Harry Potter and the Half-Naked Breast

  
   Alohomora!


   Hello again all!


   I'd like to preface this post with a little bit of.....navigational aid, if you will. At the bottom of this post, you will find a right facing arrow. If so inclined, this will allow you to scroll back through past posts, that you may find to be of interest. Some are OP-ED style pieces, some are personal, family stories. But all may be of use to you in finding out what makes me Bitter, both in name, and unfortunately, sometimes in disposition. Feel free to explore, share and comment on any of these other posts, as well.
  
   This latest post will be a departure from the family blog. Occasionally, I'll use this site as a vehicle to speak out on current events. This will be such a post. The blog is aptly titled "The Bitter Truth", in that it is sometimes the truth about the Bitters, and sometimes it is The Bitter Truth about the world as I see it. And, yes, it is possible that you may not agree with all that I have to say, and that's okay. It is, in fact, an opinion piece. It is not news, fake or otherwise. I welcome your challenges to my positions, as I believe we are all made better for having open and rational dialogue on these issues. Some of you may believe, in fact, that as a male, I am afforded no opinion whatsoever on this subject. And, that's fine, too. Everyone is entitled to their own views, right? Okay, so with the formalities out of the way, allow me to begin.


   Emma Watson has been in the spotlight recently for a myriad of reasons. As you undoubtedly know, she is portraying the role of Belle in the soon to be released live action Beauty and the Beast film. A lot of excitement and media buzz is on full press leading up to its release. But she has also been in the news for being outspoken about the cause of feminism. Now, she could have used her celebrity to be a wholesome role model to young girls and young women all over the world. In fact, at a younger age, she did just that. She spoke out about the hyper-sexualization of our youth. She spoke out about the world view of provocative dressing of young girls. And she was outspoken about the global problem of human trafficking for the sex trades. All good stuff. But somewhere along the way she took a hard left turn, and is now, through her words and actions, seemingly advocating the complete opposite views on some of these issues. This is a huge disappointment. Let me explain.


   Many of us literally watched Ms. Watson grow up before our very eyes on screen. We watched Hermione Granger grow from an awkward young girl, into a beautiful, smart, and empowered young woman, both on screen and off. Throughout this season in her life, she was a wonderful role model to young girls all over the world. She encouraged them to dress modestly; to reject the world view of sexuality at a young age. Again, all good stuff.


   However, as she entered adulthood, her cause changed. She was now speaking out about the feminist movement. She was now speaking out about the terrible injustices women face in the world, today, particularly in the west. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, either.......if it were true, that is. (Yes, you read that correctly. I'll get to that in a bit.) She became part of a feminist movement that screams and chants and protests at every opportunity, claiming that women are losing their rights, or that they are not treated as equals to men. This same movement has organized marches and protests highlighted by the wearing of vagina costumes, "pussy" hats, and extremely vulgar signage. Language I even found offensive, and I am an old sailor, for crying out loud! Now, while she did seem to distance herself from the fringe; from the Madonnas and Ashley Judds of the movement, she did recently do something that was in complete contradiction to all she claims to believe in. She posed half naked in a magazine so all of us "misogynist" men could ogle at her goodies. She then claimed that her doing so was "empowering" and that it was done so women could see that they were free to view themselves however they wanted. But is that the message that is really being sent? It seems to me, that the message being received may be much different than the one she is trying to send. The once modest and proper Hermione Granger, is now bearing her naked breasts for all the world to see. This isn't empowering. It's promoting voyeurism and pornography. And it's sending a message to young girls that to be famous and relevant, you must do the same. This is quite the departure from her previous stance, wouldn't you say? And what about the timing of the release of these photos? Do you think it is a coincidence that they were released so near the opening day of Beauty and the Beast? I certainly don't. I suspect her publicists and agents encouraged the shoot to begin with, and saw it as an opportunity to create buzz and publicity for their leading lady. After all, the more she's in the spotlight, the more people will go to see the movie. Of course, this is merely conjecture and theory, but I doubt that I'm too far off. So, the real question, then, is what exactly does she hope to achieve in all of this?


   Well, she claims that it is all to advance the cause of women's rights. But I ask you, what rights does this advocate for? What rights are missing in the first place? Can anyone honestly say that women in this country don't have the same rights as men? I welcome specific examples, if you can find any. but you won't. Now, I'm sure I'll hear the typical example of equal pay for equal work, and that's fine, if you actually believe that myth. But you'll find no statistics to back it up. You'll only find talking points from the policy seminars of politicians whose agenda is in line with it to begin with. But no hard evidence of this is out there. Sure, there are undoubtedly some women who are not being paid as much as their male counterparts in some areas of the business world, but the same can be said about men in more feminine roles and industries. It's not the norm or the standard, and it's certainly not an epidemic worthy of the outrage it has sparked. Now, before you get all wound up, I'm all for equal rights for all. I believe that women should be able to do anything they want, to achieve any success they set their eyes on. I'm not a woman hater, a misogynist or any other word used describe those who don't believe in the great feminism myths in our current climate. But ask yourself these questions, before you cast your dispersion.Where is the outrage for the women of the middle eastern nations under sharia? Where is the outrage for the young girls whose genitals are mutilated at a young age. Where is the outrage for the women who are not permitted to drive a car, go to school, have a job? What about the women who live in cultures that encourage marriage at the age of 7, 8, or 9, and where marital rape at any age is acceptable? Where are the protests for the women of the Arab world who require 3 to 4 male witnesses in order to make an accusation of sexual assault?


   Here's the deal. These so-called western feminists are just loud mouthed hypocrites. They scream for women's rights from one side of their mouths, while crying about the poor middle eastern Muslim refugees from the other side. Many of the refugee populace they advocate for, are the same people who commit the atrocious acts I listed above. So, which is it?


   Do they really believe that screaming profanities at a protest is the way to get their point across? Do they not see the obvious conflicts of interest in their cause? Have you or anyone you know, honestly changed your mind about any subject because a celebrity in a vagina costume said so? I doubt it. So, what, then are we to make of our beloved Hermione Granger and her most recent "statement"?


   My hope is that eventually, she will take a step back and see that her little stunt is causing more harm to the little girls and young women of the world, than good. But, what's done is done. It is up to the parents of these children to combat what society deems acceptable. So I say this...


   Mothers, talk to your daughters about their true value, and where it resides. Let them know that their value is in who they are, not what they weigh or what they wear. Let them know that they don't need to be a sexual being in Middle school, in order to find love and acceptance. Teach them that purity is not only acceptable, but should be their only consideration.
   Fathers, date your daughters. Show them the standard by which they should judge all future suitors. Show them through your good example, how they should expect to be treated by any man who will ever vie for their affections. Be the standard that sets the bar high. Teach your sons to be proper gentlemen. Show them the value of a woman's heart and soul, and how to cherish them and respect them enough to suppress their own physical desires. Teach them, also, that purity is not a scar on their reputation, but rather a badge of honor and courage. Show them the way a woman is to be treated, in the way you treat your wife. And finally, teach your children to seek out role models who display all of these same values and virtues. Only then, will we see a new generation of young women who respect themselves enough to not pose half naked in a magazine. Only then will true feminism be on display. And only then, will equality truly be realized. But what do I know? I'm just your average, ordinary male.
   As always, I welcome your comments, but will not reply in kind to vitriol and venom. Polite, adult conversation is always encouraged.


Thanks for reading,


Colloportus!


Drew Bitter