Nudes in the news

[eyesup]

While reading on another site, I ran across this article.

The post where I found it had described another news shows treatment of nudism as juvenile. A reporter on a local station in New Jersey had done a piece on Gunnison Beach, a nude venue in that state, and had treated much as a hormone pumped high school teen would have.

This news report was labeled as a good example of how the subject could be presented with a more reasoned and objective treatment. See it here.

After that I Googled for other such articles and found this one.

The article by Claire Fallon, of the Huffington Post, was written after reading two books about the nudist lifestyle, a journalistic report on social naturism, "Naked Lunch" and a fiction novel, "The Nakeds".

Apparently Smith, the journalist who wrote "Naked Lunch", wrote in his book something we discussed on the old site, the effect clothing has on the observer:

     He (Smith) claims to quickly grow desensitized to the naked bodies all around him at nudist
     clubs, only noticing one attractive woman after she gets dressed.

I was glad to see that view expressed by someone external to that lifestyle.

On the opposite side is a excerpt from the novel about the subject of that work, a teenager attempting to recover from a devastating accident, immobilized by leg and/or body casts. The reporter writes:

     Her parents divorce, and when Nina (her mom) marries Azeem, Hannah is bemused by his more outré
     interests. When Hannah refuses to join Azeem and Nina at their nudist camp, they tell her they’ll
     “bring the camp to you.” On Fridays, her mother and stepfather roam the house unclothed, while
     awkward tween Hannah, in her perpetual toe-to-groin cast, avoids eye contact.

     “The human body is a beautiful thing,” Nina tells her daughter. “We’re not ashamed.”

     “It’s not about you,” retorts Hannah.

The novel sounds like a look at the "ugly side" of naturism/nudism. But having not read it and only going by what the journalist reports, it sounds more like a description of parental neglect or outright abuse. Not sure which.

At any rate it sounds disturbing, along with the behaviors of men in San Francisco.

There are many sides to the story and a sensible meeting of the minds probably can be made in some future society. Not likely this one.

Duane

[reubenT]

When a mind is trained to view something in a certain way,     such as naked=lewd.     That's how it will see it at first sight.  And if the sight is limited that's how it continues.    As in a reporter seeing a naturist group only briefly.    But if the mind is retrained to view the scene in a different manner,  either by education,  or conditioning.   The naked=lewd thought process will fade away.    I got it first by education,   then by conditioning based on the education.    Some get it first by conditioning,  and then the education dawns on them.         Joining a naturist group for a time will create the conditioning, by self and others associating nude in nonsexual context.  Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to get into it,  sometimes longer to realize the effect.   But if a reporter who hasn't been educated shows up, and then doesn't spend enough time to get educated on the nonsexual nature of the environment,   or prefers a more "exciting" story.   A very false picture can be portrayed by the story,  which may well be damaging to the whole group, especially if it's a conservative family oriented place.
  And then an unfiltered venue is like to attract a whole range of participants.   From the sexually conservative to the profligate exhibitionist type.    (flagrant sinners by Christian terms)   Beaches and bike rides could be that kind.     The filter of a conservative naturist resort with anti sex laws would be a better place for the uneducated reporter.    Some have better filters than others.   The requirements of one in CA I looked into was accompaniment for first time visitors and background checks for membership.    One more local to me requires strict behavior standards.   Any sexual activities or lewd behavior is grounds for permanent expulsion for life.     Sometimes just the nature of the environment serves as filter,  those looking for lust charged adventure are disappointed and don't come back.    A brief exposure and they may be creating the lust charged adventure in their own minds when it really isn't there.

[Greenbare Woods]

Naked Driver arrested for causing car crash, not for driving naked.

http://libertynews.com/2015/08/bizarre-news-of-the-day-caught-on-tape-after-causing-a-6-car-pileup-man-flees-scene-on-foot-stark-naked/

[nuduke]

Hmm.  Somewhat macabre article there, Bob. 
Why did he run, I wonder?  Panic, fright, concussion, 'under the influence'?
I suspect he wasn't an SN carnuding.  The article suggested drugs.  Wonder if there'll be a follow up article when the truth is out?  Curiosity whetted.

John

[Greenbare Woods]

There seems to be more articles lately about naked people doing dumb things, like getting naked after taking recreational drugs and crashing cars.  To me its a sign that more people are getting naked, and some of them end up in the news for whatever reasons.  Naked people probably do as many stupid things as clothed people (other than clothes being stupid). 

I see it as a sign that there are more naked people in total.  I also see that the police are arresting him for crashing cars, etc., but not for being naked.   If he had continued to drive naked without crashing, nobody would have minded. 

[Peter S]

It never ceases to amaze me what is accepted as "art" these days (a complaint often heard throughout the land when the Turner Prize is in the offing!). The latest example can be seen here:

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/aug/09/edinburgh-festival-liberation-naked-people-throw-paint-modern-life-stress

A theatrical event at the Edinburgh Festival in which artistes get naked and chuck paint at each other. The idea, says the production's originator, is to "free the audience from feelings of shame over nudity through music, dance and mime". Guess he's never visited this website or any like it.

Would I be too judgmental to call this pretentious nonsense?

peter

[Peter S]

And another case of the prudes starting to get the upper hand

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/berlin-nudists-feel-the-heat-from-prudish-tourists-1.2310388

Happily the police seem to have responded in the correct manner.

peter

[eyesup]

The only downside I can see to that, Bob, is nudity being associated with DUI or other influenced behaviors.

Other than that I agree with you.

Duane

[eyesup]

Would I be too judgmental to call this pretentious nonsense?

