Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Fear of a Boob Planet?

Andy takes issue with my post here, where I dare to suggest that women might cover up while breastfeeding in public. I made a couple of comments on his site, then decided to write an entire post here.

Sheesh, it wasn't so long ago that breastfeeding in public simply wasn't done. Now we're cramping their style just by asking for some consideration of those members of society who, for whatever reason, don't think this should be displayed in public. Yeah, if they back down on this one, two weeks later Ayatollah Pat Robertson will have the women in burkas.

Well, no, Andy didn't say that, and it's unfair to speculate on what he's thinking. But he shows no such compunctions - he speaks of his opponents' "screwed up sexual proclivities".

Nice try, but the perv appeal is on Andy's side. I'm sure that if Beavis and Butthead were made flesh and asked about it they'd be all in favor of uncovered breastfeeding in public at every opportunity - "Yeah, then we'd get to see more boobs! Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha!"

Of course it's rude to stare (or is it? Can Andy justify constraining people in this way?). But I'm having a hard time being sympathetic under the circumstances - IMO she's rude to nurse without covering up in the first place. Or am I the only one who thinks it's perverse to do something in public that you don't want people to see?

And surely Andy and his wife have heard of breast pumps? Andy, who has praised bonding, can do it himself by helping with the feeding while giving his wife a break. And his wife can be discreet anywhere. (And if she's blonde, it'll be easier when she sterilizes the nipples).

In conclusion, this isn't about sex at all. It's about class and manners.

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