Utilitarian Boobs
 

Recently, BabyTalk magazine released an issue with the below cover image, which generated over 700 letters to the editor, making it the most controversial issue ever. More information on the controversy can be found here, including this gem of a quote:

I'll admit it--I feed my kid in public all the time. Off to the side and covered with a blanket, but it's still pretty obvious what I'm doing if you happen to glance over. Did you (or your wife) bust out in public, or were you too embarassed (or perhaps not embarassed, but sensitive to offending others)?

Pete did it discreetly in public all the time. I really don't get the problem.

If you have a problem with breastfeeding then you are a sick, sick fuck and should be shot in the fucking head. The end. It's natural. You did it, we all did it. If you can't see a female breast without sexualizing it then you have issues. I'm talking to you, John Ashcroft.

There's public, and then there's public. If we were at a playground a park or something, my wife would have no problem breastfeeding. Toss a cloth diaper over the shoulder and it drapes down. No problem. Even without a cloth, the baby's head covers everything anyway.

But I can see how doing it in church or maybe at a restaurant table might cause some ruffled feathers.

A little discretion, and it's fine in public. Most mom's aren't going to want to breastfeed during a board meeting anyway.

The same way that the Taliban got "ruffled" at female children being allowed to go to school? The same way that in some parts of Africa people get "ruffled" at the idea of a woman getting to keep her clitoris? I say: fuck them. They can get over it.

Actually, I didn't mean it that way at all.

Flint, you're going on a tangent there. Not wanting to have images of a baby breast feeding while you're eating is understandable. Someplace like a movie theater or airplane where you can't always control proximity would be another inappropriate place to nurse. The mother needs to be considerate of the people around her in certain environments just as people in a park or public open area should be considerate of the mother. Please don't tell me you honestly think asking a woman not to suckle her baby in an inapproprate location is the same as locking her in a house or circumcising her. :right:

I remember driving my wife to her surprise wedding shower. My dad and I were the only men in the room at the restaurant. One or more of my cousins were breastfeeding at the table.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I believe that I did end up out at the bar.

Mothers have the right to feed their babies everywhere mother and baby have the right to be. If you don't like it, you can leave.
Everytime a mother offers a bottle instead of the breast she is one step closer to weaning. I haven't read the article, but I hope it pointed out at least some of the benefits of not weaning too soon, there are so many.

yeah. how does a baby breastfeeding disturb you? edipal images? babies need to eat when they're hungry.

fucking people.

respect the boobies.

Once while I was living in Portland my X and I were eating in a restarant, and a young family came in. The young mother took a blanket out of a bag and started feeding her baby. Across the floor a woman started complaining to a Cop sitting by her and was told to give it a rest the kidlet need to eat too. Hooray for the Portland Police Dept.:cop:

Yeah, it's totally innapropriate to FEED AN INFANT IN A RESTAURANT! A friend of ours was told by some effed up biatch that she should feed the infant in the restroom. Our friend said "Hey lady, why don't you eat in the restroom?"

Custom G (aka SWMBO) used to feed Il Nudgelino (aka inch3) "on demand" These days, the party's over, but it is still all about the dowas.

And LJ, I'm surprised at you. Were you out smoking dope during your greek history classes? Edipal indeed.

Oedipus would poke his own eyes out if he had any idea, oh wait. Never mind.

Well I've got a problem with it. All those damn women draping diapers, blankets, and sweaters over their shoulders like serapis.
This ain't Mexico, bitches....this be the good ol' USA. Lose the cloth! :rtfm:

A couple of years ago one of our well known female talk show hosts..[its a show that does a run down on the national/international news for the week and usually puts a comedic spin on it] caused a *stir* when she started breastfeeding during the show (its live).

It was in the news for the week and in all the newspapers, but all the hype was *supporting* her right to breastfeed ....the ABA has a HUGE presence over here and its very common to see Mothers Breastfeeding everywhere and anywhere. Not too many bother with the cloth nappy or anything, as mentioned, the babies head covers everything anyways.

I still dont get the fascination with boobies, but hey, I'm happy with it and I aint afraid to exploit it at times either :)

I liked these parts of the story:

One mother who didn't like the cover explains she was concerned about her 13-year-old son seeing it.

"I shredded it," said Gayle Ash, of Belton, Texas, in a telephone interview. "A breast is a breast -- it's a sexual thing. He didn't need to see that."

Last I checked--and maybe I'm wrong here--boobies are not actually sexual things...though they can be.

The same woman...later in the article:

"I'm totally supportive of it -- I just don't like the flashing," she said. "I don't want my son or husband to accidentally see a breast they didn't want to see."

Aaaaaaah! My eyes! I was forced to look at a big tittie! I feel so violated!