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23 Feb
Apparently Tom has become bored with trying to track down spammers and hackers and has turned his sites on some more interesting targets. Boobs. That’s right folks, as if the breastfeeding community doesn’t have enough crap to deal with, MySpace is now taking a jab at them. The following is courtesy of www.associatedcontent.com
The online community MySpace is stirring up trouble among its users that are mothers. Many mothers are furious over the fact that MySpace has been deleting any photos that portray breastfeeding. The photos are being pulled for violating the terms of agreement, which state that any content that is offensive, illegal or violate the rights, harm, or threaten the safety of any person may be deleted. Many are wondering how images of breastfeeding fits into those terms.
As a virtual protest many mothers have begun changing their user pictures to that of nursing babies. The breastfeeding mothers claim that nursing is not offensive at all, and that by being more public about it they are helping to normalize something that has been hidden under a cloud of shame for years. Many feel that the sexualization of the female breast makes it difficult for many to see a difference between using the breast for sex and using the breast for its intended purpose, which is to feed a child. This is on top of an already diminished view of breastfeeding held from the early 1950s when doctors often told women that their milk was not good enough and many families felt that formula created by science was a better choice.
The debated over breastfeeding photos has sparked a fire among those who support breastfeeding in public and those who feel it is disgusting. Many mothers who have breastfeeding photos are finding themselves attacked by those who feel that the breast is a purely sexual object. Hate filled messages are being sent out to many mothers on MySpace for sharing their breastfeeding photos, some are going as far as reporting every photo that the mothers have on their account often resulting in all of the photos deleted by MySpace.
The mothers involved are furious and are not going to take it. So far MySpace has not yet commented on the issue, but breastfeeding photos are still being removed. Many women are claiming that this is discrimination. Images of partial and full nudity that includes the breasts are found on a majority of MySpace profiles, yet it is the breastfeeding photos that are being removed. As the ban on breastfeeding photos continues the firestorm continues to grow. One mother on MySpace commented "The power of lactating women has been demonstrated often in the media lately (Delta, Pork Board, etc.). Now it’s time for us to take on Myspace."
If there is anything that I have learned during my year of motherhood- NEVER piss off a lactating woman. Hell hath no furry like a boobie scorned.
But for the sake of argument here….let’s do a little myspace surfing to find some of these pictures….(dramatic pause here…)


hmmmmmmmm……. Apparently, if Tom can’t get any boobie then no one can!
****We didn’t get to breastfeed very long, but I am fully supportive of the momma’s that do. If anyone is joining in on the fight, here’s a blinkie that I found….
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16 Responses for "MyBoobies? Not on MySpace!"
Hurray for boobs! And hurray for you for taking a stand! Big squishy booby hugs!
No offense to anyone but what is wrong with people???? Come on women have been feeding babies like this before time was recorded. It’s what we do. Silly silly prudes. Get over it. some breast are working breasts and that is that.
My Space has completely lost it this time! Thanks for posting this!!!!
I’m not sure that I would post a photo of myself breastfeeding on the internet, but I do think it’s crazy that MySpace is censoring breastfeeding while allowing porn to be plastered everywhere. We had lower our age on our MySpace profile, so that we couldn’t receive MySpace Porn Spam in our message and friend request inbox’s. Something is very wrong with society when the beauty of a nursing mother and baby is censored and ridiculed by prudes with dirty minds. Seriously - this is their problem!!! The fact that they see breatfeeding as dirty displays their own debased and depraved consciousness. They need their minds washed out with soap (or something a little stronger).
First, let me say that I do not believe in sensorship of any kind. However, since it is a rule of Myspace, they have the right to govern that rule. It is a free service offered to you so I would say they have the right.
Second, I would like to let you know before I speak my mind that I am NOT a prude! ha!
I am one of the few women (I guess) who agree with the people that are against public breast-feeding.
