The Boobs Over at MySpace
Now really ... When will people learn to not mess with breastfeeding moms? I mean, haven't we gone through this song and dance before? Apparently the folks over at MySpace didn't get the memo. Amanda tipped me off to this story about moms who are outraged over the removal of photos depicting nursing infants. The pictures are reportedly considered "indecent" or "sexually suggestive". This is supposedly against the social networking site's "policies". Really? Tell that to "^~2Sexy4U~^" who, along with her leather-thonged bottom, is constantly asking to be my "friend". Plenty of iVillage moms are not amused, and you know the women posting to our playgroups and breastfeeding boards have a thing or two to say about this:
"How is breastfeeding sexual??!! Um, they need to take down all the girls showing their cleavage then and the other trampy pictures I see on there all the time."More than one mom finds the double standard unacceptable: "It just doesn't make any sense, ESPECIALLY when they allow plenty of skin when the context is clearly sexual." Another writes: "Some people are so sensitive. I'm more covered up when breast feeding in public then some teenage girls out with their families, esp. in summer. I have a right to feed my child however I choose and I always cover up, in fact I probably have more cleavage showing when NOT nursing." Good point. More reaction:
"I can't even believe that there could be a debate about this! Some of the pictures they put on there are disgusting! I've seen more boobs on that board from women and cartoon pictures than you would ever see while breastfeeding! "Many of the moms talking on our parenting message boards are also taking part in an online petition against the photo removals. One posted the letter she wrote to MySpace in protest. Here's a portion:
"Some of them show the crudest pictures or cartoons, but yet, you have the nerve to take on nursing mothers, calling us offensive and inappropriate. Well, shame on you.YOU are now part of the problem that us nursing mothers face everyday. YOU are now part of the reason that we have to fight for the right to feed our children the way God intended without being harassed. YOU are now part of the reason women are being asked to leave planes for trying to feed their child."
Seriously, MySpace? You want to mess with these women? Do you not realize that along with being passionate moms they are also, in many cases, sleep-deprived?
What does everyone else think about this controversy? Have we still not come to a point where breastfeeding is a common, natural, everyday non-sexual occurrence? Or, do you think moms should cover up and keep their breasts offline? Give it to me straight and let me know your thoughts!
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Of all the behaviors/images to take a stand against - one that we'd HOPE that teens would be exposed to...
I saw a story just last week where a convicted sex offender was interviewed saying MySpace didn't make him take down his page even though they say they've got the sex offenders gone.
And - my oh my - the underestimation of the power of lactation!
If anyone things breastfeeding is sexual- they need to head straight to the doctor! How can someone get off on the idea of milk?
I can't believe myspace is taking on breastfeeding women... seriously. That IS the reason we have breasts... to feed and nurture our children. They can't stop those porn profiles, or those million "get a scholarship here" spam messages... but they are going to try to stop breastfeeding mothers from sharing pictures??? Its not like they are sitting there draining themselves for the camera. THEY ARE FEEDING THEIR CHILDREN!
UGH What is this world coming to?
I'm not even a mother... and am offended that people find breastfeeding so wrong!
wow so it is ok to show most of your breast when in a bikini, or posing sexually on a bed, while only cuping your breast while in a thong...But you can't have pictures of the most tender moment in a mother and child relationship...We need to speak to Tom!
I also think it is indecent to have breastfeeding pictures on my-space. I am a mother and that is something between you and baby and not for everyone to view.
I am always discouraged when I hear that people have the wrong idea of what breastfeeding actually is and does for your baby. I wish people who have such strong opinions where the ones who got to pay the doctors bills when the child who is not breastfed has to be treated repeatedly for sicknesses, that often a mothers breast milk protects them against...
I am a former successful breastfeeding Mom of 2 very healthy girls now 12 & 14.
I never let anyone tell me to cover up or NOT feed my baby, no matter where I was doing it...
On-line support is so helpful and educating to people...what a shame that something so nice is spoiled by such ill educated people...
