porn and breast images

[velveeta]

This is something that I have thought about a lot. In general, I am a big fan of people doing whatever they want in the privacy of their own homes.

BUT, I was watching "On the Money" on CNBC and they were at a porn convention going on this weekend, and they were talking about what a "Ka-Ching" the porn industry has been and continues to be. As the camera panned the room at the convention, I see all kinds of people dressed in "porn" attire, especially featuring breasts (the stars of the show).

I think that most women here agree that breasts ARE the stars, especially for our children! And I am also adding to my thoughts the lady that was recently given a hard time about nursing in Victoria's Secret, surrounding by titillating images of breasts.

All of this is really upsetting me, and with porn being a many hundreds of billion dollar a year industry, I am starting to feel discouraged. I don't want this to be a rant about porn per se. I don't really have a strong opinion about it (although I think it is forming slowly). Our family doesn't use it. And our main consumer of breasts is our 3 yo DS.

I am not sure what I am saying here. I guess I am looking to hear what others think about porn, the internet, and societal views of breasts. AND why does it seem that people who groove so much on the sex aspect of breasts are so grossed out by breastfeeding?

I think that the sexiest thing about me is that I am really getting a lot of use out of my body. It is absolutely amazing to me what it can do!

Thoughts?

[mighty-mama]

Originally Posted by velveeta

I think that the sexiest thing about me is that I am really getting a lot of use out of my body. It is absolutely amazing to me what it can do!

Thoughts?

had to quote you, I agree... with this exact statement.

[Beeblebrox]

I think people get icked out by breastfeeding because to them breasts are purely sexual, even if intellectually they know that breasts produce milk and thus in the back of their minds(or maybe right up in front) they are thinking incest. Especially if that child nursing is no longer an infant. That, in my opinion, is why some have a problem with breastfeeding. Not all, but I'm sure many.

[Joannarachel]

I think the sexualization of the breast is actually simply a sign of what is wrong with today's society (and American society) in particular.

There seems to be a huge consumerism-driven drive to want instant fun and NO responsibility.

Breasts used for their primary purpose anger these nitwits because it reminds them that there is something more out there than instant gratification and pleasure without hard work, goals, and committment.

(I am not anti-porn, btw, at least for other people.)

JMO.

[gentlebirthmothr]

Originally Posted by Joannarachel

I think the sexualization of the breast is actually simply a sign of what is wrong with today's society (and American society) in particular.

There seems to be a huge consumerism-driven drive to want instant fun and NO responsibility.

Breasts used for their primary purpose anger these nitwits because it reminds them that there is something more out there than instant gratification and pleasure without hard work, goals, and committment.

(I am not anti-porn, btw, at least for other people.)

JMO.

Joanna,

, for sure on this issue.

[frontierpsych]

I can't watch porn without laughing. It's SO ridiculous. Especially the stuff that tries to have a plot. I just accept that it's there. It's their bodies, they can do whatever the hell they want with them. I won't ask them to stop. On that note, I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to ask me to stop using my breasts the way I want. Why does it have to be one or the other? Personally, I'm too amused by porn to really be offended by it. Some people are. Someone's always offended by something. IMO, that's their problem.

[Lucy VanPelt]

For me, breasts *are* sexual. But, they're for babies first.

I agree that our society's problem is wrapped up in the sex/incest issue. People like to assume a mother gets sexual pleasure from nursing, since the same woman can get sexual pleasure from another adult licking around that area.

Further proof that many ppl are pervs.

Seriously, tho, you can't effectively argue the sexual angle unless the person you're arguing with will agree that you know more about how your body functions than he or she does.

And, that's a problem for many ppl. We are taught (as a society) and accept that all sorts of ppl know more about our bodies than us. We are encouraged to remain ignorant about our bodies and simplification is the best friend of the Ignorant.

