I have something to get off of my chest, and by something, I mean the approximate ten pounds that I carry around on my chest daily – also known as my breasts. Now, the worst part about having large boobs isn’t the back pain, the inability to exercise without wearing a bra that could probably double as some form of military equipment, or the fact that I can’t find a button up shirt that will actually do up on me anywhere. The worst problem is other people. Those who think that they have the right to comment, poke, or give their opinion about a part of my body.
I know that there have been numerous articles posted lately about the artificial struggles that girls with big breasts face, however, the one point that they continually forget to mention is the way that it allows for others to think that they have a right to them. Society in general treats breasts as something that is public property, something that is not taboo, (such as having a large stomach), which is a topic that would be considered insulting, rude and inconsiderate if ever mentioned. It would not be considered socially acceptable if a friend, or even worse, a stranger, were to poke someone’s protruding tummy if they were wearing a form fitting shirt, yet the same rule does not seem to apply to breasts. Breasts are overly sexualized, making it that every time they are ‘displayed’ to the public, it is seen as a sign of promiscuity, availability and willingness. This attitude allows for these traits to become assumed of all women with large boobs, thus becoming a part of the way that they are perceived by others. However, the problem with the combination of this societal standard and actually having large breasts is that you are never actually able to cover them up, and therefore you are never actually able to escape the stereotypes. Apart from wearing a men’s shirt that is double your actual size, all shirts that you wear will show off your boobs. Its absolutely impossible to wear a t-shirt without them being noticed. But here’s where the problem lies. You shouldn’t be made to feel like you boobs are something to hide. You shouldn’t have to worry about if a simple shirt that would be seen as conservative for an average – sized girl is too promiscuous on you. It needs to be realized that girls with big boobs are unable to mask such a prominent part of their body, and are not ‘showing off’ when wearing clothes that are their actual size, or simply something that they deem is cute. Breasts should be seen as something natural (well, generally) and unpredictable, and should not be the revolving factor of how a girl dresses and presents herself, and the way that she is perceived by the rest of society.
If a girl were to post a picture of her face, and was met with comments from friends commenting on the large size of her nose, the backlash for these rude commenters would be unbelievable. Simply put, this attitude should be included to all parts of a women’s body – like breasts. There seems to be the notion that women should be ‘thankful’ for their ‘big blessings’ , and should not get upset when they received comments (often misconstrued or masked as ‘compliments’). The realization is is that when a part of your body is continually commented on, and sexualized, it is easy to feel self conscious. It is impossible to escape the male gaze when men feel the need to tell you in bars, on facebook, or even in the classroom that they have acknowledge and like your boobs. It is impossible not to feel consistently sexualized and there for male entertainment. However, female comments are not acceptable either, as most female to female comments surrounding breasts fall into one of two categories. The first is shame, shaming women for having them, and receiving male attention. Telling others to cover up, as if they are doing something wrong. The second is envy, comments such as ‘I wish I had your boobs, I would get so many more guys’, simply trivializes all of the problems that come with it.
What I’m asking you to do is to stop the judgement. Understand that girls should not be told consistently to cover up a natural part of their body, and made to feel bad when they are unable to. This societal attitude is what drives girls to lack confidence, and feel the need to hide their body, in fear of being sexualized, accused of being promiscuous or judged. By realizing that any stigma attached to large breasts is simply a creation of society, and really has no actual importance, you are helping promote body positivity and confidence.