Busting Out Review (con't)
Twenty years ago, they could have easily been considered soft-core porn. As a society we are obsessed with the breast and yet simultaneously “repressed” when confronted with it.
So where does American culture’s hypocritical fascination with them come from? Well, there’s no easy answer, but one point Busting Out brings up really stuck with me. While other cultures and societies see breasts for their utility—namely, breastfeeding—we associate the breast with sex instead of nourishment. Almost exclusively with sex. So much so that if a woman breastfeeds her infant in public she runs the risk of getting arrested. The New York Times has estimated that around 12,000 women are arrested for public breastfeeding each year. That figure seems a bit extreme, but either way, it’s ridiculous.
Breasts exist for a reason and it’s not because the opposite gender finds them attractive when we do a little shimmy. We’re actually in a minority of world cultures that view breasts as primarily sexual objects—a very small minority, in fact. In other cultures, breasts are simply something females possess.
It would be a mistake, however, to think that breasts define what it is to be a woman. With breast cancer on the rise, many women have been forced to have mastectomies. Does the lack of one or both breasts mean they’re less feminine than before? Less of a woman?
And, in contrast, does an increase in breast size make a woman more feminine? “Altering the body to meet the ideal of the day isn’t a new concept,” according to one expert in the film and she’s not wrong. The film brings up the ancient Chinese practice of footbinding and I would argue that the corset is another such method from the pages of history, but where is the line drawn? When does altering one’s body cross over from being cosmetic to being dangerous and unhealthy? How big is too big when it comes to breasts? What actually is the “most attractive” cup size? Will the society of 2113 look back on ours and wonder what could have motivated a woman to desire bigger boobs?
Despite being nearly a decade old, Busting Out retains its relevance. Using historical evidence, candid interviews, and case studies, filmmakers Francine Strickwerda and Laurel Spellman address these body-image issues in addition to development during puberty. Also, scattered throughout the film are fascinating examples of how marketing and economics of the past century have influenced the way American women think of their breasts. The result is a film that has a little something for everyone, man or woman.
Now, this documentary isn’t the best thing I’ve seen by any means. The individuals interviewed seem to be from a limited selection pool (unsurprising, given the subject matter), transitions from one issue to another are non-existent, making for a few moments of confusion, and the overall tone of the film is a bit too solemn for my taste but at only 56 minutes it is well worth the watch. You may not love it, but I guarantee it’ll make you think.
Busting Out is free with a Netflix streaming subscription or you can check it out at imdb.
So where does American culture’s hypocritical fascination with them come from? Well, there’s no easy answer, but one point Busting Out brings up really stuck with me. While other cultures and societies see breasts for their utility—namely, breastfeeding—we associate the breast with sex instead of nourishment. Almost exclusively with sex. So much so that if a woman breastfeeds her infant in public she runs the risk of getting arrested. The New York Times has estimated that around 12,000 women are arrested for public breastfeeding each year. That figure seems a bit extreme, but either way, it’s ridiculous.
Breasts exist for a reason and it’s not because the opposite gender finds them attractive when we do a little shimmy. We’re actually in a minority of world cultures that view breasts as primarily sexual objects—a very small minority, in fact. In other cultures, breasts are simply something females possess.
It would be a mistake, however, to think that breasts define what it is to be a woman. With breast cancer on the rise, many women have been forced to have mastectomies. Does the lack of one or both breasts mean they’re less feminine than before? Less of a woman?
And, in contrast, does an increase in breast size make a woman more feminine? “Altering the body to meet the ideal of the day isn’t a new concept,” according to one expert in the film and she’s not wrong. The film brings up the ancient Chinese practice of footbinding and I would argue that the corset is another such method from the pages of history, but where is the line drawn? When does altering one’s body cross over from being cosmetic to being dangerous and unhealthy? How big is too big when it comes to breasts? What actually is the “most attractive” cup size? Will the society of 2113 look back on ours and wonder what could have motivated a woman to desire bigger boobs?
Despite being nearly a decade old, Busting Out retains its relevance. Using historical evidence, candid interviews, and case studies, filmmakers Francine Strickwerda and Laurel Spellman address these body-image issues in addition to development during puberty. Also, scattered throughout the film are fascinating examples of how marketing and economics of the past century have influenced the way American women think of their breasts. The result is a film that has a little something for everyone, man or woman.
Now, this documentary isn’t the best thing I’ve seen by any means. The individuals interviewed seem to be from a limited selection pool (unsurprising, given the subject matter), transitions from one issue to another are non-existent, making for a few moments of confusion, and the overall tone of the film is a bit too solemn for my taste but at only 56 minutes it is well worth the watch. You may not love it, but I guarantee it’ll make you think.
Busting Out is free with a Netflix streaming subscription or you can check it out at imdb.