It's truly sad considering how much work was done in the 60s and 70s to break through the boorish puritanical sexual repression which has infected western since the end of the roman empire.
Sexual liberation became commodities as a consumer good in the 1980s.
In the 80s my father was a Mormon missionary in Sweden. He always talks about the day he walked through a park and saw a woman sunbathing topless. Rest assured he had dreams of all temperatures that night.
But as we also know many women who are sick of being sexualised and sexually harrassed, maybe not having statues of naked women all over the place would be a respectful thing for society to consider?
It's a nice thought but the power imbalance is still too great for this not to have a negative impact.
The bodies of women, intersex and trans folk are not considered neutral, so displaying them as naked statues doesn't and isn't going to illicit neutral responses from people.
Art, in every single iteration it has, always tried to elevate civilization and thought.
The Venus of Willendorf, although crude, is perhaps the earliest representation of a feminine figure, most probably a fertility goddess. There is no way to avoid pointing how potentially sexualized the sculpture is/was yet the first considered theory on it points not to an objectified woman-figure but to a superior entity materially embodied in every single woman in existence.
If such a concept does no service to empower women, none does.
In the same line of thought, after that statuette, many other representations of women have been created that do not reduce the woman but instead elevates her. It's the culture surrounding those representations that - including the present day one - try to label such images as negative.
People often overlook the message. Or ignore it for immediate satisfaction.
I remember reading an article on a bromze statue of a fishmonger woman, in Ireland, if memory serves me well, where the woman os seen pushing her cart along the street, with a very low cut breast dress, which almost exposes her breasts. For some reason, it took on an urban legend that stroking the statues breasts brought good luck and tourists - of all people - made it a thing to do. The local counsel, very disturbed, tried to remove the statue arguing maintenance, then echoing the complaints of citizen groups that argued the statue shed bad light on the town's image. It took historians to explain why the statue was as it was, down to period clothing and even child care!
The statue had stood in its place for decades with no ill coming its way until puritans decided they had to be bothered on behalf of others. That alone should tell us a good deal.
Maybe we should bring back Egyptian and Greek classical statuary. Naked people, half human/half animal representations, ambiguous sexuality and morphology... Force the dialogue a bit.
A red version was unveiled in May 2018 in Oslo, Norway. The unveiling was performed by a man, suspended by an overhead crane with hooks through his skin, who pulled off the cover.
Fat is less dense than water, so while it would hinder swimming it would also benefit floating for longer periods of time with less effort.
If we assume Mermaids are indeed air-breathing amphibians this would provide an evolutionary advantage inline with most ambush predators. Their mythology encourages that characterization well — i.e. they wait for passing ships and lure sailors into the water or encourage fishermen to 'catch' them before eating them. One would imagine like a snake or lizard or indeed like many predators of the ocean the goal would then be to preserve calories as much as possible. Therefore floating at or near the surface for easy breathing, heat management, and to encourage their chosen prey to spot them so they can start their ambush is better than being able to swim quickly.
The Big Mermaid statue stands at 13ft tall and was originally unveiled in Copenhagen in 2006. It was placed just yards from the iconic Little Mermaid statue.
The prudishness of society is progressing 😔
It's truly sad considering how much work was done in the 60s and 70s to break through the boorish puritanical sexual repression which has infected western since the end of the roman empire.
Sexual liberation became commodities as a consumer good in the 1980s.
In the 80s my father was a Mormon missionary in Sweden. He always talks about the day he walked through a park and saw a woman sunbathing topless. Rest assured he had dreams of all temperatures that night.
Regressing?
As we know no actual women have large breasts and the ones who do are inherently pornographic /s
I hate the world and I hope society collapses soon
Women are not allowed to be large breasted.
But as we also know many women who are sick of being sexualised and sexually harrassed, maybe not having statues of naked women all over the place would be a respectful thing for society to consider?
I'm with you on that last bit though.
The problem isn't "naked" statues.
The problem is a society that views sex, sexuality and, by extent, any show of body as harmful.
Sexual harrassement is a separate issue and it is rooted much deeper into social precepts, in my understanding.
Viewing women as decorative sexualised objects is harmful and promotes sexual harrassment.
Having a bunch of statues around of naked women, promotes what perceptions?
I propose we make more naked statues of not just women, but men as well. Hell let's so some intersex ones as well. Of course keep the women ones too
It's a nice thought but the power imbalance is still too great for this not to have a negative impact.
The bodies of women, intersex and trans folk are not considered neutral, so displaying them as naked statues doesn't and isn't going to illicit neutral responses from people.
One day maybe though, in an ideal world.
🤨 I'd get aroused at some femboy statues, equally aroused. So totally neutral in a way
Art, in every single iteration it has, always tried to elevate civilization and thought.
The Venus of Willendorf, although crude, is perhaps the earliest representation of a feminine figure, most probably a fertility goddess. There is no way to avoid pointing how potentially sexualized the sculpture is/was yet the first considered theory on it points not to an objectified woman-figure but to a superior entity materially embodied in every single woman in existence.
