Horny Men Ruin Women's Topless March
By Brian FairbanksApril 5th, 2010, 10:05 amComments (39)
This is one of those photos that proves you never really need an article to tell a story if you have the right photographer. Look at those leering male faces... the steadfast refusal to back down by the topless marchers... and then there are those two guys at the head of the pack who are proud to be part of the movement. Let's hope they were serious -- because these other people were:
About two dozen women marched topless... in an effort to erase what they see as a double standard on male and female nudity.
The women, preceded and followed by several hundred boisterous and mostly male onlookers, many of them carrying cameras, stayed on the sidewalk because they hadn't obtained a demonstration permit to walk in the street.
[N]udity is illegal in Maine only if genitals are displayed.
Ty McDowell, who organized the march, said she was "enraged" by the turnout of men attracted to the demonstration. [Maine Sunday Telegram]
McDowell wants to discourage "oglers" from attending next time -- but isn't that kind of the point of a protest march? To be ogled by those not in the know?
Comments ( 39 )
"Ty McDowell, who organized the march, said she was “enraged” by the turnout of men attracted to the demonstration." Typical. Sorry, lady, you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you do something to get attention, don't cry when you get it. Also people have the right to look at things in public. Sorry if that offends you.
Also, "leering"? You can see only 2 male faces looking at the women in this photo, and they look more bemused than lecherous to me.
@Luke: I disagree. These women (and some supportive men, by looks of the picture) are making a valid political point about gender equality and a double standard on female nudity, both in the law, and by extension, our culture. These men fell right into that point.
What they are doing may not be illegal, but it is pretty douchey and comes off as tacky.
I'm sorry, Miss "I-expect-to-march-two-dozen-topless-women-through-downtown-Portland-on-a-beautiful-spring-day-and-not-attract-a-swarm-of-gaping-men," but let's be real. We're all for gender equality, really, but men are men and men have devilish urges. So in the end, you can't blame them for securing every opportunity to glimpse a nip. Blame the millenia of church-shrouded temperance for our contemporary taboo, and all the while, we'll be right behind you! Or maybe beside you—slyly gazing at your chest through our magnificently covert visual periphery...
@TwL: Strongly disagree. We may have the urge but we are adults and can restrain ourselves from acting upon the urge to take a photograph of you on a political march. This is one of those examples where the male gaze, to my eyes, seems to be subjugating women, at least based on the photo.
Marching tits! Yes!
Let's be real. Come on Dan: "Restrain the urge to take a photo of you at a political march"? That's practically the intent of a political march: exposure. Nobody's subjugating anyone by watching, or taking a photo. This is a protest. Of course there is a taboo in question, and yes, it is a double standard, but you simply cannot overcome such a taboo with one small march through a New England town. Men (and women, believe it or not) are sexual creatures and that's not going to change anytime soon. I applaud the intent. I think it's a good idea. I was born in Maine and grew up in Massachusetts, so this is not too much of a surprise to me. But you just cannot expect men to see twenty-four or so women walking down the street topless and not look. What should go through their head? "Oh this must be some sort of social commentary on gender inequality. I best not look. Nobody look! If you look you're a chauvinist pig!" Who initiated the march here? Who is trying to get people's attention in the first place?
As much as I understand where Ty is coming from, regarding the "protest" (which is a really lame and vapid form of protest, plus it's been done to death already), if she honestly expected that people would NOT be looking at them, and for all of them to act like adults about it, then she is, as Sarah Palin would lovingly yell at me for saying, retarded.
How many breasts must a man watch march by
before he gets bored by the sight?
The answer my friend . . .
but where are the guys photos posted so we can see if it was worth the fuss?
Die Weiber sind doch international bescheuert!
If Ty really wants equality I hope she pays for half of the dinner on a date and opens the door for herself.
The evolutionary purpose of tits is to turn men on. That's why women have them. If you think they're for nursing, ask yourself why other primates don't have them. So don't be surprised, ladies, if men give you unwelcome sexual attention when you bare your breasts in public. You're being naive.
Of course men are going to look at topless women. But keep in mind that a hundred years ago men would leer at the turn of an uncovered ankle. If the march organizer wants society to get past the nude female breast issue then there will be a lot of staring men to get past. Eventually the nude female breast will become no more remarkable than the thigh high mini skirt, or the bikini, etc. There is no reason for the organizer to get angry over that. What did she expect??
I agree with @JDawg. What did these woman really expect from this whole ordeal? I agree 100% with equality of men and woman and I feel like we should all have equal rights as individuals, however if you're going to walk around without a shirt, clearly there will be some kind of attention from "oglers". Also, if this type of event is going to be held, or take place in a public area OBVIOUSLY there isn't really a legal way of telling people that they can't go, just because they want to look. If these woman are going to protest their rights then ogles, by all means have every right to ogle.
Just wanted to say that this is a really civilized forum
Oh! I thought the point of a march was to get people to come and see what is bothering their neighbors? I guess the marchers want only cameras and not people to see.
