Critical Tits photography

[Blonde Iguana]

I rode in the Critical Tits parade this year for the first time with a friend and my daughter (and our breasts were very nicely painted, if I do say so myself). We were waiting around on our bikes at the base of the Man for the parade to begin, milling about en masse with scores of other topless goddesses. As we waited, we were surprised at the number of dazed-looking un-costumed men wandering around amidst the women, clutching their cameras in their sweaty hands. Then, I made a mistake...I made eye contact with one of those men. He was immediately encouraged by that eye contact to came up and very politely ask if he could photograph us. Since he was so polite, we said yes, and smiled and posed obligingly on our bikes as he snapped his pic. Suddenly, outta the blue, we were surrounded by about 6 or 7 sweaty un-costumed men with cameras, all snapping pictures. Like hyenas circling a lone wildebeest, the shutterbugs had how somehow sensed that this photographer had cut us from the herd, and they instantly grabbed the opportunity to jump in and photograph the boobies for themselves. A couple of them asked permission, which we granted very tentatively as we edged away...the rest just started snapping away with their cameras. It was absolutely bizarre, and very creepy...we had to jump on our bikes and beat a quick retreat from the circling frenzy of shutterbugs.

So, our first time at Critical Tits taught us our lesson the hard way...do NOT give any strange man permission to photograph you, because you may open the door to becoming the subject of way more photographs than you intended. It makes me wonder if there should be some controls on allowing camera-toting, un-costumed men access to the pre-parade CT gathering. Of course, how would you keep them out? Maybe a new catch-and-release camp, like the BRC Animal Control...capture and tag them, steal their pants, paint their wieners and take pictures of them to post on the internet; and don't turn them loose until the CT parade is over....

Anyway, lesson learned...just say NO. Other than that initial weirdness, the CT ride was a BLAST. I was picking sequins and spirit gum off my boobs for at least a couple days afterwards.

[unjonharley]

I rode in the Critical Tits parade this year for the first time with a friend and my daughter (and our breasts were very nicely painted, if I do say so myself). We were waiting around on our bikes at the base of the Man for the parade to begin, milling about en masse with scores of other topless goddesses. As we waited, we were surprised at the number of dazed-looking un-costumed men wandering around amidst the women, clutching their cameras in their sweaty hands. Then, I made a mistake...I made eye contact with one of those men. He was immediately encouraged by that eye contact to came up and very politely ask if he could photograph us. Since he was so polite, we said yes, and smiled and posed obligingly on our bikes as he snapped his pic. Suddenly, outta the blue, we were surrounded by about 6 or 7 sweaty un-costumed men with cameras, all snapping pictures. Like hyenas circling a lone wildebeest, the shutterbugs had how somehow sensed that this photographer had cut us from the herd, and they instantly grabbed the opportunity to jump in and photograph the boobies for themselves. A couple of them asked permission, which we granted very tentatively as we edged away...the rest just started snapping away with their cameras. It was absolutely bizarre, and very creepy...we had to jump on our bikes and beat a quick retreat from the circling frenzy of shutterbugs.

So, our first time at Critical Tits taught us our lesson the hard way...do NOT give any strange man permission to photograph you, because you may open the door to becoming the subject of way more photographs than you intended. It makes me wonder if there should be some controls on allowing camera-toting, un-costumed men access to the pre-parade CT gathering. Of course, how would you keep them out? Maybe a new catch-and-release camp, like the BRC Animal Control...capture and tag them, steal their pants, paint their wieners and take pictures of them to post on the internet; and don't turn them loose until the CT parade is over....

Anyway, lesson learned...just say NO. Other than that initial weirdness, the CT ride was a BLAST. I was picking sequins and spirit gum off my boobs for at least a couple days afterwards.

~`
I just don't understand that action. Maybe I was spoiled at with all I could handle. I like those itty bitty tittys.

[Kinetic IV]

The mad camera types are why I avoid CT. I admire the women for what they're trying to do but as I've posted before in prior years I was disgusted with the guys with the cameras. Now that's not saying if I was passing by I won't look...I'm a guy, of course I'll look. But damn, roll the tongues back in and quit burning up the drive motors on the cameras folks. And don't knock down others in your zeal to get that close up shot.

And if there was a younger female present and the photographers still kept taking pictures, that's disgusting. People need to show some respect.

[RebA!]

