Information AboutButtocks |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BUTTOCKS | |
| lower limb anatomy | |
| pelvis | |
|
The buttocks (often called '''butt''', '''buns''', '''bum''', '''ass''' or '''arse''') are rounded portions of the anatomy located on the posterior of the of the Femur , and the superior portion of the Iliotibial Tractus . The masses of the gluteus maximus muscle are separated by an intermediate Gluteal Cleft or "crack" in which the Anus is situated. They allow primates to sit upright comfortably without needing to rest their weight on their Feet , as (for example) Cat s and Dog s must do when they sit upright. CONNOTATIONS Attraction to the buttocks dates back to when we first started to walk upright, or earlier, and is not limited to our species. Dogs, for example, are attracted to the scent of the rear as it reveals to them much information, including the health of whoever's rear it is. Some consider well-formed buttocks to be a sexually pleasing important part of one's physical attractiveness. However, the definition of "well-formed" is up for debate, as sexual aesthetics of the buttocks vary considerably from culture to culture, and from person to person. Exposure of the buttocks in non-intimate situations may cause feelings of shame, embarrassment, or humiliation — which may, however, excite Exhibitionists and Voyeur s. Exposing one's own Bare buttocks as a protest, a provocation or for fun (as a "kick") is called Mooning . Mooning someone is generally considered an act of and for the young, but some adults — especially intoxicated — have been known to practice mooning as well. On the other hand having one's bare buttocks exposed by another unexpectedly and in public, sometimes called a " Depantsing ", is usually a source of humiliation. A Wedgie is pulling someone's undergarments or swimming trunks up through their 'crack' to be hauled over the top of the victim's pants, sometimes partially baring the victim's buttocks. An Atomic Wedgie is pulling the undergarments or swimming trunks up over the victim's head. An adult (or adolescent) forced to expose or take punishment on their buttocks may seem reduced to the status of a child in cultures where public nudity below the waist and/or spanking is common only for (young) children. Many comedians, writers, and others rely on the buttocks in these ways as a source of amusement, camaraderie, and fun. It is quite common to hear phrases that make use of the buttocks as Metonym (more precisely, Synecdoche ) for a whole person, but generally with a negative connotation. For example, terminating an employee may be described as "firing his ass". One might say "move your ass" as an exhortation to greater haste or urgency. Expressed as a function of punishment, defeat or assault becomes "kicking one's ass". Such phrases also may be suggestive of a person's characteristics. For example, difficult people are termed "hard asses". People deemed excessively puritanical or frugal may be termed "tight asses". Certain physical dispositions of the buttocks -- particularly size -- are sometimes identified, controversially, as a racial characteristic (see Race ). The most famous intersection of Racism and buttocks may be the case of Saartje Baartman , the so-called Hottentot Venus. SYNONYMS The anatomical Latin name for the buttocks is ''nates'' ( Pronounced in English), which is plural; the singular, ''natis'', is rarely used. replica of Donatello 's Sculpture of David ]] As buttocks are an object of both shame and fascination, it is not surprising that there are rather a lot of colloquial terms, euphemistic, ironic or other, to refer to them. These include the following:
in Pastel s by Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec c. 1890 ]]
For more — the WikiSaurus list of synonyms and slang words for buttocks in many languages. RELATED TERMS
FASHION Clothing can be used to accentuate the buttocks. Some articles are designed specifically to show off the buttocks or to expose them. Wearing only Thong underwear or a black vinyl dress with a large hole cut out of the back might be examples. Wearing thong underwear with pants is done to hide " Panty Lines ", creases in the pant caused by certain underwear that breaks the smooth line of the body. Both of these choices are under taken for style. However, some articles merely have utilitarian features. The ''butt flap'' in long underwear, used to allow baring only the bottom with a simple gesture (as for hygiene), is a good example. That flap was so ubiquitous that it was used in cartoons and comics for generations. '', an Oil Painting by Georges Seurat 1884 - 1886 ]] Emphasis on one part or another of the body, especially the female body, tends to shift with generations. The "Gay 90s" (1890s) were well-known for the fashion trend called the Bustle , which provided even the skinniest woman with seemingly huge buttocks. Like long underwear with its flap, this clothing style was acknowledged in popular media for generations afterward. The popularity of this fashion is shown in this famous Georges Seurat painting in the two women to the far left and right. Later, the Cleavage Of The Buttocks could be exposed by some women as fashion dictated trousers be worn lower. BIBLICAL AND CHURCH FATHER REFERENCES The term buttocks occurs thrice in the Old Testament and thrice in the Church Fathers:
