Breasts often define womanhood and femininity. cucchiao / Flickr
I admit that I am completely and utterly shameless when it comes to “checking someone out.” Regardless of gender, it is safe to say that I indirectly judge a person, by the way they present themselves on a day-to-day basis. It is kind of parallel to initiating a first impression that is from then on embedded within my mind.
Looking into the Cosmopolitan magazines and various forms of multimedia, we get a close look into the stereotypical portrayal of women. The perky breasts, the flawless skin, the stunning smile and the seductive looks feed our envious nature.
Honestly, women are indirectly promoting the gender stereotype by utilizing our “assets” to get further in life. We are all guilty of flaunting our breasts from time to time. Whether our motive is to get a free drink or merely apologize, it is usually premeditated.
Simply put, a woman’s breasts are the ideal weapon. Too often, women’s sexuality has been exploited, utilized to titillate, control or extort.
I personally have no say in this because I am one of those “nearly A and nearly B” bra consumers. However, one of my roommates, aka “Big Tits McGee,” was a Hooters girl for Halloween, and let’s just say she got plenty of attention that night.
Inevitably, it all comes down to whether you are a breast or a butt person. Sometimes, there are those leg guys, but it’s usually the main “assets” that are immediate attention grabbers.
Ultimately, our breasts define us. They come in all different shapes, sizes and even deserve their own base on the cliché baseball metaphor for sexual encounters. Therefore, the question at hand is whether to embrace them with pride or to hide them.
I constantly see girls with flashy clothes and the Victoria’s Secret push up bras that can magically turn an A cup into a voluptuous C. I call that false advertisement though because once that bra comes off; well, it’ll be an interesting revelation for an inevitable letdown.
There is also that typical necklace, ironically a cross, which conveniently lingers right above the breasts. Even I can’t help but follow the path made and have to quickly avert my blank stare to the nearest distraction.
Sadly, every woman finds a flaw within herself, even those near perfection, and businesses are constantly finding ways to “fix” such issues.
However, a wonder bra and scandalous clothing only gets a woman so far. Therefore, breast implants often enter the realm of possibilities as a “correction.”
I am all for a woman’s autonomous decision to undergo surgery, but I am completely fine with what my momma gave me. She may have given me little up top, but she sure did bless me down south.
I can recall talking to my friends about the absurdities of breast implants. One even mentioned her desire to get pregnant just because it increased the size of her breasts.
Although, I think she completely overlooked the fact that the point of the increased breast size is to bare milk. Not to mention the pain and the awkward change in the body proportions.
Throwing in a little history, since the 18th century and moving to contemporary times, fashion has always been a huge societal factor.
Nothing has really changed because even those intense dresses made of whale bone that compressed a woman’s curves would push up a woman’s breasts. Fashion goes hand in hand with a vain lifestyle, and sometimes people get lost in trying to fulfill societal expectations.
Virtue and chastity seemed to wither away with time, and the pressures to fulfill the ideal are replaced with Hooters girls and the endless amount of strip clubs on Dale Mabry.
Such acts seem superficial, but I do understand the perspective that breasts give confidence and allow women to be comfortable with their bodies.
However, I am also aware that breast implants feed a woman’s vanity and entice a man’s curiosity. Not to mention the risk factors that definitely outweighs the inheritably positive. I accept being a 5-foot-7-inch girl with awkward assets (or lack thereof), but that is just who I am.
With all this talk about breasts, all I can say is “Save the TaTas!” Because breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer, so why tamper with them?
Narisa Imprasert can be reached at nimprasert@ut.edu.
