The whole world's laughing at the U.S. -- in more ways than one.

[playahata1]

<<Seems like Europeans have a healthier attitude towards sexuality than Americans do>>

http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/column/zweifel/70503.php


Dave Zweifel: Europe laughs at U.S. breast hysteria

By Dave Zweifel
March 19, 2004

Europeans are convinced that we're a nation obsessed with breasts.

That's the word from the weekly newsmagazine The Week, which in a recent issue put together a roundup of European newspaper opinion pieces on the Super Bowl halftime show that exposed one of Janet Jackson's breasts.

"Anglo-Saxon morality" is hard to understand, El Mundo of Spain said in an editorial. "If this had happened in Spain, people would have merely laughed. But millions of Americans were scandalized, and are demanding that everyone connected with the incident be punished for polluting the airwaves. Is America still a nation of Puritans?"

(more)

[fearnobush]

1. Is America still a nation of Puritans? Yes

and before long, I will be burned at the stake for saying Janet's tit was funny as hell.

[holeinboatoutatsea]

3. I will speak for those who were offended

Why did they have to cover the breast so quickly? I barely had a chance to see it - it was almost subliminal!

I am offended that the "uncovering" wasn't broadcast for a longer period of time. OFFENDED, I TELL YA!

[GCP]

2. One of the British tabloids, Murdoch's "Sun" has had topless women

on page 3 every day since the 70's. Some Americans find even breast-feeding a problem.

We are a laughing stock.

[peacetalksforall]

4. They have every right to laugh at us...

we can show the most incredible killing and crime and everyone loves it, but oh my...a breast... Then, just turn the knob on the TV and you can see ads for night clubs babes where the camerman shoots from the floor up to the legs and torsos wrapped around poles and then close-ups of these babes bending over for the camera - bottom and top front. And this is just network and standard cable. Now, are those who are offended by Janet's breast also offended by the ads?

People laugh at righteous hypocrites. It shows intelligence.

[GCP]

9. The ads for Cialis mentioning 4 hour erections are much more offensive

IMHO.

How come we haven't heard any shrieks of outrage from the fundies from that? The ads are on every frikkin' night.

[playahata1]

11. And don't forget the blue pills that are supposed to arouse libido

in women. I forget the name.

[BlueJazz]

5. Every time one of these little incidents happen in the.....

...USA I get a depressing feeling that, once again, we're going to
be the laughing stock of the world.
I think the thing that amazes me, whether it happens to be some idiot wanting to put the Ten commandments on the Capitol steps to
prayer in the schools to passing laws that prohibit cuss words to
teaching that the sky fairy caused 50 trillion stars to come about
by uttering the magic words "let there be light" is that I will have to apologize to my Friends in Europe for the Fundamental Idiots that seem to make up a large share of the US population.

[bobthedrummer]

6. The Witchfinder, Ashcroft-he draped the Spirit of Justice statue's breasts

with $6,000 worth of tax money cloaks, I remember that incident pretty well--plus the Spirit of Justice was created under a WPA agreement.

She doesn't need any Ashcroftian cloaking!

[Comadreja]

14. Yeah I call it Ayatollah Ashcrap's Justice Buhrka...eom

...

[OneBlueSky]

7. hypocrites would be more accurate than puritans . . .

I mean, hell, the advertising and entertainment industries in this country are built entirely on exploiting "T&A" . . . and people go batshit when one little "T" happens to escape its confines? . . . ridiculous . . .

[Malva Zebrina]

8. Even the Puritans were not that bad

they had a healthy outlook on sex--for that time--

on the unique Puritan practice of "bundling"

<snip>

Puritans valued the family as the basic and permanent human institution. They permitted no divorce except for abandonment although they would allow an annulment because of infertility. They saw marriage as a civil rather than religious custom. Puritans arranged marriages for their children and no one could marry outside the church. A girl could veto a choice but no one expected her to use the right. Love meant physically caring for someone so romance was unnecessary for marriage. In spite of popular mythology, the Puritans respected a healthy sexuality and saw human sexual relationships as normal unless they became obsessive. They punished illegitimacy albeit gently. When a girl conceived out of wedlock, Puritans generally tried to establish a family. Pregnancies often resulted from the Puritans' curious custom of "bundling." Bundling allowed a courting couple to sleep together in the girl's home provided they were individually bundled. While the Puritans appeared to take a loose position on fornication they severely punished adultery and they executed homosexuals.

http://www.christianchronicler.com/history1/puritan_scene.html

more on the custom of bundling

Having ancient origins, the custom of bundling was courting in bed while fully clothed. It originated in Europe from the ancient Celts and then continued to be practiced Great Britain, Ireland, Holland, Scandinavia, Switzerland and then migrated to the eastern parts of North America.

The custom of bundling developed from necessity among the lower classes of society who would practice it, especially in the colder months. This custom was also popular in Puritan America in the middle colonies of New England specifically in Connecticut and Massachusetts during the 1600 and 1700's. Fuel was costly and a poor family could not afford to buy wood or other fuel let alone keep a fire going all night. Many retired early.

It is important to note that there was no time for dating, dances, fancy dresses or flirting, which became prevalent later in society. The working class had no extra time to spare for courtship. However, the upper classes, who did not toil in the fields, had leisure time for rituals such as balls, dinners or carriage rides. Bundling for the non-privileged was a way to spend time with someone in private, to enjoy the other's company, to keep warm, and was socially acceptable.

http://www.starvingwriters.org/eThis/Think/Feb/history1.html

[FloridaPat]

10. This country was founded by convicted criminals and religious

fanatics. The criminals were sent here for their sentence and the fanatics came running over to get away from government control. Well, not both are in Washington running the whole country. What can you expect???

[rock]

12. But if we have a boob for president

why can't we show one on TV?

[Ksec]

13. I was upset that her tit was so saggy

It was a disappointment . I figured Janet would have had some implants before showing those underinflated sorry things.