I recently received this letter;
In late February of 07, I joined a website called myfreeimplants.com, more out of humor than anything else. Free breast implants? Come on this could not be possible!
I have always wanted breast implants, but could never afford them. My first day on the site, I realized that the website is the real deal and it could work for me! How it works is women, like myself, ask men, or as the website calls them, “benefactors”, for donations to get breast implants. it took me 3 months to raise enough money for my surgery.
On june 4th 2007, I reached my goal amount, and decided to get a my free implants tattoo [by Cary at High Street Tattoo, Columbus OH] . My surgery is scheduled for September 1st 2007, and I can not wait to join the big boobie club.
The internet is a magical place 🙂
Thanks!
– Lindsay (iam:fancy heart)
Comments
298 responses to “Free Breast Implants (Celebratory Tattoo!)”
I have issue with this site because it seems just another way for men to control womens bodies, just seems a bit seedy to me.
However i have no problem with breast implants, if its what you want to do with your body then thats your right, good luck with the surgery and i hope it turns out well 🙂
Also the tattoo is very cute
Quoth the Giles:
>>No I’m saying they SHOULD be.
And as long as we live in the real world, are biological organisms, and rely upon sexual reproduction for the propogation of our species, that will never, ever happen.
We don’t live in a transhumanist fantasyland of massive levels of genetic engineering done on humans and/or cloning, or one with mass numbers of cyborgs running around, though, do we?
Also, there’s something I’m not clear on: are you stating you don’t believe that women who decide they want implants are incapable of making an informed, rational decision or merely stating you don’t think *anyone* is capable of making informed, rational decisions, and simply caves into what society is pressuring them to do? Well, except you, of course. See, I’m trying to clarify your views, so I can determine whether you’re truly misogynist, or merely an elitist asshole.
Ooh, bloody ‘ell O_o
I don’t see why Fancy Heart should be made to explain why she wants bigger boobies, same as I don’t see why I should explain why I want bigger ear lobes or why I paint my nails.
I can’t help but feel Mr Big Ears’ statement of “No one should dictate to me what I can and can not do to my body” fits in here somewhere…
I dig the tattoo though, it reminds me of Jessica Rabbit ^___^
If it makes her confident, boost her self esteem, and gives her an improved lifestyle than it was money well spent by anyone who would donate to such a good cause.
for everyone that doesn’t have fake boobs and wants to hate on people who want or have them for not loving themselves enough… stop judging. Some people who get fake boobs love themselves quite a bit. I , for one, got implants just because I could. Yes, that is the reason i got them, i’m not in some sort of denial about how i hate myself. I loved my body before and i love it now. stop, stop hatin.
This always makes me laugh, people with body mods, dermal implants tattoos, pulling a big snob hissy fit over a girl getting implants.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT?
you are changing your body to suit your desires.
I still like this argument (can anyone guess that I’m procrastinating today?) but personal insults are uncalled for. I don’t think that anyone here is “an idiot” or “misogynist”, except the one person way back who said “big boobies, little brain.”
I dig civilised arguing, and haven’t noticed vast amounts of “omg wat a whore1111″ or “omg this/that kind of boobs is disgustin” comments, so please can we keep that up?
All the guys here think that self-esteem in a woman is good, and that women should care for their mental health. That’s all that matters.
I know I’m late to this party, but I don’t think anyone has articulated MY main issue with this whole debate. I have no problems with breast implants (I personally had mine surgically reduced, but whatever works for you is cool with me), BUT the thing that rubs me the wrong way is having someone else pay for them.
This is an issue I have with any mods though–again, personal opinion only, but I would be extremely uncomfortable making a modification to my body that was tied to any other person. I have waited years, saving and budgeting, to make my mods happen, and in the end I think I felt a greater sense of pride because I had to earn them on my own. When I look in the mirror, I am proud that I have relied only on myself to create this body that is increasingly mine with each addition. But then again, I also have deeply rooted money issues and obsessively pay off my credit cards each month, so, take it for what it’s worth.
