Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: Boobs!

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  • Emma Hart,

    It'd be remiss of me not to thank the women whose words and ideas helped me with this post enormously: Megan, Danielle, and Lucy.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Loved your tweet about this yesterday:

    Oh, now I see. Proudly showing cleavage - not feminism. Calling other women idiots/sluts/whores/tramps - feminism. I was confused.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    In the name of science, burn those bras!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Clayton,

    I shall be cheerfully participating, probably in a wrap-around top, immodestly remaining in the workforce at seven months pregnant. If anyone is inspired to earthquake-causing adultery by the sight of me (at a time when my getting stuck between a desk and a door is a far more pressing matter than the depth of my cleavage), then truly my powers are even greater than those attributed to women in general by the cleric.

    I'm certainly with you, Emma, on what I think of as the feminism of dress. I don't think we get anywhere by attacking the dress choices of individual women, since it's such a quick step from that to identifying adjacent events as the consequences of those choices, and thus conveniently stripping away the agency of other actors (like those who choose to commit sexual assault).

    This photo essay puts the discussion in the context of women and breastfeeding, but makes a similar point with regard to modesty and individual choice. Let the woman decide her set-point herself.

    Christchurch • Since Feb 2007 • 51 posts Report Reply

  • Alastair Jamieson,

    ShakeNZ is what you'll need locally to monitor the scientific relationship between the Boobquake event and actual earthquakes. Internationally, you can't go past the USGS worldwide real-time earthquake monitoring site.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 99 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Another Boobquake Day tweet:

    @CyclingAuckland: Another good excuse to wear a skirt and cycle ;-)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Loved your tweet about this yesterday:

    I'd just come out of about two hours of reading comments. I was quite cross. Boy, are those close to me fucking sick of hearing about this.

    Also, a while back, for some reason, I promised people I would go out for an evening showing absolutely no cleavage at all. Turned out my wardrobe was incapable of providing. OTOH, I do wish they'd done this at a slightly warmer time of year. Australians women are very happy, as Boobquake is a public holiday for them. We should be gleeful because, like every world-wide event, we'll be First to See the... Sun.

    Another good excuse to wear a skirt and cycle

    Ah, the answer to my frequent high-school problem of having to pull my skirt out of my gears: shorter skirts.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • chris,

    Not to shake any boobs here, but

    The absolutism of this statement;

    This is nothing to do with men.

    Seems to conflict with the characterized motivation;

    Briefly, this event was sparked by the comments of a senior Iranian cleric that;

    It's not that I'm not in full support, merely that boobs for boob's sake trumps boobs for argument's sake. I hope it's warm enough and more importantly that there's no ill-timed earthquake to feed the ignorant minds, have fun!

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ah, the answer to my frequent high-school problem of having to pull my skirt out of my gears: shorter skirts.

    I suspect that may have caused "high-school problems" for others :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Samuel Scott,

    Really great post Emma.

    I especially like that you point out the importance of what the participants get out of the event over the reaction of men (or whoever). Although somehow the same argument could not be made for Boobs on Bikes.

    I think we need govt tv advertising about male ogling/stupid excuses for men behaving like dicks/psychopaths. Something like;

    "It's not the liking of boobs, its the WAY we like boobs."

    ...and as silly as that sounds, I kinda mean it.

    South Wellington • Since Feb 2008 • 315 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Immodest clothing is all very well, but what about this "leading young men astray and corrupting our chastity" business? What's being done on that front?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Sigh. Just reminds me of this sort of thing.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    What's being done on that front?

    Are you requesting some corruption?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Although somehow the same argument could not be made for Boobs on Bikes.

    And yet, it was Emma that made me think about the language I was using about the women who do BonB in a blog post one time. Her observations were instructive.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Although somehow the same argument could not be made for Boobs on Bikes.

    Why not, and don't start on the road to choice versus exploitation. My tits and I would do what I felt like on the day/ whatever day I live in. If a person and their tits wants to drive down the road on the bike for a totally legal parade/ rally, who am I to argue? Why would I need to grant my permission, just as any person can wear what they like on this day in question.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Samuel Scott,

    Why not, and don't start on the road to choice versus exploitation.

    Fair enough I guess, but I was thinking more along the lines of activism versus commercialism (boobs on bikes is advertising is it not?). Which is also a thin line I suppose.

    So I would like to remove myself from any further argument relating to feminism and/or public nudity. I consider myself entirely unqualified to judge!

    South Wellington • Since Feb 2008 • 315 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    I was thinking more along the lines of activism versus commercialism (boobs on bikes is advertising is it not?)

    Which is totally fair enough, it IS different. But what Russell is referring to (I believe) is me pointing out that people were able to have long conversations about Boobs on Bikes without ever asking what the women involved thought or felt about it, robbing them of all agency over their own actions and all importance in the debate. So the point about making the reaction of the men of supreme value and not caring about the experience of the women stands in that instance as well.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    @Samuel,
    Don't stop on my account . You go for gold. Nothing wrong with speaking your mind. Imho :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I don't get what's so scary about boobs (but then I'm no cleric)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Isabel Hitchings,

    There seems to be an awful lot of conflation of failing to conform to some arbitrary standard of modesty and dressing sexy in order to court the male gaze in some of that criticism.

    I'm really glad that the women who felt their breasts were "too small" tended to get kindly responses but the underlying beliefs that those statements reflect are very sad - both that small breasts aren't worth showing off and that big breasts are inherently less modest.

    Christchurch • Since Jul 2007 • 719 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    US tv networks refuse to screen advert for big bras.

    'Our new commercials represent the sensuality of the curvy woman who has more to show the world than the typical waif-like lingerie model.

    'What we didn't know was that the networks, which regularly run Victoria's Secret and Playtex advertising on the very shows from which we're restricted, would object to a different view of beauty.'

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    it did dawn on me that if there is a giant earthquake anywhere in the world tomorrow (or the next day) there will be a whole lot of "I told you so" coming from Iran

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Hussy Science - surely there was a Russ Meyer (sp?) film by that name?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    Being a modestly (pun intended) sized woman (that means I'm in the same league as Keira Knightly, and I will be exceedingly RUDE to anyone who tries to commiserate with me about it, because actually, I'm very happy with my body), showing cleavage is a little ineffective, if not actually impossible. But I'm thinking tight jeans, and a lacy-is-it-see-through-or-isn't-it-and-perhaps-if-you-look-a-bit-harder-you-might-be-able-to-work-it-out-possibly-just-before-you-realise-that-it's-not-the-done-thing-to-go-around-staring-at-women's-breasts close fitting top, showing every proudly-earned post-baby roll.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    it did dawn on me that if there is a giant earthquake anywhere in the world tomorrow (or the next day) there will be a whole lot of "I told you so" coming from Iran

    As the author has said though - it's not the boobs et all that cause earthquakes, it's the adultery from corruption that causes earthquakes. It's just that THAT is caused by boobs.

    Hussy Science 201 explores the statistical patterns of boob/quake lag I believe.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

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