RE: gifts and coercion

["Alan Partridge" <apartridge@turbonet.com>]

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to see that much attention has been focused on women's
breasts these past few months. Though I, for one, have not been able to
witness the spectacle that brought forth this discussion, I may be able
to aid in discussion of this volatile topic.

First of all, none of us quite understand fully the frame of reference
of the other, save for splinter-groups in this discussion that willfully
give themselves blinders. The "topless carwash", as I understood it, was
a carwash led by topless women. The indication was given that the main
promoting factor was not the fact that money needed to be raised for a
particular cause, but instead the fact that they were topless was that
which drew so much attention.

As you say, many men, and some women find the appearance of bare breasts
arousing sexually. I find myself in this category. This is the result of
years of conditioning by society, parents, and other external factors
that we all blame for all of our psychological malformations. Our
society, driven by the whole as much as it drives the whole, finds bare
breasts displayed for the sexual amusement of others, to be sexually
arousing. There's certainly no doubt about that, as we see from media
and recently, the new ordinance in our city of Moscow.

Should this be the case? I would say no personally, but for society's
sake, I would have to say that it is important that the breasts and
genitals be kept under wraps, so to speak. Our society is not ready to
accept the breast as a simple delivery organ for the nutrition of
children as in other countries. As a society, we have not yet
dissociated the role of the breast as an object of sexual arousal from
its role in raising a child. I am one of many to blame for this, as I
still find breasts sexually arousing, so I contribute to the attitude of
society.

I believe that if it is necessary for a woman to discreetly bare her
breast for her small child to suckle upon, so be it. I have no
objections to it, though I would have no desire to seek out performance
of the said activity. Our sexually immature society will not tolerate,
at this point, the display of breasts, simply because it will arouse and
sexually frustrate men.

One cannot change society, society must change itself. Here is the big
question: Would you have the courage to stand up for these women and
attempt to have as many women in Moscow bare their breasts in public to
raise public awareness of breasts? Would it truly force us to become
better individuals? Perhaps. It is known that Ghandi tempted himself
with maidens to purify his mind. Could we do the same?

Summary of points made here (to prevent confusion):

1. Our Protestant-based society has much difficulty to the display of
breasts as they are viewed as tools of sex. They are acknowledged to be
important in the child-rearing process, but mostly we ignore it in this
context.

2. Following dictates of society, the individual man links the breast to
sex and thus finds them arousing.

3. To change this issue, society must change its thinking regarding this
matter.

4. For society to change its thinking regarding breasts, each of us must
change our ideas about breasts, unlinking the strong connection to the
idea of sexual intercourse.

My questions:

1. Is it right to display breasts in order to sell the link with sexual
intercourse, as in the case of the car wash?

2. Should the display of breasts in public be regulated, or do we have
the strength of a community to regulate on a case-by-case basis?

Best regards,

Alan Partridge,
A non-representative of the BBC or its affiliates, at home or abroad.