This is a family blog.
So. I thought I should give y’all FAIR WARNING, that while the new BABIES movie is delightful and educational and oh-so-good, there are a lot, A LOT of native boobies in the documentary.
And while they aren’t displayed in a sexual manner AT ALL, they are still breasts on the big screen with your seven year old son sitting next to you.
On Mother’s Day.
Because that’s where you asked your family to take you. After church.
[I’m a big fan of breast feeding. My kids are aware of it and we all support it. But this was like making dinner, braiding hair, living without a shirt on in the background with the babies crawling around. Because that’s what they do in Africa. I just wasn’t really prepared for it and I spent a lot of time keeping my hands over my son’s eyes during the hour documentary-not during the breast feeding parts, just the walking around parts.]
I LOVED the film, loved it! In the future, I’d just like to keep all boob exposure to a minimum, especially on Mother’s Day. (I do think a PG rating isn’t appropriate and there should be some kind of disclaimer).
Would this have bothered you? Would you have taken your kids out? Or is this not an issue for you/family? We just chalked it up to an educational experience and talked a lot about it afterwards!
Thanks for the warning! I was planning on seeing it with my 8 months pregnant daughter so it shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I would have been comfortable with my 18 and 8 year old sons though. Our Mother's Day sermon at church on Sunday morning was about wives submitting, husbands loving. A great deal of talk about sex and I was sitting next to my oldest son. Only slightly uncomfortable since I hope he was learning something about loving his future wife…
They are helping everyone.
I hope it isn't offensive of me to ask, if it is you can ignore me, but you seen pretty open about the issue of pornography. Was your husband bothered by it?
My children are both aware of how babies eat, however I think my 9.5 y/o daughter would be more embarrassed than my 7 y/o son. She is just getting to the point of understanding modesty, and I think that would really throw her for a loop if I hadn't had the chance to warn her. I think I might let them see it at home, you know, when the boobies aren't larger than life-size! I really want to see it, though.
I would have a huge problem with it. Just because it's okay in other cultures, it's not in my culture and I don't want to spark any interest that wasn't there before nor add to the images in my kid's heads. I wish the world would take modesty more seriously for all boy's and men's sake.
Hey Jackie-
No, I don't mind answering that. My hubby would have walked out if it was sexual. We don't even watch PG-13 at the movies…It was very NON SEXUAL, like National Geographic. But. Still. I won't buy a copy!
This would not have bothered me, my husband, or my daughters. I hope if I had sons that it would not have bothered them. My kids know that the purpose of breasts is to feed babies. Even with my oldest almost 10, I think that's all they need to know right now.
My children attended the births of their subsequent siblings and were adequately prepared for it. We did not enter that decision blindly or naively, even preparing them for the possibility they would have to leave the room with their respective caregivers who were also present (as required by the hospital in order to meet their needs while I was otherwise occupied giving birth), which makes sense. They are being raised to know that our bodies were made beautifully by God and although there is nothing to be ashamed of with our bodies, we keep them covered out of respect. That being said, the girls and I are not modest around each other because I don't want them to be ashamed or embarassed about their bodies in any way as they get older.
They undoubtedly would have had questions about why the women didn't have a shirt or dress on, but they wouldn't have been uncomfortable. In fact, being exposed to missionaries and documentaries from Africa and PNG, I don't know if they would have even had questions. But I would answer they had.
Have you asked your son if it made him uncomfortable? I encourage you to have that conversation. Keep those doors open. It's not just between a father and son.
mychildsview.blogspot.com
I can't wait to see it! I teach language and culture so I am hoping it will have some good clips I can borrow for my classes!
I have nooooooo problem with breasts exposed in non-sexual ways for the purpose of feeding babies. That's what they are there for! I have boys and think it's good for them to learn that breasts are not toys or accessories, they are God's plan for providing for children. What bothers me is how every day everywhere I look, not just on movie and TV screens but in real life, breasts are being pushed up, enhanced, augmented, displayed and hyper-sexualized as if women's bodies are here for the viewing pleasure of the general public. That REALLY bothers me. But mommas feeding babies, that's beautiful.
