They carry an endless stream of connotations but, Oedipal connections aside, breasts are one body part that often find their way into conversation. From social media nipple censorship, to debate around public breastfeeding, breasts and their public image have been perpetuated by the male gaze, going beyond anatomy to a subject of objectification that permeates every facet of society.

Exploring how porn, the mainstream press, and social media can warp public opinion, London director duo Will & Carly – Will Cottam and Carly Randall – present satirical short film TITS: A Voyage Into Objectification. Examining the gulf between the fantasy created by the male gaze, and the reality of what ‘normal’ breasts look like, the film considers the misogyny that runs through matters of the female form, investigating how breasts are really perceived by the British public. Inviting uncensored views on breasts from young men across the country, the project involved the creation and flypostering of an anonymous “Tits Hotline”, used to capture the raw, authentic messages that play out through the film.

Framing breasts of all shapes and sizes, mid-nursing and post-surgery, Will & Carly question the sexualization of breasts in spite of their context, offering an unfiltered insight into their differences, and what the male gaze considers ‘desirable’. Through sensitive cinematography, poses collected from 1920s pin-up posters, and a hot red backdrop – a colour heavily adopted by Playboy for its ability to signal arousal – TITS: A Voyage Into Objectification celebrates breasts in all their imperfect perfection. Jarring against the crude hotline soundtrack, we see the absurdity of sexist male views, and the beauty of ‘real’ bodies outside of objectification – proving nudity and sex needn’t always exist in conjunction.