Much ado about releasing the boobs
I’ VE never heard such a load of fuss about boobs as in the last few weeks. The public demonstration of Carina Fitzpatrick at Knockanstockan festival was case in point. I believe her protest had merit in its attempt to rail against the sexualisation of women’s bodies yet it was poorly executed.
Going topless to make a point at a festival is probably not he best way to do it, especially when you have an audience of drunk revellers.
If she was removed from the event simply for being topless then I think that this is extreme.
After all, the minute a scrap of sunshine peeks through the clouds in Ireland we are subjected to the release of every manboob from that simply cannot bear to be shrouded in clothing.
Walking the dog, driving the car, paying for petrol - inside a shop - you name it, they are there. And yet, when a woman does the same she is escorted off by the guards.
There is no doubt that this is double standards, but in the defence of the people who urged Ms Fitzpatrick to ‘ think of the children’, it’s still not socially acceptable for a woman to take her top off in public in Ireland.
Why is there such a fascination with boobs and why is it that people find it so hard to separate the sexualisation of them and the fact that they are simply part of every woman’s anatomy.
This is an issue, in particular when it comes to breastfeeding in public. Believe it or not there is still a huge stigma attached to this and a large portion of breastfeeding mums are still subjected to abuse.
Yes, abuse for feeding their baby as nature intended. As if they are some sort of stripper getting their boobs out for the benefit of an audience.
Last week Northern Ireland MP Sammy Wilson slammed breastfeeding in public and said that it was ‘exhibitionist’ and could encourage ‘voyeurs’.
This comes in the wake of a report advocating that female MPs should be encourage to breastfeed while at work.
Given that most female politicians take a mere shred of the standard maternity leave available to them this is of course a positive step which would facilitate breastfeeding even if they are back working.
For anyone, much less a man to make such remarks shows just exactly what woman are up against.