That's my emphatic two cents anyway. 🙂
I am way too modest to have felt comfortable sitting through it with my 9 year old son. My fear would be what he decided to go back to school and tell his friends and teachers!! Innocent or not – I somehow know that it would have been told in a manner that would have horrified me as a mom! I can only imagine!
I so agree with ChooseLove! I would not have had any problem with it, and neither would my son have at that age. At 10 years old, when noticing an embarrassed mom who was nursing her new baby in the church nursery he told her "Lady, dont be embarrassed- you are doing the best thing in the world for your baby and its what your baby needs". I was so proud of him!
Let me just say, thanks for the warning. Of course, we support breastfeeding, but on the big screen with a TWEENage son, no, I don't think so.
I would not want my 8 and 6 year old to see that. Nor, my husband. A breast is a breast to guys in my opinion. Sounds like a chick flick to me…or should be.
Thanks for the warning!
I think it would have been a disservice to the cultures represented if we forced them to be covered up, when that's not how they do things in their environment. And the job of the person making the documentary is just that, to visually document the goings on of that culture/place/time/environment, not to intervene in any way. That being said, I would have expected to see breasts, especially since it does involve babies, and I wouldn't have been upset at seeing them. My son isn't old enough to care one way or the other.
I agree with Tracy, if we have any respect for other cultures other than our own we should not judge or be bothered by them.
Good points, y'all. Just to clarify, I DON'T think they should have asked the Africans to wear clothes for our American sensitivities…I just wish there's been some warning, so I could make a decision about my kids seeing it. But even now, I'm glad we saw it together because it created some amazing conversation. I did want to throw out a warning since I recommended the film. Thanks for your opinions!
I saw thw movie last week, and was also surprised with what was shown due to the rating. Luckily, my husband had to work the night of the showing, so a friend came with, and even though it was done in a very non-sexual manner, I would hate for my husband to be tripped up by the images. Bummer, too, cause otherwise, it was such a sweet, funny movie!
Doesn't bother me. I think humans, particularly those in our country, have attached shame and sexuality to breasts.
But, I have also lived abroad and spent some time in cultures where those body parts are just body parts, and not tools to sexual exploitation or something unnatural.
I liken it to places where they cover their heads. They feel pretty strongly about covering up a LOT more than we do. While it's shameful and unholy for them to dress as uncovered as we do, I wonder how they feel about us in imagery as part of another culture? In pants. With our heads showing.
Most of us feel the same about covering our heads as those cultures feel about covering their mid-sections.
A head as a sexual organ is a *learned* behavior. Breasts as sexual organs is *learned* behavior. And while I think it's completely inappropriate to dress that way here, I personally have no trouble with my sons experiencing a culture that hasn't attached some stigma and myth to body parts, or experiencing one that insists on covering women from head to toe.
But, I can understand where someone who is so well versed in "breasts are private sexual organs" may have a lot of trouble overcoming that in a theater. I suppose our backgrounds and cultures may strongly affect our reaction to how much of a woman's body – or how much of a man's – should be covered.
I don't cover my head, and I feel no shame about that. They don't cover their mid-sections and feel no shame about that.
A head is a head. Breasts are breasts. What meaning we attach to those body parts is arbitrary and our comfort with those parts depends wholly on where we were brought up.
Darcy
i want to take my girls to see it (7 and 6) but I'm less concerned with boobs and more with birth! are there any birth scenes? i think that would freak them out!
No it wouldn't bother me in the least and I wouldn't mind watching it with my 12 yr old son, 8 yr old daughter and 2 yr old son. My older kids see me nurse my little one all the time and don't bat an eyelid. They are boobs being used for their intended purpose. I get ticked when people think they should be covered up when they are about feeding. It is a movie about babies – why would you NOT think their would be boobs involved?!
I saw your comment after my own.
I think a lot of people will appreciate the warning, so they can make their own informed decision based on their own sensitivities. 🙂
Great post and discussion, Kristen! 😉
IMO, I'd say it's a non issue, based on the context.
Wouldn't bother me at all. Like others said, it's non-sexual. I am someone who doesn't believe that women need to cover up to breastfeed. God made breasts for breastfeeding, and it's our culture in the US that has sexualized breasts. My family abroad would think it weird that we ask women to go to bathrooms and cover up as much as we do. My son isn't old enough to care, but I don't think that it would bother my husband.
