Woman Uses Her Art to Make One Powerful Statement on Breastfeeding in Public

[Vea Lea]

http://www.atomica.com/article/12783...ding-in-public



Photographer and mother, Tamar Shugert, submitted a knock-out piece to the 52Frames "Make a Statement" contest.

The stigma of breastfeeding was a topic she was more than willing to broach, and knew exactly how to do it - with a punch.

"My baby eating is not a gross side-effect of having children," she says. "If you are not willing to eat your lunch in the bathroom, then don't expect me to feed my kid there!"


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what do you think of this kind of stunts? do you think theres a stigma of breastfeeding in general and do you think shes right with what she says?

personally i have no problem with it and wasnt even aware theres a stigma around it, everyone i know see nothing wrong with it and ive never seen anyone object to it irl either

[Calfredd]

As Americans I think we still have some kind of aversion of sexuality so watching a woman whip out a tit to feed her child is going to get some stares. That's how I see it anyway.

[Deleted]

1) I think stunts like these are moronic and self-serving but that's life.

2) There is a stigma in certain societies regarding it.

Primarily Anglo-Western ones where nudity is seen as "Immoral" or "Wrong" no matter the context.

3) I do yes, it's kind of a no shit sherlock here's your nobel prize kind of concept.

[Deleted]

Women should be able to breastfeed wherever they like.
I can't believe people actually gets offended by this. But people seems to get offended by anything these days and for some reason, people listens to offended people.

[Phlegethon]

do you think theres a stigma of breastfeeding in general

No.
Women themselves usually have a problem with whipping out a tit in public. I don't tend to care.

[Saucexorzski]

this is awesome, i love it. Right to the point.

[Cerus]

Women should be able to breastfeed wherever they like.
I can't believe people actually gets offended by this. But people seems to get offended by anything these days and for some reason, people listens to offended people.

In the US they can and employers are required to provide a feeding area that isn't a bathroom.

[Sunseeker]

I'd eat lunch in my bathroom, and it's filthy.

I don't see why this is being regarded as a "knockout piece"? Granted I don't really have a problem with public breastfeeding either, but I understand some folks do. But honestly, this seems kinda internet meme-worthy, but certainly not "knockout art-worthy".

[Pull My Finger]

I generally don't care about all the stupid crap people usually feel they have to have strong opinions about. Breastfeeding in public, smoking, gay marriage, unemployment, all kinds of gender stuff and all that. I don't give a damn.

As an artist, I've grown to dislike "performative" art that is "making a statement" and is trying to bring a point across.

[s_bushido]

I'm of two minds about this:

1. We really need to get over our childish crippling fear of sex and sexuality in America. So you might see a woman's breast, big deal.
2. Is it really that difficult to just carry a bottle of formula with you when you go out with your baby? So your baby might have to "suffer" through a sub-optimal meal now and then, big deal.

[Nilinor]

There is a difference between feeding in public and exposing yourself in public for attention. There are some women out there that intentionally do it in places, making it a sort of spectacle when they whip out the boob for their baby in a way that a lot of people will see so that someone goes "hey, maybe you should go somewhere else" just so they can rant and rave.

No one should be embarrassed by it, but no one should go out their way to make people uncomfortable with what you are doing.

[wowaccounttom]

um.. whats wrong with eating in the bathroom...

some people have to eat in and from "dirtier" places...

very few people want to see milk squirting all over the place... and a woman's breast that is producing milk is not a pretty sight.. ladies, lets keep them tucked in.

[Saucexorzski]

I'm of two minds about this:

1. We really need to get over our childish crippling fear of sex and sexuality in America. So you might see a woman's breast, big deal.
2. Is it really that difficult to just carry a bottle of formula with you when you go out with your baby? So your baby might have to "suffer" through a sub-optimal meal now and then, big deal.

most who breast feed tend to have very very very negative view on breast milk formula. You could ask if they pump their breast milk and then bottle it..but there can be problems that arise from force pumping and its generally more convenient to leave breast milk in breasts.

[Rennadrel]

I got not problems with boobies in public

I honestly wish people in the west were less conservative about something so harmless as boobs. We should remember that we all at one point or another, were doing exactly what babies do with them (and some men for that matter if you are into it). I find things like improper clothing and obese people with their fat hanging out more offensive in public then a woman breast feeding.

[Sunseeker]

Like anything else, if it's something you agree with, you'll see it as hugely noteworthy and needing of widespread attention, and so on. Meanwhile everyone else will say, "Eh."

I agree people need to get the fuck over breastfeeding in public. Like any kind of food consumption, there are ways to do it with manners and in my experience, most women do so, for anyone who doesn't I think that much like the guy shoving food into his face until it spills out his nose, you're more than welcome to criticize. I do think people have a warped perception that mothers and children are beautiful, no matter what and this is on both sides. The side against public breastfeeding sees it as an intrusion into their perception of women and babies as something perfect and idolized. The side in favor sees breastfeeding as beautiful and wonderful because the miracle of life and other wonder-mother bullshit.

I kinda wish we'd get over our obsession with motherhood as a society to begin with. It's not a miracle. When some 5 billion women on the planet could potentially in the next nine months have a baby, there is NOTHING miraculous about it at all.

I once saw an ad for, I think it was St. Johns Hospital, about "Over a 500,000 miracles a year." with a picture of a baby. I'm sorry, but if something happens literally every second of the day, there is nothing special about it.

[Deleted]

As long as the ugly moms get a curtain they can hide behind I'm fine with it.

[Pull My Finger]

So you like landscapes.

That's the only piece of art that isn't a statement usually.

Ah, you deny landscape paintings the ability to carry meaning.

[stabetha]

what is it 1985? Breastfeeding in public was an issue years ago, nobody cares.

[Fencers]

I breastfeed my son and never had any word spoken to me against it. Most of the time people want to come and like, pet my son when I am feeding him. Which is super awkward. But nobody has ever said anything, given a nasty look or hrmph off.

Likewise, I never noticed anyone say anything to my sister who breastfed both her kids too.

[Varvara Spiros Gelashvili]

what is it 1985? Breastfeeding in public was an issue years ago, nobody cares.

Hahahahaha... are u serious. You're serious this is merica. It would make way to much sense for that to be the case(this is a joke).