'Like defecation, urination nose-picking, etc...breastfeeding reminds us just how carnal we are. Most of man's "civilising" mores have been an effort to psychologically override the fact that we are animals. We prefer (especially in our public demonstrations) to pretend that we are above all that.

Seeing a human female suckling her infant in the same way as any other mammal would, explodes our little delusion quite literally.'

So in other words, you agree it's not classy:-)

I am outraged! As a mother, I should have the right to not hearing any opinion that could 'make' me feel anything other than a nurturing earth mother goddess for my efforts in breast feeding my baby!

That is one thing that conflicts with the Zeitgeist on breastfeeding. If breast feeding (according to the ubiquitous breastfeeding Nazi cult we have today) is the all encompassing irreplaceable private bonding activity with mother and child, spiritually higher than sex magic, an otherworldly bonding experience that shows why women are better parents and better nurturers and that men will never understand the mother love, why are women wanting to share such a deeply private and personal experience, on a bus.

The social police don't seem to have any problem expressing opinions if the topic is men in budgie smugglers.

There is a lot of effort put into trying to make men (including one well known Iron Man competitor ) feel that wearing a pair of budgie smugglers is something they should not do because of the comfort of others.

Sometimes expressed that if you are young and with a six pack then its a desirable thing but otherwise a social no-no. Perhaps for the sake of the children to add some credibility.

R0bert

Houellie, you know I luv ya...but don't pull the "earth-mother-NAZI" one on me.

I'm not saying mothers are anymore of anything than the father. I'm saying they have different roles to fulfillin the overall nurturing of a child.

As a women, I have the physical equipment to nourish my child, one with exactly the right nutrients to do it. I'm also saying that if in our culture it's perfectly all right to display the greater portion your boobs and body in public, why the patronising attitude to nursing mothers?

And what is this "classy" thing?...just another middle-class affectation to distinguish ourselves?

We're not classy - we go to the toilet we grunt when we have sex, we eat and drink and bicker and fight and vomit. Some of these things are done in private, some of them in public....to gather breastfeeding up and lump it with being "classy" or "not classy" is bunch of...... IMO

I have no doubt it's uncomfortable for women being an object of desire at times, especially when they want it turned off or to be able to act like it doesn't even exist when they change the context to feeding babies, but by god it must be fun at others. If I was a woman I'd really flaunt it. Then if men got uncomfortable I could admonish them for being either prudes or pervs.

See r0bert you have successfully found a situation where women don't know where to look, and it's even with men clothed. The jokes and goings on are a result of women feeling uncomfortable put in the position of the voyeur. Men get that every day. Women seem to feel a-ok with saying fat older men shouldn't wear smugglers too, but men are not supposed to make such comments about women's bodies or threaten their body image. They also seem pretty uncomfortable when young good looking sex gods like myself wear them.

We should mess with them more often. I think they'd like it. It would bring the sexes together, and promote some empathy. I wish I could organize men en masse to wear budgie smugglers and fishnet vests to work every day. Then if there were any comments from women, even breakfast TV hosts about their preferences, it would be sexism! The female gaze!

I am more than the outline of my trouser snake!

Forget about women being 'forced' to conform to some beauty ideal, why don't men ever get to be objectified and desired in the same manner women do.

I'm totally hetero man, trust me;-) but I cant help but feel flattered at the attention I get at gay bars. It's such a trip!

They probably think I'm a tease, but they're just sexist misogynists who are objectifying me so that's ok. They don't understand my context, and that's going for a quite drink with a mate who happens to be gay. I refuse to be 'made' to feel guilty for leading them on with my cheeky grin and tight butt.

Poirot,
Good onya, you are doing well.

Houie is trying to rev you up, its his favourite pastime and a subject about females.

Actually i expected Houie to be posting far earlier, on page 1, when the subject was what the tittle said. He must have been away on hols.

'don't pull the "earth-mother-NAZI" one on me.'

Not on you personally matey. See Poirot, you're a victim of the breast feeding like a junkie in a public toilet vision, my partner's a victim of you're not a real mother if you don't breastfeed. Different times, different society.

My opinion is that women should be able to do it when the baby needs to feed, it shouldn't be an issue for them, most times they can cover their tits a bit like a guy covers his dick clumsily with a towel around him changing back into dry shorts at the beach. Not much to ask if you can manage it. Not a crime for an old coger like koshy to say he'd prefer a bit of discretion.

I'm pro gay rights, I hate Abbott, but I like his honesty when he said homosexuality is confronting for him. He should be allowed to have an opinion.

But breast feeding is not some irreplaceable mystic activity unless you desire to make it so. The mystical shtick is the latest PR propaganda from the breast is best directive. You would have loved that back then because you could manage it, the times would have suited you better, but my partner had problems feeding.

So your outrage-o-meter goes haywire when the same old fart says you should get-back-in-yer-toilet-luv, mine goes when I hear the screeching breast is best cult saying my kids gonna be a malnourished retard, and jumping on some old fool who make a passing comment.

BTW: I don't profess to being 'classy', or even that it is a desirab;e aim, obviously it is for all those mothers to be offended to POTENTIALLY be labeled un-classy. I just think it isn't classy to ignore the comfort of others in a social situation. Breast feedin as you say is not classy or not. But, now that you raise it, it wa the upper classes who had a we nurse, and the resources to not work and hence not have to feed in public.