DI Column Up: The War on Breasts
My latest DI column is up, The War on Breasts on the BabyTalk breastfeeding controversy, the public resistance to breastfeeding, and why feminism and not the “religious right” (a.k.a. the designated boogeyman) is to blame.
http://www.now.org/nnt/05-98/breastfd.html
Is this another conservative, blaming the civil rights movement for racial discrimination?
The only people afraid of boobs in public, John, are all the conservatives who gasp at Janet Jackson and immodest clothing. Feminism is unfortunately not the appropriate target this time.
Comment by Lally Gartel | September 7, 2006
“Is this another conservative, blaming the civil rights movement for racial discrimination?”
No, this is another liberal who can only distort and spin until a nice strawman is contructed…
Why is it then, if conservatives who gasp at Janet Jackson being a whore, are the majority of people I know who support public breastfeeding conservative?
Nice try. We’re not the ones with hypersexualized outlooks on life.
Comment by John Bambenek | September 8, 2006
Well, I don’t know, perhaps you are surrounded by englightened conservatives. However, it’s completely clear that feminists, who may or may not hypersexualize things, DO support (public and other) breastfeeding. And I sent you a link from the biggest feminist organization in the United States that said so. You didn’t address that at all, so, I assume you quietly concede the point.
Comment by Lally Gartel | September 8, 2006
So far as I can tell, the argument this column makes goes something like this:
1. Liberal feminists have created a society where everyone–women and men–acts like “like sex-crazed seventh grade boys.”
2. And one thing we can say for sure is that sex-crazed seventh grade boys HATE breasts. Or, umm, wait, I mean…HEY, look over there while I skip past my minor premise!
3. The feminists killed breastfeeding.
Compelling as this logic is, it does seem to have the flaw (admittedly a minor one in the world of punditry) that it bears no resemblance whatsoever to reality. Are these prominent liberal feminist bloggers prosecuting this “War on Breasts” when they talk about breastfeeding as a feminist issue here, here, here, here, here, here, and here? And what are we to make of conservative blogger Charlotte Allen — who likes to write articles condemning “liberal Christianity” — decrying “the right to bare large expanses of naked human flesh in settings that disturb others”? Or of Dr. Laura Schlesinger opining that lactating moms should keep it covered up?
What I make of it is that the columnist not only doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but isn’t interested in finding out. Falwell & Robertson famously blamed the feminists for the attacks of September 11. Blaming them for the public’s horror mammilae makes about as much sense.
Comment by Christopher Monsour | September 8, 2006
“Why is it then, if conservatives who gasp at Janet Jackson being a whore, are the majority of people I know who support public breastfeeding conservative?”
This is because you probably discuss political issues with friends who feel similarly.
When you used the term “nursing Nazis”, I could have sworn you made it up. So I googled it. I cannot believe that’s a real term. However, it definitely isn’t a Straw-feminist appellation for breastfeeding mothers. It’s a term used by parents who prefer formula to refer to experts and those who insist that breastfeeding is the only way to go. The first result for “nursing Nazis” in google is from a comment thread on far-left bastion Free Republic.
Incidentally, Straw-feminism is a term that refers to the often brought up, and (in reality) quite rare notion of feminism as a belief stating that there are no differences whatsoever between men and women. Feminists are not arguing this in the slightest. The trouble Larry Summers ran into was by taking some statistics and mistaking correlation for causation. Just about anybody who’s ever taken a social sciences class can tell you that that isn’t controversial, it’s just stupid.
Comment by Jon O. | September 8, 2006
Oh, and I had almost forgotten to mention: I am objectively pro-breasts.
Comment by Jon O. | September 8, 2006
I didn’t say feminists… I qualified a certain branch of them. See, it’s kinda like saying Christians believe X when there are really about 50,000 or so denominations. That’s why we have denominations, so it can be better defined what group we’re talking about and that’s why I invented a term because none exist as far as I can tell for feminism, which is certainly not a homogenous group of people.
You’ll pardon me if I’m unimpressed at NOW’s child credentials… I mean they do support the genocide of about 50 million children so far.
However, it’s clear that most of the commenters here are perfectly willing to blame Christians for the problem…
We aren’t the ones who view children as a burden. You are.
Comment by John Bambenek | September 9, 2006
[...] John Bambenek (Part-Time Pundit) looks at boobies. [...]
Pingback by basil's blog » Blogrolling 2006-09-12 | September 12, 2006
I see more public breast feeding in church than anywhere else. They simply throw a blanket over the mom’s shoulder and baby’s head.
I think nursing mothers should be modest, within reason. I think a bunch of objectors should get a life. Most of all, I don’t understand how this could be a leagal problem. It is simply a matter of propriety.
I would love to see a little ISP info on the anti breast feeding crowd. I would be a safe bet that the same people who call breast feeding indecent look at porn.
Comment by Big White Hat | September 12, 2006
I’m a little late to the conversation, but when you all are talking about breastfeeding in public, are we talking about guys like me (I’m 61) feeding on a woman’s breast in public? If so, I’m not agin it. Just throw a blanket over me and let’s have at it.
I like the blanket part because with all those cell-phone cameras who needs to upset the little lady back home with indecent photos.
Comment by bernie | September 13, 2006
I guess the creepy old guy has to show up eventually.
Comment by Christopher M | September 16, 2006