A Boob! In Public!! Oh, the Humanity!!!

May09

A Boob! In Public!! Oh, the Humanity!!!

10:11 am on May 9th 2007 Sara

[tag]Maggie Gyllenhaal[/tag] nursed her baby in public. And someone took a picture.

Why is this news again?

Oh, that’s right. There are still people out there who believe that breasts in Playboy are “art”, but those used by a mother on a park bench to feed her child are “obscene”. And I thought Alabama was a little bit backwards? Seems we are downright progressive compared to some of the commenters here.

I especially had to laugh at a couple who seemed to suggest that their own hangup about women [tag]nursing in public[/tag] somehow trumped that of a baby’s right to be fed. A person has a RIGHT to eat, you my friends do not have a RIGHT to ‘not be offended’, because if that truly were a right, I’d personally have you hauled away for offending me with your ass-backwards attitudes.

Just my opinion, as always.

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27 Responses to “A Boob! In Public!! Oh, the Humanity!!!”

Tuesday May 9th 2007 at 10:21 am 1

People are stupid. End of story.
Annie May 9th 2007 at 10:22 am 2

I had to stop reading the comments after the ’smelly bodily fluid’ comment. Sad. Good for Maggie I say. I will be on a busy flight to Ireland soon, I WILL be nursing my 7 month old. I contemplated getting a ‘hooter hider’ (hate that term) but have decided not to - anyone who cops an eyeful is just going to have to deal with it.

I am grateful though, as much as I have nursed each of my babies in public, I have yet to encounter a rude look or comment.
Flo May 9th 2007 at 10:25 am 3

As not only a breastfeeder, but an EXTENDED breastfeeder (the horrors!)-I am so very, very tired of this whole “your breastfeeding offends me” thing put out there by some people. As any breastfeeding mother knows, breastfeeding is about the LEAST sexy thing one can do with her breasts. I can’t wait for the day when everyone gets the hell over it and shuts the hell up already-if that day ever comes.

So yeah, I totally agree with you.
QofS May 9th 2007 at 10:40 am 4

Exactly.
Swistle May 9th 2007 at 10:44 am 5

This subject makes me so, so crazy. This is what breasts are FOR. The fact that they’ve also been sexualized is not the nursing mother’s problem. I try to be respectful when I’m nursing in public (that is, I don’t deliberately try to startle people, or try to make a point of “Look, I have a legitimate reason for lifting my shirt so I’m going to do it as ostentatiously as possible!”), but after that I consider it other people’s problem if they have an issue with it. Luckily, I’ve never noticed anyone having a problem with it. In fact, a few times someone has come over and said something positive about it, which surprised me.
kellypea May 9th 2007 at 11:37 am 6

Hmmm…a campaign to have the celebs who have bared their breasts for a buck go on crusade to bare their nursing babies and breasts for a worthy cause to get the point across that boobs are for babies. Some of the biggest losers are women who have chosen NOT to nurse their children, but consider it inappropriate for everyone else. Sour grapes in there somewhere.

Oh, and I tagged you for an easy meme. I love your writing, your blog, and refreshing attitude. I hope you don’t mind.
Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah May 9th 2007 at 11:52 am 7

Some of the commenters over there are killing me. Look away, people.

Personally, I find nursing beautiful. I think back on my experience breastfeeding my kids fondly. I really don’t get what the big deal is. Whe I wrote that post I had NO IDEA people would freak out.
problem girl May 9th 2007 at 11:58 am 8

Some of those comments make me want to weep for humanity but I’m afraid that I might offend somone with the scent of my tears.
Toryssa May 9th 2007 at 11:59 am 9

I think it’s fine, and it’s normal. What isn’t normal is celebrities that give their babies up to nannies immeditately so that they can get back into their pre-baby state within minutes.

Frankly, in the picture, she isn’t showing anything that you wouldn’t see in a cleavage bearing shirt. You are actually seeing LESS because you are only seeing one side. People in general aren’t offended by breasts. Breasts are everywhere. Half the population has them. Get over it already. I don’t see why a picture of a breast is somehow more offensive if there is a baby in the picture, too. Logically, it would be the other way around. Babies are cute!
Annika May 9th 2007 at 12:06 pm 10

I tried to read the comments at Babble but I got upset all over again. I guess I’m not over being asked not to breastfeed at a fucking potluck.
N May 9th 2007 at 12:26 pm 11

Breastfeeding is a natural and beautiful process, and most women are discrete enough with or without the “Hooter Hoodie”.

