A Protest Over A Picture

mtbat · #1 03-01-2002, 01:01 AM

New York Airport Vs Breastfeeding Moms

Picture gets put up showing mom breastfeeding. people complain. picture gets taken down. breastfeeding moms hit airport for a "nurse-in"

Fridai(I'm still not sure if this should be in Current Events or Soapbox)

copernicus · #2 03-01-2002, 09:52 AM

awwww, the poor babies. Some people just so love to complain

vania · #3 03-01-2002, 04:15 PM

This sort of fits right in with the theme in the "What Is Art" thread in the soapbox, doesn't it?

v.

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #4 03-01-2002, 04:24 PM

Wherever...

Remember the airline owns the space and was providing the space for the artists as a community service to local artists (while avoiding having to pay for art, so it's not entirely altruistic...). It's not like this was an installation at a publicly-supported entity, like a museum. It's up to the airline. I bet they wouldn't want to post artistic renderings of plane crashes either, no matter how artistically done, and it's their choice.

Personally, I can understand why some people complained - I don't really like the picture, sorry. I can understand why the airline took it down. I can understand why the women felt a need to protest, but I think that given their target (the airline), it's a little misguided. If the picture had been removed from the walls of the Brooklyn Museum of Art due to complaints, THAT's more "protestable" to me.

mj

magenta321 · #5 03-01-2002, 04:36 PM

I agree.

An airport is not where I go to see "art."

And call me a prude, or whatever you want, but I would be very offended by a picture of a woman breastfeeding, unless it was in a museum type setting.

After all, you can teach your children anything you want, but I really don't want my kids looking at that. I think it is natural, but should be done in private.

If these breast-feeding-advocates feel strongly about changing the public perception of breast feeding, this seems like a stupid way.

If the airport had pictures that implied sex acts, would the sexual-rights-activists hold anorgy in the airport?

This is just as offensive, IMHO.

I know this will open a large can of worms, but WHY do woman know that it offends people to see their boob in public, but yet they insist on forcing people to be uncomfortable, just to feed their kid.

I don't care if you feel the breast is best, or if you choose to feed the kid formula. That's not what I am arguing. I do care when people take it upon themselves to expose themselves in public. I don't care if it's natural. We do a lot of "natural" things on a daily basis, and the personal ones (such as bathing, going to the bathroom, making love) are all done in private.

I don't care how things are done in Europe. I don't care what you can see in National Geographic. We don't expose ourselves here. That's why it makes people uncomfortable when some people choose to.

Margaret, who would prefer that women keep their boobs in their shirts when in public, and who does not want to see any pictures of boobs, with or without suckling babes, hanging in public.

mtbat · #6 03-01-2002, 04:48 PM

okay, so how do you feel about magazines like sports illustrated-which had pictures showing more boob than this particular picture showed.

I'm not going to argue right or wrong -but the airport comisioned the photos-they claimb 15 people complained-but the woman in charge has also lied about NOT getting emails complaining about taking the picture down so who knows if anyone or how many people complained.

I'll see if I can't come up with a link that shows the actually picture

Fridai

**mjfrombuffalo**[$] · #7 03-01-2002, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtbat
okay, so how do you feel about magazines like sports illustrated-which had pictures showing more boob than this particular picture showed.

I'm not going to argue right or wrong -but the airport comisioned the photos-they claimb 15 people complained-but the woman in charge has also lied about NOT getting emails complaining about taking the picture down so who knows if anyone or how many people complained.

I'll see if I can't come up with a link that shows the actually picture

Fridai

I was looking for a picture too, couldn't find one. I did see the picture in the NYTimes article, though, and I'm sorry, I didn't see as much boob in Sports Illustrated as I saw in the picture. For those who didn't see it, it's sort-of realistic and shows the boob from the side with the child latched on to the front directly facing the mom. You're seeing the full side of the boob and the partial side of the nipple.

If Hubby's reading Sports Illustrated (or Playboy, for that matter), he's looking at it and I am spared from having to view it. I wouldn't want to be sitting in the airport waiting room with a big ol' boob hanging out on the wall either in front of me or directly over my head. I also don't care if women breast-feed or not; I've seen people who can nicely and discretely breastfeed without flashing the public or smothering the child, and that's Okey-Dokey with me 'cause I can nicely ignore the whole thing. Women can tan their boobies all they want on topless beaches, but don't force me to go and look; I request the same in other public arenas!

mj

magenta321 · #8 03-01-2002, 05:10 PM

One goes to Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue to look at either the models, or the suits. One has the option to open the magazine or not.

One takes their family to the airport to catch a plane. One does not have a choice in what they will be exposed to there.

cristina1 · #9 03-01-2002, 05:44 PM

It is really pretty simple: The airport is privately owned and can display whatever they want. They can put up and take down pictures as they see fit.

I read the article posted twice and didnt see anything about the woman lying about complaints. Does anyone have another link? I did notice that in the article she specified that ticket-holding people complained about the picture. If she received emails complaining about her taking it down, perhaps they were not from ticket-holders?

And if you find a link that has a picture, I'd appreciate it.

mtbat · #10 03-01-2002, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by magenta321
One goes to Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue to look at either the models, or the suits. One has the option to open the magazine or not.

One takes their family to the airport to catch a plane. One does not have a choice in what they will be exposed to there.

yes-but what about the cover pictures? if the magazine was on display in the window of the airport giftshop and 15 people complained would they remove the magazine?

When I have to NIP(nurse in public) I do it carefuly and with a cover up-I don't flash anyone.

Fridai

mtbat · #11 03-01-2002, 05:51 PM

here is the article with the statement from Kiran Jain spokeswoman for the airport

Nursing mothers protest at airport

Quote:

Jain said neither the artist nor the breast-feeding advocates have contacted her, and she described the controversy from the painting's removal as a "circus."

she's been emailed by a LOT of people over this-so that's a flat out lie.

Fridai

cristina1 · #12 03-01-2002, 06:10 PM

I still think that if there is negative feedback on the situation, the airport has a right to remove the offending item. I have no idea how busy the airport is - only know that the article stated it had a "handful" of customers. So 15 complaints might be a significant number.

It doesnt matter if she received 1000 complaints about the removal of the painting if none of them are customers. The whole reason for having the painting in the first place is to make the airport more pleasing to the clientele. It isnt to make a statement regarding breastfeeding.

Unless the painting is absolutely grotesque, I dont really see what is so offensive about it. I have seen some fantastic breastfeeding photos. Of course, the photos I have seen were so wonderful because of the love shining on the mother's face as she gazed upon her nursing infant. I think just seeing a giant boob would give me a whole different feeling.....lol. Not seeing the picture makes it hard to comment.

But now I have some stupid movie my HS boyfriend used to love to watch where in the end a giant boob chased people and squirted milk at them. Was it a Mel Brooks movie? I cant remember.