Ban on topless breast cancer survivors' photos is protested - H...

A photographer is upset that her artwork of topless breast cancer survivors was banned from display in an exhibit at a Waikiki cafe.

[Boob Job]

Hmmmmm.....

and then

mmmmmmmhhhhmmmmmm

[Hanakokolele]

Educate public about breast cancer...YES!
Displaying large photos of various stages of breast cancer...NO!
Surely there's a more appropriate place to display the photos where people can CHOOSE to view this "artwork". How about the Academy of Arts? Or a hospital? Or a breast cancer society office?

[anon]

Americans are too uptight about the human body. I've never understood why people actually believe that seeing each other's bodies in it's natural state is sinful, shameful and evil.

[Avid Reader]

Hanakokolele wrote:

Educate public about breast cancer...YES!
Displaying large photos of various stages of breast cancer...NO!
Surely there's a more appropriate place to display the photos where people can CHOOSE to view this "artwork". How about the Academy of Arts? Or a hospital? Or a breast cancer society office?

I totally agree with what you are saying here. I dont want to go to a Cafe and have breast cancer shoved down my throat. It might hurt the cafe business too. There was a study that linked breast cancer to caffine consumption in women.

[alice]

I am skinny and an A cup. Why men need to stare at that is beyond me. It is an American fetish.

[Uptight Americans]

I totally agree. For some reason we here in the USA are offended by the human body. The sight of a breast makes men jelly fish incapable of thought. This is why we don't want women in combat. However, pretty much the rest of the world (except for Muslim nations) think nothing of the sight of the human body. Throughout Europe, on a nice sunny day, if you go to a lake, beach, or a pool, you will see women (and men) topless, and no one paying any attention...except American men. They ogle and embarrass themselves. I believe this is because our nation was started by Puritans, and this has been handed down now. So the thought of a woman's breast having to be removed is horrifying to many in our nation. So sad.
And Alice, you're right...who would want to see you nekkid?

anon wrote:

Americans are too uptight about the human body. I've never understood why people actually believe that seeing each other's bodies in it's natural state is sinful, shameful and evil.

[alice]

well..boys I suppose do. They sure stare a lot. And I am not naked!

[Lou216]

Are we in Hawai'i or Utah ??? Or a puritan ass-backwards fascist state run by conservative moral right wing t-baggers!!! Get out of the 1800's, it's almost 2010!!!

[alice]

true enough

[MrLingle]

the only boy staring at alice is the one she sees when she looks in the mirror....

[makaha wahine]

Why didn't this paper show the artist's photos?

[a breast]

when a person can't handle seeing something as real and as natural as a breast, and they hide the body part behind a bra, and prefer the picture be displayed in some less public place, and the issue swept under a rug, and, they hide their children from seeing it, as this generation does all of these things, they are more so revealing their inability to accept life as it is. What's worse is that so many of this inhibited, puritanical generation of go alongs to get alongs and people who greedily used up the world's resources...this generation is fine leaving little for the present and future. Their final gift to the next generation is a projection of fear. The opportunity for the present generation to take the lead is wide open.

[kalena]

My aunt died of breast cancer while I was young. What she vomitted smelled the same as what came out the other end. She never married. She felt her life was so pointless.
There is a very good video by a breast cancer survivor who is also a doctor, called "Drugs Never Cure Disease" and there are pictures of her cancer.
It seems to me that places like McDonalds and Zippy's etc, etc, etc, don't want the results of their "consumption" seen by a tender hearted public. Could it be they mmight be unemployed for a while like the rest of us?

[Mike]

Only in America are we so ashamed of our own body.

[What]

What is all this drivel about?! Your all talking like only teens and above will be viewing these pieces of photo art. What is the major issue? Aside from the exhibitors right to reject said type of art that may not be appropriate. Breast cancer awareness advocates or public photo display of breast cancer victims? Are these photos educational to kids (What ages are we looking at? 05 yrs. to 105)who may or may not know what their viewing or create an atmosphere of tension and concern. The ones that should be approached is parents of kids from each age catagory that will be viewing such art. Find out from them by a vote of confidence that it's appropriate for their children to see. This has nothing to do with religion nor where anyone is from. It's a moral issue between the photographer, the exhibitors and the viewers in said Waikiki Cafe.

[Cancer Thriver]

I've got Stage IV breast cancer which is very bad but I'm not out of the fight by a long shot. I also have four kids. I think that it would have been very difficult for my kids to have been introduced to breast cancer by seeing realistic art of the surgery and reconstruction of the breast. It has been my experience that a lot of discussion needed to precede actually seeing the surgical result. It was, and still is shocking to me and I see myself everyday! So I do understand the absolute need to educate the public, to wake everybody up to the need for early diagnosis, and to cure this disease. But children do go to this venue and our need to educate our children includes the obligation to respect their developmental needs and fears. So limit the display time to the adult population. Every adult has the option to turn around and walk out. Children do not necessarily have this choice.

[Print the Pics]

the cafe will show the prints for a limited time (a few hours) but this newspaper will write about the story and NOT show the pics??? whassup wi-dat??? show the pics so people can judge for themselves..or is THIS newspaper puritanical???

[joe more]

Thankfully the exhibit isn't about colon cancer awareness. Or testicular cancer.

But some of you are cool with the human body, so you'd have no problem with those pics, eh?

[Baruti N DaVeest]

Showing the picture in the morning paper is a dumb idea. And it's not about being ashamed of a woman's body. It's about appropriateness of content. Surely there are other kid-friendly means of educating children about different types of cancers without the need to force-feed them graphic photos. Perhaps you've forgotten what it's like to be an impressionable kid. Sounds like the artist's ego got in the way of her consideration of audience appropriateness. Liberal steamroller.

[Naomi Watanabe]

Obviously the Waikiki cafe is still content with the event taking place during the month, and for FREE! It's amazing what some people, organizations, and entities will do these days for media exposure.

I do indeed hope for the prosperity and educational perpetuation that the artist and Girl Fest brings to the islands, but I think they might have gained a few more audience members at the expense of a supportive business.

Mana is very important on the islands and how you use it is equally as important.