saw a couple mens without shirts on the street on a long walk the other day. I expect it on the running trail, the beach, the usual, but nipples out on a sidewalk is unusual. Not judging, just noting it catches the eye.
i’m curious about how common it might be where you are. it also seems like it was more of a norm years ago than now.
Not quite the same thing but a couple of weeks ago mrs. mck414 participated in a women’s only 10K, I don’t remember the name of the event off the top of my head. I took advantage of the time on my hands and walked around the lake (it’s a tiny “lake”). during my adventures I noted a couple of women or individuals who had their breasts removed, running/walking topless in the 10K crowd. That was not something i had on my bingo card of things I expect to see today at a 10K.
Made me think we really are hung up on the human body in this country.
In what way are we really hung up on the body?
That’s remarkable, how great that they’re owning it. Situation appropriate too.
In US society, or most of the US, toppless women are harrassed and the practice of being topless is frowned upon. As a guy I can freely run through my neighborhood or hang out at the beach (no pun intended) topless, but women are not afforded the same latitude.
Nudity = sex even when nothing sexual is implied.
example
Ahh, yep. The 'ol nipple tractor beam. They catch my eye too.
Actually it is very common near me, howeve more amongst the younger teen/college crowd around town. But I’ve seen dads at soccer tournaments shirtless watching their kids and tailgating for the concert in August it was also pretty common to see.
Given the US and I guess other country obssession with breasts (well womens breast) I don’t see a law passing allowing full top nudity for all. Given our society double standard I don’t men agreeing to not be topless in the pool.
So how do you right the law that allows, some women to go topless, but not others? Do you really have to say a women who gets double mastectomy and no implants can go topless? Do they have to have the scars to prove it?
Yes the times they are a changing, and I enjoy watching the folks squirm to try and figure out how to keep their double standards and perversions while trying to act like they don’t and they are okay with the new world equalities.
NOTE - I am a male who do to hormone issues had Gynecomastia so now has breasts larger than some women (not many but a few, it was caught early on). But is still allowed to go topless.
We are unable to handle or understand the nuances of the human body or sex in this country. There is so much hypocrisy surrounding the entire issue on all sides.
I worked as a city lifeguard back in high school. One of the things we were made to understand is that our city had no laws against women being topless. So is a woman chose to remove her top we worst it the same as a man even if someone were to complain about it.
I did grow up in a fairly liberal town. We even had a lesbian owned gas station that took advantage of the laws by hosting a regular topless car wash. But I wonder how many towns or counties have specific laws on the books one way or the other.
As an older overweight male ex-triathlete, I keep my top on even when out running in the heat. Only go topless when actively swimming. I don’t need to spoil anyone’s day by overexposing my dad bod.
And all over the place there are breasts on display in ways meant to be sexual. It really is paradoxical. On the one hand the freedom to go topless is supposed to help but it seems to be futile in the face of relentless sexualization elsewhere. The paradox of a woman going topless but then complaining about the male gaze. How could men with easy access to pornography all of a sudden when out in public look upon breasts in a different way. It really is quite schizophrenic. There really isn’t any way with laws to solve that problem.
Society used to have more rather informal community generated norms about reducing the sexualization of body parts. More freedom and equality doesn’t seem to be especially helpful in fixing our current problems. We desire more freedom and equality but it seems to take more and more enforcement with laws and rules to produce the desired result.
It seems your considerate approach is most helpful.
I would agree with that.
I would suggest, if more women walked around topless, breasts would become less of a sexualized things, and no longer be some sexualized things of pornography (LOL looks like new site blocks the use of the first 4 letters only in pornography… see here is ■■■■) . I mean, there are many open public beaches that are topless in this world, and I don’t think they have issues.
Once again, we here in the frozen north country are ahead of you guys on the freedom front. Woman may not be able to carry a pistol but they can walk down the street topless legally.
FREEDOM!!!
Excuse me, your damn country is South of me. And yes enjoyed following those discussions back in the 90s? I want to guess.
In the good old days, the problem of sexualization of body parts was to include ankles, calves, knees, thighs, arms, shoulders, chest (up to the neck), etc.
Depending upon how you define our current problems, I think we have made quite a lot of progress with reducing the sexualization of body parts.
Personally, I am more interested in showing my nipples than my breasts. I like the support offered by bras, so I have no interest in going topless. But I dislike thick bras and I really dislike the removable bra pads meant to hide my nipples. If my nipples poke through my bra and shirt, that’s your tough luck. I’m done caring about it.
I’ve heard a lot of women say the same re thick uncomfortable bras.
I also think it’s a very small contingent of people
who will have a problem with seeing nipples through shirts. No so much tough luck to those of us who like to see it. As with this conversation and how to normally goes it’s up to guys/gals who do like to see it to have some self-control but at the same time it’s not helpful to have those women who are showing their nips to be upset when people stare or smile.
Regarding new, alarming sights, my general advice to my kids is to just pretend they’ve seen it before. Be cool. Don’t freak out. Even very poky nipples are not earth shattering and a guy should be able to keep himself in check to avoid causing a scene. If he’s cool, I won’t even notice his reaction.
Maybe a benefit of Covid and political chaos is that we can better withstand life’s little surprises.
what about men though? Saw about 10 sets of male nipples this morning in hot yoga. If the rest of the body is good you don’t even notice them :>
Agreed no one should be causing a scene. But if we aren’t to shame women for showing the goods then we shouldn’t be shaming the men for enjoying it or obviously looking.
If a women who is “my type” walks by scantily clad or with a low cut shirt, tight pants, or nips out why is it bad of me to notice, and watch her walk by even if my head turns?
I think leaning forward with jaw on the floor, binoculars out, or taking a picture rises to your level of causing a scene and I agree that should be universally frowned upon. But damn if I’m gonna be chastised for politely watching then that’s a bit ridiculous.
We should be teaching kids about a lot of things earlier in life. Maybe I don’t mean earlier; because I still value protecting their innocence for a certain while. But I feel like we’ve avoided topics altogether as the parenting style rather than normalizing some things and teaching them appropriate behavior.