I'm happy that things like this exist because they provide me with really good acquaintance filters. If you own one, I'm pretty sure I don't want to know you.

I think I'm most disturbed by the fact that they "sing and dance" to the song "Titties and Beer". I guess when some men think of breasts, then beer is the logical next step. *sigh*

Thats some pretty fancy pectorial muscle isolation going on right there.
I mean, I can get a good shimmy going when the mood strikes, but actually getting your boobs to jump up and down independently?

That's special.

Sgzax, agreed.

Breasts: offensive when they belong to a flesh-and-blood woman but FUN! when they're molded of plastic and displayed like carcasses.

The sad thing is there's quite a few people that wouldn't think anything is wrong with this. They would just think it's funny.

slightly off-topic: does anybody besides me see rampant misogyny in the sunsilk "hairapy" commercials where women fight each other, snipe at each other, and wind up hurting themselves over hair color?

Wowww classy......If this is acceptable then where are the plastic testicles that jiggle around to "Hit Me Baby One More Time"??

First comment I've ever made on feministing (please don't interpret my name as anything other than a joke related to board game advertised in the late eighties/early nineties)!

Because I espouse the viewpoint that masturbation is normal and healthy, and similarly, synthetic masturbatory aids are fine, I can't find it within myself to condemn this.

...and if they're not for masturbatory purposes, I'm still for freedom of expression, and if the owner of it displays it to attract the attention of some very specific interests, so be it.

That being said, I do find disembodied breasts a wee bit creepy. Sexual fetishes are fine so long as no one is harmed but... still something I'd be more comfortable not seeing.

a local radio station where i live was giving away a free pair of these to winner of a songwriting contest. the contest: write a ditty for the christmas version of this product.

I started clicking around at the site, really hating the product, but then I saw this: http://www.jinglejugsforlife.com/, and didn't hate them as much.

If this is acceptable then where are the plastic testicles that jiggle around to "Hit Me Baby One More Time"??

I would totally buy that.

I saw the "jugs for life" and i hated the company a little more. i just love that they partnered up with our pals at the komen foundation. it figures that, since the komen foundation cares about breasts so much, they would support a product like this.
I'm not such a fan of the disembodyment. Since breasts are so objectified, in some way it makes more sense to me than a pair of legs (which is kind of sad). However, I think what gets me about this product is that it's breasts replacing a dead animal. How can you put a woman's breasts in the place of a dead animal? To me, dead trophy animal = for sport and disregard for other living things. Actually, in our culture, that sounds about right.

I agree with addedreality. The idea behind "the trophy rack you always wanted" is pretty clearly that of a hunting trophy. In addition to the problem that I have with the disembodiment, I take issue with its portrayal of women as sport.

I find it rather disgusting that the Komen foundation is willing to put up with this kind of misogyny in order to raise money.

There's a breaking story about abuse of women in the "funny pages" of the Central Connecticut State University student newspaper -- the same people who brought the "rape only hurts if you fight it" quote/unquote satire -- it is a riff on binding a Latina woman in a closet and forcing her to drink urine. http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/currentissue.pdf

It is a pdf file; the cartoon is on pg. 16, the last page. NOT funny and may rise to the level of hate speech. This matters becuase of the ways women are depicted -- and in light of what happened in WVa, which Feministing blogged about. We NEED attention. Please check it out and help us. Feministing: please blog about this -- it is so fucked up and we need attention. Thanks.

That's fitting -- for men who can't have a trophy wife, they can just go out and buy trophy breasts, which they can mount in their basement for a few "laughs" with their pig-friends! How twisted is that? Would these "men" dare show this abomination to the woman who nursed them? (Sadly, some of those women would find it "funny," too. That's how they were brought up.) Which reminds me, some of our young sisters are trying to simulate the depravity of the men (and I say "trying" because they will never equal it, no matter what) with their bachelorette parties featuring penis cakes (some include icing that looks like ejaculate), penis straws, penis cups etc. Why must some of our young women buy into that patriarchal depravity? It is NOT empowerment, it's doing the same dumb shit the men do, just because the men do it.

Send a Rack to Iraq!? Good god.

For those who may not know where the Komen-hatred comes from, Twisty has it covered:

http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2007/01/26/good-news-bad-news-2/

I don't buy anything with a pink ribbon on it anymore.

In response to MsPitt:

Unfortunately, instead of trying to get equal(ity) (=feminism), women (of the as-yet-unenlightened-to-the-joys-of feminism variety) are trying to get even instead. The former is progressive, the latter, regressive.

I'm also disgusted with the Jugsforlife in relation to breast cancer. How does this product not tell those with breast cancer and/or mastectomies that, sorry ladies, but you still gotta have a great rack to be considered a real woman? The fact that they target sororities and fraternities just points to their lack of faith in the younger generations' intellectual capacity. It seriously offends this recent 23 year old graduate, that's for sure.

