Free the Nipple

A few weeks ago Scout Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, took to the streets of NYC in protest of Instagram’s terms of use that do not allow pictures of topless women to be shared on their app. Now this may seem harmless except Scout was topless and recently kicked off the social network for instances of abuse (Harrington). “I am not trying to argue for mandatory toplessness, or even bralessness. What I am arguing for is a woman’s right to choose how she represents her body — and to make that choice based on personal desire and not a fear of how people will react to her or how society will judge her,” Willis wrote (Willis). Many argued that she is just “an attention-seeking, over-privileged, ignorant, white girl” (Powell). But does she have a point?

Source: SMH.com

It was illegal at one time for men to appear bare chested in public, however that changed in 1936 when the ban was lifted and the perception of male nipples slowly changed from obscene to normal. Women made headway in the judicial system as well, when New York’s Supreme Court decriminalized the display of female nipples on public in 1992 (Powell). Technically, women can walk the streets of New York City topless without being arrested, however that has not stopped cops from charging women who have expressed this right. Today, women are focused on equality and closing the perception gap between the male and female breasts by desexualizing the image that female breasts embody.

In the film, “Free The Nipple”, director Lina Esco goes to the streets of New York followed by topless women fighting to change the censorship laws in America. “Everyday the media plays glorified images of violence, yet discourages nudity” (Esco). Activist Liv and With set out to start a movement and change the system through publicity stunts and graffiti installations while armed with First Amendment lawyers. The issues this film is addressing are equal rights for men and women, a more balanced system of censorship, and legal rights for all women to breastfeed in public. With supporters such as Miley Cyrus, Liv Tyler, Rihanna, and Lena Dunham, this movement is sure to get media attention and it has.

The female nipple has always been sexualized and censored in the media. Whether it be for inappropriate usage or advised for sexual content, is it right to give the same freedom to women as men? Do you think that the female nipple should be held at the same standard at the male nipple in the media? Silly question but I tend to think there is a big difference between the two. Not only functionality purposes but societal meaning as well. We may have been socially conditioned or it may be societal taboo, however, the sexual connotation surrounding the female nipple has been present for a long time and I do not see the start of a campaign and the backing of a few celebrities as a resolution to this issue. There are gender differences that need to be acknowledged and the visual discretion within the media should continue.

 

Free The Nipple. Picture. Retrieved from http://www.ynaija.com/free-the-nipple-campaign-topless-women-stage-protest-against-internet-censorship-viewer-discretion/

“Free the Nipple.” Film. http://freethenipple.com/#

Harrington, Suzanne. “Free the nipple: Time to make going topless as unremarkable for women as it is for men.” Irish Examiner. 16 June 2014. Web. 17 June 2014

Powell, Rose.  “Scout Willis continues Free the Nipple campaign.” The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 2104. Web. 17 June 2014. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/ls-celebrity-news/scout-willis-continues-free-the-nipple-campaign-20140603-zrvng.html

Scout Willis. Picture. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/ls-celebrity-news/scout-willis-continues-free-the-nipple-campaign-20140603-zrvng.html

Willis, Scout. “I Am Scout Willis And This Is The Only Thing I Have To Say About Walking Topless Down The Streets Of New York Last Week.” XO Jane. 2 June 2014. Web. 17 June 2014. Retrieved from http://www.xojane.com/issues/scout-willis-topless-instagram-protest

 

 

 

 

 

Pay gap of Hollywood’s Finest

Although the differences between men and women are quite extensive, the pay gap may be one of the most controversial differences that seem to be widening as time goes by. The average full time wage for a woman is about 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man in a full time job. The Workplace Gender Equality Agency calculated it takes 64 extra days of work for the average woman to equal what a man earns in a year (Nightingale). In Hollywood, where money flows freely and the wealthy live oversized, extravagant lifestyles, men are still dominating the income levels as well.

Forbes magazine released the list of top earning actors and actresses for 2013, and while the women earned a large portion from acting and endorsements, they still made far less then their male colleagues. Topping the list for highest paid actresses are Angelina Jolie $33 million, Jennifer Lawrence $26 million, and Kristen Stewart $22 million. The men are Robert Downey Jr. $75 million, Channing Tatum $60 million, and Hugh Jackman $55 million (Pomerantz). Now, some people would not see a problem with this. Making $33 million a year is nothing to cry about. However, when it is based on gender and age then it becomes a problem.

 

A recent study was published by the Journal of Management Inquiry that found on average Hollywood actresses are paid less as they get older, while their male peers receive steady and large paychecks well into old age. Researchers examined the top 265 actresses and actors in Hollywood films from 1968 to 2008. While actors’ salaries peak at age 51 and remain stable after that, actresses average salaries per film steadily increases into her 20’s and this number drops off rapidly after she turns 34 (De Pater, Judge, and Scott 1). Research suggests roles for older female actresses are limited, creating more pressure on women to maintain a youthful appearance. “Men’s well worn faces are thought to convey maturity, character, and experience. A woman’s face, on the other hand, is valued for appearing young” (De Pater, et al. 4). And here we go, back to beauty taking precedence over hard work. In 2014, women still cannot catch a break, earn equal pay, and be recognized and promoted for accomplishments rather then appearance. Women are evaluated more on their appearance then men. But why? Now this can really lead into a deep-rooted discussion, but I just wanted to bring recognition to the fact that women are hardworking just like men, whether it is on the big screen or at your local store. And it is truly astonishing that after all these years; we are still not on the same platform as men.

De Pater, Irene E., Judge, Timothy A., and Scott, Brent A. “Age, Gender, and Compensation: A Study of Hollywood Movie Stars.” Journal of Management Inquiry (2014). Web. 10 June 2014.

Nightingale, Tom. “Pay gap between men and women wider now than 20 years ago.” ABC News. 3 Sept 2013. Web. 10 June 2014. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-03/pay-gap-between-men-and-women-wider-now-than-20-years-ago/4931996

Pomerantz, Dorothy. “Robert Downey Jr. Tops Forbes’ List Of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actors”. Forbes. 16 July 2013. Web. 10 June 2014. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2013/07/16/robert-downey-jr-tops-forbes-list-of-hollywoods-highest-paid-actors/

Pomerantz, Dorothy. “Angelina Jolie Tops Our List Of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actresses”. Forbes. 29 July 2013. Web. 10 June 2014. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2013/07/29/angelina-jolie-tops-our-list-of-hollywoods-highest-paid-actresses/