All Mod Cons

[tikistitch]

Though it seems to be new in the Southland, the so-called "modesty" movement has already marched through Seattle. We saw news reports of a "modest" fashion show back when women hereabouts still routinely donned t-shirts stolen from toddler-aged siblings. tiki did not disapprove at that point of the Mod-i-acs, as, no matter the motivation, we endorse any philosophy that will cause our view to be less blighted with blobbity girlie spare tires (to our eyes, the worst example of cringe-inducing skin exposure since the great chest hair uncovering of the 70s). Seriously, unless you are aged 19 or less and sized 2 or less, not the best look.

As to the Mod Cons, the Concept, in sum: women must cover their boobies, and their bras, bra straps, bra strap lines under clothes, and any clothes that might actually suggest that they indeed possess breasts and are thus are in need of a bra. The authors of the movement helpfully point out unintentional and unexpected ways of boobie exposure (Like a too deep neckline! Or, through the arm hole! Be ever wary!). Because, if men think of teh sex, it is all your fault. Cause, boobies.

Though, tiki is thinking, if the goal of the Modest-oids is really to eliminate thoughts of all boobies from male minds, something more than fashion, like, for example, heavy dosages of antipsychotic drugs, or perhaps psychosurgery, will eventually be needed.

Additionally, evidently, in Modest-o, men remain perfectly free to frolic with abandon, dressed like this:



So, in sum, the Modsylvanians, perhaps a tad too boobie-phobic, but maybe not all bad.

Comments

[mmymoon.livejournal.com]

Blah. Now, I'm probably way effing oversensitive on this topic, but I'd rather see all the nasty saggy folds of flesh imaginable (and I've been to Wal-Marts in the deep South, I can imagine pretty scary things) than support an iota of any movement that encourages girls to hate their bodies any more than they already do.

"No, no, it's about being modest! Boobies are spechul and magical and only your husband should see them!!!"

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

WE'RE FREAKING MAMMALS. MAMMALS. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE WORD ORIGIN THAT SHOULD CLUE PEOPLE IN THAT WE MAY INDEED HAVE BOOBIES.

(Of course, I also got to argue with toddlers, when I taught my babysitting charges some basic biology, that we were INDEED mammals. Now, I mostly shudder at the thought of living in Europe -- the dance music -- but SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.)

[mmymoon.livejournal.com]

*gnashes her teeth* Sorry, I'm a little pent-up from working with Christian girls who worry constantly about inciting arousal in others. (On the other hand, my one friend, who is the most modest and virtuous of the lot, laughs and encourages me to wear my bikini I keep talking about. So, you know, it's just THEIR boobies they're worried about, I guess.)

I'm afraid I have to agree with the article's author on this... the solution to OH NOES MEN WILL THINK ABOUT BOOBIES is not to cover up every boobie in sight, ever, including statutes of Justice and Liberty, but rather to de-sexualize the breast. I mean.

MAMMALS.

*slams her head into the wall a few thousand times*

I think this particular issue pushes my buttons even more than... anything, as the ultimate example of why science education ought to be more prominent in daily life. MAMMALS.

[mmymoon.livejournal.com]

*inarticulate boobie-based rage*

[blythou.livejournal.com]

In Scandinavia, women go around in tank tops and short shorts and men don't look. I just love it. They have this natural approach to the body, probably because they don't try to hide it at all costs, but see it as something you need to take care of, exercise, etc. I think it's so healthy...

Sure, I don't like to see flab, cellulite, hairy beer guts and other assorted niceties exposed... But I'm afraid the modesty movement will escalate into a puritan wet dream. And soon, it won't be boobies which arouse men, but the clicking of high heels (that's what some Islamic fundamentalists pretend) or lipstick or untied long hair...

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I had this funny "puritan moment" when we were in the Baltics, specifically, in Riga and Moscow, there were a lot of women who, to be frank, dressed like prostitutes. It turned out, so we'd been informed, that there actually are a lot of prostitutes in that area of the world--some combination of poverty, less social stigma, and the like. So, not sure whether everyone we were seeing was a working girl, or whether other women there just adopted similar fashion standards. It caused an undue amount of upset amongst the (supposedly liberated) women in our travelling party. The men were all, by contrast, pretty darned cool with it.

[biscuitbear.livejournal.com]

What a hilarious post! Thanks!

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

That article was quite good. It's an interesting topic, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it myself. I dress like an old hippie (jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, sneakers) 'cause it's comfortable and functional, and that way I'm not at least intentionally buying into the whole Paris Hilton thing. At the same time, I bend my knee to no man; I just regard it as, I wear what I like, and if you don't like it, tough shit.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :P

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind having more flattering clothes, but I'm boggled that it always has to be linked with some kind of "moral" weirdness. Boys are *not* going to stop thinking about girls. I've known teenage boys, and god love 'em, you could be chatting about algebra homework, and they'd be wondering what you look like nekkid. Ya know, survival of the species, that's how people are wired. It's like the whole "chastity" movement--teens are gonna quit having sex because we tell them to? Yeah, right, that's gonna work!

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

Do you think electroshock therapy might be sufficient to get teenage boys to stop thinking about sex? :D

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I don't think that will be suffient. I think you'd need to start thinking prefrontal lobotomies plus lots of thorazine. Modesty--it's hard work!

[spazzygirl19.livejournal.com]

Remember, in the good ol' U.S. of A. - boobies, women's bodies, etc. are NOT o.k. to show, but hells bells, if you have a gun rack on your car, or an AK-47 ... woo hoo!! :-P Stupid, twisted U.S. conservative 'valuesm.

[spazzygirl19.livejournal.com]

Did anyone see that DressModestly.com was founded by 2 *men*!?!? :-P