| by Dalia Hashad Of all the days to have an earthquake… yesterday, when thousands of women revealed a lot of cleavage in an effort to refute an Iranian cleric's claim that female promiscuity moves the earth, there was indeed a major earthquake. Turns out, however, that the 6.5 temblor off the coast of Taiwan didn't really represent an unusual uptick in seismic activity.
"Boobquake" may not have rocked the earth but, ironically, it put on full display the impressive power of female sexuality – at least when it comes to getting media attention.
Boobquake's creator, Jennifer McCreight, showed up all over the news. From CNN to the BBC, McCreight – and her breasts – were everywhere. Tracking the story, I quickly tired of seeing all the breasts on display. In a show of Mardi Gras-esque exhibitionism, a CNN reporter positioned her chest toward the camera and unzipped her shirt to reveal a sexy bosom – not her own but one created by CNN's FX technicians. I turned off my TV after that. I'd seen enough.
While breasts abounded, noticeably absent from the media conversation was any meaningful discussion or analysis of women's rights in Iran and elsewhere. This depressing show of exhibitionism sans substance seemed disconnected from the reality of a society living under a theocratic leadership that vilifies women's bodies.
A friend who's an Iranian feminist posted a remark on her Facebook page that pretty well sums things up: "Sometimes, the best reaction to have to a statement that is utterly stupid and ridiculous is to not dignify it with any response whatsoever (especially if your response is going to be as undignified as 'Boobquake')."
Countering Extremism By Going to Extremes (posted Monday, April 26)
Fourteen-year-old boys everywhere are celebrating. It's Boobquake time! If media accounts are to be believed, today tens of thousands of women around the world will dress (or undress, as the case may be) to impress--and provoke. The origins of this mini-movement can be traced, ironically enough, to comments made by a senior Iranian cleric. During the weekly congregational sermon, Hojatoleslam Kazim Sadeghi, filling in for the Ayatollah Khamanei, made international news when he declared that earthquakes are divine punishment for female immodesty and promiscuity. "Many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray," he said, "and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes." A few journalists and bloggers were quick to draw a parallel between Sadeghi's statement and similar pronouncements from Pat Robertson, who has placed the blame for hurricanes, earthquakes and even 9/11 on sinners who have invoked God's displeasure. Most commentators left it at that.
But not Jennifer McCreight, a 22-year-old student at Purdue University. She expressed her outrage at Sadeghi's remarks on her blog, Blag Hag, along with a call to arms…or breasts, as the case may be:
"On Monday, April 26th, I will wear the most cleavage-showing shirt I own. Yes, the one usually reserved for a night on the town. I encourage other female skeptics to join me and embrace the supposed supernatural power of their breasts. Or short shorts, if that's your preferred form of immodesty. With the power of our scandalous bodies combined, we should surely produce an earthquake. If not, I'm sure Sadeghi can come up with a rational explanation for why the ground didn't rumble…" With over 50,000 people pledging to participate, the runaway success of the event surprised even the organizer. In response to accusations that "Boobquake" is anti-feminist and demeaning to women, McCreight says that she isn't asking women to wear anything that they wouldn't normally wear: "I'm not forcing people to go outside of their comfort zone."
Apparently, some people have pretty broad comfort zones. There have been more than 100 photos of breasts, bare and in various stages of undress, posted by users. Some images appear to be political statements, but others look more like a Playboy submission. And a quick read reveals most of the photo comments are from salivating men ogling their computer screens, not from supporters of freedom cheering on well-ventilated political activists.
I appreciate the satirical jab of the original post. But the actual event has left me wanting. Will the execution of Boobquake be more about exhibitionism than female empowerment? To make a finer point, I wonder how many Boobquake participants in the U.S. can actually find Iran on a map.
I can't help thinking that the cleric made himself ridiculous and irrelevant all on his own. It remains to be seen whether the society he was criticizing will manage to rise above his small-mindedness or simply respond in kind. And will our news media analyze or, like overstimulated teenagers, simply ogle? Stay tuned...
Dalia Hashad is an attorney specializing in human rights and civil rights. She has also been a host and co-executive producer of "Law and Disorder," a weekly talk-radio program.
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