Love the tattoo, by the way. :o)
whatever verbs your noun! i didn’t feel like reading through comments, but hey, if a lady wants boobies and she can get them free, she should be able to get her some boobies.
As the one who made the “misogynist” comment, I’d say I was off – misogynist wasn’t the correct term to use, since I don’t have any evidence, from his posting, that Giles actively hates women.
That Giles feels them incapable of making an informed decision, though, I’ll stand by, which would make him sexist. Unless, of course, he feels *nobody* is capable of doing so, with the exception of a very select group, which *would* make him elitist. Both views can be inferred from his posts.
Christ on a cracker, will you lay off the poor girl?! Yeah, the media might be enforcing this image of large breasted women as being the most attractive but who are you to say that Fancy Heart has been manipulated into thinking that she needs them? You don’t know that, and from what I can see, she wants them for herself. You know, not to impress anyone else, but because that’s what she likes. Us female-folk are capable of making decisions on our own, and we don’t need people telling us what we can and can’t do to our own bodies.
Seriously, this is the 21st century, right? So start living in it.
I don’t see how people start about haters so soon in these comments. I don’t see any so called “haters” in the first 30 comments. Most of the comments I read are quite possitive. Some aren’t, but hey… freedom of speach???
Personally I like small tits better than bib ones, but that ofcourse is completely besides the point. What does count is that through this website she gets to do what she wants fast.
Personaly I would have great doubts about websites like these. Good to see that there still are genuin websites among all the frauds.
I don’t think it’s ‘demeaning’ AT ALL for Giles and others to suggest that women are influenced by society to a massive extent. In fact, as someone who has suffered depression due to pressure to conform to beauty standards, I find that assertion rather offensive. I think some folk here underestimate the pressure put on women if you think it’s in any way a sign of weakness that a woman would make a decision based on societal pressures.
That said, this is an incredibly complex topic. I’m considering posting this to a feminist forum to see what they have to say about it… if that’s alright?
Giles – it seems to me you’ve done a fair amount of reading on this subject. This is a good thing, well done. Now back up your reading by interaction with actual, real people. They don’t always do, think, feel, want, what the sociology books would have you believe. As much as it doesn’t pay to not be informed about sociological trends, it’s dangerous to ascribe generalised motives to individuals without knowing the individual very well indeed.
I know I’m coming in late, but there are a few things that I had to say
Giles:
1) Society and the media love large breasted women, it should do as it helped create them. um, what? I’m pretty sure evolution created large breasted women.
2) Most lesbians have a stronger self image than heterosexual women… apparently. The media doesn’t often portray lesbian women anywhere near as often as straight women. hey, surprise, lesbians are women too. When women are portrayed in the media, they could easily be lesbians unless proven otherwise. Even if lesbians aren’t trying to attract dudes, they’re still subject to most of the same pressures, because they still have to live with men who view them as sexual objects.
3) Even if “the media” has brainwashed women to want larger breasts, Fancy Heart still wants them because SHE will feel better with them. Should she be the sacrificial lamb who doesn’t do something SHE wants because it’s “wrong” on some level? That’s like telling an asian kid they shouldn’t play violin even if they like it because they’re going to be encouraging a stereotype.
4) Her having breast implants doesn’t hurt “teh childrens” any more than my naturally having large breasts does.
Wow, this has turned into quite a debate. I have to admit that when I first saw this I thought it was kinda fuct and sad. But then as I read through the comments I began to I understand the other side to this.