Those of you who WOULD be bothered by it, are you bothered by a lot of the things on TV? I'm not asking in an accusatory way, just curious. Like, I am much more bothered by all the Victoria's Secret commercials on during primetime than I would be about seeing women in Africa's breasts in a documentary. For me, it's all about intent.
As for a warning, I could see why people would want one. I suggest in the future checking out websites like screenit.com before going to see a movie. They outline every little possibly questionable thing in a movie so you can make a determination about what you want to see (since I don't think our rating in the US is that accurate).
Maybe there needs to be a National Geographic disclaimer. I have to watch those magazines around my girls – and not just for the nudity…there's also some pretty violent pictures.
I REALLY want to go see this movie (by myself – no one else in my family would sit through it) but can't find a theatre close that is showing it 🙁
I won't be taking my boys (16, 11, & 8) but mainly because they wouldn't care to see it anyway. But thanks for the warning.
Hey Melissa-
No, there are NOT any birth scenes. Whew!
I have no interest in seeing Babies (I see enough of them in my own home!). But I know for a fact that the last preview I saw for the movie DID carry a warning about "indigenous nudity" or something like that. (And I saw that last week.)
(@Maya—I love screenit.com for that purpose—but then I have all the bad stuff in my head whether I chose to see the movie or not!)
Thank you! I am not offended by that in any way, but having 3 little boys there is no way I would want them seeing that at this time. I almost asked them to take me for Mother's Day too. Thanks for the heads up!
I saw it with my mom this weekend and loved it too, but was glad I hadn't brought my kiddos. I think my oldest girl (9) would handle it quite well, but I wouldn't want to have brought either of my boys. I agree there should be some sort of warning about all the boob-age. We are also super pro-breastfeeding and I get that it was really authentic and that's how life is for those women, but a little disclaimer would have been nice.
Blessings,
Shana
Good to know! I was going to ask my boyfriend to go see it with me, but maybe I'll just wait till it hits DVD. Although I'm not bothered by boobies in that manner (i.e. non sexual), it still probably would have made me squirm a little, haha especially being as they are so large on the big screen.
I did notice that the PG rating was for breasts, or however they phrased it, but I wasn't really sure what that meant. Thanks for the warning!
Hot topic! Wow!
Personally I would not take the men in my life to it. My son does not need to have an intrest stirred up in him about breasts at a young age. Yes, it is normal for those contries, and breastfeeding is wonderful anywhere. But we still live in our country where improper sexuality is rampant, pornography is around every corner, and to introduce things to a boy early age is a risk for pornography addictios in the future.
Breasts are not only for breastfeeding, they are in fact a sexual part of our bodies. We cannot say that they are sexual only if we make them out to be sexual. Even the Bible depicts the sexality of breasts in Song of Soloman. Men are naturally drawn to breasts, God made it that way.
That being said, our society promotes improper sexuality, exposing that which should be between husband and wife for all eyes to see.
I breasfeed my babies, but remain covered with my son present. This does not teach him shame, but proper privacy and boundries.
Quite the lively and interesting discussion here!
Respectfully,
Megan
It would not have bothered me at all. I actually welcome the opportunity for my 12yo ds's, 7yo dd, 5yo dd and 3yo dd to see the human body functioning and being observed in the way it was meant to. All of my kids were breastfed and most of my friends breastfed/feed their babies, so my kids have been seeing it for years.
I think it's a shame that breast are frequently viewed with scorn or suspicion. They are a wonderful God-given body part that serves an incredibly important function and their status been reduced to play thing. If we want to turn the tides, it has to start with us!
Thanks for the warning. I grew up overseas and yes, the American culture seems pretty obsessed with breasts. That said, I think I could find other things to watch with my family. I have a two, three, and five year old and they likely wouldn't be bothered. My husband, on the other hand, not really wanting to put images in his head that don't NEED to be there. So, again, thank you for the warning.
thanks for the heads up. I think my kids would be fine seeing it-but I would want to prepare them before and have more conversation after. The see me breastfeed all the time but seeing someone elses boobies would be different. I admit I dont like staring at another womans breast when she's feeding. To me its a private special moment. But in other cultures that is their way of life and the norm. But thats for the heads up!!
