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It’s been frickin’ hot in New York City this week. How hot, you ask? I’d come up with a great simile for you, but the lack of air conditioning in my “home office” (i.e. semi-legal loft) is starting to make me hallucinate. There are many ways to attempt to cool off (I think I’m about ready to remove all of my skin), but one woman took the hundred degree weather as a cue to test out the NYPD’s knowledge of the fact that women are, in fact, allowed to walk around topless in New York City. (Did you know that???)
The now infamous “topless Bowery lady” was first reported on by the blog Bowery Boogie, which posted two Twitpic-ed photos of the woman “walking at a seemingly brisk pace with pocketbook slung over her right shoulder” up main downtown thoroughfare The Bowery. Where was she going? To work as a topless maid, perhaps? Or maybe she was just trying to create a breeze on herself? In which case, a bicycle might have been a better choice.
Because we live in a fascist police state, it wasn’t long before two of New York’s finest stopped and questioned her, and another photo shows them potentially giving her a ticket, potentially just making sure she’s okay, because it’s not a “normal” thing for a lady to do to walk around New York City with no shirt on. (Society, man.)
Despite her growing international fame, Topless Bowery Lady has yet to make any kind of public statement, but I have to say, thus far I like her style. She doesn’t accent her toplessness with ridiculous bottoms, instead choosing to keep things practical with some flip flops and a nice, flowing skirt. Comfort to the max! I hope we hear more from her soon, because she’s quickly becoming my summer spirit animal.
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There are only three standards that can be logically argued for:
1. Allow anyone to be nude anywhere.
2. Allow anyone to be topless anywhere
3. Women must wear burkas.
Since ears, and necks, and feet, and faces are all erogenous zones and are all sexually stimulating to male observers, blocking the breast is no more effective at stopping sexual thoughts than any thing less than a burka. Option 1 can be argued against to keep reproductive organs out of the site of children. That leaves option 2 or option 3. Choose one or the other or you are not honest.
The law in NY State was enacted in the 80s after a crew of women in Rochester, NY, started sunbathing topless at the city’s reservoir (a popular place for sunbathers of both sexes). The best part of their campaign was that none were considered overly attractive, and when they were “called” on that, they compared themselves to shirtless men with pot bellies and overly hairy chests, saying that was just as repulsive to them as saggy breasts are to other people. They finally did win in the courts with the argument that if men could go topless, then so could women. Since men aren’t willing to be clothed at all times in public, their argument made sense.
I think that it is fine that she went outside topless. Women’ breasts are for feeding our children. men have made them into something that shouldn’t be shown and are only seen during sex. If she wants to walk around half naked than let her! She is the one letting herself be shown, you don’t have to look at her. No one cares if a man doesn’t have a shirt on, but a woman will be ticketed if she doesn’t. Its crazy and unreasonable. Boobs are NOT for sex. they are for feeding our children and there is NOTHING wrong about that.
Yeah, blame the “men” for making tits sexual. It’s probably more that there are women out there who freak out when they see a hot chick with a great body getting attention.
Personally, I’ve got no problem with women going topless. (Although the fat ugly ones should stay covered up, but that applies to men as well.) Just don’t blame men because tits are erogenous zones.
“Although the fat ugly ones should stay covered up, but that applies to men as well”… NOT MAKING IT SEXUAL OR ANYTHING. Shit, I can’t tell if he’s trolling.
What if would walk around without any pants on? A penis is not just for sex, it’s to urinate too…
well, i don’t care if i’m the party pooper here, but i sure as hell do NOT want to be subjected to seeing another woman’s tits…or any other private bits. this is just obscene and disgusting and shows what a slut some people are. if you have any self respect, even in the ehat, you live in a civilized enough country to get ur effin arse under air condition and not making everyone see ur vulgar shit.
You’re absolutely right. How disgusting and inappropriate that she shows her wrists and ankles too! Fundamental Mormon culture would be appalled! Also, her face. I can’t believe she’s walking around without a face covering! She’d get stoned in the Middle East!
AND OH DEAR GOD TITTIES. WHATEVER WILL WE DO?! Let’s disempower women the best we can by shoving our male chauvinistic views even deeper up the ass of our already disgustingly patriarchal society.
They’re tits. They’re nice. And you must be suffering from some serious sexual repression.
Wait, what?! She’s a slut BECAUSE SHE GOES TOPLESS?! Are… are you fucking kidding me? That is the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard! Breasts are NOT vulgar, and showing them in public does NOT constitute “being a slut”, having an open house paternity test to find your babydaddy does. What you just said is a prime example of perpetuating the ideal that woman are second class and should be ashamed of their bodies. You are aware that men have breasts as well, right? Why is it that they we as a society are okay with men doing it, but not women? Ugh. You seriously need to check yourself before you call another woman a “slut” for no reason.
Well she only got tickeded. But i mean i would do that some day in my life time, and she is showing that the way she wants to dress.
I am always amazed that there is such a difference of opinion when one chats about men in public topless and women topless. Imagine if we all went topless it would be no BIG deal.
I would like to know what the ticket was written for?
This woman is great. Her calm and casual demeanor about going topless is the way of the future.
“The US aren’t as accepting at Europe when it comes to women being topless.”
I doubt walking around topless in Rome, for instance, will produce nothing but ogles- I’m pretty sure it will produce an arrest, but, please, show me I’m wrong.
Yeah…I’m Canadian but I’ve spent plenty of time in both France and Italy during hot weather, and if anything the women there are more covered up, since they tend to be a little dressier and not wear short-shorts, etc. I think when people think Europe is more accepting of toplessness they are thinking of beaches…though I think I saw more topless women at Australian beaches than anywhere else.
I always kinda laugh at how Americans think Europeans are so accepting of nudity…If I saw a woman walking around like that in my (European) city, you bet it’d be weird, not at all cool or acceptable, more like cover up lady!
I hope you would feel exactly the same way if you saw a topless man walking around town.
I’m going to agree with another poster when they said that Americans are most likely thinking about the nude beaches in Europe (even though *gasp* there’s one in Hawaii, too!)
This has nothing to do with the legality of the situation or the appropriateness or anything – but I am always amazed at women who go topless like this. I have no problem with random people seeing my breasts, but I have to imagine they’d flop around pretty badly if you wore nothing on top of them and walked down the street (especially since hers look pretty substantial in size). That can’t be comfortable.
Although knowing it’s legal kind of makes me want to walk around New York topless next time I’m in town.
Wow. She has major guts to walk around topless in NYC. The US aren’t as accepting at Europe when it comes to women being topless. Congrats to her.
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