I think it is cool that she has found people who are willing to support her in this and hope it makes her very happy. I am not trying to tell women what to do with their bodies, that is not my place. I think both Shannon and Giles make some valid points. I do see a big double standard in that many here say if you want a tattoo or to cut off your balls, more power to you; but breast implants are evil! However, I think there is an unhealthy cultural pressure for women to have a certain body type that is unrealistic for most women which makes them feel insecure. This is the evil of the mass media marketing message, “you are not acceptable the way you are, so buy are products/services to make yourself more complete”. Fear and insecurity power much of the economy. With that being said I think we don’t know enough about this woman to judge her decision, and I’m not trying to say that she is weak willed, but like Shannon said we don’t live in a vacuum, and I think are society and media do influence many women to have this done. But whatever their motivation, if I thought they would all be happy with the end result then it wouldn’t bother me, but there are so many serious risks and complications that can occur with this procedure, it does bother me. The other thing that bothers me is that people are willing to fund this, while there are so many things like stem cell research and world hunger that I feel are better uses of the money, but that is really another issue. There are far worse things that are sucking up money that could be used to heal the world.
Of course, I admit I am biased on this issue, because I prefer smaller breast. The big ones are more prone to the downward pull of gravity, and I really don’t see the benefit in having any more than a “handful”. But that’s just me, I hope she enjoys them and does not have any problems, I truly do.
>>60
Remember that kid who did a DIY labret (I think it was a labret, or was it a ring?) by pushing a piece of chain link through his lower lip? He was what, 15?
I wonder if the current popularity of “unorthodox” piercings influenced his decision in any way?
I quite enjoy reading this blog, I have no modifications to speak of, my breasts aren’t that large either, and yes, I HAVE read about the history of breast modifications, I realize there are issues.
However, from my little view of the world, which includes a college campus, I can say that over the past ten years the popularity of body modification (tattoos, piercings, stretched ears) has skyrocketed among the high-school and college aged. It’s to the point now where I’d go so far as to call it common. No one bats an eye, and it is certainly a defined subculture “look” now, like it or not. Every college town has its share of tattoo and piercing shops now.
I imagine there are people who feel some pressure to fit a social circle, and get mods. Granted, most people are smart enough to call a piercer and avoid the chain link!
My point being, I’m not so sure that you can say that everyone who gets piercings or tattoos is doing it to reclaim their bodies from what society says they should look like either, if you define society as their immediate environment. Suicide girls is one view of mainstream “hot” now.
Goodness knows I’ve read posts on this site and elsewhere complaining about girls who get “the boring usual” butterfly tattoos, or the “everyone is doing it” navel rings. And yet, occasionally there will be the posts complaining that people view mods as a form of rebellion. There are complaints when people ask advice about how to “undo” a given mod, how large you can stretch ears and have it reversible, etc.
So I don’t know if the situations are as radically different as they may have been in the past.
That said, whatever mod you want, if it makes you happy, and it’s done in a safe way, with full thought as to all possible repercussions, have at it. Everyone has their own reasons for wanting a given mod (or not wanting it). It makes the world interesting.
Here’s a question for Giles:
you claim that anyone who gets breast implants must be doing it because they are being influenced by society, whereas your mods were completely individual choices free of societal manipulations. SO, would you still have gotten the mods you have if they represented the societal ideal and were promoted by the media as the way everyone should strive to look?
if you answer yes, then you are proving that your mods were indeed totally individual choices free of societal pressure, but then you would also have to admit that if you would have still gotten you mods simply to be true to yourself even in a world where they were considered the ideal, that there must be women out there who get breast implants solely to be true to themselves irregardless of societal norms, who would get them even if norms were reversed. You’d have to admit that it is completely possible for people to make an individual, unbiased decision to modify themselves in in a “popular” way.
if, on the other hand, you answer no, that you would not have gotten your mods had they represented the societal ideal then you are proving that your own choice of mods are just as much dictated by society and media pressure as you claim the choices of people who get breast implants are. you state that you act out of individuality and the fact that you don’t care what people think, whereas, in reality you care just as much as anyone else. you don’t want people to think you’re trying to fit in, so you pick and chose the modifications that society looks down on, and are therefore solely reliant on societies views for your mod choices. if society sees stretched ears as abnormal and “other” then you get them, but if society sees them as an ideal of beauty which everyone should strive for then you don’t. hence, it was not your choice but society’s.
