‘Breasts are a serious political problem’: one woman’s quest to reclaim her chest
Sarah Thornton had dismissed them as ‘dumb boobs’ until a double mastectomy changed everything. Her new book, Tits Up, explores what our beliefs about breasts mean – from feeding babies to bra design and Baywatch
Throughout her life, Sarah Thornton hadn’t given much thought to her breasts. They were there, of course, and they’d fed two children. But they had also attracted unwanted attention, and latterly they’d become a source of concern – with a history of breast cancer in her family, and after years of vigilance and tests, in 2018 Thornton was about to undergo a preventive double mastectomy. Preparing for the operation, she realised she still hadn’t given them much consideration, nor what it would be like to have “new” breasts in the form of implants. When they turned out to be bigger than expected, she was shocked, “but in the end,” she says, “it wasn’t the aesthetic form as much as the feeling. It was like losing sentience. And it put me on a quest to understand these things that I’d never thought too much about. These things I’d kind of dismissed as dumb boobs.”
Thornton’s new book, Tits Up: What Our Beliefs About Breasts Reveal About Life, Love, Sex and Society, is a deep dive into the bosom of our fixation with boobs. Writing the book, she says, has transformed how she views her own breasts. “I really did go from dismissing them as a kind of shallow accessory, to thinking of them as a really important body part – one we wouldn’t have a human species without,” she says. “Our top halves have been invaded by male supremacy and I did not realise how deeply patriarchal even my own view of breasts was. I was dismissing them as dumb boobs, partly because they’re positioned primarily in culture as erotic playthings and I didn’t want to just be an erotic plaything.”
Continue reading...Date: |
Filter
-
Fights over Boeing's serious safety problems cannot be put off forever
The deaths of the two whistleblowers raised eyebrows as Congress heard from a third Boeing whistleblower.The Hill - Politics -
Mexico's first woman president will inherit a huge public safety problem
Yahoo News - World -
Citi Isn't the Only One With a Fat Finger Problem
Being rushed, typos and confusing ticker symbols are among the reasons small investors cite when they’ve bought the wrong stock.The Wall Street Journal - World -
Biden’s Morehouse speech exposes his 2024 political problems
President Biden will set foot on a college campus Sunday for the first time since universities around the country became hotbeds for protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Biden is delivering a commencement speech at Morehouse College, an ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
The woman who sold time - and the man who tried to stop her
The story of the woman who sold the time to businesses - and the man who tried to thwart her.BBC News - Top stories -
‘Where Did Justine Go?’ One Woman Disappears Into Devotion
Justine Payton was drawn to a Hare Krishna ashram for its yoga, meditation and vegan meals. She’s still figuring out what went wrong.The New York Times - Top stories -
This one food slashes your dementia risk by a third — if you’re a woman
If you’re female and want to avoid dementia, stock up on this.MarketWatch - Business -
One Japanese Word Changed the Course of Her Career
Devin Halbal had amassed hundreds of thousands of TikTok followers with her inspirational videos. Then she went to Asia.The New York Times - Lifestyle - Japan -
23-year-old woman killed by rock thrown at her car; no arrests made
Police in North Carolina are searching for the person who threw a rock at a moving car, hitting and killing a 23-year-old woman, authorities said.ABC News - Top stories -
Woman drops lawsuit against mother who accused her of sexually abusing son she once babysat
A former babysitter has dropped her lawsuit against a New York woman she accused of causing her emotional distress by telling others that she had sexually abused the woman’s son.NBC News - Top stories
More from The Guardian
-
White House says Israel’s latest actions in Rafah do not cross US red line
The US is also closely monitoring Israel’s probe into a deadly strike on Sunday which left at least 45 people dead in a Gaza camp. The Biden administration has said recent Israeli operations and attacks in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah do not ...The Guardian - World - Israel -
South Africa elections: voting under way amid grim national mood
Ruling African National Congress party could lose majority for first time since apartheid ended 30 years ago. South Africans are voting in what are expected to be the most competitive elections since the end of apartheid, which could result in the ...The Guardian - World -
Spying, hacking and intimidation: Israel’s nine-year ‘war’ on the ICC exposed
Exclusive: Investigation reveals how intelligence agencies tried to derail war crimes prosecution, with Netanyahu ‘obsessed’ with intercepts. Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiryWhen the chief prosecutor ...The Guardian - World - Israel -
North Korea reportedly sends balloons carrying excrement into the South
South Korea has warned residents to be alert after media reports that more than 90 balloons carrying various objects have been detected. South Korea has warned residents living near the border with North Korea to be on alert, after media reported ...The Guardian - World - North Korea -
Prosecutors detail Donald Trump’s ‘corrupt bargain’ in closing arguments
Joshua Steinglass tells hush-money jurors that scheme to bury negative stories before 2016 election distorted democracy. Donald Trump’s secret plot to bury negative press ahead of the 2016 election deprived Americans of their right to choose a ...The Guardian - World