In response to MsPitt:

Unfortunately, instead of trying to get equal(ity) (=feminism), women (of the as-yet-unenlightened-to-the-joys-of feminism variety) are trying to get even instead. The former is progressive, the latter, regressive.

I'm also disgusted with the Jugsforlife in relation to breast cancer. How does this product not tell those with breast cancer and/or mastectomies that, sorry ladies, but you still gotta have a great rack to be considered a real woman? The fact that they target sororities and fraternities just points to their lack of faith in the younger generations' intellectual capacity. It seriously offends this recent 23 year old graduate, that's for sure.

In response to MsPitt:

Unfortunately, instead of trying to get equal(ity) (=feminism), women (of the as-yet-unenlightened-to-the-joys-of feminism variety) are trying to get even instead. The former is progressive, the latter, regressive.

I'm also disgusted with the Jugsforlife in relation to breast cancer. How does this product not tell those with breast cancer and/or mastectomies that, sorry ladies, but you still gotta have a great rack to be considered a real woman? The fact that they target sororities and fraternities just points to their lack of faith in the younger generations' intellectual capacity. It seriously offends this recent 23 year old graduate, that's for sure.

WOAH, so sorry for the triple post!!! On and old pc...

AngryYoungFemme -- you note in response to my comment re: bachelorette parties: "Unfortunately, instead of trying to get equal(ity) (=feminism), women (of the as-yet-unenlightened-to-the-joys-of feminism variety) are trying to get even instead." Hell, they aren't even getting even very well. With all the bachelorette party penis cakes, penis games and penis party favors, the guys must look at their debauchery as a pagan phallus worship festival! It's as if the central, overriding element of any marriage is the penis. I can assure you, lots of men would agree with that. I can't think of anything more repugnant to what so many of us fight for everyday.

"Which reminds me, some of our young sisters are trying to simulate the depravity of the men (and I say "trying" because they will never equal it, no matter what) with their bachelorette parties featuring penis cakes (some include icing that looks like ejaculate), penis straws, penis cups etc. Why must some of our young women buy into that patriarchal depravity? It is NOT empowerment, it's doing the same dumb shit the men do, just because the men do it."

MsPitt, have you read "Female Chauvinist Pigs"? If not, then I think that you would love it.

Thanks for the tip about "Female Chauvinist Pigs," SassyGirl. I am certainly aware of it but ashamed I've never read it. I will order a copy on your recommendation.

"Which reminds me, some of our young sisters are trying to simulate the depravity of the men (and I say "trying" because they will never equal it, no matter what) with their bachelorette parties featuring penis cakes (some include icing that looks like ejaculate), penis straws, penis cups etc. Why must some of our young women buy into that patriarchal depravity? It is NOT empowerment, it's doing the same dumb shit the men do, just because the men do it."

I gotta admit the whole penis theme is pretty tacky, but as someone who's attended these type of events, I think it's not quite the same as what men do. I think men are generally enthralled by boobs and women at a bachelor party- like seriously into it. Practically worshipping in a very vile, disgusting way. While from my experience attending some of these bachelorette parties, the women are not in any way worshipping the penis or men in general LOL. (Actually not even an attractive body part IMO). At one of these parties I attended we even had a stripper, and none of us were turned on by him at all. We spent more time talking to him about why he danced and his professional goals then actually dancing with him. Whether or not you agree with it is personal opinion - I don't necessarily have an issue with them but then again it could also depend on my group of friends.

Taina, agreed. It's not like what the men do. Men allow themselves to be aroused at the sight of naked women; for the young women, it's definitely playful and the penis imagery is almost trotted out in a faux debauchery, mocking the "supreme" male organ. I've been to several like that.

But again, I think that serving a cake with dick icing that looks like it ejaculated, or pulling out the de rigueur naked man playing cards, or a Playgirl to mock, or a stupid looking blow up male doll with a dildo -- it's all just an echo of what the men do, and it's done only because the men do it (and strangely, the young women do it even though it doesn't DO anything for them, except give them a chance to chortle and mock the bride-to-be). I definitely don't think it's the worst thing a woman can do (I've never walkded out of one), but in a subtle way I think it plays into the whole patriarchal culture of sex even to playfully act as if the bride-to-be is marrying a penis instead of a man (note I am avoiding the obvious wisecrack).

I agree MsPitt- and I can see how it can be viewed that way as well.

I also want to point out that I always viewed it not so much as a form to replicate what men do, but more as a way to mock the whole idea of the woman being a virgin at marriage and therefore never seeing a penis before (not that there's anything wrong with that if that's your choice). It's almost like, OK, a penis. Big whoopty doo.

Ok so I'm a loyal reader and ( blah blah blah, reasons for you all not to get mad at me for what I'm going to say), but I have read about and studied the idea of the detached body parts of women in advertisements and other areas of consumer culture and how it can be detrimental to women, then I read this post, and then my eyes fall down to the left side of the blog where "Full Frontal Feminism" looks back at me with just a naked slim but curvy waste. Ya know where I'm going with this? What do you all think? p.s. I know what the book is about, but no I haven't had the chance to read it yet.