That was quite a read. Phew, deep breaths now.
Okay.
Giles, first I want to congratulate you on having a strong opinion as well as the knowledge and conviction to stand by and support your position. Constructive arguments, which I consider this – for the most part – to be, requires at least TWO intelligent sides and I want to thank you for taking the time to articulate your views.
Now, I recognize that most of what happens in our minds is going on ‘behind the scenes’ without our knowledge. As has been said; the effects of subtle and not so subtle societal influence on the unconscious mind have been studied extensively. My question is: where is the line drawn? If there are societal pressure to be a certain way that could lead a person to do something to themselves (i.e. breast implants, liposuction, bodybuilding etc.) does that automatically make it not okay? If you are a knowledgeable person who is aware of this phenomena does that make it okay to go ahead with your desires, or does it remain negative no matter what the level of considered introspection and potential ongoing societal impact?
I don’t agree with this, but the argument could be made that something can be so damaging to society as a whole that a responsible person wouldn’t involve themselves in it no matter what their personal desires are. I do not think that this – along with most mods – fall under this umbrella. Ultimately, very few issues are simple cut and dry when examined closely, the world and in this case the mind, is just too complex.
Personally? I think that this specific thing is just not that huge of an issue. If you want to talk about negatives influence arising from the larger culture, then there are many things that I would consider to be more troubling that should be discussed and dealt with before you get to body image, plastic surgery and large fake breasts. If you actually did manage to tackle those other things firstly then by time you actually got to the fake breasts it would no longer be an issue as it would have already been handled.
Ill end this waaaaay too long rant by saying that while I do not know fancy heart, she seems like a healthy well adjusted person who has probably given this a some thought. If she wants free big breasts then more power to her.
well i don’t have much to say other than MODS ARE MODS! no matter the they’re tattoos, piercings, botox, implants (of ANY KIND), braces, hair dye or anything else! just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean you have to jump down her throat! just turn the fuck away from it!
Lindsay hope your surgery goes well and the tattoo is awesome!
Wow, I’m almost scared to jump in here. “To each his own.”
Giles, a few points I’d like to make:
“There are some shocking stories of girls as young as 8 wanting breast enlargements because they feel pressured into looking like all those pretty images on TV.”
I could just as easily say, “there are shocking stories of girls as young as 8 wanting large gauge septum piercings because they feel pressured into looking like that cool singer from the Prodigy in the Firestarter video on TV.”
“Many of the modification practices we do have established roots throughout history as a form of expressive assertion.”
Aren’t many modification practices, in a historial sense, about belonging to a group, and so conforming to group expectations? Just because western society is a larger “group”, does this make its general aesthetic preferances less valid than those of tribal groups?
“the media spend billions on creating images we can fimiliarise with and then tweak them so that we identify with those we see. It isn’t just women, it is everyone.”
You’re right, it’s everyone, yourself included. And since the media includes this blog and those books you referred to, I believe that your veneration of a natural body, modified as a form of “expressive assertion”, is myth that you buy into to feel better about yourself, because it conforms to society’s view of aesthetic and cultural rebellion.
Like Fancy Heart said, “fake tits are hot!”. What better reason is there?
has anyone noticed that fashion these days has very little to do with big boobs anyway?? giles mentioned catwalk models being malnourished quite a while back and i definitely dont equate the malnourished look with big boobs… last i noticed boobs didnt seem so hot in the fashion world anymore anyway…
that aside, im pretty much agreeing with everyone here that giles saying that all women who get boobs have been brainwashed is insulting. at the risk of sounding completely arrogant, enough people tell me im hot WITHOUT fake boobs, doesnt mean i dont want a pair to play with! in fact, most guys i tell i want fake boobs to tell me NOT to.
fuck the haters! i want free boobies! and IM gonna be the one to enjoy them!
people actually DONATED MONEY so that you could have BIGGER BREASTS?!!?!?! WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS?!?!?! why don’t people give their money to charities and organizations that can actually IMPROVE THE WORLD?!?!?!!?!? GRRRRRRRRR…
Giles why are you so concerned about being in or out of the mainstream. It sounds to me you want to be so out that even being a little normal is a problem. Just be who you want and dont care were you fall. It seems like your more concerned about self image than everyone else here. Im surprised you use the internet it being so mainstream and not having any spiritual backing.
