Something on the internet about breasts

The BBC website asks: “Why are we suddenly obsessed with ‘man boobs’?” (Caution: Freemania is not responsible for the content of external sites.)

Well, not all of us are. In fact, I suspect that there may still be a little more interest in ‘woman boobs’ – yes, even among men! (I of course am as pure as the driven snow; I’m much more interested in the latest IMF economic forecasts. No, really.)

As ever with stories in this sort of territory, there’s the chuckle to be had at the acronymic British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). But there are a couple of novelties worth noting here.

First, a choice of words. The caption “Simon Cowell was mercilessly ribbed for his physique, but has since embarked on a fitness regime” is attached to a photo of Mr C, moobs visible through a tight T-shirt.

“Ribbed” is really not the word.

Second, there’s this statistic:

Surgeons carried out 323 male breast reduction procedures in 2008, up a staggering 44% from 2007.

The over-16 UK population is about 49 million; say that 24 million of these are men. This means that in 2007, a whopping 99.9991% of men didn’t have a breast reduction, whereas in 2008, a mere 99.9987% were able to resist this booming trend. I’m certainly staggered.

Finally, I wondered how far I’d have to scroll down the comments section at the bottom of the page to find something like this:

Why do we find it socially acceptable to put a pair of "man boobs" online without any sort of censoring (or bikini top), but should the BBC ever grace its front page with a pair of female boobs, they'd get fined/in hot water? It's not fair.
James Druce, Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Not far, it turned out. Bravo, Mr Druce; mankind feels your pain. One for spEak You’re bRanes?