Yes, it may be “natural”, but so is urinating. Should we be able to urninate any where any time? Or how about loving making. It is natural…hell it is how the baby you are feeding on your boob got made. Should people be able to make love any where any time? You say it is “beautiful” to breat feed and that is YOUR OPINION. There are just as many people who think our bodies are beautiful and don’t want to wear clothes. Should we all walk around nude? It is not sexual…the human body is beautiful…isn’t it? (Do you see where I am going with this yet?)
I feel breast-feeding is a private thing. It is a personal choice.
As for getting the acceptance and/or awareness out there, that should be done in a doctor’s office, at the hospital and/or from woman to woman.
I would also go so far as to say that I have had the opposite happen to me…I have been ridiculed and belittled for choosing NOT to nurse my children. I have had nurses repeatedly tell me over and over again what a mistake I was making. Once informed, they should leave me to my choice.
Just thought I’d play devil’s advocate since this is all based on opinion and there are always two sides.
I feel the pain of other nursing moms (no pun intended)
When I chose to nurse both of my children in the early 1990’s, I was bombarded by negativity. The list of insults was unbelievable especially since most came from family members.
For example:
too cheap to buy formula
too lazy to get out of bed to make a bottle
overtly sexual, likes to make others uncomfortable
control freak who dosent want anyone else to feed the baby
On and on it went, but I never regretted my decision to nurse. Neither of my children had ear infections, digestive/gas problems or other bottle related issues.
I agree with the previous commenter though. I would not post a close up picture of my baby’s face with my breast. It’s asking for trouble.
I did not post my business URL (I’m a Party Gal- I do “those” parties) since it has no relevance to this topic and would only taint the content of my comment.
I am very thankful to La Leche League, who provided me with support and guidance during my lactation. Without their help, I surely would have quit nursing.
HUGS,
Michaelene
We only breastfeed for a short time, and I never really did it in public. (I was home for 8 weeks after the c-section- and I never really got comfortable nursing in public) And then my baby was on formula for 10 months- so I have felt the wrath of others for that choice as well. And believe me at $300 dollars a month (for special formula) I kicked myself for not trying harder to make it work.
My main contention would be the lack of follow thru on Myspace’s part. Why are the naked girls in the first two pictures allowed to take pictures of themselves in their underwear, but the girl on the bottom that is showing no boob at all be punished? I really don’t want to see the skanky girls in their panties!!!
We live in a world where breastfeeders are shunned to feed in the bathroom, but Britneys c-section scar (among other things) is posted all over the internet. Where do you draw the line? There is also the fact that most of the moms in question are prob friends with other moms- so they are not putting these pictures up to attract men. If you didn’t want to see your friends boobs- then you would address that with them. Though from my experience like attracts like. If you are pro breastfeeding, you likely hang around others that feel the same (which is the point of LLL)
Can we say the same about the pantie clad girls? They post those pics up to get the guys attention. They want everyone to comment about how "HOT" they are.
And Tom is a billionaire regardless, this little scandal has just drawn in more page hits and click thrus. There is no such thing as bad publicity!
I can’t imagine someone being offended by seeing a nursing woman nourish her child, but the bottom line is, no one is forcing them to look. If she’s doing it in a park or mall or wherever you are, and you don’t like it, avert your gaze. If you don’t want to look at porn, close the browser window. If you don’t want to see bad TV, turn the channel. If you don’t want to listen to regurgitated political jargon on the talk show, turn the radio station. It’s all about choices people. Exercise your right to make the choices that make you feel warm and fuzzy.
It’s a woman’s choice to breastfeed (I made that choice long ago), it’s also your choice to not breastfeed. It’s a very natural, thing, yes, as was mentioned up above, but FAR different from urinating or having sex in public, IMHO. There are very few options for on-the-go moms when it comes to finding privacy to nurse. Public restrooms are filthy. I did it in my car many times, it’s hard to produce milk when you aren’t relaxed or comfortable.
When the situation calls for it, I think a woman can be discreet and not show her breast fully while nursing. If it were me, and I knew the person who might be passing by might find it offensive, I would try to be as discreet as possible. I also wouldn’t post pictures of myself nursing my child anywhere on the internet, but I don’t have a problem with other people doing it. Whatever flips your skirt…
I am puzzled that Myspace has the time and energy for censorship of this kind. It seems to be such a waste of resources.