Just a thought… could this person have been paid to get this tattoo, making it a great marketing ploy? This post has obviously increased traffic on their site, and even though they are giving “free” implants they are obviously making money from maintaining it. Her words seem too scripted.
Anyway, posts like this remind me why I read modblog, I love reading the debate and commentary on society, especially on women’s bodies.
I know people who have implants, some who did it for their husbands who want a Barbie doll wife, and others who have it because they had cancer and mastectomies. When it is done to please someone else and not yourself, to me it’s really sad.
Fancy Heart, congrats on the pretty tattoo and your new boobies.
damn Giles,
please don’t talk about women and how we are portrayed and how we feel in any respect unless you are one. No one has to give you or anyone else a reason for doing anything to their body. “Fancy Heart- tell us!!” It’s none of your business and the things you were writing were embarrasing to me, the mod community, and women in general. Go to the bathroom, look at your penis, and let this go. She wants them, she’ll love them. Just as you do your fucking plugs and the like. you don’t know what it feels like to look at kate moss or kate winslet. who are you? better off; who do you think you are?
and,
I hope for your sake and the medias
that you were born with an 9 inch penis the girth of a damn coke bottle and had a six pack to boot with the crap that is spewing from your mouth.
or we should all have that? I forget, you keep changing your mind and backtracking.
stop. just stop. embarrasing.. honestly
Hey betsy, do you have any mods? How about this:
people actually SPEND MONEY on TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS?!!?!?! WHAT ABOUT ALL OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS?!?!?! why don’t people give their money to charities and organizations that can actually IMPROVE THE WORLD?!?!?!!?!? GRRRRRRRRR…
Do you think that spending money on tattoos, piercings, etc., okay, but spending money on breast implants is wrong? If so, why? Why is the one okay, but the other isn’t?
Well heck, I need a dental bridge. I need a benefactor but bad. Boobies would be a plus but I really need a bridge.
Dental work just doesn’t have the same ring, does it =(
i read this article wrong. i thought her free boob job WAS the tattoo work, that she just spent the money on that. hah.
if she is getting the free implants, too, that’s even better.
Okay, I’m a little late on this but…
#26, they stated the site was created to help women raise money for surgeries of all kind (not only breast augmentation). It’s there to help women be happy with their body. So technically I am sure you can go on there and raise money for a breast reduction (although I’m not sure how many guys would donate for that cause).
Also, you might want to look into this. Some insurance companies will help with breast reductions because having too large of breasts can cause back problems.
It’s annoying that every time a woman wants to get some big ol’ titties stupid fucking ‘feminists’ jump in and say they’re setting a bad example for women everywhere because they’re bending to society’s beliefs and blah blah blah…
Why can’t women just be allowed to do what they want because it makes them happy? Unless a girl specifically says that she got her boob job because society or ‘the media’ told her so, then you can’t be sure that’s the reason and you’re just being a bastard for judging her based upon your assumptions.
Women getting breast implants or augmentations or whatever can do that just as much as women can stretch their ears and get genital piercings and scarification. Those modifications ARE all very similar in that it’s changing one’s body to conform to whatever idea of beauty one subscribes to, whether it’s purely aesthetic or spiritual or what have you; you can’t know a woman’s reasons for doing something unless she tells you.
Damn Giles has ruined my whole week.
