Welcome to Question of the Day. It gives interns something to do!
This week, The Daily Mail reported that a woman from Bristol was chucked out of the Park Street Café for breastfeeding her baby. They told her to “suckle her baby in the corner”. On leaving, she warned two customers about the cafe's breastfeeding policy which resulted in her being chased down the street by a waitress screaming, “Don’t you ever come back here with your tits out again!” A few days later, over 200 "lactivists" stormed the cafe to breastfeed right in the angry waitress's face. This led the owner to put a sign up saying: “Breastfeeding is allowed in here.”
But what does the public think? Does it gross you out to see tatas at tea-time? Can you handle boobies on the bus? Do Dolly's daggers belong at dinner? Does public breastfeeding make you feel uncomfortable?
VICE: Does a mother breastfeeding in public make you uncomfortable?
Cyle: It’s not offensive, but it can be awkward. There’s a way you can do it that doesn’t bother anyone, regardless of whether they’d be offended or not. You can get special clothing and things, where you could be chatting to someone and not even know they’re doing it. Stealth-feeding. Do you think people who have a problem with it can sod off?
Yeah, for sure. Plus I don’t really mind if I can get in on the other one [laughs]. Jim: Nah, I think it’s brilliant that women have the ability to do that, they should be able to do it when and as they need to. Would you have a problem with someone doing it next to you at a restaurant?
If they were to come and sit at my table and do it in my face, then maybe. Mitch (right) and Shruti. Shruti: I don’t think it’s very nice to look at, I think people should do it more privately.
Mitch: I think there’s no real need to expose the general public to that. I mean obviously she has to feed her kid, but if she’s gonna do that and she knows that the situation might arise, surely she can find some privacy somewhere. Where do you think women should go instead?
Shruti: Like, their home? Or a public toilet or something? Surely she doesn’t need to do it out in the open in front of everyone. I could see why she’d want to do that, but why subject everyone else in the restaurant to something that unsightly? Marta: I’ve been living here only three months, so I’m not sure what the customs are here, really. It’s not a problem for me. There are also lots of products you can buy to avoid people looking. We have some beautiful blankets and shirts. Are you trying to sell me stuff?
Yes. Interested?
Frank: Don’t go sticking your breasts in your baby’s mouth or your boyfriend’s mouth in public. It’s not right. Women with babies and prams, nowadays, are extremely, incredibly insensitive to other people’s needs. I get women trying to feed their babies in my shop, two men coming in trying to kiss. You cannot have sex in my shop, get out. I could go on for hours.
Oh boy.
Today’s women think they have some kind of God-given right. They go out and get pregnant, live on the social security and then expect me to put up with the noises and problems of their babies. Oh man.
It’s like urinating in public. When I was growing up, you did not piss in the street. [Gesturing at me] You’re laughing. You’re snickering at that, because it’s part of your world, your generation. You probably do it. If I see someone squirting in the street I stop them and tell them they’re disgusting, clean it up. One day I’m gonna get stabbed because of that. There’s no respect. But who knows if respect is a good thing or not, I guess? People had respect for Herr Hitler, and look what happened. I’m not sure what’s happening any more.
When my kids misbehaved, they got whacked. And they were good kids – we used to get compliments on how good they were. My daughter-in-law whacks her kids and they’re both brilliant. My daughter doesn’t and her kids are a pain in the arse. (Left to right) Peter, Russell and Kerry. VICE: Does public breastfeeding make you uncomfortable?
Peter: No.
Kerry: Not at all.
Russell, you’re being very quiet.
Russell: When there’s something in your eye-line like that, it’s a bit distracting, is all. I think it’s beautiful and natural, but it can be distracting if you’re having a drink and someone’s got their breast out. I have three kids, but we never breastfed, so I can’t relate. Do you disagree because you’re thinking that, if your wife was breastfeeding in public, people would be checking out her tits?
