Nudes in the news

[Greenbare Woods]

I remember that place and Longchamp. It was very busy, even back then. It would be like walking along in a big city park, during the weekends.
Jbee

A perfect place to promote nudism.

[Greenbare Woods]

ESPN 2016 annual naked athletes "BODY" issue.   More promotion of naked bodies being seen by the public, lots of the public. 

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/body/espn-magazine-body-issue

[eyesup]

All shapes, sizes, types, colors genders and all of them in peak shape.

It's a small segment of society but certainly presents a great way for anyone to show the gifts God gave them, no matter their area of endeavor.

Great gallery of photos.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

Today there is several news items about an ongoing HBO show called "Westworld."   Its about a futuristic theme park featuring humanoid robots. 

The article I read says it has featured flagrant nudity from its beginning but the latest episode included several minutes of orgy sex along with lots and lots of nudity. 

I don't watch HBO much and I have never seen "Westworld."  I did see the feature film by that name 30 or 40 years ago.  The original didn't have nudity that I recall.   HBO likes to push the limits with their "adult" theme series. 

In my opinion, the more nudity that people see the better, and it doesn't matter if the naked bodies are supposedly humanoid robots.  They are portrayed by real human actors so real human bodies are shown on the series.  Mass market depiction of humans enjoying their bodies is good for all things naked.  Maybe I'll watch an episode. 

[Peter S]

I'm all for familiarising the TV public with nudity, but if it keeps being portrayed in orgy/sex scenes that will only reinforce people's ideas equating nudity with sex, and making it even more difficult for us to get the message across.

peter

[John P]

I agree with you there, Peter. Sexualized nudity is the kind that the commercial world wants to spread around, and it reinforces the idea that nobody would be interested in nudity for any reason except sex.

On the other hand, I was expecting the ESPN thing to be like soft-core porn in Sports Illustrated, and it was better than that. With men and women being shown in equivalent images, for instance, which is good to see. But they did feel the need to pose the people so the parts conventionally hidden stayed hidden, thus saying "Nudity is OK as long as you don't show entire bodies". And of course, another message is "Nudity is OK if you're gorgeous".

[eyesup]

I remember that movie, back in the 70's I believe. The premise was that you go to a "theme park" of some kind, "Westworld" was one where you "pretended" to be a cowboy.

When it comes to this idea of pretending I get completely bored. I either can't or am unable to maintain the pretense that I am in an alternate reality. It's probably why reality shows put me to sleep. If it weren't for the volume of ludicrous behavior and the fact that the whole idea is insulting I might be at least interested to try it. The idea of going to a costume ball is also baffling to me.

We don't subscribe to HBO. Not sure I could sit through any episode even if it were available to me. So much TV these days is annoying.

Years ago I was browsing through a book I had, called "Murphy's Law: And Other Reasons Why Things Go Wrong". It was a series of funny variations in the Murphy's Law vein. One had to do with the attempt to explain bad TV.

It stated that, "Pure drivel tends to drive off the TV screen, Ordinary drivel." Which reminds me of another of Groucho's statements, "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

So here we are again with another remake with the only difference from the 1st incarnation is the willingness of the latest hawksters to push the boundaries of the TV censors. If that is the only difference, I'll just go out on a hike naked and enjoy myself in nature without all the irritating baggage.

I wish those with the means and abilities to make these programs would move beyond the Jr. High and High School level of programing. I suppose I shouldn't fault them so much, if they didn't make buckets of money on this stuff, they wouldn't make it.

I agree with you too, Peter. This also raises again the question of whether you want to associate yourself with the messenger.

Duane

[eyesup]

JohnP I agree on the ESPN article. It wasn't just bodies of idealized 20 somethings.

There were NFL linemen, whose 6 packs are buried inside, and women boxers that could drop-kick a debutante through a window. They definitely don't fit that small segment of the populace. ALL were in top physical shape though.

It is, I suppose, a small step on the way to get to where we would prefer that the culture should be. That someone like us would be equally accepted as some celebrity.

Small steps do add up.

Duane

[Greenbare Woods]

It stated that, "Pure drivel tends to drive off the TV screen, Ordinary drivel." Which reminds me of another of Groucho's statements, "I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book." Duane

Groucho may have bashed TV but he earned plenty of money from staring in his own show.  "Say the secret word and win $100," was one of his most common sayings.

I set my TV recorder to record the HBO episode next time it comes around on HBO.  I would rather see naked hikers on TV than naked robots in a fake future, but the underlying message is the experience of seeing naked people.  It doesn't really matter in 4 years how or where they saw the naked people or what the naked people were doing.  They saw naked people, and didn't turn into lunatics or suffer other harm.   The more often the public sees naked human bodies the less concerned they will be about seeing a naked human body anywhere.

