A reader alerted me that a baby shopping website, Baby Half Off, is censoring an image on the Earth Mama Angel Baby CDs that they are selling. This is image as it appears on their site (I took a screen capture of the page in case they change it, which I hope they will):
The CD is for sale on plenty of other websites with the original uncensored image, including on Amazon.com: Earth Mama-Angel Baby More Mama’s Milk:
When are people going to get it? Breastfeeding is not obscene!
Update
Yesterday I received an e-mail from Skye from Baby Half Off apologizing for censoring the picture. I offered that I could post her apology if she wanted. Here it is:
Baby Half Off is committed to providing quality products that support mothers and their babies. We are breastfeeding moms ourselves and find it to be a natural, beautiful and most important of all…special connection between mom and baby (I have been a breastfeeding mommy for 5 of the last 7 years, and loved every minute of it…well almost *wink*). It amazes me that so many mom’s that believe ‘breast is best’ have such varying opinions on how breastfeeding should be portrayed. We have had a mixed response about the picture, some are angry that we censored the picture and others are grateful that we did. Regardless, we want to apologize to anyone we may have offended, we certainly didn’t mean to. We do not think breastfeeding is obscene. We sympathize with anyone who feels that breastfeeding should be allowed and accepted anywhere at anytime. Breast is best, that is and always will be true. Again, we apologize to anyone who may have been offended.
While I cannot condone any business even taking into consideration the fact that breastfeeding may be seen as obscene, because this is the type of attitude that results in women being kicked out or told to cover up in restaurants, on airplanes, in museums, and so on, I do appreciate Skye’s apology and her admission that it was a mistake (which may not have come across clearly in this apology, but did in her initial e-mail to me). As a human and a small business owner myself, I understand that people do make mistakes and I hope that they have learned from this experience.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! If you are going to sell new baby items then I think you need to get over it!
I see they now have a giant red SOLD OUT sign where the censored strip used to be.
Yeah…right….Now I’m glad I took that screen capture!
So silly. Nothing more to say.
Hm, how are soon-to-be-pregnant, pregnant or new moms supposed to feel good about breastfeeding when a baby site is saying “a baby breastfeeding is explicit, x-rated and not fit to see” ? Who wants to do something seen as shameful or needing censure with their children? All the words “breastfeeding is best” are totally erased and not-heard in the face of breastfeeding been seen as indecent. What a shame.
This is ridiculous! I can’t believe a store that sells stuff for babies would be worried about a breastfeeding photo – how horrible!
I wonder if it has something to do with ratings systems? but that can’t be it since Amazon can show it.
There are still places that ask women to breastfeed in the bathroom. Even if they have a shawl or nursing top that barely shows any skin – the chance of a nipple showing when the bay unlatches is just too much for them. Makes me wonder if THEY were breastfed? LOL
It is a sad world when the bloody violent covers and the obviously sexy covers with barely clad women are ok – but a natural thing like breastfeeding is not. so sad.
I’m thankful that where I live it would be considered illegal to ask a woman to breastfeed in the bathroom. It would even be illegal to ask her to cover up. I could breastfeed topless if I wanted to.
That comes across as so odd to me. Why would you sell the product if you think it needs the censor? I am guessing some uninformed person thought they were doing a ‘good deed’ by putting the black bar over the nipple meeting the baby. I am curious what the company will say in reply to this ridiculous censor.
This made me spit my water all over my keyboard! I’m hugely amused by people’s perception that breasts are only things to play with. We happen to believe that nourishing one’s baby is not that so scary it requires a black bar. Too funny. Thank you giving me a great laugh today! Carry on and keep up the great work. Mwah!
*sigh* I leave a comment only to recognize that this makes me feel sad. I hope they change it.
quoting you above… ” I could breastfeed topless if I wanted to.”
I don’t think you could in QC? I don’t think it’s legal to be topless in public in QC? (although I think it IS legal in ontario…) not that you were actually about to breasfeed topless in public!
what i really really don’t get is that on that page they censor THAT? or were many sensored? they have full body nudity… why oh why would a nipple be ‘oh so much more offensive’ than full body nudity? odd.
Unbelievable.
Christie
http://childhood101.blogspot.com/
Post has been updated with an apology from Baby Half Off.
Don’t know why you would censor that picture… I think it is pretty darn cute
Nice apology… but doesn’t sound like they’re actually going to change it…
Ah well, I can buy that product lots of other places
Wow – this is interesting! Thanks for contacting them, sounds like they responded well and changed it.
I just visited the site and that product is not even offered. At all. How’s THAT for censorship? Hm…
Baby Half Off is a deal a day site. The deal changes every day, so something that was for sale yesterday won’t be up today, that is why it is not offered anymore. A new deal everyday!