"I also think it is indecent to have breastfeeding pictures on my-space. I am a mother and that is something between you and baby and not for everyone to view."
Yes it's a tender moment but so is feeding your child by bottle, hugging and kissing your child, etc. We don't hide those moments. People need to stop viewing women as sex toys and start respecting our bodies.
I think online support of breastfeeding is a great thing, women who are taking on breastfeeding need advice and encouragement. Its obsurd that people would think that breastfeeding is in any way sexual. There are so many indecent pics of people on myspace in lingerie, bikinis, pushing there cleavage together...why are these allowed and they are trying to ban breastfeeding pics when it is natural and what God intended for our breasts to do.While breastfeeding you arent even exposed anyway cause your baby covers your breast with their head.
I have to admit.. when I was younger and I saw a woman breastfeeding a baby out in public, I got grossed out.
But, the day I had my daughter, I realized what a great thing breastfeeding can be and now when I see other women breastfeeding in public I just smile at them because it reminds me of the special bonding times I had while nursing my daughter.
I think it's horrible that so many people think there's something wrong with breastfeeding. It's not like these women are showing off their chest for everyone to see. Most women are very conservative and walking by you'd never know what they were doing.
And yes.. breastfeeding is between you and your child, but when you're out and your baby is hungry what are you supposed to do? Let them cry or go hide in a bathroom?
I think not..
Not to mention the ads that Myspace has up. Much more skin and obviously of a sexual nature.
MySpace are at it again. They tend to have a really strict policy on showing sexual natured things, but how come a lot of members public profiles are semi-pornographic, full of sexual innuendos, crude pictures and kinky graphics? I once uploaded a picture in my private gallery of a classical Greek goddess statue. The picture disappeared the next day and when I asked MySpace forums what happened to it, they said someone could've complained and that MySpace had the right to remove anything for being too sexual or for no reason at all. It's shocking that MySpace have taken down photos of nursing mothers because of some twisted people and sick perverts looking at it and calling it sexy! MySpace seem to target anything which isn't sexual but uses the word "sex" to pull off people's pictures. They never responded when I mentioned the majority of members having public profiles of showing blantent sex. The site itself is weird and I deleted my account from there.
Breastfeeding sexual? Go see a therapist!
I really liked reading the comments everyone has posted. Let me tell you a little about myself.
My name is Jessica, and I'm 16 years old. I stumbled upon iVillage while looking for a great website with tips for parenting, I needed to post two links for my classroom discussion Monday morning. I am indeed a member of Myspace, and I enjoy going there to catch up with old friends and make new friends.
I agree with Heather; I used to think breastfeeding in public was gross, but now I realize that it's a part of life, and it's supposed to be done.
I don't like the idea of women showing their breastfeeding pictures on Myspace, ONLY because they're are a LOT of perverted people on Myspace. A LOT. I don't think there's really anything wrong with getting those pictures, but I think for the safety (and sanity) of the mother, I'd refrain from putting up such personal pictures.
However, there are a TON of crude sexually-related Myspace graphics, including profile layouts, (backgrounds, comment boxes, etc)
Continued!
Continued!
There are a ton of sexually-related graphics on myspace. A guy friend of mine has a background photo of a women who's naked, standing in front of a car, with duct tape covering her nipples and crotch. Now tell me how HIS background can stay on there when a picture of a mother breastfeeding can't.
A lot of my friends just post wacky pictures on Myspace, and most are crude in a sexual humor.
I believe that Myspace runs on what the people might like to see, and what they wouldn't, with NO regard for the meaning of the picture to the Myspace user.
It's like a competition... The 'sexier' you are, the more friends and picture comments you get, but you take such a tender thing as a picture of a new mother breastfeeding, and they start to think it might gross people out, and so they delete it.
It's all about people pleasing. They want hot babes and sexy guys using their site, and want the undesirable ones out. That's the reality of it now days. Look at all the celebs.
Very nice article, though!
