Nipple-negating technology declares war on female breasts

dr. what · Post by **dr. what** » 2005-06-01 12:31pm

link

Nipples have become society's latest taboo, much to the chagrin of actresses such as Canada's Pam Anderson , writes Misty Harris

Misty Harris
The Ottawa Citizen

The good news is those weapons of mass destruction have finally been found.

The bad news is your mother, sister, aunt, and grandma are all guilty of having them.

Sixteen months after the Super Bowl's tempest in a C-cup, war has been declared on women's breasts. From Desperate House-wives' deployment of digital nipple-erasers to Victoria's Secret's nipple-negating bras, a campaign is under way to conceal one of the natural features of the female breast.

The producers of TV's Desperate Housewives have reportedly spent thousands of dollars digitally removing the nipples from on-screen images of actresses Teri Hatcher and Nicolette Sheridan.

In discussing the show's "nipple problem," series creator Marc Cherry tells the Philadelphia Daily News: "Certain actresses really don't like to wear bras. And we try to accommodate them as much as humanly possible. ... So we've done a lot of blurring."

Jeff Jarvis, founder of buzzmachine.com and creator of Entertainment Weekly, jokingly calls it "the nipple clause." As in, "I have the right to have them, you have the right to airbrush them."

A similar situation exists on Canadian actress Pamela Anderson's new TV series, Stacked. In an April interview on Howard Stern's radio show, the actress complained that network censors ordered her nipples be "taped down" during filming so as not to offend prime-time audiences.

"What we have are media executives coming around trying to suggest they should protect us from this, because they're trying to protect themselves," says Mr. Jarvis. "Is there really going to be an outcry? In fact, shouldn't the person who causes that outcry be embarrassed?"

Mr. Jarvis adds: "At some point, I think this becomes a case for the National Organization for Women. Going back to Janet Jackson, when did people's lives get ruined by seeing a breast?"

The bizarre trend isn't limited to celebrity skin.

According to a spokeswoman for Victoria's Secret, one of the biggest complaints from the company's clients was "nipple show-through" in unlined bras. They responded by introducing the much-hyped Ipex, a bra with a contoured pad designed to prevent this problem from arising.

Gary Grizzle, an associate professor of sociology at Florida's Barry University, says the trend represents a shift from a way of thinking in which a woman's ambition, not her sexuality, was considered the greater menace.

"For most of the '80s and '90s, the real threat, as far as women go, had to do with their career aspirations," he recalls. "Normally, we assume that when the focus is on women, they'll be very sexual and very submissive. It's the ones in the three-piece suits that scare the hell out of us."

Mr. Grizzle says current anti-nipple sentiments are steeped in the same notions that cause some religions to keep women covered up and out of holy places because a woman's "sexuality disrupts everything that men try to accomplish."

Radar magazine's Daniel Radosh proposes another possibility. He writes that because "wardrobe malfunctions" have become so commonplace, attitudes toward self-exposing celebrities have become more critical.

McC · Post by **McC** » 2005-06-01 12:38pm

*sigh* Why must stupid people perpetuate their stupid?

I'm kind of disappointed to hear that Desperate Housewives employs such a technique. I actually like that show.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2005-06-01 12:41pm

Okay. An all out Jihad has been declared against one of the best parts of the female form. Has it occoured to anyone this might just have some unpleasant psychological effects on young ladies? Oh, wait, forget everything, nod dumbly like cattle.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2005-06-01 12:42pm

How does the sociologist's comment make any sense for the story? We're scared of women in suits, not sexual women, so that's why we need to... conceal the sexuality of women?

Il Saggiatore · Post by **Il Saggiatore** » 2005-06-01 12:45pm

So, in order to be "equal opportunity", what are they going against men?

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-06-01 12:53pm

As a nipple afficianado, I find this news highly disgusting. I consider this to be blatant oppression of my god-give right to ogle nipples.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-06-01 01:09pm

That article said my grandma has nipples!

The last, and I mean last thing I want to visualise is my ninety one year old grandmother's nipples.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2005-06-01 01:20pm

Frank Hipper wrote:That article said my grandma has nipples!

The last, and I mean last thing I want to visualise is my ninety one year old grandmother's nipples.

My god, Frank, that's the sort of thing that would drive you away from heterosexuality forev...

Oh.

Too late.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2005-06-01 01:20pm

I was hoping that this would describe some new technology that makes nipples poke out less.

