More on Topfreedom

Writing for The Huffington Post today, former Playboy "Feminist Playmate" Juliette Fretté weighs in on cultural double standards between the public perception of uncovered male and female breasts.

The Meaning of Breasts


She correctly identifies that the issue is one of socialization:

"How we socialize ourselves to believe certain stigmas are natural and normal. How we forget what breasts are really for. Which leads to the question: why we should punish female breasts and their owners for how men fantasize about them and how society at large perceives them? Not for what they really are?"

"At the same time, there should be nothing wrong with perceiving female breasts (or male breasts) with sexual adoration. But let us also be careful to avoid pigeonholing their entire meaning based on that appreciation. And moreover, if we insist on sexualizing breasts, then we must insist that sexualized body parts be free from double standards. If women's breasts are labeled obscene, then men's breasts should also be labeled as such. And if men's breasts are perfectly acceptable, then those of women should be as well. Consistency is key."

"This may sound completely radical and revolutionary, but if one truly examines how society has unfairly judged this body part, the fact that we ever did it and normalized the practice in the first place seems completely goofy."

I agree, and think that Ms. Fretté is correct to point out the double standard. Though, I'm not sure I understand her brand of "Modern Feminism." She seems more comfortable selling images of her own breasts in Playboy, than she would be exercising the public topfreedom rights she seems to be advocating:

"So what about legalizing the exposure of women's breasts? If men can do it, so should we, as crazy as that sounds. Yet even as a Playboy Playmate, I would be uncomfortable walking down the street exposed under such a liberal ruling in favor of women's bodies. But why? Perhaps it would not be the exposure as much as the context and response I am conditioned to expect from society for such an action."

Interestingly, she seems unaware that, in at least some States, women are free to be shirtless anywhere that men may be, and that some brave women are exercising that right in order to change public perception and begin the process of re-socialization toward a more gender-equal acceptance of that freedom.

(See my previous post about the Women's Topfreedom March in Maine)

Re-post from April 4th

Women's Topfreedom March in Maine

Posted 4th April 2010 at 07:22 PM by stringsinger

Two articles appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram about a a topfree march through Portland which was organised (via Facebook) by a young woman named Ty McDowell:

Women march topless in Portland without incident

Marching for right to bare breasts, women faced with sea of cameras

It is also interesting to read the comments section after the articles. I respect Ms. MacDowell for her effort, but am a bit surprised at her naivete as to the kind of response she might have expected from the public. If her aim is to desensitize the public to women's topfreedom, it will be important to persist. The legal right to be topfree has already been won in Main, but public acceptance will not be won until enough women are willing to exercise that right. I think she learned some valuable lessons this first time out. According to one of the articles, Facebook was used to promote the event. She might do well to publicize the next one a little less publicly, to avoid drawing a crowd of onlookers who otherwise would not have been there. I do think that if a group of women (and perhaps some of their shirtless male supporters) would commit to publicly going topfree on a regular basis, it would go a long way towards achieving their goal--once this becomes commonplace, the public will accept it. Some brave women must be willing to face the immature reactions of some (ogling, mocking and scorn), if wide-spread public acceptance is ever to be won. What good is a legal right, if that right is never exercised?