Outrage over breastfeeding cover

[helemon]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/27/nursing.cover.ap/index.html
No wonder there is so much sexual disfunction in America:
Babytalk is a free magazine whose readership is overwhelmingly mothers of babies. Yet in a poll of more than 4,000 readers, a quarter of responses to the cover were negative, calling the photo -- a baby and part of a woman's breast, in profile -- inappropriate.

One mother who didn't like the cover explains she was concerned about her 13-year-old son seeing it.

"I shredded it," said Gayle Ash, of Belton, Texas, in a telephone interview. "A breast is a breast -- it's a sexual thing. He didn't need to see that."
"Men are very visual," said Wheatley, of Amarillo, Texas. "When they see a woman's breast, they see a breast -- regardless of what it's being used for."

Babytalk editor Susan Kane says the mixed response to the cover clearly echoes the larger debate over breast-feeding in public. "There's a huge Puritanical streak in Americans," she said, "and there's a squeamishness about seeing a body part -- even part of a body part."

"Gross, I am sick of seeing a baby attached to a boob," wrote Lauren, a mother of a 4-month-old.

The evidence of public discomfort isn't just anecdotal. In a survey published in 2004 by the American Dietetic Association, less than half -- 43 percent -- of 3,719 respondents said women should have the right to breast-feed in public places.

[nate]

Yeah, we go that issue.

Funny...first thing I thought when I saw the cover was, "Damn, that's a cute kid!"

I loved this quote:

"I don't want my son or husband to accidentally see a breast they didn't want to see."

Newsflash! Your son & husband will NEVER see a breast they DIDN'T want to see! :D

[helemon]

Newsflash! Your son & husband will NEVER see a breast they DIDN'T want to see! :D

Almost never:
http://static.flickr.com/45/163179719_2252290e92.jpg?v=0

[Born Free]

Some of these responses illustrate how deeply f#cked up many people are. A media commentator here remarked back at the time of the Clinton/Monica circus, 'The US was settled by Puritans; fortunately Australia was settled by convicts'.

Take the following example of a brain whose use has been suspended:

"I shredded it," said Gayle Ash, of Belton, Texas, in a telephone interview. "A breast is a breast -- it's a sexual thing. He didn't need to see that."

Using the same logic, breastfeeding must be a sexual act.

Notice the complete absence of any 'I' statements in any of the above. "He didn't need to see that.", not 'I feel uncomfortable', or, 'I am anxious he may be aroused'. No, she knows the nature of the beast. She has been told by her (closed) circle of sexually anxious associates that men are sexual beasts, and the mere glimpse of breast will have them humping her leg.

There is nothing quite like a visceral reaction to suspend reason.

Daryl

PS: I can't look at that picture without memories of our breastfed bubs, and the noises eminating from them as they tuck-in, the delays as they stop sucking for a few moments, and the glazed look that comes over their eyes, which then slowly roll back in their head. Oh, for life to be that simple. And look at the gaze up into Mums face; that first intimate relationship, where trust is built!

How screwed in the head does one need to be, to find fault with such an image.

[elder_nomo]

The US was settled by Puritans; fortunately Australia was settled by convicts.

Haha, I love that! It appears you got the better deal! :D

Janet Jackson's superbowl breast exposure was clucked about for months. More outrage at that than at thousands dying in an ill-conceived war. :Crazy:

[Born Free]

Haha, I love that! It appears you got the better deal! :D

Janet Jackson's superbowl breast exposure was clucked about for months. More outrage at that than at thousands dying in an ill-conceived war.

And of course, non of us the descendants of psychopaths! :Crazy: All our ancestors got deported for 'stealing bread'. In my case for stealing books.

There is an interesting side to all this. For many years there was a lot of shame attached to having had convict ancestors, but about 25 years ago, it became very cool.

The story goes that this very pompous blue-rinse-set women from Sydney's North Shore (the classy, well-heeled side of Sydney) was cue jumping people waiting to get information at our library that holds all the deportation records. The desk staff kept requesting she take her place in the cue, which she summarily ignored.

Eventually she wore him down, so he took her details and disappeared off to check the records.

In time he returned announcing loudly, in ear-shot of all gathered, 'Madam, we have successfully located the records of your ancestor. He arrived on the (ships name) on (date), after having been deported following conviction for buggering sheep!' :slap: :slap:

Daryl

[puff]

And of course, non of us the descendants of psychopaths! :Crazy: All our ancestors got deported for 'stealing bread'. In my case for stealing books.

There is an interesting side to all this. For many years there was a lot of shame attached to having had convict ancestors, but about 25 years ago, it became very cool.

The story goes that this very pompous blue-rinse-set women from Sydney's North Shore (the classy, well-heeled side of Sydney) was cue jumping people waiting to get information at our library that holds all the deportation records. The desk staff kept requesting she take her place in the cue, which she summarily ignored.

Eventually she wore him down, so he took her details and disappeared off to check the records.

