Boobnazi. thoughts?
Anyone? I was surprised to find this name used not once but three times in the comments on a ‘feminist’ website…and the term seems to be becoming quite common, practically ubiquitous, especially by women. I know it gets me broiled up, but then again, perhaps we should reclaim it? oooooh, how’s this…coming soon, Boobnazi! a comic about a really really pissed off lactivist!
wow, okay…coming soon!
Love,
Heather
awholelotofnothing said,
September 11, 2007 @ 9:43 am
Right.
Because nurturing your child is the same as Hitler’s oppression and killing of millions of people.
I don’t get people.
sewathomemama said,
September 11, 2007 @ 10:14 am
i belong to an online community called tribe.net of course one of the tribes i belong to is the breastfeeding tribe & we’re dicussing nurse-ins. i’ve posted a couple of responses so far, but this one belongs here too.
“another thing i’m getting reeeeal tired of is being called a “nazi” for standing up for my child’s right to nurse whenever, wherever. by feminists, no less! can’t they see that the breastfeeding issue is a feminist issue? how do they like being called “feminazis”?
it’s a sad day when women - not just moms - will gang up on another woman for doing something so normal, so perfect, so nutritionally sound just because “boo hoo! i can see your nipple!” does anyone else see the irony here? besides, aren’t the original nazis a group which persecuted others for their beliefs? funny, i’m feeling pretty fucking persecuted, so, i guess i’m not the nazi.”
Daughter said,
September 11, 2007 @ 10:35 am
While we’re at it, what’s up with the use of the term “breeding” to refer to having kids? Not only is that term generally used to refer to animals, but more specifically, animals whose reproduction is controlled by humans, as opposed to nature. So are those who use the term implying that those of us with children have been forced or controlled to do so?
mamaluxe said,
September 11, 2007 @ 11:02 am
I don’t think there is any way to reclaim any term that includes the word “Nazi.”
Regardless of where I stand on an issue, it is lazy to use “Nazi.” I never let my students use it in debate unless it was actually relevant and I call anyone who uses it on what they actually mean.
It is one of my pet peeves in general.
janaki said,
September 11, 2007 @ 12:01 pm
Yeah, it’s just dumb. Well, then you get someone like the editor-in-chief of one of the local news stations here saying promoting breastfeeding is somehow bashing people who formula feed.
Needless to say I don’t watch that news station anymore. What the hell is wrong with people???
sapphire_chan said,
September 11, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
“So are those who use the term implying that those of us with children have been forced or controlled to do so?”
Yes. That is exactly what they wish to imply.
Re “~ nazi”: Seinfeld has a lot to answer for on that one.
sapphire_chan said,
September 11, 2007 @ 1:04 pm
Coming back after actually reading the comic.
“Formula Fascist” is fantastic! It precisely reflects the domination attempted by the formula companies and the I-don’t-wanna-see-*that*-ites and it also doesn’t belittle the deaths of millions by equating anything to genocide.
Way to go finding a term that is only offensive to the people that are supposed to be offended.
sallyandjono said,
September 12, 2007 @ 2:39 am
Heather- I think ‘nipplenazi’ has a nice ring to it… perhaps another cartoon…?
maguire708 said,
September 12, 2007 @ 4:54 am
I belong to a LiveJournal community called BoobNazis. We didn’t make up the offensive term, but we can live up to the expectations it represents with our advocacy. LiveJournal went through the same nipple-icon mess (overtly sexy pics without nipples and
D-cup manboobs with hairy nipples were ok but nipples shown in breastfeeding pics used as default icons are not… even in classical art!) that MySpace later went through, and the BoobNazi community was right there with nursing pics in every post and pointing out the inconsistencies in the policy every step of the way.
Thanks for the term “Formula Fascists” I’m sure it will come in handy!!
amyphilo said,
September 12, 2007 @ 5:39 am
I love the term - Formula Fascist! How hilarious. Now watch the response we get when we start using it. It ain’t gonna be pretty.
Right before the evil nazi fascist doctor handed me the bottle of premixed formula at Children’s Hospital he informed me that I should not listen to the LLL wackos and told me there was no such thing as nipple confusion…
Apparently along with Nazi we are also now being called psycho.
Fun fun world of hate we live in.
amyphilo said,
September 12, 2007 @ 5:42 am
oops, I meant to write above that the bottle of formula the evil doctor gave me wound up nearly killing my son (literally) - he nearly choked to death on it.
That part disappeared when Toby clicked on the Babesta ad and the post went away before I could enter it.
I guess we can call the formula fascists a bunch of Dr. Kevorkians or something similar, like genocidal, infanticidal, baby-killing formula fortune-collecting don’t-know-how-to-help-you-breastfeed though your life may depend on it boobie haters.
amyphilo said,
September 12, 2007 @ 5:44 am
bottle nazis
Julinda said,
September 12, 2007 @ 5:56 am
I am totally opposed to the use of “nazi” except in its usual meaning of the group of people who did terrible horrible things to lots of people in Germany. Or to refer to the people who today have a similar vision (neo-Nazis who preach hate). I know there are people who feel it’s okay, especially the younger edgier bunch. But to me, it is inflammatory and divisive. We don’t want to polarize people, we want to bring people together and work together for a better world for now and for the future. At least, I do.
I also don’t want to demonize formula. Companies and people who push it so hard, yes. Formula itself and people who use it to feed their babies, no. Formula is not bad. Formula is a way to feed babies. It’s just not the original, natural, best way to feed babies. (Just like strollers and cribs and such aren’t bad, in themselves. It’s all in how and why and when you use them.)
Julinda
Jan Andrea said,
September 12, 2007 @ 6:05 am
Whenever someone whips out “Boob nazi” or “breast nazi”, I make sure to come back with, “Gee, I must have missed the part where encouraging women to breastfeed led to the deaths of millions of innocent people. Can you tell me when and where that happened?”
luluandbeans said,
September 12, 2007 @ 6:35 am
As I stated in my comment on your last musing, using the term “Nazi” in reference to breastfeeding advocates is inappropriate if for no other reason than it belittles the suffering that Hitler’s regime inflicted. Why don’t we ask a Holocaust Survivor if they mind if we claim the term for ourselves? I don’t think they would appreciate it.
I do however, like the idea of turning the term back on those who would use it, since by definition we are the ones being persecuted for our beliefs, not the other way around.
luluandbeans said,
September 12, 2007 @ 6:37 am
Toddler hit submit before I could finish….
Turning the term onto others will (hopefully) make them see how inappropriate it is to use.
thordora said,
September 12, 2007 @ 9:52 am
You’ll “enjoy” this:
http://www.thestar.com/Speakout/Voices/article/255772
and by enjoy, I mean get irritated and annoyed.
supermom said,
September 12, 2007 @ 10:21 pm
re: the Facebook article, the photos on the “Hey Facebook, Breastfeeding is Not Obscene” Petition page are a-mazingly beautiful. Anyone who considers these offensive has no appreciation for the miracle of life! I feel sorry for them.
supermom said,
September 12, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
here is the link… http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2517126532
meldlew said,
September 14, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
My husband used to work for an unnamed formula company, and they actually used the term breastfeeding nazi (BFN) in their demographic information (in their published data that they used for marketing stratagies…)
Fashion Magazine Online said,
September 29, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
Fashion Magazine Online…
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting…