Bootleggers, a bar in Minneapolis, MN, has come up with a “clever” new campaign to help support breast cancer awareness (and pervs). The new event called Twin Titties (rhymes with the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul) Series: Homegrown (haha, yeah, right) Classic 2010, allows women (and a few asshole men) to register their “double plays” during each home series to support the local baseball team, the Minnesota Twins (twins for the Twins, get it). The winners, who have the honor of getting pictures of their assets posted on the Bootleggers website, get a $100 gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret, $100 worth of free drinks and the chance to move on to the “Titties playoffs” to compete for even more prizes and have the best Twin Titties in the land (a significant bragging right, I’m sure). But of course, this is not exploitation, since “donations will be made to participating Minneapolis breast cancer foundations,” so it’s all for a good cause. I mean, Jezebel‘s Anna North said: “because there’s nothing women love more than strangers staring at their breasts in bars. Except breast cancer research!” If a feminist woman said it then it must be true, right?
Not so fast. The website barely mentions that this is for breast cancer and it doesn’t make clear how much is donated or what determines this amount (do more Twin Titties equal more bucks for “titty cancer”?). Judging from the fact that the website has about one sentence about dubious sounding donations and a couple of links to breast cancer walk participants, this promotions is all about the twins and the pervs who like to look at them (indeed, many of the ladies’ photos on the website are twins-only shots, i.e. the winner of the Brewers series). The commenters on Ms. North’s post, especially those from the area who are familiar with Bootleggers, agreed stating that the bar is “roofie central and is full of 20 somethings hoping to see 2 drunk girls make out” (which is of course what they will hopefully be doing when they all have $100 full of free drinks in them).
Based upon the male participants pictured (the bar is also apparently frequented by Jersey’s Shore‘s “The Situation“), Bootleggers appears to be a place where, if I may slip into Gen Y parlance for a moment, “bros” like to go and pick up “bro hoes” (one Jezebel commentator responded to North by saying, “the kind of woman who enters a Twin Titties competition probably does enjoy strangers staring at her breasts”). Not only does the Twin Titties Series serve as a douchebag magnet, it also exploits “the sexiest of cancers,” in order to make some serious cash off of pro-awareness merchandise. While the Twin Titties Series may give some money to breast cancer organizations, it serves largely to fulfill male fantasies at the expense of a serious disease, just like other “Save the Boobs” campaigns do. Indeed, it is much harder for anyone to spin this event as empowering, than it was with the recent “Boobquake,” as this event seems to be no more then a wet tee shirt contest without the hose.
This doesn’t bother me honestly, it’s the same level as going to an outdoor concert and the same rules apply, don’t take drinks from strangers, only show your tits if you want to.
Breast cancer is shamelessly exploited. So is the color pink…
As someone who has in fact been to Bootlegger’s within the past two months, I can assure you it is the skeeziest bar in Minneapolis. Do not take it seriously. It’s a hangout for the intoxicated 21-26 crowd looking for someone to go home with for the evening. I have seen far more brain-scarring sights at Bootlegger’s than a pair of boobs.
I would also like to state for the record that my one and only visit to Bootlegger’s was in the last two months and I will be sticking to the slightly less sloppy bars from here on out.
Last I checked money raised by doucehbags is still green legal tender
Roofie central eh? Has any chick who said “I was roofied” ever tested positive for actual roofies, I mean who wasn’t addicted to roofies? Isn’t that somthing chicks say the next morning after downing a bucket of vodka on an empty stomach. But that is nether here nor there.
Point is there are many chicks who like showing there boobies, and some of them actually have nice boobies. So if the men who like to look at boobies (I know that makes them the true sons of satan, but stay with me) decide to plunk down their hard earned cash for a cause that barely affects them. But effects the ladies greatly, how about not b*tching at them, just sayin.
Boringwhatever,what am I going to do with you. I leave you alone for a couple of days and here you are on a feminist blog defending chemically induced date rape. What a trip!
No matter how awful the hypothetical situation (a woman being roofied and raped) it is still a hypothetical situation. If you cannot tell fantasy from reality you have been on these sites to long. Ask yourself what is more belivable, a woman not facing up to drinking herself unconsious or a legion of roofie ninjas? And if it happens so much how many times has some dude in a bar been “verafieably” caught with a pocket full of roofies, or a woman testing positive for roofies (when she didn’t take them herself)? If it makes you feel better call it part of the whore/virgin thing, it is easier for a woman to claim the “big bad roofie ninja” made her throw up a bucket of vodka when she got home. Than admit she had a liquid lunch and dinner.
Only a looser would screw anyone unconscious under any circumstance,but sadly it does happen.
I kind of agree with the other comments. Attention whores and douchebag pervs are always going to act like like attention whores and douchebag pervs; if it leads to even a small amount of money raised for breast cancer research, I don’t really see a problem with it.
As a survivor of beast cancer, this is just another way of “Girls Gone Wild.” camouflaged as good for breast cancer.
The fact does remain, some girls like flashing their goods and always will. At least maybe something good can come from it.
I have no problem with this. Some people like to show their boobs. Some people like to look. Might as well match those up. and if, in the process, some money is raised for a good cause – all the better.
I won’t be participating in any such situation. If i wanted to give money to breast cancer, I would just donate directly. But I won’t tell anyone else what to do with their own bodies.
Pingback: Wet T-Shirt at the Heart of a Fishy Arrest … and Lawsuit Against Florida City – Zelda Lily, Feminism in a Bra
Pingback: Deirdre Imus Should be Known For More Than Being Don Imus’ Wife – Zelda Lily, Feminism in a Bra