The bOOb Lady’s Blog

Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) is just around the corner, and one of the more creative — and controversial — fundraisers in support of the cause is the Blogger Boobie-Thon. For one week, bloggers around the globe expose their “girls” (covered and uncovered) to benefit breast cancer research. The effort doesn’t discriminate, as man-boobs are most welcome.  (They also have a beautiful gallery of breastfeeding photos.) You can pledge dollars, bare your own, or support the effort by providing technical assistance. Anyway you look at them, you’ve gotta love the Blogger Boobie-Thon motto: “we share because we care.”     

For a fascinating look at how boob-feeding appears on the big screen, pick up this month’s issue of Mothering Magazine on “Reel Milk.” The author, Sarah Rubenstein-Gillis, points out that very few family friendly films (those that are G rated) feature the best-for-baby approach to nourishing our children. Films that do feature a nipple at work “seem to be shot from a heterosexual male perspective, emphasizing the sexual objectification of breasts that permeates American cinema. For a full list of films, visit http://reelmilk.blogspot.com.

Coming to the London stage this fall is the hit Canadian show, The Strong Breast Revolution.  Written by Vicki Hambley, it stars five female top free actresses who reveal what it’s like to live with “the girls.” Whether it’s body image, breastfeeding, or breast cancer, The Strong Breast Revolution uncovers it all.  The show runs from September 23 -October 4, 2008. For more info, visit the Can UK Theatre Company. 

If you didn’t think it possible to laugh about breast cancer, you haven’t read Tania Katan’s award winning memoir about her battle with this disease. Now she’s taken her humorous and loving “mammoir” and adapted it to the stage in Saving Tania’s Privates. It’s a show about “far out families, quirky girlfriends and boobs — but not necessarily in that order.” Get a sneak peak on YouTube!

According to Good Morning America, Keira Knightley is fighting to keep her boobs from morphing into digitally enhanced mammary masses when they appear in an upcoming film. It seems that Ms. Knightley’s perfectly proportiond A cups don’t quite fill up the big screen. Interesting story and not the first time Ms. Knightley has complained of her bosom being overblown.  Her girls were also larger than life on the 2004 King Arthur movie poster.  Should an actress be able to control how her body is represented in the media? Is it okay to erase wrinkles, trim tummies, but not bust out boobs?

First up is an enlightening article in Slate about harnessing the untapped power of boob movement. Second, the story of a woman whose sports bra saved her life when she was stranded in the Bavarian Alps. Happy boob-related reading!

Check out Elisabeth Squires, the Boob Lady, in this uplifting documentary about breasts!

A fun, witty, and thoughtful short film, The Girls goes behind the bras of six women as they talk about their personal relationships with their breasts as well as the social constrictions and “letting loose” of breasts in modern society. A film for anyone who has had, desired, been confused by, or wanted to get rid of “the girls.”  Broadway Performance Hall, June 12th, 6:00pm, Free Admission.

Interesting article on the rising incidence of gynecomastia (or mOObs) in the UK. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, male breast reduction procedures were up 7% in 2007.

It’s Tuesday, I’m bored, and the Urban Pixie sent me this great little link. Go ahead, get random and name your girls. (Mine were Mork and Mindy.)