POPULAR CULTURE There are endless references, e.g. dozens of movie productions with the keyword buttocks or a mention in the English title on the , even during the days of the Hays Office . The rules seemed to be that the buttocks could be referenced, but only in a presumably non-sexual context, like spanking of a child and/or in a humorous situation. Early in the 1939 movie '' The Wizard Of Oz '', Uncle Henry is holding the gate open for Miss Gulch, and at a seemingly appropriate time he lets it go, and it swats the disagreeable old lady in the rear...emphasized by a musical "thunk" on the soundtrack's underscore. There is a scene in the 1942 movie '' Yankee Doodle Dandy '' in which Cohan's father wishes to punish his disobedient son. He can't hit him anywhere that would show, or that would otherwise impact the family's Vaudeville act. The frustrated father finally says, "Here's one place with no talent!" He turns young George over his knee and begins spanking, as flour (left over from a stunt in the preceding stage show) flies up and emphasizes the apparent impact of the blows. The comic character Ado Annie in the 1955 movie musical '' Oklahoma '' finds herself on the receiving end of this subject at least twice. First, she mentions something (not quite getting the point) about having been compared to a Persian cat, because they both "have soft, round tails". Then, during the song ''The Farmer and the Cowman'', she makes a funny comment, and Aunt Eller swats her on the bottom. The 1956 horror film '' The Bad Seed '' has a fairly silly postscript ending in which the mother spanks her naughty child, for having murdered several people during the course of the film's plot. In 1966 Yoko Ono made a roughly 90 minutes long experimental film ''No. 4'', colloquially known as ''Bottoms'' which consists of nothing more than footage of human buttocks, in motion while the person walks on a turntable. At one point in the 1971 James Bond adventure '' Diamonds Are Forever '', Jill St. John has a square transmitter stashed into the round part of her bikini bottom, not very subtly. The villain ( Charles Gray ) notices this object and says, "We're showing a bit more cheek than usual, aren't we, Miss Case?" before roughing her up for her treachery. In the 1977 movie '' Smokey And The Bandit '', Frog (Sally Field) tells the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) that a previous boyfriend had rejected her because, "My cheeks are too big". After a pregnant pause, she pinches her own face and says: "''These'' cheeks!" By the 1970s, television was also becoming more liberal. There was an episode of '' The Bob Newhart Show '' in which it came out that Bob's secretary, Carol, had once gotten a tattoo on her behind, which she was now looking to have removed. Bob seemed to sympathize, and then commented with a slight smirk, "We don't want you to be the 'butt' of any jokes!" In an episode of '' One Day At A Time '', Annie ( Bonnie Franklin ) was having a dialogue with herself in the mirror, and sighed, "Nanny Annie with the great big fanny!" In an infamous episode of '' The Newlywed Game '' from 1977, host Bob Eubanks asked the husbands, "What's the most unusual place you've made love?" In the next segment, one wife who was asked that question came back with, "Is it in the ass?" The incident itself was long thought to be an urban legend, but it actually did happen, as revealed on a "Game Show Bloopers" TV special in 2002. (See www.snopes.com .) In a nighttime talk show, Lee Marvin happened to mention that he had received a Purple Heart during World War II , and the host made the mistake (?) of asking him where he was shot: "In the ass!" It being late at night, and merely truthful and not lascivious, the line was ''not'' bleeped. The 1984 mockumentary '' This Is Spinal Tap '' contained the song "Big Bottom" featuring the lyric ''Big bottom, big bottom, Talk about bum cakes, my girl's got 'em, Big bottom drive me out of my mind, How could I leave this behind?'' In the 1985 movie '' Pee Wee's Big Adventure '', star Paul Reubens ("Pee Wee Herman") responds to someone who says, "Yes, but..." with the comment "''Everyone'' I know has a big 'but'!" In the 1994 movie '' Forrest Gump '', the title character has just received a medal from President Lyndon Johnson , who makes the mistake of asking Forrest where he was shot: "In the but—tocks, sir!" He then turns around and drops his pants to show LBJ exactly where his wound is. Rolling Stone magazine deemed the 1990s the "Decade of the Butt" because numerous songs, mostly in the hip-hop and R'n'B genres, were made glorifying this body part. Examples include "Da Butt," "Rump Shaker," "Da Dip", and of course "Baby Got Back." In fact, a compilation called "Monster Booty" was released encompassing many of these tunes. Well before the hip-hop era, there was the disco era, with the controversial (at the time) number called "Shake Your Booty", by K.C. And The Sunshine Band . Agnetha Fältskog of ABBA fame was somewhat infamous in the late 1970s, for having 'The Sexiest Bottom in Europe' as the press described it. In the last part of the 20th Century , this body part has really "come out of the closet" and become a frequent popular culture topic, as with the famous entertainer Jennifer Lopez , whose shapely rear is as often-discussed as Dolly Parton 's "bosoms" were at the height of her career. In the 2003 animated series, Lilo & Stitch , Stitch describes the butt as a "patookie". The term "bubble butt" has at least two connotations, which are at odds with each other: 1) A small, round, and firm butt that resemble a pair of soap bubbles next to each other. This typically found on ballet dancers and slim women that work out extensively. Examples of "bubble butts" are Kylie Minogue , Nina Hartley , and Vida Guerra . 2) A bubble butt may also mean a large rear end, reminding someone of something about to burst from the strain. SEE ALSO
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|