Althouse: "Isn't there some classic rule, 'Underboob or underbutt, not both'?"

September 10, 2016

"Isn't there some classic rule, 'Underboob or underbutt, not both'?"

From the comments, here.

57 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Women's bodies as sex objects remains the #1 popular way to sell stuff. No wonder the Muslims want to destroy us in public and be us in private.; 9/10/16, 8:59 AM
Gahrie said...: I thought slut shaming was wrong now days.......; 9/10/16, 9:01 AM
rhhardin said...: Jargon suggestion: "pap smear" for when paparazzi publish an unflattering photo.; 9/10/16, 9:04 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @Gahrie It's fashion criticism. It's about taste.; 9/10/16, 9:07 AM
Etienne said...: There's no rule for the prostitute look. Skimpy clothes so you can service the john and make money for your pimp is the just practical.; 9/10/16, 9:12 AM
Gahrie said...: @Gahrie It's fashion criticism. It's about taste.

It is saying she is a slut for dressing that way.; 9/10/16, 9:20 AM
Gahrie said...: By the way, I have no problem with someone saying that someone else is dressing like a slut.

But today's feminists do. or at least pretend to, when it is to their advantage.; 9/10/16, 9:23 AM
Unknown said...: So I'm confused. I thought that being a slut was a good thing for today's world. That todays modern, liberal, progressive woman was supposed to dress slutty, watch porn, go to the strip clubs with her man (or woman!) all to show how sophisticated and suchlike she is.

So isn't calling a woman a slut supposed to be complimentary nowadays? Or is this one of those "Hey, we people of color can call each other nigger but no one else can!" Only sluts can call another girl a slut?

--Vance; 9/10/16, 9:31 AM
William said...: From the time of Madonna or maybe even going back to Julie London, female singers have been expected to show a little more skin than the average celebrity. It's part of their craft. She doesn't dress like this in real life. This is her public appearance uniform. You wouldn't call Queen Elizabeth pretentious for wearing a crown, and you shouldn't call Lady Gaga a slut for wearing such an outfit. She's not a slut; she's a celebrity........Also please note that she has only one visible tattoo. That's kind of modest and prim.; 9/10/16, 9:49 AM
Unknown said...: i think it's ok for women to wear whatever they want.; 9/10/16, 9:56 AM
damikesc said...: Underboob is usually quite nice. Underbutt is iffy.; 9/10/16, 10:03 AM
BillyTalley said...: The rule is boobs, belly, butt... Two of the three are tasteful, all three are not.; 9/10/16, 10:07 AM
traditionalguy said...: Playmate of the Month. Hugh Hefner's girl next door, what have they done to you?; 9/10/16, 10:13 AM
Hagar said...: Calling Lady Gaga a singer is stretching it a bit, isn't it?; 9/10/16, 10:19 AM
Hagar said...: A singer sings. He or she does not need videos.; 9/10/16, 10:20 AM
Curious George said...: I like her sunglasses.; 9/10/16, 10:25 AM
jacksonjay said...: The Lady can sing! I too was biased about her singing until I her the duet album with Tony Bennett. Two deplorable libs making very good music.; 9/10/16, 10:32 AM
tom swift said...: In this case, a burqa might be just the thing.; 9/10/16, 10:33 AM
n.n said...: No judgment.; 9/10/16, 10:36 AM
Humperdink said...: Men are mocked for inadvertently revealing their plumber's butt. Women make Page 6 for showing the flip side.

What an upside world we live in.; 9/10/16, 10:38 AM
Hagar said...: Singers live by their voices. The last thing they want is sensational videos to distract from their singing.; 9/10/16, 10:51 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: From 'The Community of Color Gazette':

"Man of Color Asks What Is It With White Women Dressing Like Whores"

Kirk Jackson, a Black Man of our Community of Color, was overheard asking why white women were dressing in such a perceived immodest manner.

Mr. Jackson confirmed the statement.

I was at the bar, just after getting off the bus from downtown, and I asked 'What is it white women dressing like whores?'"

Isaac Bay, a patron at the bar, verified Mr. Jackson's statement.

"Yeah, Kirk had come from downtown, and said the white women were dressed like whores. You could see all their bits, practically."

When asked what else Mr. Jackson might have said on the matter, Mr. Bay spoke of the following observation of Mr. Jackson.

"Kirk said that all the white girls had flat asses. Melinda had to explain yoga pants to him."

Mr. Jackson confirmed this statement.

"Yeah, I said that. All them white women with their tiny flat asses. I like a baby that's got back, you feel me?"

Melinda Knight, the bartender, had this to say on the statements of Mr. Jackson and Mr. Bay.

"I heard what they was saying, but I told them girls around the hood here dress that way too sometimes."

Mr. Jackson confirmed Ms. Knight's statement.

"Melinda, she said some of the black girls around here dressed like that, too. But I told her that was ghetto, that's different."

"It's always different for the ghetto," Mr. Bay concurred. "White people don't ever get that."

So there it is: a Story of Change in our Community of Color. For more stories like this please read 'The Community of Color Gazette'.

I am Laslo.; 9/10/16, 11:01 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: There is no known instance of Jackie O violating this rule.; 9/10/16, 11:08 AM
tcrosse said...: According to the late James Brown, you gotta use what you got to get just what you want.; 9/10/16, 11:15 AM
YoungHegelian said...: From the comments at the article:

I just see a Monistat moment....

Vulgar, but funny. Or, maybe funny because vulgar. I'm not sure.; 9/10/16, 11:19 AM
cubanbob said...: It takes a bit of effort to look that trashy.; 9/10/16, 11:47 AM
Big Mike said...: Meh. We're lucky she doesn't run around naked.

