If men can walk around in public bare-chested, should women, too?

[Squatch]

:shrug:

I vote yes. A big YES.

All kidding aside, why is it considered indecent for a woman to walk around without any upper-body covering but not so for men?

[Bluebear]

1. Why is it "soft porn" if they show a completely naked woman, but you can't show a penis?

I always wondered about that.

[Clintonista2]

4. They *can* show a penis, but I don't think that they do because

it's directed towards men, who probably don't want to be looking at a guys penis.

[Bluebear]

6. Well some men do.

Humph. :)

[Clintonista2]

true, but if the goal is to get as many people to watch it as possible

That probably wouldn't be the way to do it.

[soothsayer]

34. have you SEEN a penis? ewwwww!!

[redqueen]

2. I think it has something to do with an obsession with breasts.

I think women should be able to go around topless wherever men are allowed to... that would go a long ways toward de-mystifying the breast, and making young women less insecure about their breasts.

[Squatch]

14. I got into a huge argument with my Mom 2 weeks ago about this topic

my father-in-law has a piece of property at a clothing-optional establishment. Now, he's a wonderful father-in-law and I would really love to visit him, knowing that I personally, don't need to get nekkid.

My Mom's response was: you'd actually bring your son to a nudist colony?

After a few minutes of very heated arguing (in which my parenting skills in light of my father-in-law's choices were the main subject), I got up and left the restaurant. She called me a while later asking for a ride home (we went together). I told her to take a cab. Haven't spoken to her since.

[King Coal]

Shame on you. Call your mom. It is stupid to fight like that.

[Squatch]

24. It was just the latest incident in 10 years of haranguing.

I had enough.

[King Coal]

29. Well, it's none of my business anyway, but you should think about it.

[Squatch]

32. I always do, brother. I always do.

I'll probably end up calling her in a couple weeks

[King Coal]

37. Good on ya!

:hi:

[Mountainman]

27. I met my wife at a "nudist colony" or club as we like to call it. Kids seem to not be

bothered about nudity until they are in the puberty years. They like to cover up then and in most clubs they do. Later they move on to other interests.

My wife and her family were nudists and I met them all at the club nude. No problem other than I wondered what my wife looked like with clothes on when we first met.

[NC_Nurse]

3. Because America is full of sex-obsessed prudes.

Boobs are only good for selling things.

[SteppingRazor]

5. Because women have breasts and men don't...

and, further, because said breasts have been fetishized as a sexual object and we live in a somewhat puritanical society that equates sex with death or, at the very least, sin. Therefore, women topless = sinful at best, deadly at worst. Men topless = just another hairy-assed beer gut that you don't really want to look at anyway.

[Bjornsdotter]

11. I've seen

...many man who have bigger breasts than I do, it's not a good look.

Cheers

[devilgrrl]

7. Is this what has the nation's panties in a bunch? What an issue to lose one's sleep over...

:sarcasm:

[Bjornsdotter]

8. It's not always

...appropriate for men to go bare-chested.

However, on beaches and such I see no problem with topless beaches. I didn't wear a swimsuit until I was about 8 years old. It's an American hang-up with nudity that isn't as prevalent in other countries.

Cheers

[Crabby Appleton]

9. OK with me, but I'm a leg man myself. nt

[againes654]

10. Because of the sexual repression

in this country. The SEC sees a nipple for like 1/2 a sec. and the whole country goes nuts.

[depakid]

12. Now there's an argument for the Equal Rights Amendment!

I wonder what the existing case law has to say.

[sandnsea]

13. because men think with their dicks

or so they tell me. I suspect physical functioning would be difficult for them, being in a permanent state of arousal and all. Not to mention the blood rushing out of their brains.

Maybe we ladies need to have a meeting - send out our best to herd the men away from the bombs and the bullets.

[Vidar]

Yes.

[BrklynLib at work]

15. I had this conversation with a friend of mine today. I believe that in NYC a woman cannot be

arrested for being bare-chested due to a sex-discrimination case that was brought to court several years ago.

[BrklynLib at work]

22. here are some links.

NEW YORK. A woman arrested for exposing her breasts has accepted a $29,000 settlement from the city, her lawyer, Jeffrey Rothman, said.

