Comments on: About Crystal’s Bra Burning in Mississippi

By: Brad K

Brad K — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 15:37:38 +0000

Thanks, I found another article about how the protesters at the 1968 Miss America pageant tossed various undergarments, not just bras, into a barrel to burn. But they were refused a burn permit, so no fire at the time. It seems close enough to me. All the symbolism and emotion was there, just a little bit short of the intended dramatic statement. Unfortunately, your linked page failed to load for me.

I understand that ‘feminism’ is intended to empower women to take whatever life role they choose, without cultural limitation. Yet ‘feminine’, ‘femininity’ are usually about frilly things, about sexual allure (drawing men, not finding a mate). The fact or legend of bra burning to ‘free’ women from male domination is symbolized by destroying an implement of mass market exploitation of sex appeal. I also understand the prurient misunderstanding of the reason for going braless, the ‘free’ movement of breasts, titillating to male libidos. ‘Bra burning’, fact or fiction, is about unbinding cultural bonds. Body acceptance is a different topic, and a value in it’s own right.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 05:14:07 +0000

Here’s another article explaining the existence of the ’story’ in newspapers across the country as well as identifying specifically how the rumor was started and how it became ‘fact’ in our collective conscience. It’s on page three of the pdf file. ‘The emergence of a myth: When journalists, and activists, got burned.’

http://www.utc.edu/Outreach/AEJMC-HistoryDivision/clio/clioarchives/cliowinter05.pdf

By: Brad K

Brad K — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:09:46 +0000

The closest to proof is an unsupported reference.

“Feminists burn their bras at the 1968 Miss America pageant, and millions elect to go braless.” About 3/4ths down the page at http://www.bikiniscience.com/chronology/1965-1970_SS/1965-1970.html. I saw several other references to protests and bra burnings at the 1968 Miss America pageant. As I said, I recall stories of bra burnings in the 1960’s in front-page articles in the Des Moines Register, in Iowa.

I understand the protest of Miss America and other beauty pageants. All parents, as well as feminists, should be protesting this practice. This is probably the single most insidious practice, reducing ’success’ to being voted ‘pretty’, that maintains the perception of women being primarily adornment and accessories.

In 1968 the bra was still recent in America, about 10 years after it’s invention (to ‘enhance’ movie stars). The bra was seen, at the time, as being fundamentally decorative, similar to stiletto high heels. I think the bra today is seen as filling several other roles, from hiding nipples to make WASP’s more secure to reducing pain for some.

By: Robinson

Robinson — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 14:00:10 +0000

Nope. The word I was looking for is ‘myth.’ I have never found any credible proof regarding the burning of bras as part of any feminist demonstration. And I’ve looked.

By: Brad K

Brad K — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 01:29:04 +0000

I won’t agree to the term ‘myth’, since organized protests including publicly burning numbers of bras is a historical fact of the 1960’s in the US. The word you want, I think, is ‘label’.

By: Robinson

Robinson — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:01:49 +0000

Actually, the whole bra burning incident is a myth that serves to put feminists in a negative light. Calling a woman who has feminist view points a bra burner is a way of making light of her opinions.

By: Brad K.

Brad K. — Tue, 29 May 2007 00:57:30 +0000

Kat S., That particular aspect, I think, is less about tying women into their place, and the bra being a symbol of men/women requiring certain sexually oriented shapes and ‘presentation’ to be acceptable — as it is about body acceptance. That is, the bra has become so accepted/required since it’s invention (by an aerospace engineer, is the story I heard, to ‘perk up’ Marilyn Monroe’s breasts for a movie), that a bra’d appearance has changed from a flagrant sexual pose, to ‘required to be decently clothed’.

It is about the nipples. Usually you don’t see nipples from under a bra. And much of society, in spite of research showing between 25% and 50% of US adults have participated in some form of public nudity, now figures that the sight of the outline of a nipple (as NML put it, ’smuggling peanuts’) is indecent. What you experience is very much related to recent laws they had to pass in NYC to allow mothers to nurse their baby on the subway.

I just got back from seeing Shrek the Third (my second viewing). The first time through I somehow missed the scene where the princesses bust out of their cell .. and burn a bra to prepare for battle. Five (5) women, one bra. And burning a bra still seems a silly symbolism to me.

By: kat s

kat s — Mon, 28 May 2007 19:01:19 +0000

Thank you for such a thoughtful response—here’s the deal, I don’t KNOW how it is elsewhere, but where I live (central MN) if you don’t have (as we used to call them in camp) a titty slingy, you are subject to some pretty abject & open stares. It’s a big deal. I personally think they are an infringement, but I’d prefer that infringement to the judgments folks make for NOT wearing them…this is where I think wearing one becomes less voluntary, and yes, when I was a child in the 70s (and didn’t have boobs), I too, wondered why people wanted to burn the bras. It’s not the bras that need to be burned–it’s an attempt to escape the consequences of not wearing one. At least that’s my 2 cents.

By: Alice

Alice — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:12:14 +0000

You see, Brad, I do feel strongly about the choices women make about wearing bras. I think I may have been unclear – making it too personal. Essentially I agree with you.

I think that the choice of Bras as a symbol to burn was probably wrong. I think bras are a liberating thing – they physically give women freedoms that they would otherwise not have had. The choice to burn them was, as far as I can tell, an attempt to burn away the most obvious symbol of the feminine and all that was associated negatively with the feminine – frills, superficiality etc. Bras burn better and more spectacularly than lipstick.

Am I making any sense?

By: Brad K

Brad K — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:27:55 +0000

Alice, I don’t feel strongly about the choices women make about wearing bras. My question is about burning them, protesting them.

I think the devices that cause more social and psychological issues are the cross-your heart, the wonder bra, the ‘more shapely you’ garments. The styles that a woman uses to increase the sexuality of her appearance, so that her appearance will affect others.