I only enjoy poptarts because the media tells me everyone loves poptarts. MALES sell poptarts. I would be a much stronger woman if I chose not to eat those popta – oh that was the toaster I gotta go…
Giles – Thanks. As a rad-feminist, I don’t find your argument offensive at all. Anyone prepared to question prevailing cultural expectations that are damaging to women is a-ok with me, as long as you’re not claiming to speak with authority for all women, which I didn’t see you doing anywhere.
Notice that his initial comment wasn’t about the individual woman at all, but the site and the societal expectations that fuel it.
Everyone can go on about individual choice politics as much as they like, but it means bugger-all whilst some choices remain socially acceptable and represented positively in the media (boob implants), and others not (being hairy, or choosing not to define personhood or identity through sexual attractiveness and availability at all, for example).
And if you think women don’t face consequences for having the “wrong” boobs, check out the recent abc news article on “Cleavage: The Owner’s Manual”. “You don’t have to be flat-chested to be taken seriously,” she added. “You just have to be proportionate. For women who are small busted, that may mean a little padding. For well-endowed women, that may mean a minimizer.” Yup. Stuff your bra or squish the girls, ladies, or you won’t be taken seriously in the workplace. Goddamn, I never knew my breasts were so threatening and/or distracting! Poor men, awww.
And saying that only large breasts are sexually attractive is a pretty limited perspective. There are plenty of examples, both historical and current, of breasts of all shapes and sizes being attractive.
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”
emerson
i say if its what you want go for it, and good for you for following it through. the above quote fits this topic nicely
and may i ask. WHY DO WE CARE WHAT SHE DOES TO HER BODY? ITS HER DAMN BODY
SOME OF YOU MAKE ME SICK IF I WANT TO GET AT TATTOO OF SOMETHING PEOPLE ARE LIKE SWEET, IF SHE GETS BOOBS YOU ARE LIKE OMGWTFPWNDHAXXOR FLIPPING OUT. in my mind not b/c of theproduct but the means. now if shes ok to live with that decision i dont think anyone else but her should care.
ok theres my input
I read through this whole fucking thing.
Giles. If you really think that women getting breast implants are only doing so so that they fit into the mainstream of society, then you are a fool.
Body modification, whether it be piercings, tattoos, body building, castration, out-of-the-norm haircuts/mustaches/beards, cosmetic surgery of any kind, amputations, ANY form of body modification WHATSOEVER, is just that. And 99% of people do it for aesthetic reasons. NOT because society subconsciously wants, or needs them to. Nay. They do it because it makes them happy.
Tell me. WHY do you want your lobes stretched? Because you were so moved by African tribes? No. You did it because it looked nice to you. That is why she is getting breast implants. PERIOD. Tell me something else. If someone came up to you and asked you (and KEPT on asking you) why your lobes are stretched, what can you reply with besides “they look nice”?
SHE wants HER boobs the way SHE wants. Do you think that you could ask “why?” to someone who did a DIY castration and expect an answer that even made a little bit of sense to you? They did it because thats how THEY see THEM and nothing else. Seriously. The fact that this is on a blog for body modification where everyone is okay with everything as long as it makes the person happy doesn’t help your argument, especially since you have mods yourself. I could understand if you didn’t have any mods and stumbled across this site via an accidental Google search or something, but you seem to be an active member of BME.
The fact that guys donate to help pay for it is fantastic. Money is money is money, no matter where, or whom, it comes from. And I haven’t checked out the site, but what if WOMEN can donate to other women? Then what? Half your argument would be blown to shit.
If something makes her happy, by all means let her do it. What if it was a sex-change? Would you think that is “fucking awful” as well? What makes breast implants any different from any other type of body modification?
Now that isn’t to say that I don’t understand your side as well. While I do think that some girls and women, particularly younger ones, are very influenced by society and celebrities, that doesn’t mean ALL are. Sure, it may be hard for a 13 year old overweight girl to feel pretty in this world because of all the “perfect” models out there, and that MAY be because of all her favorite celebrities having, what to her, is the perfect figure. And yes, she MAY want breast implants to fix herself, and YES she may do it only because she wants to look like her idol, BUT THAT MAKES HER HAPPY.
