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Is it feminist to show your boobs online?


Bad Cat
Bad Cat

in Feminism

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I know women own their bodies and can do whatever they want with them.


I know showing off those bodies has been painted as empowering.


Is it though?


I get that some people might feel empowered by it. But what is the reality? Because it feels like a lie to me. It feels an awful lot like women have been tricked into doing exactly what makes men happy.


I see women posting pics of their boobs on twitter with a comment about how men who don't approve can piss off. But honestly, it's seems about as effective as a kid saying to their mum "I'm going to tidy my room and you can't stop me".


Can anyone explain it in a way that might convince me that it's actually a feminist choice? Because I'm just not seeing it.



Note: I'm not judging anyone who does it. I'm questioning the practice, not the individual.

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It feels an awful lot like women have been tricked into doing exactly what makes men happy.

 

We need to open our eyes and see this happens in many areas of our lives.


We are silenced and cancelled if we even dare question it.

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I'm with you Badcat. I don't get it.


I'll fight for breastfeeding photos to be shown.


I'll fight for women who have had a mastectomy, etc to be allowed to show the world that is them and they are happy like that.


Boobs for the sake of boobs? Meh.

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I think it's a validation seeking choice dressed up as feminism? It's only feminist with drawing the longest of bows to the my body my choice idea. It doesn't pass an even vaguely critical eye over how patriarchy might shape people's choices, or the concept of females being defined by their genitalia so much more than men because male gaze. On the flip side, I don't agree with other women trying to shame them - because I have known a lot of the young women who do this kind of thing and their issues with attachment, need for validation etc place them at special risk.

But yeah, I agree the blokes objecting are a bad case of ""No, please don't throw me in the briar patch"

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I don't think we can condemn or shame women who want to show their boobs online or even profit from them but I don't think it's a feminist action.


But then, I'm of the "women don't need to be feminine and men don't need to be masculine and we're all capable of doing all jobs regardless of our sex" version of feminism and I'm pretty sure there's a newer type out there. I haven't looked into enough to know whether body exposure/ownership makes sense as a feminist action or not.


I do feel like it's just men getting what they want but maybe we need to increase female body exposure enough so it's no longer taboo - like men being shirtless.

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A woman’s empowerment often seems to involve being naked, especially if it’s a body pleasing to the male gaze, I don’t see this with men so much.

I can’t help but think it would be great if our empowerment came in a way that didn’t involve having men look at us.

The empowerment of men looking at us and finding us pleasing really isn’t empowerment as it still involves us having to rely on a man

Edited by Turbulent
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Maybe it depends on why the boobs are online?


-to get male admiration?

-to get female admiration?

- to promote breast health issues?

- an incidental snap with boobs in it?

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Just to be crystal clear - I am definitely NOT trying to shame anyone who does it. I have Twitter friends who do it, and I'm not at all about judging them for it.

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Maybe it depends on why the boobs are online?


-to get male admiration?

-to get female admiration?

- to promote breast health issues?

- an incidental snap with boobs in it?

 

Fair point.


The ones I'm thinking of are the ones where women do it deliberately to say to men that they can do what they like.


I can see how it might be construed as a feminist choice in that light. I'm just not sure it really is.


That said, I'm entirely in favour of getting rid of stupid rules that make women's nipples and chests offensive and men's OK. Maybe this is how we go about it? Dunno, just thinking out loud.

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From what I've seen recently, the response to some one can sometimes be that they are brave and stunning for posting online. I guess it depends on the type of woman, and the audience, as to how one should judge them?

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It may be feminist or it may not.


Experiencing the oppression of women in the 70s,policing,controlling and censoring what women do, say and think is anathema.

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Again, not judging them. Pondering the social mindset that has made this a thing. Can people please stop saying judging or shaming. That is not the intent of this thread whatsoever.

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I can see in the context of de-sexualising female chests in the same way mens' are it could be vaguely challenging the status quo. But the fact it's still elevating boobs above say noses suggests it's not particularly succeeding?

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I do understand what you mean badcat, I struggle with putting it in to words though.

When the word empowered is being used I think that is the idea we are questioning,

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I'd buy it as desexualising the female chest if not for the fact that most of them are posted in undies and with pouty faces. If you want to desexualise the female chest, post pics of you going about your normal business at home with no top on. Post pics of you slouching on the couch watching Netflix, or gaming or something.

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I'd buy it as desexualising the female chest if not for the fact that most of them are posted in undies and with pouty faces. If you want to desexualise the female chest, post pics of you going about your normal business at home with no top on. Post pics of you slouching on the couch watching Netflix, or gaming or something.

 

Can I ask why is it that you are giving advice on how women can desexualise it?


Shouldn't we focus more on what men can do to change things?

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It is always about women modifying and reflecting on their behaviour rather than the male responses and actions which is where the shit actually hits the fan.

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I'd buy it as desexualising the female chest if not for the fact that most of them are posted in undies and with pouty faces. If you want to desexualise the female chest, post pics of you going about your normal business at home with no top on. Post pics of you slouching on the couch watching Netflix, or gaming or something.

 

Can I ask why is it that you are giving advice on how women can desexualise it?


Shouldn't we focus more on what men can do to change things?

 

In this particular thread, at this particular moment, I'm pondering the mindset of women. And I'm not giving advice, I'm pondering ideas.

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A letter to elise

I have questioned this so many times. And I know it’s not cool to say, but I’ve wondered the same about stripping/poledancing (yes, yes, I know it’s really good for fitness, very athletic etc.). It just seems really convenient that these tools of empowerment also seem to get men off.


I remember my dad telling me that when women started going braless as a feminist statement in the 1970’s,, him and his mates thought it was brilliant, cause boobs.

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It is always about women modifying and reflecting on their behaviour rather than the male responses and actions which is where the shit actually hits the fan.

 

In this case women HAVE modified their behaviour. I'm trying to understand the thought process and the social mindset that has encouraged that modification and whether it's been effective. I'm not asking anyone to change anything at all.

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In this particular thread, at this particular moment, I'm pondering the mindset of women. And I'm not giving advice, I'm pondering ideas.

 

Why am I getting the feeling that this section of eb isn't actually about feminism, but is about criticising other women for their shortcomings?


Perhaps we should rename this section?

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But women pose their breasts as they want them to be looked at by I am assuming men? But then society is to tell men not took at them.


No I am not wording this the way it is my head, but I have no desire to share photos of my ankles or elbows and I have no desire to share any other part of my body for attention.


If the breast photos are not for attention what is the point of them?


I am not speaking of due to medical reasons the pictures

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In this particular thread, at this particular moment, I'm pondering the mindset of women. And I'm not giving advice, I'm pondering ideas.

 

Why am I getting the feeling that this section of eb isn't actually about feminism, but is about criticising other women for their shortcomings?


Perhaps we should rename this section?

 

Dunno. Maybe you can't read.

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I think it belongs in the feminism section as I think it is a topic that affects woman.

When people try to say the sex industry is empowering for woman, I call bullshit. Your whole livelihood depends on pleasing men, in so many ways it’s degrading and dehumanising. Yet we still try to say that it is empowering and I think it’s ok to discuss that, we need to discuss things that woman do or choices we make the same way we expect and want men too.

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