So, in previous years I rode. During one of those years I saw the most disgusting thing. (in my opinon) This camera man with his enourmous and I mean enourmous camera/lens focusing in on just the breasts. I could tell cause of the angle he held his camera at. No faces, just tits. That was the start of my disgust for the event. THere was no girl power, there was no bonding, there was just the bitter taste of bile for the mass of gawkers and part time photographers and pornographers looking to make a cheep buck on the internet with tittie pictures.

Then last year, my 5th year by the way, I had my first up close and personal yahoo incident. Not during the parade, cause I didnt want that feeling that i have had in previous years. This was on saturday of last year, I was walking back to my camp, a CLEAN SUV rolls up next to me and asks to take my picture. I say, sure. "Just show me your breasts first". OH. NO YOU DIDNT. NO NO NO I said at a much higher volume. He mumbled a feable apology and drove away (also he probably saw others from nearby camps coming out into the street). So here i am livid, I storm back to camp, grab to beers from the cooler and head to another friends camp to discuss my disgust. ANd it was there that the idea came about this:



My friend, says you know, if he wanted to see your breasts so bad, he should of been here on tuesday. And I am like. Oh yea. Thats gonna be a shirt.

So my first goal was to ride along in critical tits on the side of the road in my bright white t-shirt slowly, just using feet power. To get my point across. I think i did to some of them and if just if I blocked some yahoo takng a picture of one of the beautiful women behind me. Even better. It was my individual protest. ALSO while doing my mini protest I took pictures. Of the yahoo's.


Or people who i felt were just there to gawk. It was the most empowered I have ever felt.

There were two guys deep with in the streets of the ride that I so wish i could of captured on film. Two young guys, no shirts, ripped denim jeans, bud light cans, pumping thier fists in the air and screaming at the top of thier lungs "SHOW ME YOUR TITTIES". I'm not kidding.

I obviously left the ride before the afterparty as i felt it wasnt my place to continue my protest in a party atmosphere.

But at the end of it all. I got 17 pictures of yahoos, I made some people laugh, and i got yelled at a few times for wearing a shirt in critical tits. And I feel great.

[olivia]

Ugh, RebA! your story makes me so angry, I can't believe people have such gall. This year I said so many times that freedom of expression is just another term for sexual harassment at Burning Man - for some reason these men check their respect at the gate and think they can treat anyone like shit. I hate that this kind of behaviour is becoming rife.

Center camp is a good place to get hassled too. I saw a guy there this year who would offer to mist any beautiful, topless girl, then ask to take a picture. He would then capture a shot of her glistening breasts. I saw this guy singling girls out based on how scantily clad and attractive they were.

This kind of thing makes me wish that all cameras were banned at BM period. I know that would never happen, but I am just so sick of the yahoos and the creeps.

[mars]

I love what you did RebA cuz you saw a problem and found a personal and creative solution. It was brilliant!

And I want to add to this thread a teeny weeny bit of understanding about these guys since, as women (I'm female), it is really hard for us to understand why they act so idiotically around naked breasts. And what, I think, we don't understand is how much men LOVE our breasts. I think, especially if we are hetero) we can't really relate to that or really get how much or why they love our breasts so much. And since we often (I know I do) have feelings of shame associated with our breasts, we tend to (unconsciously) project that shame onto them and feel like they are acting shamefully. Their actions make us feel icky, when that's not what their meaning to do at all.

I don't know if I'm being articulate here...it's a complicated reaction we have. Unless men have been specifically educated about how women feel about their behavior, they often think their actions are COMPLIMENTARY, rather than disgusting. It's amazing how different men and women can perceive things at times.

Guys, am I right at all about this? I'm really into understanding these types of differences between men and women, so I'd like to hear from you if I've got this right at all.


Sincerely,
Neon


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[The Bass]

hmm...

how about a volunteer squad of "critical guardians" -- guys who would walk besides the parade, gently asking yahoos to lower their cameras -- would that help, perhaps?

what exactly is the policy of the CT organizers about this?

obviously the participants can't grant permission as they ride by - the BM principle of "get permission from everyone you shoot" collides with the legal notion of "public" space...BM wins in my book

neon - i think you're right, it's pretty tough to feel like any guy who gets turned on by seeing breasts is doing something shameful. but this is about guys taking pictures, which will most likely be used for ongoing onanistic objectification. and posted all over the internet. i'm not sure _that's_ so complicated.