While I do think it’s dumb for someone to get something to look like someone else, not a lot of people do that and this girl is one that DOESN’T, SHE’S doing it because it makes her happy and nothing else.
And you know what? MAYBE a 5 year old who chops off all her hair because Britney Spears did it and she wants to be just like her, but that 5 year old isn’t yet old enough to make her own decisions yet. However this girl is old enough to realize that shes doing it for her and NO ONE else.
Giles. You are a tool.
A little late on this, just got off of work and read through all the posts. I am just stunned that a fake pair of tits, a BODY MODIFICATION, has sparked so much negativity on a Body Modification website.
Giles: Your posts are batently misogynistic, I can’t beleive you are actually saying these things and trying to defend saying them. To say the only reason a woman would get her tits bigger is because she was brainwashed by the media, is basically saying that a woman can’t think for herself. For thousands of years humans have been modifying their bodies, enhancing parts of their bodies that attract the opposite sex. For example: Lip disks, neck stretching, lobe stretching, eyebrow waxing, and the list goes on. Just because the technology to make a huge set of tits came after the TV doesn’t mean that women are brainwashed to do it. Actually, I bet any money a few women were getting bigger tits and then it got televised and then more popular to do, just as tattooing has in the past few years. I agree there ARE probably women out there that have low self esteem (which I agree can be partly influenced by SOME media) that do get bigger tits to fit some sort of “perfect” mold. However, to generalize all women getting implants as brainwashed is just plain silly buddy.
Also, who made you the judge of what is and what isn’t a body modification.
Furthermore, I think you are the only one here who has asked her why, as if it is any of your fucking business anyway.
lindsay, don’t listen to these people. the people in your life who love you no matter what are the only ones you need to worry about. you make yourself happy and fuck the rest of the world if they don’t like it.
In response to the person that thought I got this tattoo to get more publicity to their website, that is just crazy talk! I wanted this tattoo to remind me of my journey, and to not take life to seriously! I mean, common on now, I just earned free breast implants from the internet! AND, I knew it would be a cute tattoo, and it is xoxox
112. Most lesbians have a stronger self image than heterosexual women… apparently.
I am extremely offended by this comment! How can you not see that this is terribly demeaning to straight women, lumping us all in some category of sex-driven, male-pleasing slaves to the media? Just because the stereotyped image of a lesbian is that she wears no makeup, “manly clothes”, and unkempt/unstyled hair does not mean that by simply putting less effort into her appearance she has a better self image! Nearly half of my female friends are lesbians, and they all experiance the same worries and image-related depressions that I, a straight woman who (gasp!) does enjoy feeling attractive in my own personal view, AS WELL AS FEELING ATTRACTIVE TO MEN. This is obviously a discussion where the self-righteous opinions on both sides are too strong to make any sort of headway on the other- I wouldn’t expect a fundamentally conservative person who feels that body modification is immoral to be at all swayed by a modded individual explaining their spiritual and person justifications, and vice versa. I just want to point out, Giles, that I am far more hurt by your comments and careless assumptions (yes, careless, because while discussing our apparent weaknesses and lack of willpower, you have entirely neglected the FEELINGS of these women that you are trying oh so hard to protect) than I have ever been by the media’s portrayal of beauty.
As well, to clarify my early comment about gold digging, I want to make it plain that I was referring to the site in general, and in no way have any issue regarding breast augmentation or any form of plastic surgery- I myself have several procedures planned for next year. My qualm with the website is that I believe that one should work for such a luxury (and yes, while every person should have the opportunity to changes the things that make them unhappy with themselves, it remains a luxury), and truly earn it; if you have to make sacrifices to do so, that’s part of life. I don’t feel that preying on lonely, rich men is the way to go about it, but I’m not going to further demean Fancy Heart by suggesting so. I’m sure she is a wonderful person, and I’m glad that she has the chance to modify her body the way she sees fit, regardless of my own feelings.