If such a concept does no service to empower women, none does.
In the same line of thought, after that statuette, many other representations of women have been created that do not reduce the woman but instead elevates her. It's the culture surrounding those representations that - including the present day one - try to label such images as negative.
People often overlook the message. Or ignore it for immediate satisfaction.
I remember reading an article on a bromze statue of a fishmonger woman, in Ireland, if memory serves me well, where the woman os seen pushing her cart along the street, with a very low cut breast dress, which almost exposes her breasts. For some reason, it took on an urban legend that stroking the statues breasts brought good luck and tourists - of all people - made it a thing to do. The local counsel, very disturbed, tried to remove the statue arguing maintenance, then echoing the complaints of citizen groups that argued the statue shed bad light on the town's image. It took historians to explain why the statue was as it was, down to period clothing and even child care!
The statue had stood in its place for decades with no ill coming its way until puritans decided they had to be bothered on behalf of others. That alone should tell us a good deal.
Maybe we should bring back Egyptian and Greek classical statuary. Naked people, half human/half animal representations, ambiguous sexuality and morphology... Force the dialogue a bit.
if you can't control yourself because of some statue, the statue is not the problem.
One statue in Denmark.
All over the place.
Sure.
Are you under the impression that this is somehow the only public statue of a naked woman?
After a slight bit of research it looks like there are around 60. Still not enough to be all over the place.
60 in Denmark?
Not just in Denmark. They are actual all over the place. Oh! I see what you did there. You certainly got me, didn’t you?
Depends where in Europe you are. Netherlands has a gnome holding a buttplug.
And don't forget Manneken Pis:
Those statues inspired a waffle company in Japan with the same name and they are the most delicious things I've ever had the pleasure of eating.
https://www.manneken.co.jp/smp/
Buttplug gnome in Rotterdam is hilarious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_(sculpture)
I wanted to know what it actually was and was not disappointed by the artist’s explanation
It's basically the message of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
What the fuck?
I know, right? A red version is just weird
In Oslo we have a really nice red one.
Blood for the blood god I guess....
Ew, kill it with fire
Fire would only make it more awesome
Does he ring the bell every time he steals a new buttplug
No. Every time a German steals a Dutch bike.
Hey now, that's a canonical Christmas tree he's holding!
In Dangast, Germany, we have this little fella:
in brno, czechia, they have this big guy...
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brn%C4%9Bnsk%C3%BD_orloj
What’s the name of that glans?
DER PHALLUS
https://www.eckartgrenzer.de/1984/phallus-grenzstein-in-dangast/
Is he implying the viewer has a choice between the plug or him?
Which is the definition of a mermaid tbh
They should stay hydrodynamic /s
All over. It's traditional.
How does a tabloid headline count as a meme?
This lemmy is a one man show, I try to fill it with something entertaining 😬😬
good job (no sarcasm). it is hard to do it as a one man show.
In this era? What isn't a tabloid? 🤢
I'm looking at this from a strictly evolutionary standpoint - wouldn't large breasts make swimming more difficult?
Makes it easier to attract sailors though. You don't need to move fast if food just comes towards you.
Fat is less dense than water, so while it would hinder swimming it would also benefit floating for longer periods of time with less effort.
If we assume Mermaids are indeed air-breathing amphibians this would provide an evolutionary advantage inline with most ambush predators. Their mythology encourages that characterization well — i.e. they wait for passing ships and lure sailors into the water or encourage fishermen to 'catch' them before eating them. One would imagine like a snake or lizard or indeed like many predators of the ocean the goal would then be to preserve calories as much as possible. Therefore floating at or near the surface for easy breathing, heat management, and to encourage their chosen prey to spot them so they can start their ambush is better than being able to swim quickly.
Definitely.
Source; otters ain't got titties and neither do platypus. They have nipples but not titties.
In northern Europe they're called hot dreams. In warmer/drier climates we call them wet dreams. In Russia they fantasize about warm water ports.
so many replies to chose from...
Then give her smaller breasts and move on with your day
Spoken like a true cishet male. Ashamed of your own reaction, men? Remove her breasts! Next!
/s
the one with smaller breasts is already there...
The Big Mermaid statue stands at 13ft tall and was originally unveiled in Copenhagen in 2006. It was placed just yards from the iconic Little Mermaid statue.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/denmark-mermaid-statue-remove-ugly-5Hjd8QC_2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid_(statue)
Hey now.
I'm sure it's also some women's fantasy, too.
Fashion for neoclassical statues happened when industry was developing and the 1% wanted to show its wealth. So yes.
Sample from a major park in Paris: https://paris1900.lartnouveau.com/paris01/tuileries/statues_pierre.htm
I only see this in the results: https://www.purevacations.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Little-mermaid-statue.jpg
That's the original that's been there for ages now.
The one in the post not only has massive knockers, she also has a clearly defined buttcrack.
NVM that's a different one:
Gah-damn. That sculptor had, let's say, 'a vision'.
They're aerodynamic.
Oh, those silly sailors of yore. Always thinking like seamen.