Jill Coccaro, 27, was arrested on a topless stroll two years ago, despite a 1992 state appeals court ruling that concluded women should have the same right as men to take off their shirts.
<snip>

http://living.oneindia.in/insync/woman-arrested-topless-stroll-210607.html
________________________________________________________________________________________________
'BUST'ED GAL PAYOFF
AFFIRMS LEGAL RIGHT TO GO TOPLESS IN CITY
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06172007/news/regionalnews/busted_gal_payoff_regionalnews_kathianne_boniello.htm

[loser_user]

16. If women can't do it, then men should't do it either.

Would be one way of the many ways to think about it I suppose. But I don't have any problems with people going fully nude...it's natural.

[Mountainman]

17. This weekend we were at a nude beach. It wasn't an issue there. I think we make way too much about

nudity in this country. I don't get why we need to be so up tight about bodies. In many European countries and in South America women are topless on many public beaches.

[King Coal]

18. I say we make it a law, that they have to go bare breasted.

But, I'm just unlucky.

For the flame-bait impaired: :sarcasm:

[distantearlywarning]

19. Yes.

This culture is way too uptight about nudity. And making something forbidden just makes people want it more.

That being said, as a D-cup myself, I think I'd wear a bra on a daily basis regardless. Not to shield the suckers from leering eyes or anything, but just because I would find it uncomfortable to jiggle through my daily life. Probably TMI, but oh well...

[Squatch]

21. Your post is useless without pictures.

:rofl:

[distantearlywarning]

40. Sorry. My bad.

:evilgrin:

[SayWhatYo]

42. You didn't correct it...

:P

[KansDem]

20. Personally, I don't like seeing men walking around bare-chested.

I just think it's tacky...and I'm a guy.

[JuniperLea]

23. Ever watch "cops"?

Bare chested guys are just asking to be arrested;)

[KansDem]

26. No...I don't think so...

Are there a lot of bare-chested guys on there? :shrug:

[JuniperLea]

38. I'd say a good 75% of the arrests...

on that show, the guys being arrested have no shirts. It's so prevalent that we have an ongoing joke in my house... if you see a guy without a shirt, he's about to be arrested:)

[DemBones DemBones]

25. No, because it would cause men to walk into walls or

other people or run their cars into things or people. People could be killed by the sight of topless women.

Men have been known to sprain their ankles while watching fully clothed women and not seeing that curb ahead of them.

Men can't deal with seeing women's breasts in public.

That's why we have strip clubs.

[smalll]

28. Three quick points -

1) Well, men can walk around bare-chested, but they have to put something on -when they go inside anywhere (a store, etc.) So women would have to carry a shirt as well.

2) The anti-public-breastage thing is not just American. In western civilization, at least recently, it has been pretty standard. Some high-fashion women around 1800 or so (post-French-Revolution, pre-Napoleonic fashion) went around bare breasted as part of the whole diaphonous robe/Ancient Greek style that was popular for women then. I think also that late 1600s, Restoration times in England, some of the loucher rich women had a lot of pre-planned Tara Reid/Janet Jackson moments, which was facilitated by the extremely low decolettage of the era. Even back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, as much more comfortable as they were about public nudity, I think just about all women's-wear covered up the boobies. This is a very old custom.

3)I'm guessing that even if it were perfectly legal AND acceptable, very few women would want to do that: now while I know that many of the genetically-challenged (ahem) amongst us men suffer from the man-boobs, and it affects them as well, wouldn't most women not want to walk around that way if only because of the flopping factor - a little uncomfortable if your speed is anything over a mosey?

[lonestarnot]

30. Yeah and I've seen some bigger teeties than well nevermind.

:evilgrin:

[Swamp Rat]

31. Yes, but there may be an increase in car accidents for the first few months.

etc. :D

[yardwork]

33. Absolutely!

I, for one, would love it! :evilgrin:

[Contrary1]

35. The past several years, I've been tempted to show up in public topless...

Only because I am curious as to if I would be arrested, and on what charges. I have no breasts due to cancer, but a hell of a lot of scars to show off. :evilgrin:

So what say you DUers...

Public nuisance? Disorderly conduct? Causing mass hysteria? Making the young and beautiful toss their cookies? Terrorism?