[unjonharley]

Neon, there are a lot of closet freaks. BM seem to bring them out. It's beyond me why the can't enjoy life without being weird. I've heard things said in a locker room that most made me throw up. I raised my two girls to take no shit from any one. To bad other parents didn't follow suit.

[mars]

I know I"m being too general here and that there are people with bad/wrong intentions. It's just that we hear so much about them and group every gawker into that category and I wanted to mention that not all gawkers or photo-takers are doing it for shameful reasons.

Neon

[olivia]

And I want to add to this thread a teeny weeny bit of understanding about these guys since, as women (I'm female), it is really hard for us to understand why they act so idiotically around naked breasts. And what, I think, we don't understand is how much men LOVE our breasts. I think, especially if we are hetero) we can't really relate to that or really get how much or why they love our breasts so much. And since we often (I know I do) have feelings of shame associated with our breasts, we tend to (unconsciously) project that shame onto them and feel like they are acting shamefully. Their actions make us feel icky, when that's not what their meaning to do at all.

Ninja please. Your reasoning is exactly the same as "She was wearing a miniskirt, she deserved to get raped!" We all know most guys love tits. Hell, I love tits too, all tits, with a passion, but I don't invade women-only events to shove cameras in the tits of women. Screaming at women to get their tits out so they can take home pictures for masturbation fodder (or whatever) is fucking SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Just because you love boobs and you do it on the playa doesn't make it ok. You wouldn't do it at home, so why is it ok at Burning Man?

[mars]

Your reasoning is exactly the same as "She was wearing a miniskirt, she deserved to get raped!" We all know most guys love tits.

NO, it's not the same because I'm not talking about violence. I'm talking about men looking at breasts and taking photos. I'm making a distinction between the pornographers and the everyday breast lovers, that's all. Sometimes the lines get blurred.

[olivia]

Your reasoning is exactly the same as "She was wearing a miniskirt, she deserved to get raped!" We all know most guys love tits.

NO, it's not the same because I'm not talking about violence. I'm talking about men looking at breasts and taking photos. I'm making a distinction between the pornographers and the everyday breast lovers, that's all. Sometimes the lines get blurred.

You're talking about women being mistreated because they're topless and saying it's okay because men love boobs. I don't know if you understand this, but in general men like boobs because they're sexually attracted to them, not because they're treating them like some detached work of art. I fail to see the distinction you make in the ogling seas of men with cameras.

[Blonde Iguana]

And if there was a younger female present and the photographers still kept taking pictures, that's disgusting. People need to show some respect.

Yes, Kinetic, there was a younger female present (my daughter)...and I think that just added fuel to the fire for the camera-wielders. Definitely an "ick" moment.

[tola]

This was the first time I took part in the critical tits parade and it really helped change my attitude to men in general. All my life I've seen only perverts and disgusting animals but due to the work I've been doing on childhood issues and recapturing my sexuality; I was finally able to see the worshipful, beautiful, goddess-adoring men who lined the streets. If there were any yahoos there (and I know there were) they faded into the background for me. I'd like to thank all the decent, women-loving men who made my experience so rich and rewarding. I love my breasts!

[tola]

BTW My last post was not meant in any way to negate or dispute anyone else's experience at CT and I am fully aware that horrible things happen every day. Just wanted to share my own particular experience. Thanks.

[mars]

You're talking about women being mistreated because they're topless and saying it's okay because men love boobs.

Where's the mistreatment? I'm talking about men looking and men taking photos. I don't consider that mistreatment. In fact, that's my whole point...that many or maybe even most of the oglers are not horrible, awful, inhuman people.

I would never say it's okay for men to mistreat women under any circumstances. (Or for women to mistreat men...or for men to mistreat men or for women to mistreat women....)

[spectabillis]

Neon, there are a lot of closet freaks. BM seem to bring them out.

motherfucking-understatement-of-the-year

[NEXUS]

Olivia, I think you missed what Mars was trying to ask. To answer you Mars, as a guy, I'm not sure exactly what it is about a woman's breasts, legs, derriere, lips, curves, (add whatever else may do it for you here), that does it as it isn't necessarily the same combination for every guy, but know that it is largely hormonal and the product of our psycho-sexual biology, something there's plenty of science to help explain if you really want to look it up. The real difference, in practice, is that some men are able to respect the woman as an individual first, and admire her beauty without the need to melt back into one's adolescence where gawking, hooting and hollering takes center stage.

