Femen and nudity as a form of protest

[Second Summer]

I was just reading how three protesters from the Femen group got arrested for exposing their bare bosoms at a protest in Tunisia.

How do you feel about this sort of protest? I thought it was interesting they would attempt something like this in an Islamic country, since they generally don't take kindly at all to nude women in those parts. Should they have adapted their protest to fit better in with local customs? Is it a universal right for women to walk around half-naked like that?

 

[beancounter]

No, they accomplished the goal of bringing attention to their cause. That's the whole point.

 

[Spang]

I don't support FEMEN's imperialist and Islamophobic cause, but I do think that if a woman wants to be topless in public, protesting or otherwise, she should be able to.

 

[peacefulveglady]

I agree with spang on this one, I don't know that group that protested but, I do believe especially in America that woman should be able to go topless or example, its a free choice, I keep on saying this country is full of prudes in this nation.

 

[Forster]

I don't support FEMEN's imperialist and Islamophobic cause, but I do think that if a woman wants to be topless in public, protesting or otherwise, she should be able to.

How about fully naked, men too?

 

[Spang]

How about fully naked, men too?

Well, topless isn't fully nude, and dudes can already be topless. But fully nude grownups in public wouldn't bother me.

 

[ledboots]

Breasts are not genitals.

 

[beancounter]

I support full frontal nudity.

 

[kibbleforlola]

Breasts are not genitals.

Exactly. They're secondary sexual characteristics. As are male nipples. The appropriateness of female breast "nudity" is cultural - one of the victorian hangups we have yet to get over. It's interesting that you, IS, called these women "half nude". There was a time when my outfit the other day - a miniskirt and a tank top - would have been considered likewise half nude. Shoulders! Legs; thighs even! Oh my!

I personally wouldn't label these women as half nude, and I think that female toplessness should be legal.

 

[Second Summer]

Exactly. They're secondary sexual characteristics. As are male nipples. The appropriateness of female breast "nudity" is cultural - one of the victorian hangups we have yet to get over. It's interesting that you, IS, called these women "half nude". There was a time when my outfit the other day - a miniskirt and a tank top - would have been considered likewise half nude. Shoulders! Legs; thighs even! Oh my!

I personally wouldn't label these women as half nude, and I think that female toplessness should be legal.

I think my description ("half-naked") was based on a picture I've seen of Femen activists where they were literally half-naked (or half-clothed, depending on your outlook): No clothes on the top half of the body. And indeed people's feelings on the topic are often cultural, which is why I suspect this kind of protest in an Islamic country is not very helpful if the intention is to win hearts and minds in that country.

 

[kibbleforlola]

I think my description ("half-naked") was based on a picture I've seen of Femen activists where they were literally half-naked (or half-clothed, depending on your outlook): No clothes on the top half of the body. And indeed people's feelings on the topic are often cultural, which is why I suspect this kind of protest in an Islamic country is not very helpful if the intention is to win hearts and minds in that country.

I know that's what you were referring too. Whether that literally makes one half naked is still open to interpretation. For others, it may be not naked at all, and for some - it may be almost entirely naked. Would you consider a shirtless man to be half naked?

 

[Forster]

Breasts are not genitals.

I know but they are still tied up with the same hang ups people have about seeing nudity. What the heck makes genitals "dirty" so to speak? Not that I wouldn't be more comfortable if people kept their junk covered up during day to day business, but why?

 

[Second Summer]

I know that's what you were referring too. Whether that literally makes one half naked is still open to interpretation. For others, it may be not naked at all, and for some - it may be almost entirely naked.

Yes, this was my interpretation, if that's what you're getting at. Not necessarily an interpretation I thought long and hard about though, or one that I would necessarily agree with for all eternity, but nevertheless a completely reasonable interpretation, I thought.

Would you consider a shirtless man to be half naked?

Possibly. I do think there is a relevant difference between male and female breasts, since for most people male breasts have no particular role to play w.r.t. sex, but I also think people need to have skin thick enough to tolerate that sort of thing, if it offends them somehow.

 

[kibbleforlola]

Yes, this was my interpretation, if that's what you're getting at. Not necessarily an interpretation I thought long and hard about though, or one that I would necessarily agree with for all eternity, but nevertheless a completely reasonable interpretation, I thought.

Possibly. I do think there is a relevant difference between male and female breasts, since for most people male breasts have no particular role to play w.r.t. sex, but I also think people need to have skin thick enough to tolerate that sort of thing, if it offends them somehow.

Oh, really?

 

[peacefulveglady]

There should be a designated area for those woman that wants to go topless and should be under some standards for their protection, you need to remember we are not in a safe and clean world, anything can happen. I think that is one of the major issues so called Christians have against nudity in public.

 

[yally]

Also mouths and their role to play.

 

[Blobbenstein]

As a morbidly obese male, it would not be appreciated if I went topless. So, not all males can go topless, except in their own homes....slightly different subject maybe.