The bOOb Lady’s Blog

From the Library Journal:

Boobs: a Guide to Your Girls. This is the book about breast health that your best girlfriend wrote. Squires , the self-described “boob-lady” and mind behind www.booksonboobs.com, offers readers a breezy “mammoir” covering breast lore, choosing a bra that actually fits, and breast health. It has less medical detail than Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book, but it includes a “boobliography,” current information about breast disease and cosmetic procedures, and a format and style that will appeal to young readers.

Today’s news story about a woman asked to remove her nipple rings before boarding an airplane — but not the jewelry adorning her navel — is made even more ridiculous by this accompanying photo. The offended boob owner re-enacted her ordeal on a mannequin dressed in an under wire bra. (It was unclear whether the artificial torso sported her own set of nips or not.)

Check out Elisabeth Squires, the Boob Lady, on the Tyra Banks Show’s guide to “your girls,” Thursday, February 21st. Visit her website for local listings and a sneak peek at the show!

Complete Woman’s February/March issue features an excerpt from bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls on how to find the perfect bra fit for your breasts. To further boost your bosom, enter to win their bOObs book giveaway contest. Check it out on newsstands today. 

Join me at the first annual invitational uplifting art extravaganza: Breasts of the Northwest!

Where: Lowell Art Works, 5205 S. 2nd Ave., Everett, WA 98203

When: Saturday, November 17th, 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm

What: Over 40 artists representing the Breasts of the Northwest

Can’t make opening night? Be sure to catch the show, which runs through December 15, 2007.

Please join me and Tania Katan, star of the one-woman comedy, “My One Night Stand with Cancer,” on October 27 immediately following Tania’s show (now at Seattle’s ACT Theatre) as we discuss the in’s and out’s of our “girls” – or lack thereof.  Why are boobs taboo? Why are no boobs taboo?  Instead of checking them out, let’s chat about them for a change!

Afterwards, we’ll sign books and indulge in cupcakes and grown-up grape juice.

When:  Saturday, October 27 at 8:00PM

Where:  ACT Theatre’s Bullitt Cabaret

Ticket Information:  go to http://www.acttheatre.org/ - refer to promotional code cupcake1707 to receive $5 off.

From the September 1, 2007 issue of the Library Journal, a red star review of bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls:

If a protagonist from a Sophie Kinsella novel wanted to learn about mammograms, she’d consult this book while getting her lowlights done. Squires, author of the Books on Boobs web site (http://www.booksonboobs.com/), discusses the health, sexuality, life stages, and cultural significance of the female breast with a breezy, best-girlfriend approach that might inspire readers to stand tall and throw their shoulders back. Sidebars provide breastcentric slang and factoids, with juicier tidbits dispensed in “Boob Flash!” text boxes. Squires also presents an annotated “boobography” and truly useful guidance on choosing a bra. The inclusion of women’s compelling stories almost earns this guide the alternate title of The Breast Monologues. While Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book and Miriam Stoppard’s The Breast Book may offer more coverage and the underwire support of white-coat science, Boobs is the sassy push-up that will get the attention of a younger audience who really needs this information. Recommended for all public library health and young adult collections. — Blanche Angelo, Livermore P.L., CA

Do you have a clue about your boob IQ? Do you know why women wear bras? Or how many breasts are perfectly symmetrical? Find out what you need to know about “the girls” when The Boob Lady (aka Elisabeth Squires) tests Whitney and Wyatt’s knowledge about all things related to breasts at http://www.whitneyandwyatt.com/.

(No time for regular TV? No problem! Whitney and Wyatt’s bite-sized, magazine-style shows are always under five minutes long. Knowledge and uplift in one quick click!)

Okay, I agree that Senator Clinton’s cleavage isn’t really newsworthy (her dress much tamer than nearly all mainstream lingerie advertising), but boobs in the news are my business. The Washington Post recently ran a lengthy article noting the appearance of décolleté on the otherwise often conservatively-dressed Clinton. Her campaign staffers responded with indignation, asking supporters to elevate the political discussion beyond dressing her chest, but not missing an opportunity to ask for contributions to her campaign chest. At least that was CNN Newswire’s take on the topic, the day I decided to leave my brief comment on the power of boobs in our society. But alas, The Boob Lady’s ™ post was promptly deleted. How did I offend? Judge for yourself:

Advertisers use cleavage to sell everything from bras to beer. It’s created by pressing breast flesh together; not by letting breasts rest naturally (sans bra) on a woman’s chest. Many people find it difficult to ignore this type of breast exposure; even more so if it’s attached to a celebrity. An over-abundance of cleavage in the media hasn’t lessened its appeal, either. If it had, there wouldn’t be an on-going market for bras and other foundations that create such special effects. Studies show that even the size of a woman’s breasts can impact how she is viewed in both a professional and personal setting. Boobs are powerful, and–by definition—can turn otherwise intelligent people into complete “boobs.”   

The real story may be that Senator Clinton was just having a bad bra day. (Like most women, she probably wears hers too big in the band and too small in the cup.) Had she worn some other foundation, we might never have had that ever-so-slight peek at her girls. Then we’d be engaged in intelligent discourse about her position on the education bill (the topic of her speech), rather than what she wore to the podium. Yeah…right.

You see them everywhere: spilling out of push-up bras on billboards, popping out of tops on internet sites, or precariously placed in advertisements selling the latest and greatest products. An abundance of cleavage on overblown bosoms seems to rule the marketplace. One could assume from such boob baring behavior that super-sized breasts are the key to success and happiness. Women with larger breasts may be considered more attractive or sexually desirable. But perceptions based on breast size – whether viewed as too large or too small – may actually hold some women back in the workplace. Studies show that women over estimate the breast size that men prefer, and men rank women higher on a personal and professional level if they sport a “medium-sized” pair.

Stereotypes based on breast size have always existed. Such boob banter is well documented both by the water cooler and in scientific journals. Men and women agree on these classifications: small implies greater intelligence and athleticism; large suggests nurturing and more sexually active behavior. Women have battled these labels for years, whether at the office or strolling down the sidewalk. Men, however, appear to view both extremes less favorably in a professional setting.

Researchers at the University of Central Florida set out to test the effect of breast size perceptions on both men and women. Participants were shown one of four videotapes featuring the same actress giving a speech on career choices. They were asked to rank her performance based on several positive and negatives characteristics. The only difference between each film was the size of the presenter’s bra, representing an A, B, C or D cup. While no bias was found among female viewers, men ranked the actress significantly higher on all levels when her breasts were represented (as in the children’s fairy tale) as “just right.”  Men evaluated the same woman less positively when she projected too much or too little mammary mass. It’s not clear whether men are aware of this bias toward medium-size breasts. (Other studies suggest that men prefer no particular breast size, but are primarily attracted to proportionality in women with a specific hip to bust to waist ratio.)

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