I just choked on my own saliva from laughing at this…you have great comedic timing 🙂 I really want to see this and I think it would be fine for kids to see boobies being used as God intended them.
But I titally *ahem* I mean totally see why you wanted to cover your son's eyes. I also love his response. You guys crack me up.
I laughed out loud when I ready your blog. I didn't read any of the other comments, but I thought the whole thing was incredibly funny. I thoroughly understand your feelings, as I am one of those people who goes in the closet to change her mind. Modesty seems to be one by biggest things.
Bwahahahah I totally get that!!
My son is 13 and I would have been hiding his eyes. And probably mine too. Cuz I'm cool like that.
Thanks for the warning. I'll warn my husband before we go!
Good to know! And a good discussion. I don't think we'll be seeing it in the theater (because we don't spring to see many things in the theater, living on student loans and such) but if I had boys that age, I can see being a little taken aback if I wasn't expecting that much exposure. 🙂 Nothing -wrong- with it, but it's just nice to be able to make informed decisions! We are fairly into modesty around here, though not as much within our family, since our kiddos are only 3 and 2…
My older boys are 7 and 6, so I'm not sure they'd care to see it anyway. But, they do know that breasts are for feeding babies, so I don't think it would be a big deal.
I don't know though….
I agree with Bridget at Bake 350…I wouldn't want my tween son to see what might create an interest. Even though it's natural/non-sexual, I still believe that boys SEE that part of the anatomy-natural curiosity. Breast feeding is one thing but boobies hanging out all over is another. Thanks for the warning!
It wouldn't bother me, nor would it bother me for anyone in my family to see it. Breasts were designed for breast feeding. It's nice to know that they were presented in a nonsexual manner.
Wow. I would have been very upset to go to that movie with my kid and see that. My boys are 7 and 5 and are pretty sheltered. While I might *choose* to take them to see that movie, after a conversation about such things, I would certainly be pretty ticked off to not know ahead of time. (I have never breastfed, so my sons haven't really had any booby exposure at this point).
I was very suprised by the amount of boob action in the movie, too. It didn't bother me at all…but it probably would have had I had a young son with me.
When I told my husband about the non-sexual, but ever present, boobies he was also suprised that it was rated PG.
Yes.
It would make for an odd afternoon.
I am dying to see the movie tho!
I'm currently nursing my baby but I still don't know that I'd be comfortable taking my kids to see it. I feel like it's one thing for mommy to feed the baby, and another to see larger than life boobies.
Well, wouldn't have bothered us in the least. And I think that you putting your hands over your sons eyes gave the impression that you thought it was naughty or dirty…at least by his comment to you, he knew otherwise. jmho
These comments have now piqued my curiousity and I'm thinking I may purposely watch it with my 2 and 5 yr old boys. They are too young to think about breasts sexually at all, maybe this would actually HELP them understand how natural breasts for feeding babies are? If they were a little older I might not take them but I'm thinking this might be a great teaching moment.
As someone who has seen the movie, I just want to say to those who have been defending bare breasts for breastfeeding, I think that the point is that yes, there is breastfeeding in the movie, but there are also times during the movie that the babies are not eating, and the boobies are still 'there'. Yes, it's their culture, but I know that there are men, a lot of men, who struggle with lust, and that it often starts SO early- earlier than you would sometimes imagine, and I think that while it's healthy to know what our bodies do, that modesty is so important.
I think the exposure in this movie is a very healthy way for children to be exposed to breasts. In our society sexuality is either taboo or exploited, it is good for a family to be able to watch a movie together and then discuss it. It is good for both boys and girls to see that boobs are not something to be ashamed of and also not something to be exploited. While it would be nice to have a disclaimer to prepare mothers for what their children are about to see, I would much rather m y child see a movie with nudity or some sexual content, than the violence in some PG and PG-13 movies. If things dealing with sex and sexuality are ignored than you risk children either being afraid of their God given sexuality or exploiting it.
Merrie, I love that your son said that. I wish someone had been so blunt with me when I first started feeding my daughter.
Thanks for the warning. I would of covered my boys eyes too. I breastfed all my kids for what most people think a long time. The longest being 2 1/2 years. I think all the rates for movies are not appropriate and need to have a higher rating for the most part.
