Hi,
I like that column and maybe Janet Jackson helped the american naturist movement more in the long run than we can think of it now
I particularly liked the phrase:
"Boobs Not Bullets!"
Let's get real about boob tube
Tim Goodman Friday, February 6, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle
Chronicle Sections
Finally, television has a chance to reclaim its rightful -- and now apt -- moniker, the boob tube.
It only took one boob -- attached to Janet Jackson -- to get the whole world talking. In our country, the talk centered on moral outrage. In most of the rest of the world, the talk was more like a mock. Silly Americans, rattled over a woman's breast.
And then it was reported that "ER" was going to have its own breast "reveal" last night, but worried NBC executives and fearful affiliates across the country had second thoughts and did not air the offending scene. Allegedly, the boob was going to involve an elderly person. On NBC, that would make her 41.
Caving in to a misguided Fear of the Boob sends the wrong message to, well, to the entire country.
Apparently this wasn't even going to be the first time "ER" had shown a woman's breast. But last time, either nobody was watching or nobody cared. The Republic stood tall.
But this latest boob incident -- Medical Situation Boob -- coming as it did on the heels of Jackson's now infamous sunburst piercing, caused panic and alarm. Decision-making at NBC probably went like this: "You've got to cut that breast out. Let's just stab somebody instead."
And see, that's just wrong. What kind of country have we become when it's more acceptable to have somebody's boob get cut off and found in an alley, then dissected on "CSI," America's most-watched show (save the letters -- this hasn't happened yet), than have, say, "CSI" star Marg Helgenberger show one or both of hers?
Exactly: The kind of world where war in Iraq (and elsewhere), potentially terrorist-related ricin in the Capitol and the results of seven Democratic primaries (among other, major headline-grabbing news items), get lost in a flurry of moral indignation about a boob at the Super Bowl.
One boob.
On the one hand, we are, apparently, boob phobic. On the other, we're boob crazy. This country needs therapy. Not even Freud could fix us. "What does this picture of a woman's boob do to you?" "Outrages me! Now, show me again."
This puts television in exactly the right place at the right time. The most powerful medium on the planet, conveniently referred to as the boob tube, could seize the moment and follow Janet and the almost-happened-but-didn't elder-boob moment on "ER" with nonstop boob coverage. Television could heal this nation. It could get our priorities straight. This is a thrilling moment, an unbelievable opportunity. We are at the precipice of major social change. And this is how we do it: Show lots of boobs.
All day, every day. And not just one boob. Two boobs. We're going to have to learn to handle it. Television should not make a fuss about this, other than to praise them as works of art (well, most of them), part of nature, something that just is. Pretty soon, every American from Maine to Modesto could walk down European beaches and never stare. "Boobs. We've got those in our country, too."
So the plan is, it's a boob bonanza. In the morning, we get Ann Curry's boobs. (See, you're warming to this.) But it goes beyond the obvious. We see Barney's boobs. Purple dinosaur boobs. It teaches kids that no matter what species or what color, you can have boobs and it's no big deal. It's part of life. (Had we started this with Miss Nancy in "Romper Room," we'd be way ahead of the game.) There could be a Muppet with boobs. Never again would parents have to worry about explaining a wayward boob at the Super Bowl. "Aw, Dad, I saw those on 'Dora the Explorer.' "
Soap operas -- Boobville. It's a natural. "The View" -- boobs out. Except Barbara Walters -- she gets to plop hers out on her final "20/20" appearance. Newscaster boobs give the whole idea a sort of serious acceptance. Plus, it shows we aren't ageist about our boobs in this country.
You can already sense the leaps and bounds America will be making with this new sense of openness, hurdling over its morality obstacles.
Oprah -- share 'em with the nation, sister. Ellen DeGeneres -- stand up for what's right.
By the time we get to prime time, the options for a boobapalooza are endless. No doubt that Patricia Heaton, a straightforward, sane woman, could show her boobs on "Everybody Loves Raymond," America's most watched comedy. If you're expecting a cheap "Everybody Loves Boobs" joke here, forget it. Because this is serious business and we've got to be committed to change.
In that vein, it's only right that the cast of "Friends" show their boobs. Talk about your series finale. We're all friends of the boob. No big deal. Keep channel surfing, people -- nothing to see here that you haven't seen on every other channel.
"Whoopi" would have no problem with this boob movement. All the women on "The Bachelor" would be topless -- it would cut through the cheap veneer of faux romance on the show. Let's not kid ourselves -- that bachelor wants to see boobs.
What about the guys? Guys don't matter. We see shirtless guys all the time. This country has no problem with upper-frontal male nudity. But in the spirit of cooperation, and to help the country grow up, a hands-across-the- gender-divide bipartisan effort results in all top-heavy men showing boobage. Dennis Franz on "NYPD Blue." Cedric the Entertainer. Those fat guys on "The Practice." Think about this trend on television of thin, good-looking wives for fat, supposedly funny men on sitcoms. Off with their shirts! Anyone who needs, as Kramer said on "Seinfield," a "mansiere" or "a bro" (not a bra, but a brassiere for a man), would fit. Al Roker. George Lopez. James Gandolfini.
Pretty soon the vision doesn't shock -- a little upper body fat with a nipple on it -- no problem. Just skin.
