Kate’s boobs. Topless Kate. Kate photos.
For days those words – and headlines – were bouncing across my computer screen. Frankly, I was growing weary of it.
Mitt nudged those knockers off prime position. (Thank you, Mitt.)
Granted, I’m not a heterosexual male whose ears (or other anything else) perk up at the very word “boobs” or for that matter, boobies, bosoms, breasts or more titillating variations.
Then again, I am a heterosexual female, and I wasn’t fascinated by the recent public display of Harry’s Vegas-ventured naked naughty bits.
Don’t misunderstand: I’m a fan of personal freedom, a fan of the human form’s natural beauty, a fan of expanding that appreciation to include, in particular, more womanly bodies. I’m a fan of the female nude; most of the women I know find beauty in other women’s assets, not quite in the same way that men do, but we’re appreciative all the same.
I’m also a fan of the art nude, not to mention cultures that savor sensuality rather than acting like 12-year olds when it comes to a flash of skin, or an unanticipated nip slip. I will add that I am all for celebrating the exquisite pleasure of the human mating dance – my personal preference – with one I love.
But I don’t believe in gratuitous gawking or insidious invasion of privacy.
Can we agree that Kate should be allowed to sunbathe as she pleases in the company of her husband – out of public view, as should anyone else?
Another thought. What if all those who pay for stolen topless shots matched those monies with a donation toward a cure for breast cancer? What if punitive pink was part of any damage award?
I seem to recall some celebs baring more than their souls for breast cancer awareness a few years back. That’s a bit of newsy nudity I think we could all get behind. Who knows. Maybe a few royals would join that valiant cause célèbre.
Meanwhile, as long as we’re willing to pay for private pics, as with anything else, there will be a market. As long as there is a market, boundaries will be bent, broken, and disrespected. Fortunately, yesterday we saw a happy (and public) pair in the media – Kate and William, engaged in a bit of island dancing. Fully clothed.
Really now. Aren’t there enough boobs on the Internet already?
Amen! Boobs are everywhere. Let the future queen feel the warmth of the sun on hers in private in peace! I also was grateful to Mitt for stealing the headlines, more to change the topic than anything else.
I just can’t understand all of the hoopla! Geez.
Still, I think Miss Kate needs to understand that she is famous and there are assholes out there, so if she decides to bare her bits, there’s going to be photographic evidence. I think Harry is learning the same hard lesson.
I feel bad for William. Born into it. Can’t avoid it. Carries himself with dignity – as has his new wife. Lost his mother to the relentless pursuit of press – surely knows they’re everywhere, but it’s his wife. I suppose if she didn’t understand before, she gets it now.
I like your idea of using the money for breast cancer research.
My heart went out to Kate over this, but not for the obvious reasons. Yes, the pics were embarrassing, but not scandalous. She wasn’t doing anything inappropriate or unsavory. Nevertheless, her decision has come back to bite her and the reason I feel badly for her is not that her breasts have been broadcast, but something subtler. It is the realization that she is surely now facing that very little in her life is actually private. How unnerving and violating that must feel.
There are many reasons to envy the D of C, but I don’t think any one of them would make this kind of hunting worth it.
I don’t get it either… I say leave them to the few private moments they can find. As for Harry Under the Influence, can’t say I blame his gf for her response, but that’s another matter.
I’m not sure what rock I’ve been living under, but I totally missed this story until seeing something about it on The Daily Show last night.
I’m saddened, but not surprised that Kate’s privacy was invaded in this way. Like Barb, my heart goes out to William who saw his mother’s life cut short by the paparazzi’s relentless pursuit of her – not to mention much of the public’s relentless appetite for the scoops they get.
Despite our best efforts, we are still a puritanical cultural and we continue to be titillated (boobillated?) by what should be perfectly natural. But famous people are famous people and the paparazzi go with the territory I guess.
In the meantime, I am going to continue scouring the Internet as my own personal morality squad on the look-out for other such acts of indecency which flout the laws of good taste. It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it.
I fail to understand why this newsworthy. That said, I would have thought she would have known she was risking her privacy when stepping out onto the terrace. In this day and age of zoom lenses and super-sensitive microphones, nothing is safe or sacred…especially for those in the pubic eye. I love your idea of fine money going to support a worthy organization.
Exactly!!
Geez, Kate has boobs. Really??? All the better to breastfeed with, my dear.
It’s so much silliness that almost smacks to me of “bread and circuses”. Give the masses some nippleage and they won’t notice the wars that never end, the economy that never recovers, and the presidential candidates that aren’t worth two-bits.
