CLEAVAGE POWER: The BREAST route to success?

Yesterday The Soton Tab stumbled upon a shocking and insightful statistic.

Not a third, not a half, but a shocking TWO THIRDS of women will use their cleavage for personal gain in some way. This includes while trying to get served in a busy bar queue, escaping parking fines, or even to heighten advancement in the workplace.

This fact clearly does not correspond with the point of view of someone who believes that women should have the opportunity to advance in life through their own efforts, i.e. not just through their looks. I’m sure that those who engage themselves with feminist views are the ones who make up the remaining third of women who according to this survey do not exploit their own sexuality in such a way.

WRONG. Another survey conducted a couple of years back revealed that 65% of women considered themselves feminists – a number obviously greater than the 33% who don’t exploit their ‘assets’. By default, therefore, the overlap shows that some of the women who call themselves ‘feminists’ are also among those who consciously flaunt their cleavage in order to get ahead by the effect it would have on men.

Feminism is a movement which is strongly opposed to the sexual objectification of women – how can women who follow such a movement flaunt for personal gain those same assets they criticise men for lusting over, knowing the effect it will have? How can men be blamed for looking or making comments when there’s a 2/3 chance that the woman wanted her cleavage to be noticed in the first place?

National Cleavage day revealed some deep issues

The article was published in light of National Cleavage Day – an annual Wonderbra-sponsored ‘celebration’ of cleavages worldwide. Wonderbra’s management claim one of the day’s aims is for all women to “realise that their cleavage is something unique and that they should be proud of it”.

Therefore, National Cleavage Day offers a whole new perspective for women: embrace being feminine. Consider a ‘feminine’ appearance as a means of expressing yourself that men don’t have. As Wonderbra claim: “showing your cleavage is the embodiment of empowerment”.

Here’s what some Daily Mail readers had to say.

“The sex that claims to be expoited and seen as sex objects. Who is exploiting who?”

”Men don’t exploit women’s sexuality anymore; women do a good job of doing it themselves”

“On the one hand a woman can get ahead by showing her cleavage, and on the other she will sue for discrimination if a man looks at it. You are all mad”