Russell: Yeah, probably. I don’t think I’d like that.
Peter: But anyone who’s going to sexualise breastfeeding needs to get their head checked. It’s the least sexual thing you can do. Hugh: Not at all, we had a lady in here breastfeeding the other day and no one noticed or cared. As someone who works in a café, would you ever consider kicking someone out for doing it?
Never. That’s mental. Why do you think it bothers people?
I guess people who aren’t used to seeing ladies’ breasts maybe have a problem with it. And with the internet it’s easier than ever to see some breasts.
I wasn’t speaking for myself. Previously - Have You Ever Seen a Penis that Looks Like the Shard?
Cyle: It’s not offensive, but it can be awkward. There’s a way you can do it that doesn’t bother anyone, regardless of whether they’d be offended or not. You can get special clothing and things, where you could be chatting to someone and not even know they’re doing it. Stealth-feeding. Do you think people who have a problem with it can sod off?
Yeah, for sure. Plus I don’t really mind if I can get in on the other one [laughs]. Jim: Nah, I think it’s brilliant that women have the ability to do that, they should be able to do it when and as they need to. Would you have a problem with someone doing it next to you at a restaurant?
If they were to come and sit at my table and do it in my face, then maybe. Mitch (right) and Shruti. Shruti: I don’t think it’s very nice to look at, I think people should do it more privately.
Mitch: I think there’s no real need to expose the general public to that. I mean obviously she has to feed her kid, but if she’s gonna do that and she knows that the situation might arise, surely she can find some privacy somewhere. Where do you think women should go instead?
Shruti: Like, their home? Or a public toilet or something? Surely she doesn’t need to do it out in the open in front of everyone. I could see why she’d want to do that, but why subject everyone else in the restaurant to something that unsightly? Marta: I’ve been living here only three months, so I’m not sure what the customs are here, really. It’s not a problem for me. There are also lots of products you can buy to avoid people looking. We have some beautiful blankets and shirts. Are you trying to sell me stuff?
Yes. Interested?
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Today’s women think they have some kind of God-given right. They go out and get pregnant, live on the social security and then expect me to put up with the noises and problems of their babies. Oh man.
It’s like urinating in public. When I was growing up, you did not piss in the street. [Gesturing at me] You’re laughing. You’re snickering at that, because it’s part of your world, your generation. You probably do it. If I see someone squirting in the street I stop them and tell them they’re disgusting, clean it up. One day I’m gonna get stabbed because of that. There’s no respect. But who knows if respect is a good thing or not, I guess? People had respect for Herr Hitler, and look what happened. I’m not sure what’s happening any more.
When my kids misbehaved, they got whacked. And they were good kids – we used to get compliments on how good they were. My daughter-in-law whacks her kids and they’re both brilliant. My daughter doesn’t and her kids are a pain in the arse. (Left to right) Peter, Russell and Kerry. VICE: Does public breastfeeding make you uncomfortable?
Peter: No.
Kerry: Not at all.
Russell: When there’s something in your eye-line like that, it’s a bit distracting, is all. I think it’s beautiful and natural, but it can be distracting if you’re having a drink and someone’s got their breast out. I have three kids, but we never breastfed, so I can’t relate. Do you disagree because you’re thinking that, if your wife was breastfeeding in public, people would be checking out her tits?
Russell: Yeah, probably. I don’t think I’d like that.
Peter: But anyone who’s going to sexualise breastfeeding needs to get their head checked. It’s the least sexual thing you can do. Hugh: Not at all, we had a lady in here breastfeeding the other day and no one noticed or cared. As someone who works in a café, would you ever consider kicking someone out for doing it?
Never. That’s mental. Why do you think it bothers people?
I guess people who aren’t used to seeing ladies’ breasts maybe have a problem with it. And with the internet it’s easier than ever to see some breasts.
I wasn’t speaking for myself. Previously - Have You Ever Seen a Penis that Looks Like the Shard?