I also think that our societies teach us that we are simple-minded and not capable of understanding much, so there is a societal fear that we will not be able to remove the mental image of a nursing baby when we look at breasts in order to satisfy sexual urgings. We are not encouraged to examine the many sides of ourselves. We are always one way or another. We're good or evil, nice or mean, ugly or pretty. But, the facts don't line up with that mentality. We are not one-dimensional creatures, but our society teaches us that we are. Not only are we one-dimensional, but we can't change. So, imagine someone who believes that. That person can't view breasts as functional *and* sexual. It's either/or. And, one is good, while the other is bad. Which is which depends on your life choices.

[mothragirl]

as a former pornographer and current (militant) breastfeeder, i don't think porn has anything to do with the way that people view breasts. i made the most money when i focused less on my body and more on my personality. suprising, i know!

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I have no problem personally with my breasts being sexual and nurishing at the same time. I eat with the same mouth I kiss with. I'm sure most people do. No one is ever grossed out or confused when they see me eat in public (well maybe once but that was a pie eating contest and we don't need to get into that. )

There are lot's of body parts that have more than one function some of them sexual. I don't think it's realy the sexualization of breasts that is the whole problem, it's the lack of breast-as-babyfood counciousness in our society that is the real problem.

[LoveChild421]

I think there are lots of connections between how society views sexuality and how a society views breastfeeding- clearly porn is very much a part of our society. I see the obsession with and "normalizing" of porn and people being offended by NIP both as symptoms of our societal attitudes about sex.

A lot of it has to do with how we see women in sexual roles- are they equal sexual participants or simply sex objects KWIM? Some women in (usually indepenent, non-"industry") porn are participants and the tone of the movie is such, but an overwhelming majority of the time they are sex objects- having things done TO them for the viewing pleasure of men, not for their pleasure (although they are expected to act like they are into it). When we view women and in turn their body parts as sex objects only, women become de-humanized and it is hard to see them in human roles such as mothering and nursing a baby. People have no problem seeing breasts as "novelty items" but have a hard time seeing them as functional too. Our society is suffering from a major "Madonna-Whore" complex IMO.

sorry if that is incoherent I'm trying to put my thoughts together while ds is trying to pull a mole off my neck

[velveeta]

Originally Posted by LoveChild421

A lot of it has to do with how we see women in sexual roles- are they equal sexual participants or simply sex objects KWIM? Some women in (usually indepenent, non-"industry") porn are participants and the tone of the movie is such, but an overwhelming majority of the time they are sex objects- having things done TO them for the viewing pleasure of men, not for their pleasure (although they are expected to act like they are into it). When we view women and in turn their body parts as sex objects only, women become de-humanized and it is hard to see them in human roles such as mothering and nursing a baby. People have no problem seeing breasts as "novelty items" but have a hard time seeing them as functional too. Our society is suffering from a major "Madonna-Whore" complex IMO.

Yes! You said it much better than I did. As I noted, I still don't know what my opinion is on this issue because I have only just started to think more about it.

Note that my title is "porn and breast images" -- no judgment. At this stage, I am still trying to determine how I feel. The "On the Money" piece really stirred something in me, as did the woman harrassed at Victoria's Secret. So, I am sure that I am bothered. I am just not sure exactly why.

I guess that like LoveChild421 noted, most "industry" porn (to use her excellent term) does not seem to promote healthy sexuality (at least what *I* consider to be healthy). So far, I am very interested in everyone's opinion. You're giving me a lot to consider.

[Sarah]

I don't think that the sexualization of the breast is what makes it tough on the utility of the breast culturally... it's the de-utilitarianization that makes it tough to stomach- because in the absence of a job- the other role takes over. So it's not that breasts need to be de-sexualized to be re-embraced as babyfeeders- they just need to be used as babyfeeders more- and the more they are used for that- the more people will be able to deal with it.

Bottles have done way more damage to breastfeeding than porn.

[blissful_maia]

I think the real problem is that society cannot separate sexuality and motherhood. They want to be turned on by women, and they love their wives and the mothers of their children, but the two together cannot be combined in their minds. It's a part of the whole whore/Madonna dichotomy I suppose. What we need to work on is not eliminating porn, but eliminating stigmas so that women can be both sexual and nurturing.