FREE THE TITTIES What’s the best feeling ever? That’s right, taking your bra off at the end of the day. The sigh of relief that signifies the freedom of your tits. It’s the one thing that brings pure joy after a long hard day of imprisonment. Bras are boob prisons. If it’s the greatest feeling to take them off, why are we putting them on in the first place? This thought lingers in my mind every time I slip on my ‘good ol reliable’ that is most definitely due for a wash. Bras were first manufactured in the early 19th century. The purpose of them was not to support your breasts, help back pain, or solve any of the concerns that come to mind when talking about ‘going commando’. They were created by Henry S. Lesher, with the purpose of enhancing cleavage for the male gaze. Yeah, sounds about right that someone without boobs created bras. It’s not just the fact society expects us to always cover up with these bras though, but if we choose not to, it’s completely looked down upon. Imagine you’re at the beach, it’s a nice sunny day and everyone’s out enjoying the heat. You look around. Dozens of topless men are going for a swim. You think nothing of it, but suddenly you’re taken aback as you see a woman, also shirtless, swimming next to the man. Why is it so unacceptable and shocking for women to show their nipples at a setting
“They’re just boobs...” like the beach, if it’s the norm for men to? They’re just nipples, for God’s sake! I’m not saying I don’t enjoy a cute bikini that makes me feel confident in my body, I’m just saying if I wanted to free the girls, then it should be acceptable and ‘normal’ for me to do so. Big-tittied WHS student Catie Peach said “If the NZ Human Rights Act includes freedom of movement, those rights should apply to my boobs too.” The oversexualization of breasts has made it impossible to show them without everyone immediately commenting on it. ‘Slut.’ ‘Whore.’ And if you’re not slut-shamed, then people think that simply not wearing a bra or bikini is an invitation to cat-call, or make sexual comments on your body. Why should we have to hide them? They’re just boobs.
by Holly Bowman
20