With sons? It would have bothered me. Especially with no warnings! I was shocked when my school system was allowed to play the movie Roots (if you haven't seen it, the first 2 hours is FULL of bare breasts) to 5th graders with no parental permission needed! When did the nudity start being acceptable? It bother me – and I've been there done that. I'd just rather not see it all the time in movies.
And I'm not saying that other cultures should stop doing what they are doing.
I'm just saying that this is America, not Africa. It is not normal for our women to walk around with no shirts on and it DOES cause huge problems in many men and boys when these scenes are shown. I just think the warnings should be more in-your-face for things like this and even if it's "educational" the parents should be able to decide when their children are introduced to different cultures in this way.
I probably would have been a little uncomfortable….and I hate that!
I bought my pregnant friend a "Hooter Hider" the other day. And then I wondered if I was just adding to the ridiculousness that our western culture has created around breastfeeding. I think Hooter Hiders and Udder Covers are great inventions….but what if women breastfed their babies modestly, but without having to hide, like it's something to be embarrassed about?! Maybe we'd have happier and healthier babies and moms!
I breastfed both of my sons and highly recommend it. It is true that this is what breasts are designed for. However, we are an extremely modest family and we do not allow our children to see breasts. I covered myself in front of my older son when I brestfed the younger. He knew exactly what I was doing but I don't feel that others need to see our bodies except for our spouses. Both of my children know that breasts are used for breastfeeding and we are able to talk openly about that. We also talk openly about sexual issues and want our children to feel thay can freely discuss such issues.
I don't feel that breasts are "naughty" but, honestly, when you are being passionate with your spouse, are your breasts not involved in the deal? Our culture views breasts as sexual because they are also used in that context. Any woman I have ever talked openly with about this issue has told me that her husband is greatly "involved" with her breasts at some point during love- making. In fact, medically speaking, nipples release a chemical and have certain nerves that are "connected" so to speak, to our sexual organs. That is why, when you breastfeed, it is benificial to the healing of your uterus.
So, to me, breasts are really designed for two purposes. One designed beautifully for the nourishment and bonding to your children in infancy. And the other is just as beautiful in a marriage realtionship. However, they are two very different things and my sons know the difference. Just as I would love for them to experience their first sexual experience with their wives, wouldn't it be wonderful if that was the first breasts they saw? Or the first nude woman?
Interesting conversation! I just finished nursing, and I was never discreet at home, so my sons saw my breasts quite a bit. They never seemed to notice when they were "out". We are also not a very modest family, but we are very, very prude about what we let them see in terms of "sexualized" images. I know it is just a matter of time before their minds are influenced by our culture, and they will start to see breasts differently. But since they are pretty innocent, I would take them to the movie. Which has me curious – other than the boobage, is it a movie kids would like? I really want to see it.
On another note, I do think it says something about our racial views in this country when a white woman's boob is an automatic PG-13 but an African woman's boob is just a PG. Interesting . . .
I have not seen the movie and I probably would have been a little uncomfortable. I usually rely on PluggedInOnline for movie reviews from the Christian perspective. Here is the review for this movie http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/babies.aspx It does warn about nudity in the last paragraph. Usually, they break down movies by Positive Content, Drug Content, Spiritual Content, Bad Language, Violence, etc… Excellent resource!
I think Andrea said it very well. I don't have sons, but wouldn't have wanted them to see if if I did. Yes, breasts are used for breast-feeding, but in our culture they are very involved in sexual intimacy as well. I can see that many of the women commenting here don't see their breast sexually, and that some mature adult males could view this without sexual thoughts, but preteen/teen years for boys are a time when they are awakening sexually (as God designed them to) and I think it would be difficult for them to not see this and have some related thoughts. I think we should protect our boys just like we do our girls! Why take a chance that it would be an occasion of temptation? Can they not develop a healthy view of breastfeeding without actually seeing breasts?
Thanks, Kristen, for the information!
You aren't alone. I wouldn't be very comfortable with any of my children seeing that, especially my son! We are open about breastfeeding, as well, but there's just something alarming in seeing them out in the open like that when you're not used to it. I remember a teacher having National Geographics in the classroom in 6th or 7th grade and how scandalous it was when we discovered naked people in them. We lived a very sheltered life, apparently. At any rate…thanks for the heads up and now I know to see this movie with my sisters and friends and not my little ones! 😉
Well, maybe 6 months ago I would've agreed with you, but….