Bob

[Greenbare Woods]

WESTWORLD REPORT

I watched the Westworld episode last night on HBO.  It does insert naked bodies as a casual mater of fact without even mentioning of focus.  For example in the robot repair shop they wheel a naked female (with big dark nipples) lying on a gurney and park her across the room from some guy trying to build a robot bird.  Naked bodies are the background. 

The whole show is about some future theme park where bored people can come to pretend they are living in the fictional movie version of America's "Old West."   Realistic robots interact and allow the customers to win card games, win gun fights, ride horses, and hang out in saloons and brothels.  One older (it doesn't age so it looks as young as ever) female robot is planning to escape. An older man who created all the robots wanders in and out.  In the recent episode the life like "robots" were entertaining customers in a brothel of some kinds with lots of naked bodies and flagrant sex going on in the background. 

It is difficult or impossible for viewers (and Westworld customers) to tell which is a robot and which is another customer.   Like Disneyland, there is a "behind the scenes" section with repair and maintenance shops where naked robots are lying about or being repaired after being shot, etc.

The overall impression is that of casual nudity often not related to sex.  Sex is part of their entertainment for customers, but its background and not the central theme of the plot or the nudity.  My impression was that naked human bodies are treated with a casual and unconcerned indifference for their lack of cover.  In general that attitude is conveyed to the viewer, and is beneficial to public education about seeing human bodies.

Bob
 

[eyesup]

Thanks for the clarification. It's always a crap-shoot with anything from Hollywood. You just never know how they will treat a subject.

So, away from the sex scenes there were naked "robots" casually moving about? More of that and less of the sex would be better. Did any of the "non-robot" characters appear casually naked? If not, the implication is still nudity=sex. I would have to bite the bullet and watch one to have a more accurate reaction, but we don't have HBO.

Maybe we will hear more reports?
But I take your point of no one being harmed by the nudity.

Duane

[nudewalker]

I hope my satellite provider will have a free HBO weekend soon so it can be viewed first hand. Or now that our travel plans will include hotel stays maybe I catch it there.

Back to the ESPN body issue, I remember one of the first ones featured Prince Fielder who besides his physique was not the poster child of what is considered fitness. The body shamers came out in force but I for one defended him considering his athleticism. Bodies come in all shapes, sizes and colors!

[jbeegoode]

Nudewalker wrote, "Bodies come in all shapes, sizes and colors!"

...and textures and abilities, and they tend to change in an infinite pilithora of conditions over time and use, care and conditions. They reflect the nature of the universe, in that they change, redefine, adapt and play. They are honest and in those ways are as the Universe. Clothing, gets people kinda stuck in one identifying mode...for a while. The art and decoration, or practical utilitarian coverings tend to become a hangup as identity...Dare I say less god-like?

Anyway, seeing female athletes with bodies that look more like the Discobolus statue was new to me.

I'm pleased that this isn't considered shameful, plain out sex, and is respectable among the athletic communities. Even though the genitals are hidden in the poses, the focus is then taken away from them to appreciate the rest of the body. Goes both ways there. Another step in the right direction and more healthy than the swimsuit issue. 
Jbee

[Greenbare Woods]

So, away from the sex scenes there were naked "robots" casually moving about? More of that and less of the sex would be better. Did any of the "non-robot" characters appear casually naked? If not, the implication is still nudity=sex. I would have to bite the bullet and watch one to have a more accurate reaction, but we don't have HBO.
Duane

I found it difficult or impossible to tell which character was a robot and which was a human customer.  The robots are human impersonators in the plot.  I don't think it matters if some of the characters wandering around naked were the anatomically correct "robots" or humans.   They all are clothed pretty much on the streets but several were naked, and just casually so, in the back office shops and in the party.   

Even the "sex scenes" were not focused on the sex.  It was some kind of background activity.  The main characters and plot happened in front of it without interacting other than avoiding naked pedestrian traffic. 

The more often people get used to seeing naked the better. 

[jbeegoode]

It shows them as naked bodies, not naked human bodies. Actors impersonating robots, which impersonate humans, which makes the nudity okay.

Eventually, this could be good training for people, as we are naked bodies and those are curious entities, so it is a good habit. Like coed locker-room.

But then there are other possible effects of this. It is okay to look and even stare at an unclothed robot, I suppose, but not a human, even though they appear exactly the same. That is some weird thinking! Is it okay to lust with a robot, like a blow up toy? What about the kids? Uh oh, there we have some controversial sex issues...kid robots! There is this theme, if taken out of the Theme park, that could rearrange social society, in not only body issues, but sexuality! It is okay to kill virtually, but not the real thing, and then attitudes get confused and dehumanizing habituation occurs.
Jbee