One of the key steps to the normalization of breastfeeding is, quite simply the presence of breastfeeding in pop culture.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it?
But we live in a world where Janet Jackson creates an uproar for momentarily exposing a nearly unidentifiable breast during a barely watch worthy performance, and that shows where the FCC comes down on the girls. What television producer, outside of the folks over at the Discovery Health Chanel, which isn't broadcast and therefore not subject to the same scrutiny, is going to run the risk of having some woman's tatas in plain view while feeding an infant?
Then there is the further problem, aside from possible censorship issues, that most actresses aren't lactating.
Sure, we can hire someone to play a one time spot on a show where there's a nursing mother, but that's not normalizing. That's incidentalizing.
So help me out here. Should cartoon moms be nursing the babies instead of giving them bottles?
How can we get more breastfeeding awareness in our entertainment so that when people encounter it in the real world, it is both accepted and expected?
Any thoughts?
2 comments:
Well the paparazzi are trying to snap shots of every moment a celebrity is doing anything... why can't they catch shots of some celeb mama BF'ing??? There have to be at least a couple celeb moms nursing, and if we can catch a shot of Britney's cootch while she dismounts from a car, why can't we catch a tender mommy moment somewhere? I don't give a squat what the celeb kid is wearing, let me see some mama love!
And, since TV is so censored, maybe we should focus on seeing babies nursed in the movies?
Oh I have a few ideas. How about when actresses are lactating lest hire them (and their babies) to play the role. I mean really how often does a tv actress get pregnant and then her character does too? So, that is one way women could breastfeed. Also, we could have it be known that mom on whatever tv show is breastfeeding by her taking the baby to the nursery to feed. If they are careful they can even take video of baby in a cradle hold but with a pacifier in his mouth. Then positioned over a breast. Move the clothes to look like they would if tv mom were nursing and wa-lah!! breastfeeding on tv.
And yes Jennifer is right how about movies - we see bare boobs in movies ALL THE TIME. How about seeing them for their intended purpose.
Oh and we could certainly see advertisements - bill boards and stuff. That would make it a normal picture.
And of course just simply doing away with the botles and formula being all over the tv would do something. If it were just known that mom is breastfeeding and there were no bottles and formula everywhere it would make breastfeeding seem more common and make bottles less of what is seen and even that I think would help.
Okay being quiet now that I have run my mouth quite a bit.
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