MODEL CITIZEN
too long ago, men weren’t allowed
to go topless as well. In the 1930s,
male nipples were also considered
obscene and could end in arrest.
But now, when a male is topless in a
photo or in public, it goes unnoticed.
I believe it is time for females to have
this right as well.
For my thesis, I also interviewed a
few women who have struggled with
censorship in the past. I interviewed
models, photographers, and activists
who had strong and inspiring opinions
on the matter and explained as to
why they think females should have the
right to be topless. They talked about
over-sexualisation in the media, the
selling of images of breasts, gender
roles, rape culture, trans issues, and
breastfeeding.
I also created online surveys and
interviewed strangers on the streets to
see what their opinions of toplessness
were and got some interesting results.
Many said that females had the right
to be topless (though many of these
opinions were swayed by the fact that
they get to see boobs more often),
while others said that they feel it would
make them uncomfortable. One man
said that a woman should, “Only show
her breasts to her man at home.”
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Using these different opinions, I was
able to understand the reasoning
behind it all. Women in society are
still considered sexual objects. We
have to look a certain way and act a
certain way in order to be accepted
by others. Because females are still
seen as overtly sexual beings in the
media, society will have a hard time
accepting a topless woman as being
normal. When people see breasts,
they see a price tag or an R-rated
movie or a magazine. They do not see
the woman attached to them. This is
the problem.
Issue 18 | Missy/Ink