In time he returned announcing loudly, in ear-shot of all gathered, 'Madam, we have successfully located the records of your ancestor. He arrived on the (ships name) on (date), after having been deported following conviction for buggering sheep!' :slap: :slap:

Darylwhat a coincidence , i was just talking about this my ben harper thread

[noodle]

Once I heard a missionary who did his mission in Australia complain that he turned around during sacrament one day to see a lady nursing her kid. He was thoroughly grossed out, and was still talking about it years later.

Having spent many years in a hospital and clinics helping new moms learn to nurse their babes, I've heard some amazing comments from the mouths of new parents. We really are a screwed up society here in the USA. A law had to be passed in Utah making it OK (not illegal and a sexually explicit show of the human body) to nurse a baby in public. In my breastfeeding days, I sometimes found myself sitting in a public bathroom to nurse my babies so as not to offend others. Funny, I wouldn't for a minute grab something from Wendy's, then proceed to sit in a toilet stall and eat it. Why should my baby?

mamajama

[helemon]

We really are a screwed up society here in the USA. A law had to be passed in Utah making it OK (not illegal and a sexually explicit show of the human body) to nurse a baby in public.

Well there is probably concern that with all those sexually repressed men,such a sight might cause them to become discernably turgid, which if I recall is also illegal in Utah!

http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE76/htm/76_0C127.htm
(8) "Nudity" means the showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks, with less than an opaque covering, or the showing of a female breast with less than an opaque covering, or any portion thereof below the top of the nipple, or the depiction of covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.

[frauline]

I have found there are more supportive people than non supportive people when it comes to this issue.

I nursed my youngest for 18 months - nursed her in sacrament meeting and nursed her as primary president sitting in front of all of the kids. Mostly I was just hoping somebody would complain so they would release me - but that never happened! Where are the jerks when you need one?????:neener: I even did it in front of the stake primary people when they visited - and NOTHING!

By the way - I love the new smiles!

[firefly]

Having spent many years in a hospital and clinics helping new moms learn to nurse their babes, I've heard some amazing comments from the mouths of new parents. We really are a screwed up society here in the USA. A law had to be passed in Utah making it OK (not illegal and a sexually explicit show of the human body) to nurse a baby in public. In my breastfeeding days, I sometimes found myself sitting in a public bathroom to nurse my babies so as not to offend others. Funny, I wouldn't for a minute grab something from Wendy's, then proceed to sit in a toilet stall and eat it. Why should my baby?

mamajama

My understanding of that law is quite different. Breastfeeding was never explicitly "illegal" - this law simply spelled out that one can't discriminate against a nursing mom.

The only negativity I EVER encountered for nursing (3 kids for 3 years each) was from another nursing mom who thought I should be covered up in the restroom with her and her baby, and that happened only twice.

[nate]

My understanding of that law is quite different. Breastfeeding was never explicitly "illegal" - this law simply spelled out that one can't discriminate against a nursing mom.


But this was needed because of the vagueness of legal nudity definitions, which made it 'possible' for an uptight judge to rule against a breast feeding mother and still technically be within his legal right to do so. That's the problem with most laws...not what they say, but what they don't clearly specify, leaving room for various interpretations. Similar things were recently passed in various towns here in Arizona.

[firefly]

But this was needed because of the vagueness of legal nudity definitions, which made it 'possible' for an uptight judge to rule against a breast feeding mother and still technically be within his legal right to do so. That's the problem with most laws...not what they say, but what they don't clearly specify, leaving room for various interpretations. Similar things were recently passed in various towns here in Arizona.


I agree with you, and I agree that it needed to be clarified. Just nit-picking the statement that "a law had to be passed in Utah to make it ok to nurse a baby in public." Seems that for most, nursing has always been understood to be - de facto - "ok," an exception to decency laws (though people may be personally uncomfortable with it) and the law just clarifies the matter for the few boneheads that don't get it.

[nate]

Seems that for most, nursing has always been understood to be - de facto - "ok," an exception to decency laws

During our recent visit to Utah we were surprised to notice that, contrary to what we expected, far FEWER people gave wifey nasty looks for breastfeeding in public. We get many more stares in AZ than we did in UT. Perhaps that is due to the shear number of poor mommies (due to the quantity of children) that don't use or cannot afford formula?

[noodle]

My understanding of that law is quite different. Breastfeeding was never explicitly "illegal" - this law simply spelled out that one can't discriminate against a nursing mom.

The only negativity I EVER encountered for nursing (3 kids for 3 years each) was from another nursing mom who thought I should be covered up in the restroom with her and her baby, and that happened only twice.

Firefly, you are correct and I misstated the law. It was as you said - that one could not be discriminated against for nursing in public. One of my good friends was instrumental in getting it passed through Utah legislation, and has the pen which was used to sign the bill. She was motivated after being told by a security guard in Toys R Us to retire to the restroom to nurse her baby. As you probably know, this has not been a problem unique to Utah. After all, the intermountain west has always had a relatively high rate of breastfeeding initiation, and overall acceptance of breastfeeding mothers.

mamajama