I have a 10 year old son, an 8 year old daughter, and a two month old baby.
I've been nursing and pumping and all that fun stuff and I've not been hiding in a closet to do it. So, it's not just African boobs that are being seen around our house.
I think it's important for them to understand the reality of life, and that boobs do have a real purpose. My son seems to understand. If he comes in the room while I'm nursing or pumping, he asks just like he would if I were on the computer or doing anything else. But, I would have a hard time hiding it from him completely and I think that would just be a little silly.
I too saw this movie and enjoyed it immensely! I took my 6 year old daughter and she loved it also. The exposure of private parts did spark alot of questions, but mostly as to WHY they don't have clothing. Are they poor? Do they work to get money? Do they sell clothes in Africa. We have had alot of age approriate talks about our bodies and privacy and respect. We have also spoken alot about birth, so the birthing scene didn't shock her at all. I don't think the cultural nudity should require a change in rating. I also feel by treating breasts as a sexual body part is an issue all of America needs to address. Case in point, my sister is completely embarrassed to be around public breastfeeding and is very vocal about it. But my comeback line, "You eat in public and the smell is offensive. How is that acceptable?" I loved the movie, my daughter was thrilled to witness behaviors that she knows she also did at the movie stars age. So for her, it was really a look in a crystal ball at herself as a baby. That was precious enough fo rme.
Saw it this weekend with my sons (8 & 10). Didn't realize there would be nudity, but we talked about it afterwards. My 10 year old was puzzled by their lack of clothes, but once we talked about the different cultures around the world and that's how they live, he was okay with it. I thought it was a good opportunity to talk about how God designed our bodies and that they were fed the same way as the African baby (the look on their faces were priceless!!).
Aside from that, they loved the movie. Me too!!
Well, honestly (and please don't take this the wrong way, I am not trying to be mean or snarky AT ALL) but I think that by covering your son's eyes to hide breastfeeding from him you were sending a message to him that breastfeeding is a bad thing and something to be ashamed of. I think that is a huge problem in our culture. We should show our children, both boys and girls, that breastfeeding is natural and normal. Your son will be a parent someday and if he has a negative impression of breastfeeding he might not be supportive of his wife's desire to breastfeed their children. I can understand that you don't want him to see breasts when they are presented in a sexual way, but breastfeeding is totally different.
No, it wouldn't bother me. When I was a kid at school, and in the home, we would often be shown documentaries of natives dancing around topless and wearing very little, sometimes even full frontal! We, being kids, giggled in an immature fashion, then were told to focus on what the topic was about, and we stifled our giggles and got on with it.
Megan-
Nope, I didn't hide my son's eyes during the breast feeding parts. As I mentioned, we are advocates of that and we are all good with it-which is why we didn't get up and leave. I playfully covered his eyes when the native women were just walking around. Either way, we communicated our feelings with him and he has a great opinion and attitude about it.
What a great discussion! I agree with the few that have said breasts are only sexual ecause of what our culture has made them to be. My husband began to see this once I breastfed our son. I wouldn't be bothered by breasts in this way at all. My son is still an infant, but I believe that hiding something like this from your children just makes them more curious. If you address these issues with them you can teach and explain your point-of-view, but by avoiding these issues with your children they'll have to find out for themselves, which likely will be through avenues you don't agree with. (All of the 'you' being in a general way, not directed at Kristen) I still remember my mom covering my eyes when we went to see Titanic and he was drawing her nude. What did I do? I looked it up online so that I could see what I missed. Had she not covered my eyes we couldve discussed what transpired. I'm not saying not to censor your children at all, but in this situation I'd definitely face the breast issue head on.
To answer your question, yes this would have been a determining factor in whether we went to see the film as a family. I do not let my children watch documentaries without prescreening them anymore because of the questionable content we have run into. For example, we were watching one about autism until an ugly word popped up. I don't want to have to explain lack of modesty any more than I wanted to explain the misused nickname for Richard. Yes, breastfeeding is beautiful, but we are trying to teach our young ones to be modest and exposing them to cultures where partial nudity is the norm might be confusing to them at this age.