[Jordan 10-E]

In a way I am glad for some of the pictures taken at CT this year because many of them had my art installation (Order and Chaos), a large wooden tower, in the background. The installation had a short lifespan so I am glad to see it in the pictures. So this year I have been finding myself looking for CT pictures but I hardly even give a second glance to the womanly beauty before me in them. BTW, if any of you have pictures that contain said artwork please let me know.

Oh and women you were all beautiful. Ride on.

[TheRock]

I was furious with the reaction by some men (pronounced "children") at Critical Tits.
I watched as dozens of women rode on bikes their faces fixed straight ahead of them with a mix of pride, for their participation in solidarity in this unique event and the strength it took to do it, and revulsion at the audience of certain men who debased women, yet again, to mere sex objects.
There must be a way to do this so that women get a protected parade that is not isolating or quarantined, where men are either supportive but silent witnesses or educating other men in the maturity that is being requested of them, and that still feels like a Burning Man show.

This is symbolism that might work: While the parade is proceeding, have men, somewhat uniformed (no shirt or white t-shirts, something simple but identifying) kneeling, their heads down in the direction the women are riding. In their hands they have sticks, which they tap in time. They line the whole length of the route on either side of the riders, and are between the parade and any onlookers. If a guy is hooting or leering, the guard, and perhaps the one behind him and in front, get up and tap while standing, while still facing in the direction of the bikers.
Guys can be recruited amongst the men who are partners with the women, and can be recruited closer to next year's event with notices and requests.
Someone else mentioned the idea of a guardian (if I go back to check the name, i'll lose all this stuff i wrote) so it seems like the need is recognized in general.
Let the Creating begin!
cheers!

[Driveway]

Thousands of women, riding publicly through the city is not a "Women Only Event"

Critical tits does not celebrate women, or empowerment, or freedom, or even sex. It celebrates tits.

You make the choice to take your shirt off, you make the choice to ride publically. If you have a problem with morons yelling at your tits, that is YOUR PROBLEM.

It becomes everyones' problem when someone crosses the line and does something to you or your tits. Looking at/talking about/yelling at/and even photographing your tits do not constitue actions done TO your tits.

If you disagree you have every right not to participate.

That said, I apologize on behalf of some of my gender. They are fools and not worth your time....though they often still manage to find companionship, which is your fault.




.

[Blonde Iguana]

Critical tits does not celebrate women, or empowerment, or freedom, or even sex. It celebrates tits.

You make the choice to take your shirt off, you make the choice to ride publically. If you have a problem with morons yelling at your tits, that is YOUR PROBLEM. .

First paragraph, spoken like a true man. Tits are not random, separate, floating blobs of be-nippled fat, a la a Woody Allen wet dream. From the moment our breasts begin to appear they are instantly branded as sexual symbols, and because of this stigma they sometimes cause us embarrassment and humiliation, and expose us to a lifetime of unwanted and sometimes scary attention and harassment (although to be fair, they also brought us pleasure and sustained our children as well). We have very deep love-hate relationships with our own breasts. So it is a great relief and tremendously liberating to find a "society" in our own mega-tight-sphinctered country that I could trust enough to cast off that lifetime of taboo, fear and embarrassment in an environment safe from exploitation and harassment. And for the most part, it felt great. The majority of men at CT were wonderfully respectful, reverential and purely celebratory - but the presence of the out-of-place photographers felt like the outside world had infiltrated our purportedly safe, accepting sanctuary as they creepily, almost frantically busied themselves with creating photographic artifacts for later titillation (ha) and proof to their friends that they actually got close to some real tits for a change.

I didn't actually care about the laughable and juvenile morons yelling dumb, unimaginative stuff at our tits ("I love titties!" becomes white noise when repeated enough times).

Sidenote to Driveway: Love the website.

[spectabillis]

So it is a great relief and tremendously liberating to find a "society" in our own mega-tight-sphinctered country that I could trust enough to cast off that lifetime of taboo, fear and embarrassment in an environment safe from exploitation and harassment.

Well put.

Normally I would be embarassed and irate by the close-minded tunnelvision of most men who post such selfserving comments here, but hey, I am not thier parent. Unfortunately the perception problems have been getting worse with CT, and yet another example of how the population growth has reached into an increasing misunderstanding and general hostility twords an otherwise rare and fantastic freedom from those social taboos.

