Becoming MILF

Before becoming the currently much hyped about porn-star-slash-breastfeeding-in-public-advocate, and even before she herself was pregnant, indie porn maker Madison Young created a film titled Pregnant With Desire (2010) to inspire ways in which couples can stay connected during pregnancy and after. 

Then shortly after she herself gave birth in March, Madison launched the art exhibit "Becoming MILF" highlighting our culture's warped Madonna/whore ideas about women's sexuality. (MILF was popularized by the horny boys in the teen movie American Pie; in mainstream porn it has become a sub genre that stands for "Mothers I'd Like To Fuck). Reads the description for Madison's "Becoming MILF" exhibit:

Madison Young explores this journey as a New Breed of Breeder who embraces the Madonna and the Whore at the same time in her multi-media art exhibit that includes a baby quilt made of a juxtaposing combination of burp clothes & porn star panties, onesies printed with erotic photographs featuring Young, video and photo works melding images of 60′s iconic mother Jackie Kennedy and iconic slut Marilyn Monroe into a single entity and much more.

When porn meets real motherhood

As a part of her commentary on our culture's Madonna/whore dichotomy, Madison posed for a black-and-white photograph dressed up like sex icon Marilyn Monroe while clutching her daughter to her breast. Comments Tracy Clark-Flory at Salon:

Then, in a video clip posted to her blog, [Madison] nonchalantly breast-fed while announcing that she would nurse live and in-person at an upcoming event meant to promote "health awareness for our queer, kinky and sex positive communities." Then, at said event, Young delivered on the promise while talking about ... breast health. Other presenters talked about such titillating topics as breast cancer, antiretroviral drugs and safe sex. It wasn't a sex party; it was an adult sex-ed class hosted by sex workers.

But regardless of the feminist, health focused objective of Madison's nursing in public, she's been called "a revolting person," catering to "creeps & pedophiles." Her defenders, on the other hand, have been dubbed "baby fetishists" and "pedos." (Salon)

In response to her accusers, Madison has poignantly commented that:

"[T]he only one sexualizing this image of me breastfeeding is you. Which makes me feel truly disgusted and violated." (Salon)

Many breastfeeding moms, other moms, and moms-to-be have at one point or another felt discriminated against based on their body--even violated. In an article at BlogHer on A Mother's Sexuality--Taking Back MILF, Madison comments on how she felt her sexual personal self invaded during pregnancy:

I always thought it was interesting that everyone wanted to touch my fundus. It's a part of my body, like my breast -- would you walk up to somebody and touch that? When I was pregnant I felt like my fundus was an extension of my mons, a very sensual part of my body, and to have strangers wanting to put hands on me -- I thought it was very interesting that they felt they had the liberty to do that.

Taking Back MILF

A woman doesn't always experience her belly as sensual. Just as she doesn't always experience her breasts as sexual, as I've pointed out here: Women's Breasts Are Not Just or Always Sexual!. What's wrong in our culture is when the warped sexual assumptions of others are imposed on the female body, be it a breastfeeding woman or a three-year-old girl.