No. The saying goes that it is in the eye of the beholder. If it's not art to you, it's not art.
Maybe they should have simply called it a performance or an exhibition.

Contrary to what Bob asserts, that there seems to be more nudity and more acceptance of it, there seems to also be a back peddling in some quarters of what is defined as odd behavior.

For me odd is good. Odd simply means someone is no longer in "The Box". There is a belief that you can control unfamiliar change by regulating and controlling those things that are more easily controlled, e.g. behavior in your community.

It is a good idea to control dangerous behavior, but not odd or different. And remember, like art, odd or different is in the eye of the beholder.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

A theatrical event at the Edinburgh Festival in which artistes get naked and chuck paint at each other.

peter

The artists find an excuse to get naked.  The Guardian finds an excuse to publish photos of naked human beings.   And nobody has a hissy fit about either.  Both are becoming more common because naked humans are becoming more acceptable to many people.

Bob

[Greenbare Woods]

Contrary to what Bob asserts, that there seems to be more nudity and more acceptance of it, there seems to also be a back peddling in some quarters of what is defined as odd behavior.
Duane

There are forces going both directions, Duane.   We have a huge migration of Muslims who won't even show their faces in public and demand that nobody else does either.   The issue is not settled yet.

Bob

[nuduke]

Drawing myself up to my full intellectual height (midget) and drawing on my considerable body of academic knowledge (a 2 day adult ed course on the philosophy of art!), might I comment on the paint throwing ballet in terms of its artistic merit?
If it's art, it's pretty heavily disguised.  I guess it is art but we'd need to ask a fit judge e.g. Brian Sewell (UK idiomatic witticism there!)

John

[jbeegoode]

Naked AT Lunch by Mark Haskell Smith is a very very fun read.DF and I recommenced it, not only as entertainment (informed and hilarious), by also as a good easy introduction to nudity and body acceptance. Mark's reluctance and uncomfortably are eroded as it progresses. It becomes okay and the reader may gather the same outlook. DF got a signed copy at the TNS Gathering from him (he, his wife, us, all nude at the interview and book signing) with the plan to get a more prudish friend of hers to better understand what she is up to by reading it.

Bob seems to lament the immigration of Muslim, because of their fundamentalist, ideas and customs. While I consider aspects of my naturism an important component of my spirituality, or religious practice and feel persecuted by the anti-nudity laws, some of these people offend me and commit what I see as acts that are supposed to be illegal and certainly damaging and immoral openly. It ain't fair. My concern is seeing an obviously teenage, near middle-school girl at the mall in a full on burka, following five feet behind a young man who is either her brother, or somehow husband. This is abuse. This is contrary to much constitutional decree, going passed the law's usual interference of religion. A Mormon is not allowed polygamy or marriage by arrangement, yet this child is being railroaded into a similar, actually much more extreme arranged confinement and from what I observe, much more restrictive. While teaching in the public schools, I was required to segregate these immigrant children from male students, who should be their peers and even from myself in my classroom. So, when I am persecuted and threatened with jail for my religious convictions, and Mormon's theirs because of a Supreme court ruling made back in the 1870's (when all manner of government meddling was occurring), I can't help but see inconsistency and unfairness. Here we have a child having her right of self, her basic personhood, squelched, by an act that is more medieval custom than religious, yet there are laws on the books hitting nudity hard, when it does no harm, even good for children. Where is the compelling states interest in each instance?

Choking the potential of a child because of her sex is legal and protected as religion and a free body is not! It is okay to see violence in the most horrific manner in media, but not a nude human body. In both contexts, men and society are imposing a sexual message on the social fabric, something that they have created to such an extreme as these. This is simply NUTS.

[nudewalker]

It seems that the fundamentalist element of the Muslims is seen more in the populated areas of the country. In my neck of the woods there are the same fundamentalists only they say they are Christian. Every once in a while on my Facebook page a comparison between the two shows up every now and then. Women should dress modestly, be subservient to men, laws should be based on the Koran or Bible. Religious freedom as long as it's their religion.  The list goes on but the general idea is the same. Just like the Supreme Court ruling in the 1870's, laws go on the books but take forever to be repealed. If it would ever happen (which I doubt) could you imagine the cry from the pulpits if the Supreme Court struck down an anti-nudity law?

The area I grew up in had a large migrant population from mostly the south and eastern parts of Europe. When it comes to dating customs I remember some of my high school classmates lamenting that their parents had strict controls and saying "they act like we're still in the old country". Considering the more liberal attitude toward nudity perhaps we should look to the old country? Although I am a second generation away from my grandparents the attitude toward casual nudity was carried down from them through my parents. My children may have carried it on if not for peer pressure and media hype although our daughter has seen the light so to speak but that's another story.

NUTS! Jbee that's putting it mildly. I'm getting a kick out of Trump's running for president, not because he has a chance as the GOP establishment will see to that, but because he is exposing the inconsistency. The powers that be have created the mess now refuse to deal with it. How and why the Muslim's have a free pass so to speak when other non-Christian faiths or beliefs have been attacked is beyond me.

[eyesup]

Both are becoming more common because naked humans are becoming more acceptable to many people.

In this case your statement about nudity being more common certainly holds up. It's incrementalism.

We have a huge migration of Muslims who won't even show their faces in public and demand that nobody else does either.

Agreed.  I read a report about a woman that wanted to keep her face covered for a drivers license photo, claiming that it violated her religious beliefs. Her request was refused. It is disturbing, and if it weren’t ongoing and persistent it would be funny. How can you have a photo ID without your face showing?

Duane