People DO have a right to look away, but NOWHERE is anyone guaranteed the right to “Not be offended”.
AbsolutelyBananas May 9th 2007 at 12:32 pm 12

AAAAAAAAARGGHHH!! this makes me CRAZY!! I am so tired of all the dimwits in this country!!!! (sorry, I think I’ve had too much coffee, as usual)
slackermommy May 9th 2007 at 12:56 pm 13

Don’t even get me started! This country’s views on boobs is wacked.
Cakehead May 9th 2007 at 01:20 pm 14

Now why did you have to go and link to that? I suddenly found myself with a case of diarrhea fingers and just had to go and write a novel. I just can’t keep my big mouth shut when I see such ignorance. It really ticks me off.
Summer May 9th 2007 at 01:28 pm 15

Ugh. I think idiots should be rquired to walk around with blanks on their heads because the site of them offends me.
Jodi May 9th 2007 at 03:47 pm 16

I BF all three of my kids (for 36 months, 29 months, and 21 months, respectively). BF in public is great, I did it all the time. But I do have to ask - who BFs in a shirt like that and unbuttons from the TOP? If she had unbuttoned from the bottom no one would have taken her picture. Maybe that’s why she did it.
Toni May 9th 2007 at 04:09 pm 17

When we lived in Germany, if I was in public and had to bottle feed Luke- they gave me the nastiest looks- Over there boobs are EVERYWHERE! Seriously!
mcewen May 9th 2007 at 04:18 pm 18

My eldest daughter is 25. Back then I had high hopes that attitudes would change. It would appear that two and a half decades later we are no further forward.
Cheers
Shauna May 9th 2007 at 04:21 pm 19

“you my friends do not have a RIGHT to ‘not be offended’, because if that truly were a right, I’d personally have you hauled away for offending me with your ass-backwards attitudes”
THANK YOU!
popsolo May 9th 2007 at 08:58 pm 20

don’t you think, when it comes to culture, this melting-pot country makes one silly stew? God forbid we see breasts in public.
JayMonster May 9th 2007 at 09:02 pm 21

This goes beyond sad to just plain insane.

Maybe if they got to see one, you know… more frequently it wouldn’t be so shocking.

Although I battle between what is worse this, or the story about the people that were “offended” that Starbucks was going to revert back to the original Mermaid “drawing” on their cup which was topless, and people were freaking about that. It is a picture (not even a photo, a penciled picture) on a cup.

Seriously, these people need an enema.
Angie @ Many Little Blessings May 9th 2007 at 11:13 pm 22

You know — this reminds me of something unrelated (kind of). I was flipping channels and VH1 caught my attention. They were showing embarassing things from celebrities, and I kid you not — they had a whole montage of celebs caught in like mid-bite of eating, and they acted like they were all pigs. I thought, “These poor people are just trying to eat — why are people taking pictures of them EATING?!?” It amazes me what makes the news when it is a celebrity. Augh!
Elle May 10th 2007 at 08:58 am 23

I think it’s sad when a breastfeeding mom is ostrasized like she was running down 5th Avenue with her tits hanging out because she’s an exhibionist! Boobs feed babies - GET OVER IT PEOPLE!
Heather May 10th 2007 at 12:00 pm 24

asshats….the whole lot of them. Get. Over. It. Gesh, if it weren’t FOR nursing, the human race wouldn’t have made it so far for those complainers to even be here.
Tina May 10th 2007 at 01:18 pm 25

People are SOOOOOOO uncomfortable with the human body it’s crazy. I’m from Montreal. We’re open here about such things - usually…but I BF both kids 1 year and I have BIG boobs…it’s really hard to do such a thing discreetly and under a cute little blanket - without notice. On top of it all my other boob would leak while feeding on one and I could soak up a beach towel LOL.

So….yeah…what’s my point. My point is I never fed in public because of this…not because I didn’t feel it was right.

I am all for feeding anywhere at anytime. And even if a boob is hanging out. People should feel comfortable with this.
The Estrogen Files May 14th 2007 at 09:16 pm 26

I nursed my last for 2.5 years. And in public! Nursing is beautiful and natural. But that doesn’t mean she couldn’t have lifted her shirt up from the bottom instead of unbuttoning down the top. Seriously, she’s a celeb and knows she’s stalked and knew this could happen.
The Estrogen Files May 14th 2007 at 09:17 pm 27

And oh yeah - you can see more in a SWIMSUIT now than during BFing!!