What's with people putting their tits in their avatar? As if anyone wants to see that. Take it to a porn site.
Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You?
In a Twitter version of the Time cover controversy, a mom is getting flak for using a picture of herself breastfeeding as her avatar.
I know, right? Now tell your friends!
Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You?
Anna North
The above is the avatar of Arwyn, who tweets as @RaisingBoychick. On her blog, also called Raising My Boychick, she describes herself as “a walking contradiction: knitting feminist fulltime parent, Wiccan science-minded woowoo massage student therapist!, queer-identified male-partnered monogamist, body-loving healthy-eating fat chick, unmedicated mostly-stable bipolar.” She also writes that she practices many aspects of attachment parenting, including co-sleeping, elimination communication (in which parents teach children to communicate when they need to go to the bathroom, often without the use of diapers), and yes, extended breastfeeding. The baby above is Arwyn’s daughter, whom she calls “Vulva Baby,” but her now-five-year-old son (Boychick) was, she says, a “breastfed toddler.”
Arwyn’s avatar arguably has less shock value than Time’s instantly-infamous breastfeeding cover. But it did inspire some Twitter wrath, kicked off by user @juliewashere88:
Just because you've got an infant sucking it does not mean anyone wants to see your tits. Keep those pics to yourself. #childfree
I don't care who is sucking it, I did NOT ask to see photos of your saggy, leaky, veiny tits. KEEP THOSE TO YOURSELF! #childfree
@RaisingBoychick Just so you know, your avatar violates twitter image policy. You've been reported.
Julie is in some ways Arwyn’s opposite. On her blog, the Hiking Humanist, she writes, “Instead of child-proofing our home, as some young couples do, we decided to childproof ourselves. As my BF and I are both happily Childfree, I had a tubal ligation, coincidentally, on World Population Day. Getting fixed is no easy task at 22 when you have no kids.” Soon after her criticism, others piled on:
@juliewashere88 the exposure of a mother's breasts isn't better than the exposure of mine just b/c there's an infant attached #childfree
@juliewashere88 & "lactivist" women sometimes complain about sexist billboards showing female parts? Public boobs r either OK or they're not
@Faeries517 I think what us #childfree object 2 is the pref treatment & constant deference we have 2 show to parents, even if they r wrong
@FarrenSquare @geeoharee @juliewashere88 I'm actually in favor of public breastfeeding; keeps the little fuckers quiet #childfree
Couples! Before you breed, remember: pregnancy is a preventable illness. #childfree
Happy Endangered Species Day! Kudos to those who are working hard to help the animals & to protect the world from human harm. #childfree
Neither Arwyn nor Julie have yet responded to our request for comment, and it’s not clear whether Arwyn’s avatar actually violates Twitter’s terms of service — they prohibit “obscene or pornographic images in either your profile picture or user background,” but have not yet responded to our question about whether breastfeeding constitutes obscenity. Some users, though, have jumped to Arwyn’s defense:
I'm disturbed by some of the comments/tweets I'm seeing from other #childfree ppl that are totally disrespectful of mothers and #choice
I am in favor of supporting unconditionally the ability of women to choose childfree or motherhood. Even when it isn't reciprocated
Just because you choose to be #childfree doesn't mean you should hate children and those that choose to have them. #liveandletlive
Like the Time cover, today’s Twitter argument illustrated that if you want to get people riled up, discussing breastfeeding is a great way to do it. Though one guy did manage to keep a sense of humor:
The worst thing about being #childfree is I have to get my own beer. IT'S THE REASON I HAD KIDS IN THE FIRST PLACE
Update: Asked to comment on the discussion around her avatar, Arwyn responded via Twitter: “For the record, there was no discussion. [Julie] trolled me with anti-breastfeeding bigotry, I blocked and then had fun with my friends, both moms and childfree.” Julie, also via Twitter, wrote “‘discussion’ seems generous. The echange going on is ‘moms are special’ and ‘no theyre not.’”
HOT ON
Follow BuzzFeed
More Buzz
Facebook Conversations
51 Responses So Far
- Contributions
- (Page 3 of 3)
-
sangfr0id 11 months agoSrsly, I’ve seen bikinis that cover less than a baby’s head. I’ve seen costumes at comiccon and the red carpet that cover more. Most breast feeding mothers try to be discreet about it too. It’s not a ‘power move’ as someone suggested, but the normal feeding schedule of a human baby.
-
- josha10 thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Fail
-
gcsapo 11 months agoI can agreed with both sides here…yes its just a breast and people shouldn’t be making a big deal about breast feeding in public in theory cos its natural and all that bla bla bla…and not really in the same vein as peeing in public….but at the same time what kind of person posts a picture of their baby breast feeding? No seriously think about it, its the move of a clear narcissist, or one of those people who talk about their kids WAY too much.
-
- gcsapo thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is LOL
-
- hueyrocks thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is LOL
- aimees6 thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Ew
- Kris B. thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is WTF, Ew & Trashy
- cornflowerblue Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? and thinks it’s Ew
- Lkmitchell222 thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is WTF
-
TroutMaskReplicant 11 months agoA picture of 70% of a naked breast when breastfeeding= indecent. A picture of 60% of naked breasts in a cleavage shot= sexy. Seems legit.
-
-
SashaWoodsonComedy 11 months agoif you walk around with your tit out, you can get an indecent exposure charge. but slap a baby on it and it’s fine? i doubt the same would work for my balls…
-
- toughlove2 thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Ew
- buzzrabbit thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Cute
- Maggie84 thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is LOL
- shannonr5 Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? and thinks it’s WTF
- shalalalalauooo thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Trashy & Fail
-
-
baseballgirl 11 months agoCome now, we all know the sole purpose of women’s breasts are for the titillation and sexual pleasure of men…
-
- Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is starting to get hot on Facebook Share It
-
Aidan Fortner 11 months agoI’m all for public breastfeeding. But this isn’t whipping your puppies out to feed your brat in a mall or restaurant. This woman consciously chose this picture to represent herself on Twitter. I’m less offended that it’s a baby sucking a tit than I’m confused that she thinks this of all pics is the best way to represent herself in a public forum. Surely she as a person is more interesting than a mere feedbag for a mini-human.
-
- jenniferjayalilar thinks Does This Twitter Avatar Offend You? is Trashy & Ew
-
AdventureNeckbeard 11 months agoSome people are different. Some people can’t not look, some people have this self-entitled right to become a part of someone elses life and tell them right from wrong as if they are the proper authority figure. I’ve seen two women breastfeeding in public so far, what did I do? Not give a fuck. Why? Who gives a fuck?
-
-
-
Jennifer O. 11 months agowhy are we humans so offended by our own anatomy? I think that’s the real question.
-
Special Reactions
Your Reaction?
React with an animated GIF!
READY. SET. REACT!
GET STARTED