I think the whole concept of waist up nudity is ridiculous anyway. Why make a big deal over it? It is just nude skin. It can look good, and it can be sexy, but a bikini or nice dress will always look way more sexy than a nude body. Get a grip people. It's not that big of a deal.
If a bunch of women saw two dozen shirtless men marching down the street, I be there would still be oglers. Just sayin.
*bet
From what one can tell from the back some real fugly biatches. But then again isn't it always the fugly that claim foul. Most fems are not from the beauty pageant crowd.
It's like if you wore a shirt made out of fresh meat, walked along a populated area of lions, and expected not to get eaten. Just how stupid can you be? Male and fe-male will never be equal. (Unless, you know, we grow boobs and are able to have babies and what not)
While we can't be entirely equal, we can in some parts. The whole shirtless thing with women obviously wont work. It's just to big. Maybe something smaller like...uhm. Well, I don't really have the time to be thinking about that. I'm just here about the whole shirtless thing.
I'm for gender equality, but to be fair if a bunch of twenty-something MEN were walking down the street without any pants or underwear on their would be women looking, making comments, and some taking pics. For this reason (and fear of arrest) is why most men keep the frank & beans covered in public. To be serious for a moment, sometimes we have double standards in society because we have two different situations. Example: A man walking down the street without a shirt attracts a crowd of twenty and thirty-something year old women leering and shouting at him how sexy his chest is wouldn't upset most men! Most men wouldn't feel that a sexual assault or violation was or could occur at any moment. If a women did get grabby the average man feels they could stop her physically themselves. Would most women feel the same way if they were topless walking around surrounded by strange men... honestly. How many police are we going to have to put on "booby patrol" once we change the law. Just wear a small bikini top and call it a day.
Well, I would definitely stop and take a look. That's kind of the point, isn't it? But in (all too rare) circumstances like this I try to take Seinfeld's advice: men would get to see a lot more breasts if they make less of a big deal about it!
Which basically equates to the message they're making anyway, and which I completely understand.
These women are bullies. This is a subtle form of repression. If they want to walk around topless, thats ok with me, but don't tell me how to think.
I bet there would be alot more people staring if I was walking around with my nuts hanging out.
You want attention, you got attention. Next time a little bit of thinking beforehand might pay off, so you're not perpetually outraged. What a shame reality didn't match your candy floss idea of protest. Go be useful, go and help the disabled or homeless or something. Smacktards.
Oh, and Dan - go turn your dick in, you're a f**king disgrace to the male gender. "where the male gaze, to my eyes, seems to be subjugating women" Oh ffs, are you still a virgin who believes in unicorns and fairy castles ?
woo! Tits! :D
Of course they would be oogled at--at first. But taking pictures is really out of line. We Americans are such prudes. Go women!
Owned.
boston boy Accept the girls for what they are,delicious.
Personally I think women should be able to wear whatever men can in public. I also know that there are going to be men looking no matter what. And parents yelling because " our children shouldnt have to see such things, its a disgrace." Those people are a disgrace to humankind. While we all sit here arguing about what people should or shouldnt see there are kids witnessing murders and rape... Life is not something that should be hidden for any reason from anyone.
while i'm sympathetic to the cause, this 'outrage' is total bullshit. i've been to topless beaches in europe, where its 'no big deal' and there's still assholes there ogling too. but to march through a metropolitan U.S. city to draw attention to the unequal treatment of male and female toplessness, and then be *surprised* at the reaction is just dumb. be disgusted, be self-righteously offended. fine. but dont act like this wasn't the intended result.
Go them! I agree with their premise. It is full of double standard how men can walk around topless but women cant. DOnt give me BS about 'men being men' in Europe topless beacjhes are common and men dont see it out of the ordinary. Sociology my friend, sociology. Men have also been known to leer at women and think theyre being overly sexual in more patriarchal/oppressed countries in which women ptrotest by wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts. The men act the same as these guys here. Happy to see some evolved guys out there like Dan!
deaddrift,
Tits are for milking babies.
"but to march through a metropolitan U.S. city to draw attention to the unequal treatment of male and female toplessness, and then be *surprised* at the reaction is just dumb. be disgusted, be self-righteously offended"
wb,
I dont think they were surpised, but were showing the injustice of it. They chose the city as a strategic location to get their point across. They knew guys would be doing that so they could make their point.
Yeah, I agree with JuJu. It's sociology. In Africa, sexuality is drawn quite literally around the knees. Breasts are just bags of fat to them. They don't look twice...As is the case in Europe, where few stare and even fewer cat-call or take pictures.
I don't think the women should be surprised, though I'm not sure that's what it was, but they definitely got the point across.
Why is it OK to take pics of everything else that we take pics of BUT when it comes to nude women its "BAD" or PERVERTED" or "SICK" WTF!!!!!!!!
tits!!
lol jk
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