People are no longer as open-minded about the new. So its also no wonder there is an increasing number of people who say "Its just a big party in the middle of a desert!" to excuse that kind of frat-boy drunken attitude of "show us the tits!"

[ZaphodBurner]

I'd like to thank all the decent, women-loving men who made my experience so rich and rewarding. I love my breasts!

You rock. For the second year in a row, I was drafted into painting the breasts of all the women in our camp with latex. For awhile I had an assembly line going where I'd just rotate on the seat to apply a second coat to the next set of breasts. (It's a rough job...)

The girls took all the pictures of me doing this. And, you know, I'm not a great artist, but Pablo fuckin' Picasso, Monet, Rembrandt, DaVinci...THOSE people didn't see their art fly by on a half dozen topless women, so I win. Move those hacks and clear me a room at the Louvre!

Seriously, though, if one of the riders was offended the best thing to do is stop, shake the photographer's hand and say, "Sorry, sweetie, but there are a lot of perverts here and those big cameras make the girls not want to ride." That will get the attention of the men AROUND the offending photographer.

If you saw me with a camera during the ride, by the way, it was because the women of our camp asked me to snap photos as they rode. And it didn't matter as men if we saw breasts big or small on the riders...the ride itself is glorious and triumphant and the participants rule. Ride on.


-c

[HughMungus]

I *believe* CT is supposed to be for women only and photography should NOT be allowed anyway. Why don't the women just arm themselves with waterguns/water cannons to drive the point home on photographers?

[ubu]

my remembrance of CT this year. I heard a lot of hoopla and shouting near our camp. someone said "that must be CT". We did not even bother getting up to cheer them on or look at all. just one more spectacle on the playa.

I did end up camped next to CT one year and made an appearance at the party as a partier not a worshiper. I had no probs. Nice group of folks. A little music and a great mister. I remember the mister most of all.

BM is one big free for all. It is hard to enforce any zones in public. I'm all for privacy if you have followed the LEO threads but privacy is your tent or dome or camp, not a party or a public bike ride.

I love the photos of the photographers though. I would like to see more of that.
Some dude at center camp stuck his video camera in my face and I just put my hand over his lens. Photograph the photographers. watch the watchers.

[HughMungus]

Well, if CT needs volunteers to patrol the perimeter of the event and hose people who are videotaping, etc. I'm there. An EMP generator would be good, too. :D

[HughMungus]

Thousands of women, riding publicly through the city is not a "Women Only Event"

Critical tits does not celebrate women, or empowerment, or freedom, or even sex. It celebrates tits.

You make the choice to take your shirt off, you make the choice to ride publically. If you have a problem with morons yelling at your tits, that is YOUR PROBLEM.

It becomes everyones' problem when someone crosses the line and does something to you or your tits. Looking at/talking about/yelling at/and even photographing your tits do not constitue actions done TO your tits.

If you disagree you have every right not to participate.

That said, I apologize on behalf of some of my gender. They are fools and not worth your time....though they often still manage to find companionship, which is your fault.




.

Wow, you don't understand what CT is about at all.

[unjonharley]

So I have a camera and take pictures of public displays. Your damn certain I'm a pevert for owning a camera. Bet there are more noncamera perverts than cameraed perverts. Ct gets a big nothing from me.

[lunatrice]

Great discussion re: this year's CT ride. In my 6th year doing this bike parade, I found myself also uncomfortable by the number of hecklers and photographers. My solution was to move outside of the Esplanade borders and take CT to the playa. I rode along the periphery of the throng, but outside of the waterspray, hoots and snapping lenses.

To give the supportive men their appropriate kudos, I heard many voices from the sidelines that said, "You are beautiful. You are a Goddess!" and the energy from those men felt honoring, not objectifying.

One man held a sign that said, "You have our support" and on the sign was a large braziere. That got me thinking.... Men, you could really show us your support by lining the streets of Black Rock City on Friday wearing bras. Because for me, Critical Tits, *is* about empowering women to feel good about themselves, to feel SAFE topless in public and to be free of that damn bra.

So perhaps next year, we women will remember to bring our own water guns to spray the cameramen, use our voices to ask the hecklers to shove-off and cheer those Y-chromosome bearing, bra-wearing supporters on the 4000+ women who chose to ride bare-breasted through the streets of our fair city.

OR.....we could all make ourselves one of those fabulous t-shirts instead!