Really, the possibilities are endless. Sure, at the beginning it's just titillation. But soon you see boobs on "Law & Order'' -- and everybody watches "Law & Order." There're boobs on "Survivor" -- they're on an island, for God's sake, it's natural. Marge shows her boobs on "The Simpsons." Fox's ratings skyrocket because that's what teenagers want to see -- boobs. But pretty soon, it's boring. They begin watching C-SPAN.
And let's not forget TV news and the opportunities there. "Hello, I'm Christiane Amanpour live in Iraq -- and here's my rack." Lou Dobbs -- serious boobs. All those Internet polls ranking the "hot" female anchors? Once Rudi Bakhtiar and Laurie Dhue air their boobs every night, those polls are boring and useless and people actually listen to what they say.
"We're at war in Iraq? When did that happen?"
Once we, as a country, are used to boobs, we can focus on other things. Like football. And the economy. When boobs are boring, we'll see a new clarity. Maybe we'll use the moral indignation we once had and direct it against something important, such as Ricki Lake or those judge shows or nonstop violence in the so-called family hour.
"Boobs Not Bullets!" Concerned moms -- topless, naturally -- take on the entertainment industry.
Of course, there are side effects. Plastic surgeons lose business as women everywhere become comfortable in their own skin. Magazines have to scramble for new covers and this results in stories of a substantive nature, nearly killing the publishing industry. Hollywood implodes. Advertising reshuffles. The economy tanks.
Hey, nobody said this was going to be easy. But if we don't embrace boobs now, what's to stop "ER" from trying a different, more dangerously subversive ratings stunt? Who knows what Janet Jackson will resort to next time just to sell albums. Let's make boobs boring, or at the very least commonplace.
Let's take back the Super Bowl and, in turn, our senses.
I got on the www.cbs.com web site and sent them a note saying I didn't mind the boob but did mind the whole sexually explicit halftime show. Told them that I tuned it out after seeing how awful it started out.
Also said that I wish they'd unblur Richard (on that reality show thing).
Hope my point got across to them.
Naked people were shown on that movie about the Jewish halocaust thing, about the guy who saved a bunch of them.
The PBS channels show naked or topless women if they're black, same as what National Geographic have been doing for years.
I sent a long letter to Goodman a while ago. I told him that I was shocked, dismayed, etc... that so many good, decent God fearing people got sexually excited over the quick view of a single breast!
What I find really appalling is that I don't even remember the guy's name who pulled the cover off in the first place. It seems that Janet is at fault here, not "whats-his-name" who pulled it off! The public seems to have forgotten that it was a the willingness of the male next to her to pull the top off, not Janet, who did this! (I'm sure Janet agreed before hand, but he didn't have to do it). The public blame and misdirection is what I call shameful!
Even the TV company got blamed for it and they didn't do it! After all, it was live, how could they stop it in time?
I think we should have an all nude sit-com or movie where all the actors are nude, no matter who they are or what they do or where they work or live, all characters are nude. Nobody will say anything about it in the show because to them, it is normal, nothing to talk about. You don't see clothed actors standing around talking about wearing clothes in public, so why should the nude actors stand around talking about being nude in public? Just stick with the story and the nudity is ignored.
The fact that a breast is a "sexual comodity" to Americans is exactly why they pulled a stunt like this. Had breasts been as normal as any other part, the what could they do? Shock someone?
Peoples talk about this is more evil than the breast itself, which reminds me that the bible says "the tongue is more evil than any other part of the body" because of it's words. Yet we don't hide the tongue do we? We show off our tongue, even put studs in it (ouch)! Our mouths are used for all kinds of things evil, yet we show it off, put lipstick on it to stand out, and somehow, the innocent breast, it just sits there, and is blamed for our evil thoughts.
So whos fault is it really?
We must change the way we think!
I like the TV show idea.
The thing is if everyone just stoped wearing clothes it would be second nature in a couple of days.
But the clothing industry would fight it tooth and nail along with dirty magazine`s,strip clubs ect.
I guess you remember the first post I ever put on the board about that.
They had a travel shopping thingie on PBS this afternoon. In a brief spurt about stuff in Micronesia, they showed them being welcomed by a topless girl.
Am I the only one who was outraged by the apparant ease with which a violent act was committed on Janet Jackson. If one of us had ripped a woman's blouse open, particularly after telling her she'd be naked by the end of our consversation, we'd be in jail now.
. . . I'm not buying that. This was a rehearsed part of the show involving a specially prepared costume. There was no violence, except on the sensibilities of the audience.
Do you really think it is just a coincidence that her publicist announced that the planned release date of her newest album has been moved up?
The whole incident says it's OK to assault a woman -- to rip her clothes off. It also says that guys can do that, and you blame the woman.
Some things never change -- even the things that should. That it's just a manufactured commercial venture adds a layer of cynicism to the violence and pretense.
I see your point. To some people or children that could have been taken that it`s ok to rip womens clothes off but I think to most it was taken as a staged act (planed ahead of time)or thats what my first reaction was.
But you do have a good point there.
I read that 9 women and a 14 yrs female and going to court to make Florida a Topless State. That will be any where a man can be topless than a women can too. Does anyone know when this will pass?
