For several months now, a new trend has been sparking debate on social media. Men are posing with milk cartons in their mouths, playing on the size of women's breasts. While some dismiss it as a simple joke, many internet users see it as a new form of body shaming.
A viral trend that's not funny to anyone
The mechanism is as simple as it is problematic. The videos , shared by the thousands, play on the fact that some women have larger—or conversely, less developed—busts than others. All of this is presented humorously, as simple "content" designed to go viral. But that's precisely what's so shocking. On social media, many users have denounced the trend, pointing out that it reduces women, once again, to a specific part of their bodies. It's a mechanism as old as mockery itself, but one that contemporary tools—short viral videos, content monetization, algorithms—amplify on a massive scale. And make it all the more difficult to control.
Body shaming, a long-banalized form of violence
Beyond this specific trend, the debate it sparks highlights a broader reality: the persistence of a body image culture to which women remain widely exposed, particularly online. According to several social science studies conducted in recent years, up to 90% of young women surveyed reported having been targeted by unsolicited mockery or comments about their physical appearance. The consequences are numerous and well-documented: altered self-image, eating disorders, social anxiety, and depression. Far from being mere "ironic," this type of mockery leaves lasting scars, especially on teenage girls—the primary users and targets of these platforms.
The boomerang argument: "But women do it too."
Under the videos criticizing the trend, one argument keeps recurring in the comments: women also make jokes about certain male attributes. Therefore, "why can't we make fun of their breasts?" This logic amounts to saying that two wrongs make a right.
Yet, the experts' response is consistent. Body shaming, whether directed at women or men, remains a form of violence and a mechanism of domination—often stemming from a feeling of insecurity in the person engaging in it. Responding with reciprocal mockery defuses nothing; it only prolongs a cycle where humiliation gradually becomes the norm. This is, in essence, precisely what critics of the trend accuse its proponents of doing.
Towards collective responsibility on social networks
Social media thrives on popularity, and its very architecture encourages virality—regardless of its content. But the virality of content is not, in itself, a moral argument. A user can very well choose not to share a trend that relies on the portrayal of others. This is a point already emphasized by several feminist groups, who call on users to examine their own role in the spread of humiliating content.
It is also a responsibility that the platforms themselves struggle to assume. While some violent or explicit content is quickly moderated, sexist or fatphobic jokes still largely slip through the automatic filters.
This new trend will certainly not go down in the history of social media. But it implicitly illustrates a demand that deserves to be hammered home again and again: women's bodies—whatever they may be, whatever their shape—are not a subject of public ridicule. And freedom of expression should never be used to justify collective mockery.