Wow! Thanks for sharing this interesting piece of information! If there is ANYTHING I can do, PLEASE let me know as this kind of CRAP gets under my skin!!!! I am a HUGE advocate for breastfeeding mothers, so count me on this protest!
I nursed our son until he was almost 16 months old & for the most part, I had a lot of support from family & some friends. I will do it again!
Thank you for this (sad) info!
Take care…
I noticed the comment likening breastfeeding to urinating and lovemaking, in that it should be private.
I have to disagree with that statement. No one finds it offensive when a family sits down at a restaurant and eats from plates, and bowls, and drinks from cups. All that a nursing baby is doing is eating. Eating is not considered to be a private thing, so why must it be private for an infant? No one insists on putting a blanket over an adults head when they eat, and if they did, people would laugh at them. So why do people insist on putting a blanket over an infants head when they are eating? Some infants may have no problem with a blanket, but others do.
And then there is the issue of the mothers comfort. If a mother is out shopping, she may not have time to get home before her baby needs to eat. Is it really reasonable to insist that she nurse in a bathroom stall? It’s uncomfortable, cramped and confined. Would any adult want to eat in a bathroom stall? Of course not. That is where you relieve yourself, and is not a sanitary place to consume food. So why would anyone reasonably think that a nursing mother is going to want to take her baby into a bathroom to feed them?
As far as myspace, its a double standard, and hypocritical. I would have less of a problem with myspace deleting photo’s of nursing mothers, if they were also deleting the provacative nudes and partial nudes that are rampant on Myspace.
MySpace has always had a double standard. They claim to be concerned about their community and even offer ways to report inappropriate content. Yet they seem to wait on others to do their dirty work by reporting that content. But this business about taking down breastfeeding photos when there are literally tons of other photos and videos that are x-rated is absolutely crazy!
And another thing that bothers me is that kids have access to it, while their parents don’t get involved…or at least they don’t until they find out that they’ve met someone that they’ve met on MySpace and by then it’s too late.
Keep up the good work!
Rediculous! I have seen worse pictures for a long time and they have not taken them down! They need to back off!
{shocked}
I nursed my son for a year, and almost exclusivly {80 to 90% of the time}. I nursed in public - resturants (in a booth, waitresses never minded), at the park, whenever my son was hungry I fed him. I even took PRIDE in pointing out to those who stared at my breasts ‘these ARE functional’ most men would look away. I only ‘covered up’ when my male relatives were around for thir comfort [respect] as much as anything or I would go into another room.
Since when did FEEDING a child become a crime?!
I have been on myspace for years {various pages}, an I have seen more breasts and pictures that I DO find offense than I can count, yet, seeing a baby nursing, it makes my heart skip a beat, heck, I MISS having a baby, that bonding.
Would/will I post pics of me nursing, yep. Heck, if I can find the ones from when I was nursing my son, I will scann them in AND post them. Breasts are MADE for a REASON, to feed out young. Period. Anything else is what has been conjured up by others, not as nature intended.
In my own defence, I do post semi-nude pics of myself up on myspace, yet, they are NOT on the same page as the one sof my son; I keep seperate accounts and my pics are tastefull.
They are a$$holes!! I would much rather see a mom nursing her baby than nearly x-rated pictures of women in provocative poses!! they need to grow up, isnt there laws against banning breastfeeding???
[…] Read this from super-mommy when surfing new blog at mybloglog. She post about Myspace Myspace had pulled some breastfeed photo due to violating the terms of agreement. […]
why? naked photos are allow in myspace’s? where else? BF photo have got to be deleted from myspace’s
this is absolutely ridiculous!
i dont see any harm to post a bf photo in blog, photo storage website, even BF Forum!
BF photo is not a porn photo! okay.
keep up the good work , BF. (u are such a wonferful BF moo.)~thumb up to you girls.
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