I was so angered by this crazy situation that I wrote a post about it on my own blog. Check it out at www.laurencarter.ca/blog - please visit and add your thoughts. With feminism so endangered we must build our own communities of resistance!
for a monther of 5 yes 5 boys ages 12,11,4,3,and 2 if breastfeeding is sexual then why in the the world can wwe have these half naked women parading around and wrestling like that i think women who can breast feed is magical i could not breast feed any of mine and i think if you can then flaunt it
I personally have a my space site and on myspace they define it as any pictures depicting nudity. But to have pictures removed somebody has to flag it or report the image(s). But i do agree that many people have some nasty things on their pages. I think I will start to report anything that I feel is more grafic then breastfeeding. Which I must say is a beautiful thing, having breastfeed 3 kids of my own. keep feeding in public and teach your children that it is a natural and beautiful thing.
I just now found this article, and I find this very silly. I get sick of seeing the "mate 1" and "true love" ads wherever I go, and for a while I refused to put my picture on MySpace because guys looking to create an "online harem" kept sending me friend requests. Breastfeeding in public should be the woman's decision. The problem is that the world still sees women's bodies as for one thing only...it's very irritating.
One problem is that the pictures are there for men to see with no warning. Happily married men don't want to see other women flaunting their bodies (i.e. my husband).
My point in all that rambling is that Tom really needs to police the site better.
i love the stoff you were doing do you went to do it with meeeeeeeeeee?
i love the stoff you were doing do you went to do it with meeeeeeeeeee?
i love the stoff you were doing do you went to do it with meeeeeeeeeee?
i love the stoff you were doing do you went to do it with meeeeeeeeeee?
i love the stoff you were doing do you went to do it with meeeeeeeeeee?
While I understand breastfeeding is a natural thing is it natural to post a picture of the aftermath? your breast erect and hanging out of your bra while baby is lieing happily in your arms?
It doesn't matter if it's in a sexual context. If I rip my shirt off in public and expose my boobs, someone's probably going to arrest me, whether there's a baby latched on or not.
Rip your shirt off and expose your boobs? You have obviously never breastfed a baby! Most women I know who have breastfed or are breastfeeding use a small blanket to cover up the baby's head when nursing in public or wear a nice loose nursing top and just slid the baby under with no skin exposed except maybe some tummy!
Most women today (young and old) parade around in skirts up to their butts and shirts that let everything hang out! How on earth can you equate breestfeeding, where more often the not you don't see anything, with being sexual? We finally are legally protected in most states to breastfeed in public, what gives myspace the right to remove images that are legally protected?
we should not worry while breatfeeding our babies
we should not worry while breastfeeding our babies
yes guys r always looking in the bra of women when the women is breastfeeding.see but this is very much natural for guys to stare at those places of gals but gals or women shud not care they shud keep on feeding their babies.
SO WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF HAVING THE PICS ON MYSPACE ANYWAY??? WAS IT FOR DEMONSTRATION OR JUST CASUAL PICS OF YOUR LIFE/EXISTANCE?????
-i do agree about the sickos, that they may twist it around. they get off on the prego thing.
-it obviously sounds like Tom isn't policing the site as previously mentioned.
-myspace should have given a better reason, respectfully rather than just using a generic reason.
-lastly & most importantly I whole-heartedly agree that this is a major reflection of the primarilly "sex-toy" view of women. It sucks! (a pun! sorry about that! not intentional)
I breastfeed my daughter whether other people like it or not, its the best. I used to be one of the people grossed out by it and never thought I would breastfeed, until I heard the benefits.
However, I do believe that all pictures showing any nudity should not be on any public sites, if you would like to share your pictures I believe you should be able to in a private profile or just email it if its that important. I just completely gave up on myspace (After posting a picture of myself, jeans and a non-revealing shirt, and getting multiple friend requests....it showed all the people only interested in bodies not whats underneath) with all of the sickos out there its better safe then sorry, there are predators after all types.