Last week, we ran a piece on the campaign to change regulations in Venice Beach which make it lawful for a man to go topless but not a woman. Two days later, we ran a piece on burkinis and a community of surfing “modesty conscious” Muslim women. The basic thrust of these pieces is simple: women don’t want to have their clothing choices 1) defined by men, and 2) regulated by governments and lawmakers that are traditionally patriarchal. Pretty simple. Pretty easy.
Still, with all the noise swirling around the internet, it’s nice to have issues distilled in a crystal clear and funny way. That’s where Justin Willman comes in. Willman has already been featured on Uproxx for his insanely weird and deeply enjoyable wedding/variety show. Now he’s taking on more serious topics, in his trademark clever-earnest way.
The video is part of a pilot Willman has set up over at Comedy Central — which allows him to tackle weighty issues with sleight of hand. “Magic is an art form that points to something other than itself,” he tells us. “I’m using it to point to things that matter to us all.”
In this video, Willman speaks with Lina Esco, an actress, activist and the director of Free the Nipple, who tells him, “Free the nipple is just a Trojan Horse in order to start the conversation of gender equality. It’s not really about going topless, it’s about having the choice.”
It’s a funny video exploring an idea whose time has clearly come. Surely this piece’s viral vibe will be a step in the direction of progress.