Hey, it worked for Ancient Rome (until it didn’t); I’m sure it’ll work in America, too. Not that I’m cynical or anything.
Two bits you say, Chloe?
😉
Yes, she is entitled to her privacy (or priv-a-cee), but she should know that 20 years from now she’ll want those pix…and look at them longingly. When her boobies are no longer standing at attention.
Speaking of boobs, women’s and otherwise…tomorrow is “Do It For the Girls Day.” A day to promote self-examinations.
I love this response, Mindy!
Those royals like to get naked, don’t they? First Harry, now Kate. Keep your clothes on when you’re outside, people. You are royals, after all!
It amazes me in this day and age with their generation in particular being very aware of the internet, uploading pics, youtube, paparazzi, superzooms etc., that this would be in any way a surprise to her.
Kate married in to the royal family … surely there would have been meetings about what one shouldn’t do .. and if you don’t want a right royal uproar, keep your clothes on!
And no – they aren’t entitled to their privacy … for the same reason that they are entitled to close down the streets of London for their wedding day – you can’t have it both ways.
Therefore to enjoy the trappings of royal life – no matter how you or I would see it – you also have to accept the lack of privacy. Not a big sacrifice to keep your bikini on until you close your doors and windows .. then go for your life.
I don’t think most people are bothered either way – but the media is lapping it up.
dearest D
the forbidden intrusion always gains the highest price.
at least it’s knocked all those awful fertility-questioning-headlines about her poor body off the trash titles.
or maybe that’s what it was designed to do…….#justAThought
gosh.
waving from manhattan.
_tg xx
Ah, yes, tg… Even more intrusive in a way.
After having said that of course I disapprove of those chasing very intimate or embarrassing pictures of famous people for the main purpose of making big money from them, I would still add some quick observations on the notion of privacy on one side or the other of the Chanel, or even one side or the other of the Atlantic.
One of the funny things about this story is that Englishmen really have some nerve to be howling sacrilege and calling us (French) “peeping Toms.”
So just let me mention this for a start: If Kate Middleton has been able to sue Closer magazine for these photos, it’s because the whole story happened in France, where we precisely have laws to protect people’s privacy. If the same thing had happened in England, absolutely no law would have been at hand to sue the indiscreet photographers. Another thing to be mentioned is that English people are well know to be the inventors of the tabloids, which are currently and rightfully called the “gutter press,” for respecting nothing and certainly not people’s privacy.
Now, if I may, I would still like to make a distinction and state that there is a scale in this invasion of privacy and consequent damages. As I said, I disagree with Kate Middleton being chased while taking a sunbath somewhere on a beach, but a least it’s happening in a public place. What to say then of a story like the Anthony Wiener one? He had done nothing public. He had a flirt with a girl (which, married or not, I still call his private sex life) and had sent a very innocent sexting picture of his pelvis under undies. But precisely someone violated his cell phone files and exposed in public what entirely belonged to his private life. And it was not even sufficient that a bad press exposed his sex life, they also went to such a bashing that it finally destroyed his political career, pushing him to resign his office. And that’s what I call an outrageous violation of privacy – the one US people should be protected from, and I sadly find that they are not.
Chloe said it all for me.
My heart goes out to the Royals. They have the power to change a lot in the world, but not people’s small mindedness and love of gossip.
I think both boys have lived their whole lives knowing how insidious is our culture. I’m sure William ached with echoes of his mother in this, but I’m also sure both he and Kate knew it would happen.
It must be loathsome to be treated as just a body and a title, with little thought to feelings and brains. But they’re not starving or at war or in pain or poverty. So I think they’ll muddle on.
Kate’s a big girl, she’ll get over it. I think the French should pursue with gusto the low life who broke the law by taking and distributing the pics without the royal’s permission. Yep, it is illegal to have taken those pics according to French law.
–I was happy to hear that the “Boob Photos” are banned in Great Britain.
Poor Kate. Poor Lady Diana. Who cares about Harry!
The paparazzi are PIiiiiiiiiiiiiGS!
BLW,
I am playing catch up on all of your insightful posts. I caught this in the news and was quite perplexed why the tabloids were relentless in their coverage of Kate’s breasts. Should Kate have privacy? Yes. Is she going to get it? Probably not.
Part of the problem is the influx of technology and how over-reaching it can be – taking photos and having them instantly appear on some on-line site, without the person captured even having the opportunity to wage a fight.
I do like your suggestion of donating money to breast cancer research.