[Tyler Durden]

66. Saw a double mastectomy lady topless once.....

She had a bouquet of roses tattooed across her chest instead of breasts.

[terisan]

36. It is similar to cultures requiring women to wear burquas. Many hunter-gatherer

peoples are comfortable with baring female breasts.

We are more like the cultures that mandate coverups for females than we care to admit.

[SayWhatYo]

39. I'm all for it...

of course that's just my not-really-thought-out-but-like-the-idea-of-topless-women reaction.

[wildbilln864]

41. Hell yes!

Take em off ladies! :bounce:

[bemildred]

43. But then nobody will be able to make money off of pictures of tits.

Hollywood starlets will have to be able to act. This could mean doom for the entertainment business. Where would David Hasselhof be today if tits were no big deal? You have to think about the consequences of this sort of radical change.

[debbierlus]

44. I have no problem walking around without my shirt, but I have a problem with Neaderthals staring

So, covered they stay

I am so sick of men STARING openly at my breasts. The slanted subtle eyes. The flickering glance. The open staring! And, I don't wear low cut shirts & am not really big. I try to write it off as a genetic compulsion, but man.

Sheesh!

[kineneb]

59. "Sir, would you please talk to me, and not my boobs?"

Had that feeling. Being well built but tall, at least I can intimidate the average cave dweller. I give them "the look that kills", and they back off.

[AZBlue]

62. I actually told a jerk once that he'd have to speak up louder, they were a little hard of hearing.

That got him away from me.

[nini]

45. Even in Europe that seems to be restricted to the beach or similar

God knows the Europeans are less hung up on all this puritan crap we have here.

[Thothmes]

65. Believe this to also be the case in Asia

[Virginia Dare]

46. Now, before you vot a big YES, remember..

that's ALL women. 75 year old grandmas too.

[SayWhatYo]

48. I've always liked older women...

but seriously, if 75 old grandpas can do it then I suppose it's only fair...

[Contrary1]

52. Yep

[Katherine Brengle]

53. Riiiight, because we only want to see young, pretty women. Dog forbid

older women, fat women, not conventionally attractive women, or otherwise socially deficient women have the same freedom as everyone else and not be judged.

Puke.

[AZBlue]

63. I was thinking of them too. And, the bad boob jobs.

They are scary even with a shirt on!!

[Le Taz Hot]

64. Hey, if I've got to put up with

may neighbor's humongous beer belly and man boobs, I sure as hell should be able set my 52-year-old ladies free when I feel like it.

[shadowknows69]

47. Its legal here in NY

and pitifully few women take advantage of it.

[sleipnir]

49. Yes, it's quite true.

Few women do take advantage of that law.

[cherokeeprogressive]

50. I go back and forth on the subject. Can't make a firm decision. I'm all wiggly on this. n/t

[Katherine Brengle]

51. Because our culture has hypersexualized women's breasts.

It's ridiculous.

Breasts are not sex organs. They are functional baby-feeding organs.

[Cleita]

55. All they need to do is be exposed to some over sixty breasts.

That'll remove the fantasy quickly. I'll volunteer to show my sixty seven year old ones.

[Cleita]

54. I'm all for it in limited venues like the beach or the swimming

pool. I personally wish men would cover up, at least with a tank top, other than the beach or pool. I think if people see women and men of all ages and sizes topless, it will take the titillation our of bare chests. No one will notice very much anymore.

[Freddie Stubbs]

56. Women can walk around bare-chested in NYC:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06172007/news/regionalnews/busted_gal_payoff_regionalnews_kathianne_boniello.htm

[Horse with no Name]

57. Let me guess

You were inspired by my rant.:)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1824061&mesg_id=1824466

[HughMoran]

58. OK!

Sounds good to me :)

[Le Taz Hot]

60. yes, yes yes,

a thousand times yes!!!

Especially when its 110 degrees around here . . . having to wear a shirt AND a bra is just, well, WRONG!

[idgiehkt]

61. religion is the culprit, since we all know breasts are sex organs

mmmhmm.

[WinkyDink]

67. Oh, I don't know; SEXUAL HARASSMENT, MAYBE??