And the tattoo is lovely.
* that I, a straight woman who (gasp!) does enjoy feeling attractive in my own personal view, AS WELL AS FEELING ATTRACTIVE TO MEN, face.
Wow this has been busy.
Firstly most of the points requested have been addressed already, if not by me then certainly by others.
Secondly many thanks for those who took the time to write intelligent responses and refrained from immature name calling.
Thirdly you DO NOT have to have a vagina to write about women and their issues. So I am more than within my right to address issues of how women are portrayed in society, more so than most women.
Fourthly the arguments I have put forward are well documented elsewhere and have there foundations in fact.
Also take note that many people are influenced to some degree by subliminal media manipulation, one of the worst elements of it is that it makes us believe we are making choices for ourself, hence Angel heart not truly giving much of an explanation as to why she wants them, only that she does.
Well done to those who took the time to send abusive personal messages to my IAM page, clearly you are a credit to your species.
Finally as regards claim of misogyny well frankly that is just laughable, you see only someone who loves women for their true beauty would hold arguments such as mine.
Thirdly you DO NOT have to have a vagina to write about women and their issues. So I am more than within my right to address issues of how women are portrayed in society, more so than most women.
i cant believe you just said that…
and for the record, you got her name wrong
hmm i shoulda used quotation marks, i hope everyone realises that the first part of that was a quote from giles *blush*
My fiancee is a stripper, has been for about 4 years.
She is schedulded for implant surgery on Aug. 3.
She has wantd them since before she was even a stripper, and has spent the last year or so saving what she could after paying for living expenses and everything else to get them.
We stumbled on my free implants in our research, and as people say, if you want something, there is always a way to get it.
Don’t belittle the site, it’s just a way certain people are going about getting what they want. They each have thier individual reasons for doing it, and the ends justify the means to these poeple.
Some people work hard for what they want, others find the easy way out, but in the end if it makes both parties happy, who are we to judge?
Panties – How many women do you know that have studied feminism and the women’s movement?
“Also take note that many people are influenced to some degree by subliminal media manipulation, one of the worst elements of it is that it makes us believe we are making choices for ourself, hence Angel heart not truly giving much of an explanation as to why she wants them, only that she does.”
Giles, do you seriously believe that you’re one of only very very few people intelligent enough to REALLY know what they REALLY think?
Do you seriously believe that most everyone around you — including every who disagrees with you about this — is an idiot that’s been brainwashed and only THINK they know why they’re doing something?
Do you seriously believe that YOU know what all of these supposedly-brainwashed people REALLY think, when they only THINK they know what they think?
‘Well done to those who took the time to send abusive personal messages to my IAM page, clearly you are a credit to your species.’ – Giles Wallwork
What species do you exactly define yourself as? Modified or not I thought everyone that was capable of typing here was human.
Fancy Heart – Congratulations on your new tattoo and boobies.
>>Do you seriously believe that YOU know what all of these supposedly-brainwashed people REALLY think, when they only THINK they know what they think?
Good god no. There are many many enlightened people on BME who are perfectly aware of how society manipulates and shapes our decisions, I learnt from others. Namely people like Chomsky.
What I do have in my favour though is acknowledging it and refuting it, same as many others. Once you understand just how much of our ‘free will’ is shaped for us then you can go about resisiting. Plato’s cave theory helps understand this.
Whether you like it or not women are under incredible pressure to conform to images of beauty and sexiness that are enforced by the media, that is a fact. It doesn’t make them weak willed in any way at all, it does however make them an unfortunate victim of a society obsessed with appearance.
Resisting that pressure to conform and acknowledging it is one step towards true freedom.
There is no misogyny involved whatsoever. The ‘bad’ element here is not women but rather the pressure forced upon them from a patricarchal society obsessed with an ideal of beauty.