Last year while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas Mexico, Melanie Dudley proved she can give it as good as she gets. When the breastfeeding mom was asked to cover up in a restaurant, she did exactly as requested. Unfortunately, the man who made the unbelievably inappropriate request wasn’t specific enough in what he would like covered, so Melanie just covered her head. This left her breast and her baby still exposed, which wasn’t the man’s intent at all, but it did give her an outstanding opportunity to just ignore that guy for a while!
It also gave her a platform from which to showcase this ridiculous double standard against women, and with over 225,000 shares on Facebook as of June 2019, the message clearly resonated. (1) Of course there were some haters, this didn’t get to be such a public debate without some difference of opinion, but in a heartening show of support, many of the comments were of the “go on with your bad self” variety.
Truly, there are few things more natural in this world than a mother feeding her baby. For the last several years now, women have been more open about breastfeeding in public, which is wonderful. There is no reason they should be made to feel anything but totally supported in taking care of their child, whenever and wherever they need to.
Sorry Not Sorry
But for whatever reason, breastfeeding in public has long made men in particular squeal with discomfort. So a breastfeeding cover has been the remedy of choice for women who wish to save men from the thoughts they can’t seem to process for themselves. However, many women in this day and age just don’t feel the need to cower to antiquated ideas. They are unapologetic about their choice to breastfeed and do it anywhere and anytime they need to. So this kind of thing happens from time to time, where a man thinks his request is valid and it is, in fact, not even close.
Poor guy. He’s spent his whole life in a world where it’s all so confusing, the thoughts he has toward women, and how he can only indulge some of them. Scantily clad young woman… yummy! Scantily clad older woman… ew, have some dignity! Bare breast with no baby attached to it… yes, please! Bare breastfeeding lunch to a baby? For shame, cover-up!
You Go, Mom!
Honestly, women like Melanie deserve a high five. Here she is, just trying to live her life and raise a baby, in a world that she knows is unfair. The double standard for women is off the charts ridiculous, and many are now taking a stand for what they know is right. What a breath of fresh air that she can do it with a sense of humor too! But then again, of course she can.
While men have been whining about how they can’t handle their impure thoughts, asking women to take responsibility for them instead, women everywhere have been getting stronger and smarter. Quietly deciding that’s not going to be the way this goes anymore. The assertion that she should cover up is 100% ludicrous, and her awesome (and equally ludicrous) response is spot on.
Great job Melanie! Women like you are doing your part to put these offensive requests in their place. Here’s hoping that as we move into the future we can really stuff it down. Cover it up, it’s disgraceful.
