Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Sexism and the Female Breast

The obsession with female breasts continues. On the one hand, advocates of public breastfeeding and topfree equality argue that they're "just breasts" and its no big deal, but on the other hand breasts dominate all modern media as sexual objects used to sell virtually everything.

It is generally considered that a woman who displays cleavage, or bares here breasts, will not be taken seriously as an actress, or in the business world. Contrary to this widespread belief, one blogger believes the opposite.
As the debate is often had whether or not feminine wiles are to be displayed during working hours, (surveys have discovered it's mostly women that object to other women displaying it), it becomes plain to see that a little boobage might in fact help women get ahead from the men. Of course no self-respecting women will be taken seriously when they cross the line between pornography and art, but at least it's good to know how to get the promotion over a male co-worker...
Let's go back to one year ago when Hillary Clinton appeared in the Senate showing the slightest bit of cleavage.
The cleavage, however, is an exceptional kind of flourish. After all, it's not a matter of what she's wearing but rather what's being revealed. It's tempting to say that the cleavage stirs the same kind of discomfort that might be churned up after spotting Rudy Giuliani with his shirt unbuttoned just a smidge too far. No one wants to see that. But really, it was more like catching a man with his fly unzipped. Just look away!
I don't think that Hillary showed even the slightest bit of cleavage since that day because of the uproar it caused.

If cleavage is indeed something that can help a woman get ahead of a man, then Hillary would have won in the primaries.

It's ludicrous to suggest that the size of a woman's breasts, and sexy display of cleavage, leads to success. Oh sure, there are infantile men who will salivate (think of Jack Nicholson's character Jonathan in "Carnal Knowledge), and those who would exploit breasts for profit (think Hugh Hefner), but if you honestly assess the number of women who have rode to the top exploiting their breasts, it's a lonely mountaintop.

Women like Dorothy Stratten, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole Smith all died tragically. The only woman that comes immediately to mind who achieved success while displaying her assets was Erin Brockovich, but her story was immediately exploited by Hollywood, putting Julia Roberts in to the role of the sexy legal clerk.

Yes, America loves female breasts, as long as they can be used to sell products, magazines, television shows and movies, otherwise put them away where they belong, under a turtleneck sweater, if you want to be taken seriously.

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