Comments on: Hey, Facebook, what have you got against breast-feeding?

The social networking site says any breast-feeding images that show a little areola will be removed. Naturally, a protest movement has ensued. On Facebook.

[j45732]

The purpose of the breast is to feed an infant, baby, child. If someone is offended by the signt of this, they need therapy!

[jCounsel]

The purpose of a ***** is to urinate and procreate. If you think the picture of a ***** should be allowed anywhere, then your logic applies. If you think there are body parts that should not be exposed, then you may need to rethink the way you support your position.

People across the globe have different opinions and beliefs. Will you give up yours because someone else things you "need therapy?" Perhaps we should be understanding that we are all different and may have different beliefs.

I simply don't understand why people refuse to use the shawls made for breastfeeding mothers that covers any "exposure." This lets you breastfeed and not "irritate" others. How is the request to not show a breast offensive?

[davewc39]

Look IDIOTS!!! Women have the right to breast feed anyplace anywhere. I have a suggestion to people in the Midwest and the ignorant people who don't understand. I have 2 things that happened regarding this issue. 1: You remember a woman was breasting feeding on a major airline flying in the air, when a stewardess told that she "could not" breast feed her baby and that she would have to breast feed in the bathroom. I have "one-word" for the stewardess and the people (that is NOT smart). STUPID, CAN YOU SAY "LAWSUIT." Well, remember Gloria Allred took the case and "sued" the airline for 6 million dollars and won!!!. By the way, that stewardess is probably is "not" working there any longer, due to liabability of any future incompentent decisions. In other words, she is a risk of stupidity 2: The other issue was California Family Fitness in Rancho Cordova when a woman was breasting feeding her child in the corner of the gym, when a fitness employee told her that breast feeding was not allowed. Well, I smell a lawsuit and lawsuit it was! The woman sued California Family Fitness and they settled out for 200,000 and won. Your saying what is my point, to you idiots, since i know the law. LEAVE WOMAN ALONE BREAST FEEDING CAUSE THEY ARE LEGAL AND PROTECTED UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW!!! if you know what good for you. People think before you act and use your brain.

[CryMe-A-River]

Well davewc39, if you had taken any of your own advice (using your brain) your comment may have been slightly relevant. Unfortunately that is not the case, we are not arguing the validity of breast feeding in public, stay with me now, we are debating a Facebook policy of posting PICTURES of breast feeding. We are not saying that women cannot breast feed. Hmmm, no law there.

[uawes]

Well put, CryMe, except that we aren't even debating a Facebook policy of posting pictures of breastfeeding. Facebook allows pictures of mothers breastfeeding if they are discreet, and there are thousands of pictures of breastfeeding mothers on Facebook. What we are talking about are pictures of breastfeeding that contain nudity. BTW, Facebook also doesn't allow nude photos where there isn't breastfeeding going on. This is equal treatment, not discrimination. But some people believe that as long as they are breastfeeding, they deserve special treatment and should be allowed to do whatever they want.

[GardenLobster]

You see, the problem here is that the breasts in question are being used for their evolutionary purpose - to feed one's young in accordance with being a mammal.

This is why nearly exposed body parts with a sexual purpose are wholly acceptable on Facebook but breastfeeding is not. It does not sexualize the woman or objectify her in any way. We just can't have women not being objectified on the Internet!

As a woman, this is the only explanation that makes sense at all to me. /eyeroll

[jCounsel]

I don't find breastfeeding objectionable. However, I do note that there is an "I" in that sentence. Facebook is not saying breastfeeding is bad or that you should not breastfeed. Rather, Facebook is asking that breasts not be shown on the site. Now, before you get upset, there are a few facts:

1. It is Facebook - they own the site/domain, and, like most sites, they can moderate or decide what is acceptable for their site.
2. You are welcome to your opinion, but I don't think you get anywhere by saying that those who disagree are "wrong." Perhaps breastfeeding in public is "right" for you but "wrong" for others who hold different views.