I'm not sure I see the benefit in taking children or husbands to see this movie. I'm all for breast-feeding, & if the film were more centered around that, I wouldn't find it strange at all. However, I see no reason to expose my husband & children to women walking around without shirts on. I would feel hypocritical since we hold a high standard of modesty in our family.
Oh Kristen!
We went to this on Mother's day too and I was thinking the same thing! At first my seven year old was going to go too, then he decided to stay at home and work on a present for with dad. Thank God! LoL
It was a great movie though and I agree. There should have been a warning!
Kristin
I don't know why we have this double standard on breasts–if they are perky and white they can't be on tv and movies get at least a PG-13 rating (I'd prefer R but I'm not in charge) but if they are black and "native" it's suddenly fine–you can watch it on the Nat Geo channel or in a "family" film. I'm usually for cultural relativism, but really, why couldn't they blur the boobs? We have the technology! Personally, I don't like to see anyone's boobs–white, black, perky, saggy, no thank you!
I really want to see this, and I appreciate the honest reflection. As the mother of 3 daughters, it is a different reality for me. My youngest is 11 weeks old and I breastfeed pretty freely around our house. In public is a whole other thing… I respect that other women feel no qualms about whipping their boob out in public, but I prefer mine to be seen by my baby or my husband and that's about it (maybe occasionally a doctor). I don't think I'd have a problem w/my daughters seeing the movie, and maybe not sons either… it isn't that much different than flipping through my parents' national geographic magazines when I was a kid….
just my thoughts =)
Has anyone who is against their hubby or young boys seeing this movie actually seen the boobs of people in these cultures? I have been to a place where this is the norm, and let me tell you, they are not attractive breasts. They are generally very long (for lack of a better word)and hang down to the waist from years of no bras. I totally get modesty and the "men are visual" part of our culture, but I have a hard time believing that these breasts would cause many men to stumble…because the men are visual and the breasts are not sexy AT ALL. Just a thought…
I think that it's okay to take into consideration the fact that boys – children- are just learning to navigate the world, and culture. And they are *just* processing that our culture is not the same as other cultures and working through the differences – in a teen boy way, which is to say, with jokes about bodily functions (or are those just mine?)
Maybe the film should be rated NG instead of PG (for National Geographic – I think anyone who's gotten the big yellow mag would know what a NG rating featuring African mothers would entail!)
I would have probably left the theater, honestly. While I breastfed all 3 of my children and don't mind if other moms do, I totally think it is still a private thing. I wouldn't want some mom to just take off her shirt at Target and start feeding, ya know. Even though the exposure wasn't "sexual" (I haven't seen it) I still wouldn't want my husband to see other boobs, but that's just me.
I am so excited to see this movie! It's good to know about the breasts, if only for a little pre-discussion. Like many of the above commenters, I am annoyed with the sexualization of breasts. How dare you breastfeed in the mall, but check out my boobs in this larger than life Victoria's Secret display. My dad lived in Hong Kong and told me that although the women were EXTREMELY modest, it was completely acceptable to breastfeed in public even though someone might (gasp!) occasionally glimpse your breast. Breasts on display all the time is different than breasts out in the open all the time though — I like the comparison above to other cultures covering their heads/arms, etc. Remember, showing ankles or anything above used to be SCANDALOUS even in these United States.
I am so excited to see this movie! It's good to know about the breasts, if only for a little pre-discussion. Like many of the above commenters, I am annoyed with the sexualization of breasts. How dare you breastfeed in the mall, but check out my boobs in this larger than life Victoria's Secret display. My dad lived in Hong Kong and told me that although the women were EXTREMELY modest, it was completely acceptable to breastfeed in public even though someone might (gasp!) occasionally glimpse your breast. Breasts on display all the time is different than breasts out in the open all the time though — I like the comparison above to other cultures covering their heads/arms, etc. Remember, showing ankles or anything above used to be SCANDALOUS even in these United States.
It would have bothered me for my son AND my husband. Even though it was non sexual in nature I don't want his mind filled with images of anyone's boobs but mine!
Wow, I am so not okay with it being rated PG.
