Bums are not like other functional body parts that carry no other meaning than their physiological function. The bum has a complex history with symbolic values. Besides being the physical representation for the body’s biggest muscle, a necessity to be able to stand and walk the way we do as humans, the bum has served as a symbol for many things. The meaning of butts changes in different cultures and throughout history.
The bum is not there to aesthetically please the owner, as it is rarely in view of the beholder. The bum belongs to the viewer more than the viewed. We have many words for the bum, to help us talk about it in conversations, however the bum almost never represents itself when spoken about. It is something we all have and it serves a pure, non sexual function, yet we feel a social responsibility to cover it up. The different shape and size of the bum help to show more about who we are. Its many shapes and sizes is as much of a representation of its owner as a face can be.