And I mean lucky!; 9/10/16, 12:06 PM
buwaya said...: Tawdry is the first word that comes to mind.; 9/10/16, 12:07 PM
Paul Snively said...: Hagar: Calling Lady Gaga a singer is stretching it a bit, isn't it?

Not even remotely. Ignore her pop work, which just puts food on the table and a roof over her head, and listen to any of her blues work. She's the best blues singer since Billie Holiday.; 9/10/16, 12:11 PM
Paul Snively said...: cubanbob: It takes a bit of effort to look that trashy.

"It costs a lot of money to look this cheap." — Dolly Parton; 9/10/16, 12:12 PM
Curious George said...: "Freeman Hunt said...
There is no known instance of Jackie O violating this rule."

Then again Gaga never whored herself out for a billionaire 23 years her senior.; 9/10/16, 12:25 PM
Birches said...: Looking at those pictures is kind of like watching a train wreck.; 9/10/16, 12:39 PM
Rusty said...: ""Isn't there some classic rule, 'Underboob or underbutt, not both'?""

That depends.
No. Really. It's off putting if she wears Depends.; 9/10/16, 1:34 PM
BN said...: The only rule is: make them look.; 9/10/16, 1:34 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Mine was a comment of appreciation of the humor of calling this a classic rule, not a comment on the relative merits of Gaga and Jackie.; 9/10/16, 1:41 PM
Anonymous said...: My perception order.
Eye glasses reminded me of Yoko Ono
Top looks uncomfortable. But I don't know.
A pair of denims she got tired of.
Comfortable shoes for the rugged look.
An expensive jacket.
Spiritual jewelry.

But she is a performance artist right? And uses her dress to perform? This is just a prelude to her next song. "All Gaga over Trump"; 9/10/16, 2:21 PM
Anonymous said...: I think the media has a standard for appropriate relationships. A blue pill, red pill sort of thing.

Jackie O probably loved JFK deeply and lost part of her soul when he died. She was ok with the philandering. In Onassis she might have felt protected and in surroundings that seemed comfortable to her.

And I think Huma was actively OK with Anthony until he became a political liability.

Hillary rose to a level of power where her relationship with Bill subsided. Normally they would get divorced. But in their circle that is bad for the power fix.

Trump likes intelligent, beautiful women who can go toe to toe with him. He sees his wife as someone who can take over his business for him.

If you ask a genxer or a millennial what a nuclear family is they probably think you are throwing a geo political term around in a class oppressive hegemonic manner.; 9/10/16, 2:33 PM
walter said...: Always breakin' them boundaries!
Better than the meat dress thing.; 9/10/16, 2:35 PM
Paul said...: Under boob? Ok.

Bet she went commando to!; 9/10/16, 3:16 PM
rhhardin said...: The point of underboobs, sideboobs, push-up boobs, and cleavage is to get extra notice for breasts, beyond the normal male background scene notice of every breast that just keeps track of where the women are.

Nipples aren't shown because they don't indicate breasts and so fail to work.

I suppose underbutt indicates hips beyond their normal notice, similarly. Maybe if you do both it just defuses the extra notice.; 9/10/16, 3:40 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: This is a great post! Underboob > underbutt, jeez, only a "Basket of Deplorables" could disagree with this!; 9/10/16, 4:14 PM
Oso Negro said...: Bluenose Day at Althouse! Her tits and ass are pleasant to look at. Were you people EVER young?; 9/10/16, 4:18 PM
Clyde said...: The over/under is two.; 9/10/16, 4:40 PM
Michael The Magnificent said...: You wouldn't think a chick with tits that small would have an ass that big, but there you are.; 9/10/16, 4:47 PM
effinayright said...: "Calling Lady Gaga a singer is stretching it a bit, isn't it?"

***********

Tony Bennett obviously doesn't think so. He's toured with GaGa, singing jazz and show tunes. Big success.

My wife saw them in London, said she was fantastic --but ruins her between-song patter by swearing like a trucker.; 9/10/16, 5:02 PM
Jaq said...: Lady Gaga is a fine singer. Maybe it's the calling her a "lady" that is stretching it.; 9/10/16, 5:50 PM
Adamsunderground said...: i think it's ok for women to wear whatever they want.

I agree so long it as keeps them from whining about living in a man's world. Oh, well.; 9/10/16, 6:16 PM
SukieTawdry said...: Underboob, underbutt notwithstanding, it's an unsightly outfit. Absolutely no style.

I've never heard Gaga sing show tunes, but her jazz singing is too forced.; 9/10/16, 6:17 PM
Paul said...: So, will she also go cameltoe?; 9/10/16, 6:43 PM
Paul Ciotti said...: These girls obviously want to go naked. Why don't they just take everything off and be done with it?; 9/10/16, 10:01 PM
Terry said...: I always thought the rule was -- "Don't show white underbutt after Labor Day."; 9/10/16, 10:13 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Underboob is greater than (>) underbutt, which is greater than (>) plumber's crack. So, on this one, the women win.; 9/10/16, 10:48 PM
walter said...: For Ann..; 9/10/16, 10:54 PM
Adamsunderground said...: The Circle K beckons to tickle your bare feet, Miss Gaga. Join us. We all float down here; 9/10/16, 10:59 PM
JAORE said...: If that is style, I can get you all you want in 3 minutes with a pair of scissors.

For a fee, of course.; 9/11/16, 2:50 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I can't believe I left this post at the top of the blog for so long. Such a skimpy top!; 9/11/16, 4:37 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: She's no Yuja Wang, who is no Khatia Buniatishvili.; 9/11/16, 1:36 PM