As you can probably guess, this blog is about breasts, boobies, bosoms, and whatever other words there are to describe this natural feature on the human body. Both men and women have breasts. Some may be big, some small, some different shapes, some different colours, some uneven. All share the same characteristics of breast tissue, areolas, nipples; the only major difference is the ability to produce milk for children. Yet in our society today it is widely regarded that men are able to go topless, however, when a woman does, she is shamed or sexualised; thus, leading to the global phenomenon of the Free the Nipple movement/campaign. This campaign protests the criminalisation and censorship of female breasts, giving women the choice to be braless, topless and free of harassment and judgement for showing a natural part of their bodies. It is part of a larger movement of women reclaiming their bodies; sexuality and safety and links with the ideas of feminism, equality and empowerment for all humans.
First of all, a brief history of the nipple. In the stone age, classical Greece and more, breasts were celebrated as they symbolised fertility. They were sacred and worshipped even. Breasts are used to sell products with music videos and advertisements showcasing women’s breasts because “sex sells”. And yet despite this, one of the most fetishized images is one of the most controlled. This dates back to the Ancient Greeks where naked men were depicted as symbols of virility and power; whereas women were censored by a sensual drape, covering up those nasty body parts. ‘Horror stories’ about Amazonian women bearing one breast when they fire their bow and arrow in battle; and to make matters worse… they were husbandless! Perceptions of the breast had then been allocated to two different categories: the “maternal Madonna” and the “seductive temptress”. Even artworks can be separated into these two categories with the Madonna del Lattes of the High Renaissance within the “maternal Madonna” category and Rubens’ full figured erotic nudes within the “seductive temptress” category. However recently, the images of the breast-feeding Madonna began to dissipate with mass consumerism focusing on what is ‘sexy’ and ‘erotic’ causing the nipple to become taboo. Then in the 60s some women fought back, protesting for women’s rights to their own bodies and their own boobs. Present day, women are still taking to the streets protesting women’s rights and the objectification of their breasts with Netflix documentaries being made, articles being produced, and petitions being signed.
This movement argues that the media is to blame. For example, when the media glorifies violence through video games, but censors women’s breasts; it leads to fetishization as boobs become a mystery that requires solving. Even breastfeeding is deemed illegal in some countries, and social media sites like Facebook censored all breastfeeding images. When it comes to images or videos of violence or potentially controversial images of women in bikinis, lingerie or little clothing, posing seductively, there is no censorship at all implementing the idea that nudity should only be for sex. This is problematic as many agree that breastfeeding is a natural part of raising a child, so when women are not allowed feed publicly, they are forced to do it in grimy toilets where the sanitation is but one of their worries. Breastfeeding in public became taboo due to the change in perceptions of women’s breasts; they became less functional and more sexualised, less of a source of food for infants and more of an object for people to take a quick peek at. So, if the media began to normalise usual bodily functions instead of creating a mystery and taboo, women may begin to feel more comfortable in their own bodies and there would be less over-sexualisation of women’s bosoms.
Furthermore, it can be argued that the free the nipple campaign can relate to the sexualisation of men when they are topless as well. When men are topless, some women can be seen having a sneaky peek for abs or toned tummies just as some men do the same to women. Although the sexualising of men may be seen to be not as harmful, the insecurity men feel and the pressure they get for having a ‘good body’ is still valid. However, I argue that females would receive more objectification of their bodies if they went fully topless, than a male would if they went topless.
The Free the Nipple campaign begins to unravel the shame women feel as soon as she owns her own body. Consequently, instead of sexualising women’s bodies, we should be normalising them. So, what would a society in which there is gender equality in this issue look like? If the female body was to be viewed less sexually, perhaps objectification of women in the workplace, harassment, and body shaming may decrease. Commonly, nudity and going braless somehow translates to consent and sexual promiscuity, when in reality nudity does not equal consent! This movement isn’t saying that a woman’s nipple should never be sexual, it is merely saying that a woman’s nipple shouldn’t be regarded as inherently sexual simply because it is on a woman’s body. One of the reasons against publicly breastfeeding is the view that men might not be able to help themselves as nudity is deep-rooted in their idea of sex and pleasure. This opinion alone deters women from doing what they want with their own bodies out of fear of harassment and judgement. If the female body is normalised in modern media, and not just the ‘average’ female body, then the perceptions around having the ‘perfect’ body and the inviting ‘mystery’ around nudity will slowly fade. However, there are worries that the promotion of women’s body could increase the likelihood of sexual harassment, so it is difficult to predict exactly what a society in which the nipple is freed will look like.
Women do not have to obey this movement in order to support it, because let’s face it, bras are needed by some women whether it is for support, sporting activity or because they want to. This movement seeks to allow choice for women, rather than being forced to act in a certain way.
Finally, I would also like to highlight what supporting this campaign doesn’t look like. I have frequently seen men saying they support this campaign on social media, purely for the selfish reason that they will see more topless women. If you have this belief then you are part of the problem! Women do not want to be seen as some sexual object that people can gaze at when they please; women want to be able to have the choice of what to do with their bodies, just as men do.
By no means am I saying women must go topless and braless at all times, simply that what a woman wants to do with her body should be her choice. Furthermore, nudity does not equal consent, fetishizing, or sex. Supporters of this matter are not saying all women should be going around taking their tops off in indecent places such as restaurants or hospitals, they are saying that women should be allowed the same privileges as men when sunbathing topless, or posting a photo on social media where the nipple is visible. At the heart of this movement is equality and women being given a choice.
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