a lot of men behave like infantile tits where sightings – by chance or design – of women’s bodies are concerned.

I don’t object to exposure and most certainly not to the natural and nurturing practice of breastfeeding (in public or otherwise). But as a general rule I wouldn’t want to hang out in all the wrong places just to make a point, or because it’s logically my right to do so.