I realize that we should not read sexuality into everything and culturally it may be acceptable, but the other day I was listening to a podcast about the effects of pornography and was shocked to hear a clinical psychologist talk about the 7 year old GIRL who he had been helping who was addicted to hard porn. A 7 YEAR OLD GIRL! I was devastated for her.
Our minds and bodies are hard wired to have a response to sexual stimuli and it is not respective of age or sex.
Maybe it may not be anything for us to see a boob used in its proper form but what if it sparks curiosity in a 7 years old child and they search out another glimpse and find inappropriate images that hook them in and drag them down.
I write this not completely unaware as my husband was shown pornography at the age of 11 and has had a 20 year battle with it. You can think that it is just some pervert's problem, but you underestimate the power of addiction.
It is like any drug, there is a chemical rush in your brain that hooks you in.. Sorry maybe this answer is too deep, but the over sexualization of children is making me sick.
I think it is proper to make sure our children understand boundaries and that they love themselves and their bodies and are not ashamed of them, but we must also teach modesty.
Nonchalantly showing them what in our cultures is mostly a sexual object scares me a bit.
I am not trying to be a prude, just realistic about the control our brain chemistry has over us, the curiosity of children, the overwhelming availability of pornographic images and material and the millions of technological devices that can be used anywhere or anytime without our knowledge.
My very long two cents.
and Thanks for the warning!
I'm surprised you didn't know about it ahead of time. I read a review in the paper that clearly stated what was in the movie. I have since seen this written in several reviews I have read.
I honestly don't know if I would take my children to it. The only reason I would be open to seeing it is that the reviews I have read have been positive.
I haven't had time to read all the comments, but wanted to agree with what Choose Love said. It drives me absolutely bananas that our culture has so sexualized breasts, that women are seen as weird for using them in the way God intended. (True story: one woman in my LLL group said her husband didn't want her to nurse, because he thought it was kind of sick. Now, that's really sad.) So, I would be VERY likely to take my sons to see a movie that showed breasts in a non-sexual context. That is the way I want to encourage them to see these. I don't want them to see them the way our culture does. I think other cultures have much healthier views of the fact that bodies are not always sexual. If you disagree with that, think about this: Do you really want your children growing up thinking that the only way to view their body is in a sexual context? How can a woman be comfortable nursing, if her only idea of breasts is sexual? How can a man be comfortable with the idea of his wife nursing their child, if he has been raised to think that any exposure at all of breasts is an invitation to sexual thoughts, and that breasts are inherently, and solely, sexual in their function? (I knew another woman in my LLL group, who said her husband had asked her to never nurse in public. Seriously, he wanted her to just…not nurse. Until she got the baby home.)
I just read further down, and would like to respectfully disagree with Megan @ Little Bella Bean. I think the best guard against pornography, is to give our sons a healthy view of the human body and sexuality at a young age. If you teach them now that breasts are for nursing, and they grow up thinking that is normal, it will not cause them to have impure thoughts at 12 when they see a woman nursing her child in public. They won't be bothered. Contrarily, if you just never allow them to see any images at all, it becomes something forbidden and enticing, more likely to cause trouble and difficulty for them in the long run. And if they are curious, and you're not providing answers in the form of "breasts are non-sexual material", they're not going to find that sort of thing when they go looking. Them searching it out on their own scares me. Me taking them to a movie where breastfeeding is shown as normal and non-sexual? Not so much. (Take my opinions with a grain of salt, since my sons are currently 5 and 2. It's an untested opinion, but makes sense to me. I should also say, that I know nothing about this movie except what I've read here.)
Wow .. I read through most of the comments and agree with what Andrea and Eos mom said. 🙂
I BF my kids and gladly did so in public (discretely) .. but my hubs would NOT watch it, nor would we have our sons watch. Yes, they are intended to nourish our children .. but that is not their only function .. God made us with curves and soft places to be beautiful … to man – they can definitely be sexual in a man's mind. YES a man fully knows their purpose of feeding .. but it is still a natural visual thing for them at times, IMO.
Here’s a great response I’d love for you to read.
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/05/breastfeeding-in-public-christian.html
Do you think Kristin this was such a big deal for you and your family because of what you’ve dealt with in the past?