I don't mind general pokey-outiness, but right before my period, my nipples are HUGE, and it's really annoying, because they even show a bit through my padded bra sometimes, and they're quite sensitive and it would be much more comfortable if they were smaller.

And then of course, imagine it in summer, when I'm just running around in a tight singlet top (no bra)! I have to hide from my sisters so they don't tease me about them.

McC · Post by **McC** » 2005-06-01 01:23pm

Lusankya wrote:I was hoping that this would describe some new technology that makes nipples poke out less.

I don't mind general pokey-outiness, but right before my period, my nipples are HUGE, and it's really annoying, because they even show a bit through my padded bra sometimes, and they're quite sensitive and it would be much more comfortable if they were smaller.

And then of course, imagine it in summer, when I'm just running around in a tight singlet top (no bra)! I have to hide from my sisters so they don't tease me about them.

Suppressing nipples because they're uncomfortable, as you're suggesting, is one thing -- something reasonable and understandable. Suppressing them because of some deluded, arbitrary 'sensibility' (which, hey look!, is utterly senseless) is retarded.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2005-06-01 01:27pm

Actually, the biggest problem is my sisters teasing me because they show through my top.

Plus I'd feel more comfortable if they weren't sticking out so much - not a physical discomfort, but more of a "well, at least my nipples aren't poking out half an inch" kind of psychological comfort.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2005-06-01 01:35pm

I think it's kind of hilarious when an actress is actually wearing what seems like normal clothes and they do the nipple-blur on her. Kind of pathetic.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2005-06-01 01:38pm

Won't this confuse the crap out of little kids who are used to being breastfed?!?

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-06-01 01:55pm

Gah! American values are under attack!

salm · Post by **salm** » 2005-06-01 01:57pm

They should conceal their entire brests just like Daisy Duck does, these perverted whores!!!

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2005-06-01 02:03pm

Xenophobe3691 wrote:Won't this confuse the crap out of little kids who are used to being breastfed?!?

What kind of depraved slut uses a dirty, sinful thing like a breast to feed a child?
*vomits*

Korvan · Post by **Korvan** » 2005-06-01 03:39pm

salm wrote:They should conceal their entire brests just like Daisy Duck does, these perverted whores!!!

I'd agree with that as long as they go with the whole no-pants thing that Daisy does as well.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2005-06-01 04:09pm

SirNitram wrote:Okay. An all out Jihad has been declared against one of the best parts of the female form. Has it occoured to anyone this might just have some unpleasant psychological effects on young ladies? Oh, wait, forget everything, nod dumbly like cattle.

Given the general intelligence of the human race, I wouldn't be surpised if nipple removal surgery becomes a trend because of this crap.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2005-06-01 04:12pm

I'm going to get really pissed if they declare ware on cleavage next.

So after this nipple problem is taken care of how long before all men have to wear MC Hammer style parachute pants so there won't be any disturbing bulges showing?

Can't touch this

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-06-01 06:10pm

aerius wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Okay. An all out Jihad has been declared against one of the best parts of the female form. Has it occoured to anyone this might just have some unpleasant psychological effects on young ladies? Oh, wait, forget everything, nod dumbly like cattle.
Given the general intelligence of the human race, I wouldn't be surpised if nipple removal surgery becomes a trend because of this crap.

DUDE!

Don't even say that...

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2005-06-01 06:57pm

Just another reason for me to say, "fuck pop culture." I love boobs. I love BIG boobs and I love nipples. I don't care of they're big or small... they're just awesome.

FUCK POP CULTURE.

SPOOFE · Post by **SPOOFE** » 2005-06-01 07:38pm

I love nipples. I love nipples so much. I would suck and squeeze them all day long if I could. If I were a billionaire, I'd hire three or four women to stand around topless everywhere I go, just so I could arch my neck up and lick a nipple whenever I wanted.

This is clearly the greatest threat to our civil rights. Invade Washington, DC!!

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2005-06-01 09:45pm

Superman wrote:Just another reason for me to say, "fuck pop culture." I love boobs. I love BIG boobs and I love nipples. I don't care of they're big or small... they're just awesome.

FUCK POP CULTURE.

Uh, how is pop culture responsible for this

? Puritanism seems to be the real culprit

Jarl Sven · Post by **Jarl Sven** » 2005-06-01 10:12pm

after this attack on motherhood could apple pie be next?

You know, if nipples are outlawed..........

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2005-06-01 10:32pm

When are people in this society (and Canada's) going to fucking GROW UP?!?!