Topless Protest in Paris, France Have A Lot of Heads Turning, But Maybe For the Wrong Reasons. How Effective Is It?

Ukranian women's rights protest group, Femen, has set up shop in Paris and is using nude bodies to try and change the course of history. The group spent a day at the French courts protesting the light sentences given out to a group of teenagers accused of committing gang rape on a pair of teenager girls repeatedly over two years.

Femen members walked up to the Justice building in France wearing coats, which turned out to be just about all they were wearing. They say that nudity helps their cause, and it draws attention to issues that would otherwise be ignored. NPR's recent article on the groups activities, has definitely garnered heavy attention, and it's likely the eyeful of skin in thumbnails are the cause.

So basically we're back to the adage, "Sex Sells". Apparently sex even sells awareness of sexual injustice. That's all good and well but as one of NPR's commenters pointed out, there might be a slight conflict of interest. 

Using sex to sell cars, beer, clothes, and any number of mindless day to day periphery is a tried and true tactic. It isn't very often that you see it used to profit endeavors of intellectual valor. It's unlikely Obama will start using bikini babes to sell his economic plan, or that Kofi Annan will release a cover for his book where he's Hefner-ing some gals. 

Also, when you think of using nudity to protest sex crimes, it starts to confuddle the mind. The comments on the NPR were as you'd expect. Men cheering, one woman chastising the men for cheering, women cheering, a few pointedly mature comments, and one guy posting a link to more nudity. 

There was maybe one comment about the actual case. Now granted, the post was more about the protestors than the case. The thing is though, as I'm sure many are well aware, a naked body gets plenty attention, but usually that attention is only on the naked body. And the jury is still out as to whether using a human body as a shock tactic is pro sexual maturity in itself.