A friend once sent me a picture for laughs; the picture displayed a toddler with its buttocks facing the camera, legs outstretched, the biggest smile on its face. The pic’s headline was, “Thongies” which is a blatant play on one of the most popular pampers brands. Along with the pic, was a caption from my friend that said, “This can’t end well in any way, form or fashion.” And to some extent he was very right. People may joke and laugh about such an act but not everyone will indeed find it humorous.
The baby’s bottom
What’s so wrong about a baby wearing a thong and being marketed for potential brand awareness? But before answering that question you should also ask, what’s so wrong about a baby’s bottom being marketed for potential brand awareness? Fundamentally, there is very little differentiation between the two; the true difference lies only in the perception.
In other words, what we perceive something to be is usually what it is … even if it isn’t. The way some people perceive it is that a child wearing a thong is wrong. But a child being seen completely naked is okay because it’s just a child. But not everyone asks themselves why do people feel this way.
How we’re trained to think
There are different reasons someone may wear a thong. Prime reasons include that thongs absorb fluids and keeps genitalia protected from the elements; and thongs can also greatly increase sex appeal and appetite. Either way you look at it, it’s easy to draw a conclusion that the “intended appeal” is the real reason. Some people have an issue with a baby being seen in a thong because it increases the wrong appetite. But it can likely be a wrong assumption.
Because if the explanation was that simple it would also make sense why the buttocks of a sexy, “grown ass” woman (no pun intended) cannot be shown on TV; yet, on that same TV you can see women wearing thongs so slim that 99.9% of their asses are unapologetically left exposed. But it’s hardly ever a problem because these women are wearing thongs, right? So then what’s the REAL problem? The way people have long been trained to think is.
The Double Standards
The debate as to how, where and when thongs should be promoted (if at all) represents a mere fraction of questionable quandaries that some people seem to be concerned about. For even today many still constantly argue numerous points that are similar to the “baby thong blues.” E.g. women can be seen almost naked on billboards or commercials yet people have an issue with a woman breastfeeding her child in public.
A man can completely expose his “man boobs” while on the beach yet a woman doing so is seemingly a crime. A man who shows too many emotions is a woman while a woman who does so is just being a woman (What?!). And a man who is a virgin is a loser while a woman who remains pure is seen as a saint. Really? Who comes up with this sh*t?
And it doesn’t help the situation when you have millions of people simply defending these nonsensical beliefs with responses like, “Well that’s just how it is.” No it isn’t what it is; it’s what we’ve long accepted it to be.
Stand for something
Trying to change people’s beliefs on some things at this point is basically pointless. People will believe whatever they wish to believe. And this irrespective of the facts they may see right before their eyes. It’s not necessarily your job to get people to change their perceptions. Just consider how strong people may feel about religion or politics and you will see why it is pointless.
The only thing you can truly do is accept their “double sided” views as is. But note that you do not need to accept the double-sidedness itself. After all, as the saying goes, if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything.
You are your own person
You are your own person with your own brain. And you have the right to choose much of what makes absolute sense to you. Interestingly enough, some people who constantly support the wide array of double standards eventually begin to come around. They come around the moment that the once safe edge of the sword inevitably strikes them.
Sometimes it’s really just a matter of patiently waiting for the foolishness of what people believe or accept to hit them where it hurts; it is at this point they often feel motivated enough to take action.
Perhaps it is only then that we may be able to speed up the process. This process would involve more people desiring to fight in the name of fairness. Fairness for their children, parents, friends, brothers and sisters and those they do not even know. Until that day arrives, the only standards we may continue to fight for is “equality” and for determining which side would ultimately feel hurt the most.
