There’s a sexist double standard in America that goes something like this: It’s acceptable for breasts to be shown on television, the Internet, in movies, and on newsstands. But if you dare pull a breast out in public to breastfeed a baby—the one activity that breasts were made for—you will probably be shamed.
No one understands this double standard more than Wittney Hope.
Hope was shopping at the Dillard’s in Chattanooga, Tennessee, when her baby began signaling that it was time to nurse. To be polite, Hope asked an employee if it was ok for her child to “eat here.”
The employee signaled that it was fine, so Hope lifted her shirt and began to discreetly breastfeed her child. The employee then told her she could not “do that” in the store and told Hope to go to the bathroom.
“I was completely shocked as I have never had anyone comment on me breastfeeding in the whole 18 months I have been nursing,” Hope wrote on Facebook.
As Hope exited the store, she walked by a massive advertisement for bras and she couldn’t believe the irony. Evidently, at Dillard’s, model boobs are ok for the world to see, but mom boobs are for the bathroom.
Here’s Hope’s full post that she wrote on Dillard’s Facebook page:
This afternoon while shopping in your store, (Hamilton Place- Chattanooga) my daughter got really fussy. I searched for a quiet secluded area to nurse my child. When I found a place I asked if it was okay for her to eat here. The employee at customer service nodded. I then began to nurse my child. I didn't use a cover up (I did that in the pic to prove the irony) I discreetly pulled my shirt down and her head covered me up. The same lady then told me I could not ‘do that’ here. She told me I would need to go to the restroom. I was completely shocked as I have never had anyone comment on me breastfeeding in the whole 18 months I have been nursing. Yet alone, another woman, possibly a mother herself. I repeated her to make sure I understood. Annoyed, she began to tell me the directions to the restroom again.. (Down the hall, take the elevator, then around the corner) I'm sure my hungry child would understand that we have to take a journey to somewhere more secluded where she can eat.. NOT. I immediately went and asked for the manager so I could file a formal complaint (which I did online) As we were leaving the store I passed by this advertisement for bras. I mean seriously the lady’s face is not even in this. Why is it acceptable for a giant picture of BOOBS to be on the wall but I can not feed my
Sincerely,
Pissed off Mommy who will never be shopping at Dillards
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."