There is nothing wrong with a breast. However, choosing to fight over the acceptability of images of exposed breasts while breastfeeding to make an argument about "there is nothing wrong with an exposed breast" is like saying if we watched men urinating in pictures, we would have no problem with an exposed *****. I mean, if nothing is wrong with nudity, we should be able to post pictures of anything. Just remember, you might object to a picture of a person urinating even if it is "natural.".

Logically, I see no difference between looking at a breast, a vagina, or a *****. They are all body parts. However, I understand that not everyone will agree with me on issues. I have friends that disagree with me on abortion, nudity, politics, etc.., but we remain good friends even though we disagree on issues.

Why must people agree with you?

"right" or "wrong" is a personal choice. Certainly nobody just gives up their opinions for anyone else (the "I support breastfeeding" group is not saying, "You are right, we should not show our breasts.). Why should anyone else abandon their beliefs just because you disagree with those beliefs? Can people be civilized and disagree?

What harm is there to not showing breasts in pictures of breastfeeding? My wife breastfed in public with one of those breastfeeding shawls--no skin exposed. So it isn't about breastfeeding as much as it is about exposed breasts. The argument on Facebook isn't going to change anyone's mind-especially where there is no discussion or consensus building. Rather, what I see is "You are wrong!" "No, you are wrong!" This gets us nowhere quick--of course, we were already there, so I guess we are stuck...

If you ran a blog, should you have to accept every comment? If not, why are you mad at Facebook? Simply take your pictures elsewhere--to a blog site that allows such photos or to your own blog (get a domain through any ISP and use Wordpress or other blog software and post what you want). Just remember, I certainly respect your opinion as to what should be allowed on your own blog/domain.

[huttarl]

Your article is misleading right from the title. "Her sin, explained Facebook, was not the actual image of breast-feeding. It was the visibility of her areola, the dark area around the nipple." Facebook apparently has nothing against breast-feeding. Breast-feeding has nothing to do with it. Public sites, like TV stations, have to adhere to uniform codes of what's acceptable and what's not. If they don't use objective rules, they are open to charges of partiality. In this case, the boundary is that the visible areola is not allowed. This is a very common rule in public policy. People who violate policy in the public fora where they have agreed to abide by the terms and conditions have no grounds for getting upset when their host enforces the rules.
Talking about breastfeeding is a red herring. People are welcome to post pictures of breastfeeding. Visible areolae are not welcome, regardless of whether breastfeeding is involved.

[blazingst]

Why are some people so stupid? I just do not get it. The same women that would not want some man to see her breast any other time will just pull it out in public and start nursing her child. Not only is it rude to others, ESPECIALLY when they are trying to enjoy a nice meal in a restaurant, it is just socially unacceptable. Those same women say "What is your problem? This is beautiful!". Well, to those ignorant women I say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Also, if the woman is obese and nasty, it is OBSCENE! No IF's, AND's or BUT's about it!!!!

I was at Saturday Market in Portland enjoying a day with my wife and children, when this hideously ugly woman with the nastiest body you have ever seen allowed her 5 year old son to pull up her shirt and start sucking on her *** in front of us. We were trying to eat a meal and nearly lost our lunch. Regardless of what you think of breastfeeding in public, there are many others who are offended and rightfully so! I don't care where in the hell you go, but be private and respectful. As far as posting the pictures on facebook with nipples and areolas showing, that is simply pornography!

[AppleSuxLeo]

Face-Breast-Book...the new Web 2.0 mash-up !

[Solarneutrino1]

Amazing. I read all the post and yet here I am writing one. What happened to freedom of speak, rights and free will? I thought this was America freedom of rights but, I see more we become more and more close minded and shallow instead of open mindedness and less judgmental. Less education and Less exposure to life out in the real world can tell a lot in a person in what they write and what they say. I have traveled all over the world and see comments like ugly (being kind) and yet we don't look at the big picture how we are destroying our world and exposing our kids to corruption but yet here we are disgusted and wanting respect to breast feeding which is a natural thing. People will find little things to argue about because they have nothing else to do and yet there is so much out there to do besides venting out on things that really have any relevant at all if there is one just shows lack of character. First and last post.