Not the book cover again... The book cover is the way it is because the publisher insisted. (I think that's what happened, anyway.)

prof/activist-

I looked at the cartoon. I do not see their point, unless it is only to rile people up. Do you have contact information we can complain to?

prof/activist-

I looked at the cartoon and I did not see any point it, except to offend people and rile them up. Do you have contact information that we can complain to?

sorry for the double post

I think that the fact that men, more often than not, enjoy the view of women flesh etc. is one thing, and monumentally bad taste is quite another. Venus of Milo does not have thr complete body either, and Greeks were as patriarchal as they come (although with a bisexual twist), but how did the civilization progress in the last 2100 years?

Venus of Milo does not have thr complete body either

I think that the fact that men, more often than not, enjoy the view of women flesh etc. is one thing

"Women flesh"?!? Did this make anybody else think of a woman's body roasting over a spitfire, kind of like when Saruman promises the Orcs "man-flesh" as a treat?

Thanks for proving our point, piotrek.

I'm a little surprised that no one here has mentioned the violence of this image - disembodied breasts as a trophy. Someone mentioned that this was "women as sport" and I would go one step further. Women as the target of a violent sport. After all, when those are deer heads up there, they've been killed by someone. This goes way beyond being disturbing as disembodied women's breasts for me. Those are dead breasts folks.

I'm a little surprised that no one here has mentioned the violence of this image - disembodied breasts as a trophy. Someone mentioned that this was "women as sport" and I would go one step further. Women as the target of a violent sport. After all, when those are deer heads up there, they've been killed by someone. This goes way beyond being disturbing as disembodied women's breasts for me. Those are dead breasts folks.

I'm a little surprised that no one here has mentioned the violence of this image - disembodied breasts as a trophy. Someone mentioned that this was "women as sport" and I would go one step further. Women as the target of a violent sport. After all, when those are deer heads up there, they've been killed by someone. This goes way beyond being disturbing as disembodied women's breasts for me. Those are dead breasts folks.

I'm a little surprised that no one here has mentioned the violence of this image - disembodied breasts as a trophy. Someone mentioned that this was "women as sport" and I would go one step further. Women as the target of a violent sport. After all, when those are deer heads up there, they've been killed by someone. This goes way beyond being disturbing as disembodied women's breasts for me. Those are dead breasts folks.

I'm a little surprised that no one here has mentioned the violence of this image - disembodied breasts as a trophy. Someone mentioned that this was "women as sport" and I would go one step further. Women as the target of a violent sport. After all, when those are deer heads up there, they've been killed by someone. This goes way beyond being disturbing as disembodied women's breasts for me. Those are dead breasts folks.

Oh MY GOD. It won't show my posts, but I'm guessing it's going to triple post or more. SO SORRY!!!

It's interesting to me that, although the idea of women jokingly participating in male-centric raunch culture (ie, penis cakes, male strippers, etc) has been expressed here, no one has analyzed why this participation is more of a joke as opposed to being serious. I think we have patriarchy to blame for this--women aren't allowed any kind of personal appetite, be it sexual or otherwise. To consume the male in a fetishized manner, ie playgirl or anything else designed to elicit sexual desire in women based on male objectification, goes against our cultural norms.

Personally, while I don't believe that men should be exploited in the way women and children are for the sake of orgasms (getting even not being the same as getting equal), I do believe it is possible to have a healthy interest and desire in men to the point that you can earnestly participate in male-centric raunch culture without the, 'oh, ha ha, I don't really like this' pardoning giggles. IMHO, I find the penis (and entire male form) to be entirely beautiful and sexy--without simultaneously 'worshipping' the male form.

I actually quite enjoy nude male photography. For any interested, a good place to check this kind of art is:
http://www.dylanricci.com/galleries.php?gal=2
And I seem to remember Guerrilla Girls calling attention the discrepancy between the ratio of nude female artworks to the number of nude male artworks in museums.

Just a thought...

1. This is a moderated discussion. Is it too much to ask that whoever is moderating would delete multiply posted comments?

2. Disparity between male and female nudes in museums...

There was no disparity in the Classic art, perhaps with the following exception: Greek vase paintings show a lot of erotic and male homoerotic art, but I do not recall a single example of female homoerotic scene.

In more modern period, sponsors pretty much dictated the content of art pieces, and the sponsors where typically aristocratic men. The few powerful female rulers that were in position to change something (say, empresses Anna and Katherine) lacked enough personality to create their own style -- or were they stiffled by the Church?

In response to piotrek, my reference to the Guerrilla Girls and the discrepancy between the ratio of female nudes to male nudes is in museums is a contemporary one. Meaning, right now, today, in museums, this discrepancy still dominates. And thus, this is a symptom or symptomatic of this 'it's okay for men to fetishize women but not for women to fetishize men'.