Keeping Abreast of

"4 4 the Issues...

What people are saying
about Breasts

= “We all even em, s0, you iow,
it's Ok” - Christina Aguilera <
"You know’ what blows ‘my. tind? *
Women can see‘ breasts, _anytime they want.
You just look down and there they. are. How
" you’get any work done i is beyond me” - Joey
(Friends)
* “A lot of guys. think the aoe a womans
breasts are, the less intelligent she is. I don’t B
think it works like that. I think that it’s the
opposite. I think the larger a: women’s breasts
"are, the less.intelligent men: n;become” - Anila
Wise.
- * Males have a lot of trouble not woiiheg" at
‘breasts. What is worse, males cannot look at’
breasts and.think at the same time. In fact;
scientists now believe that the primary bio-
logical function of breasts is to make males
stupid, This was proved in a famous.1978. ..
laboratory experiment wherein a team of ~
leading male psychological researchers:
at Yale ‘deliberately looked at pho-*
tographs. of breasts every day for two
years, atthe end of which they con-
cluded that they: had failed to take any
notes.. ‘We forgot,’ they said. ‘We'll. -
_ have to do it, over. ” . Dave Barry :

By Carolynne Burkholder
It is very rare to firid a woman completely happy with her breasts. The complaints’ are
numerous: too big, too small, too round, too cone-shaped, and/or lop-sided. Breasts are
often the topic of female discussion, yet they seem to be almost a taboo topic: within mixed
company as they are shrouded in secrecy and obscure language. Despite this fact, our soci-
ety seems to be obsessed by the topic of the breast: careers have been made by them, lawsuits
_ have been filed over them, the cosmetics industry rakes in a fortune by dissatisfaction with
them, not to mention the brief glimpse of Janet Jackson’s breast sent the world into a frenzy
for weeks. Overall, it is apparent that breasts are more than just a body part, and more than
just a tool to feed babies. Breasts have become a sexual definition of women, allowing others
to pass judgement upon her and her activities. No other body part is as taboo, and yet fixated
upon so highly by our society.
Meema Spandola is one of the leading experts on the subject of breasts within the context of
modern culture, having directed and produced the documentary film Breasts as well as
authoring the book Breasts: Our Most Public Private Parts. After interviewing a multitude
of women spanning in age from two to ninety on the subject of breasts, she states in her
introduction: “Breasts are the most public private part of our bodies. As women, we are
simultaneously told that we must hide our breasts (in some states, simply breast feeding
in public is an arrestable offence), and show them off (after all, breasts are part of what
makes us sexy as women).” Breasts seem to be symbolic for the constant struggle of
women between two conflicting factions, as women are at the same time supposed to
be virtuous and innocent, as well as fun and sexual. As women, we are constantly told
that no one likes a prude, but no one likes a slut either. The constant limbo that
women are held in, is symbolised in our breasts.
As popular and as controversial as breasts seem to be, they are still an off-limit
, topic in many realms of conversation. If you ask any grade school child, they
' could inevitably tell you numerous slang terms for breasts, among the most
gppular being boobs, tits, jugs, rack, or twins. On the flip side, you would
y be very hardpressed to find the same kind of repertoire’of synonyms for
a body part such as the ankle or elbow. Within our society breasts are
» an off-limit discussion, shrouded within an aura of mystery and
taboo, which is reflected in our linguistics.
The question then becomes: if breasts.are such a taboo subject,
why does society seem to be obsessed by them? Breasts seem to
be the forbidden fruit of our culture, reminiscent of the fatal
fruit of the Garden of Eden. Because we cannot truly discuss
the purpose, function, and role that breasts play in our
society, we. seem bent on discussing the other
aspects that breasts offer the world.
Searching on Google for the topic of breasts”
brought up 6,500,000 hits on issues ranging:

4é

tisements for plastic surgery, sup-
port groups for women. suffer-
ing from breast cance

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