[oznom1]

I can't believe there's debate about this - of course mothers should be able to feed their babies in public! And if they want to post pics on Facebook for their friends and families, so what? What concern is it of ours, or Facebook's? If it were illegal, immoral, lewd, crude or cruel - I could understand it (although call s into question much of what else is posted on Facebook). But it's not. It's feeding a baby!! Somehow, pictures of feeding a baby are a risk (see quote from Facebook spokesperson above)? What, exactly, is the risk?

It's not even April 1st...

[graphicsrod]

My wife breast feeds in public all the time. However, keeping in mind that not everyone is all for that and I'm not all for 16 year old boys checking out my wife's boobs at the mall... we got something to make everyone happy. It's called a Hooter Hider. It keeps my wife's hooters hidden, my baby happy, and the public usually has no idea that anything is happening. You can check them out at...

http://shop.bebeaulait.com/shop/hhnc

Enjoy.

They should post them right back and just have it censored, it won't violate the tems of use policy then...

http://apps.facebook.com/censorit

[EyE322]

Personally, I think BJ?s are beautiful. The way the female gets protein so her hair is shiny is such a wonderful act of nature. I mean where I live people walk around with there p3nis (AkA manboob) out all the time. It?s not disgusting but a way to share protein Its so beautiful how I feed the ladies. I think that if I want to take pictures of this I can and post them on my facebook. Who is with me? Who thinks that public feeding is beautiful?

[AppleSuxLeo]

Word has it middle school and HS girls , esp. the more EMO ones , regularly give their male friends "relief" under the tables right in class and also in the bathrooms. If the guy is hung well it gets around and the girls give even more attention to his need for regular relief.

[adnosense]

I am pretty surprised at that whole breast feeding thing. In my opinion, it should have not been banned. However I do think that the mother lacked judgment posting these pictures. She has every rights to do so, but it comes down to a personal sense of privacy. Don't get me wrong, I support her going mad over Facebook about it, but truth is, if I were her, I would have not posted it in the first place.
We all know that what we call "rights and freedom" are just words that are thrown around these days and become meaning less (see Apple and the ebook thing), but that does not mean that in the name of these words, we can do anything. I think we need a certain sense of decency, and if someone is not able to do so, then it's important to create some sort of reminder.

[clynx]

Facebook and My Space are stupid. You are working for free to make some idiot rich with very little in return except your ego rubbed.

[clynx]

Facebook and My Space are stupid. You are working for free to make some idiot rich with very little in return except your ego rubbed.

[xxninjaboyxx]

Okay Seriously, If they're going to ban pictures of a mother and child sharing an intimate moment, They should ban pictures of couples kissing, it's the same principle.

[EyE322]

i love my baby kisss kiss that nipple!

[momtee]

I do not have a problem with facebook banning the pictures and I am a mother who breastfed two children. I was modest about it and kept covered when I fed them in public places. While I understand this a natural and wonderful experience to breastfeed your children, it does not have to be displayed. The mom and child can still reap all of the joys of the experience without exposing others to the image of her breast. I understand that they are necessary and feeding a child has to be done and if you chose to breasfeed you will have to find your own comfort level about what to expose but some modesty is not always a bad thing.
I do not want to see other private and intimate moments in public either.
I would not want to sit with someone that was a slob while eating, or talked with their mouth full of food, I find that offensive.
This picture wasn't taken off because she was breastfeeding her child, it was taken off facebook because it showed too much of her breast. Facebook did not care what was happening in the picture that warranted the woman's breast being exposed.
If she wants people to see her child eating make sure the picture doesn't show her breast.

[edjenn]

Its real simple, build a social network in Ning and host all the breast feeding information, content and photos that are wished and wanted. The goal will be achieved, even better than Facebook.

[bassguitarbabe]

Why, may I ask, does anyone feel the need to put up pictures of them breastfeeding anyways. it may be her new baby but why not just post pictures of the baby itself, or someone holding them, why would someone need those kind of pictures up. that's just dumb. pooping is natural too but would you think it approriate to have those kind of pictures up? probably not. you may not think breast feeding is gross but others do, while some people don't think pooping is nasty, some do. just because it's natural doesn't mean it's something appropriate.