February 05, 2004

Janet and Breast Feeding

There have been a couple comments decrying the complaints over Janet Jackson's exposed breast. Their argument is since Americans accept breast feeding we shouldn't complain about Janet's bare boob. This canard must have its head knocked off. First, I don't know what anyone else was watching, but breast feeding was the last thing on Justin Timberlake's mind when he copped a feel and ripped off part of Janet's costume. The stunt was about titilation and shock, not the caring of a baby. Second, even if Janet were breast feeding a very, very young Justin, halftime of the Super Bowl is not the appropriate time and place to show that. I've never seen a mother whip out her breast in a public place feed her child. So, it seems to me most breast feeding mothers have the decency and respect for others that Janet and Justin didn't.

As a local talk radio yapper said last Monday, this incident isn't the end of the world. American culture isn't permanently scarred. The stunt was the straw that broke the camel's back. Many people are tired of the increasing sexualization of media. It's not that we're all prudes. In fact, I'm very confident that behind closed doors of the loudest critics very kinky thinks go on that would put the Janet-Justin stunt to shame. But that's just it: they do it in private and not flaunt it in the faces of everyone else.

[This post has been added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]