Permanude

[Greenbare Woods]

I recall from an article in a nudist magazine from about fifty years ago (you know, the Golden Age of Nudism) discussing why there were so many photos of nice looking, young people in the magazines. The answer was, a picture is worth a thousand words. The stated aim or purpose of those magazines was to increase interest in nudism (as it existed then). There might be some disagreement as to whether or not that was really the aim of the magazines but as far as that goes, they were correct. I don't recall when or how I first learned about nudism (as it existed then) but it was by way of those magazines, or one of them, at least, that I actually made a visit to a club. That club was the Pen-Mar Club in western Maryland. I think some clubs have changed considerably in character since then.

When I was just 18 and graduated high school (55 years ago) I spent the summer working for a boat landing in a nearby resort town.  I stayed in a cabin on the property and found the owner's stash of 1950s nudist magazines.  It may have been the first time I ever saw a naked female, just wasn't done or even spoken about in my family.  Suddenly I was interested in nudism.    My personal adventures had me daring to run naked through the night in town 5 years before that, but I had never dared to think that being naked was accepted by anyone.  Suddenly here were all these women and girls, and occasional men and boys, playing naked without concern.   The magazines worked.  My interest in nudism went up a lot.

Bob

[BlueTrain]

Mostly, the magazines were intended to increase interest in nudist clubs, to be more precise. The other reason was to give people, presumably mostly men, an opportunity to see photos of nude females, which generally wasn't available in other publications. The degree of censorship varied over the year, of course, and towards the end, they covered all possibilities, including magazines devoted to nudist kids. Then general censorship of "real" men's magazines was lifted and they began to disappear. Later publications were somewhat different. but still tended to feature a lot of photography. "N" magazine is probably the most intellectually-oriented nudist magazine available now. Another is travel oriented and one that I have seen is Canadian, much like "N" but it's half in French. I don't know of any local newsstand where I live now that had any of them, though. One would think Barnes & Noble would carry them, since they carry so many titles. They may but I've never found any.

[jbeegoode]

...As for the young people in the nudist magazines of fifty years ago, they're the same people appearing in nudist magazines today, or so it seems.

Those young women in old nudist magazine, I hope are the same women in magazines now. The age of the people in "N" mag is more than back in the day. They may well be the same women....
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

According to one article in 'N' Magazine, at least one is.

[jbeegoode]

I saw a copy of "N" on the rack at Barnes and Noble several years ago.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

I have looked at Barnes & Noble but they have so many titles, with sometimes only a few issues each, that it's easy to miss something. The newsstand where I used to find it, along with The Backwoodsman, went out of business. Barnes & Noble may not be long for this world, either.

[jbeegoode]

I went to Barnes and Noble, but had no luck with "N" magazine. I need to call TNS after the first of the year and will ask if they sell on any news stands, or members only.
Jbee

[Ed]

Unfortunately Tumblr has imposed a no nude imagine policy recently. So let's hope whomever ran that page on Tumblr has set up shop in a different site.

[Peter S]

Despite the no nudes rule on Tumblr, there are still a lot there. Those I have seen are overwhelmingly non-sexual nudity, though you can’t always say the same for the captions.

[GentleBen]

To get back to the original post on the Permanude lifestyle, it is all laid out in a continuing series of erotic books by Gloria (the one who started the Nude World Order on Tumblr). The Tumblr blogs have moved to http://www.nudeworldorder.net/blog/, but she is not involved much there. Her books are available on Amazon (and for Nook as well) and reviewed on Goodreads. Search for Gloria Permanude - she publishes about one story a month. Start with the Amy books. There are other authors publishing stories on the Permanude idea, some erotic, others naturist.

Anyway, the posts here about the concept get it all wrong. It's based on the idea of protected lifestyles (LGBT, religious, survivalists, etc.) being extended to the non-sexual nudist and then to sexual nudity in public and established in law. Interesting, fun to think on, and attractive to more all the time.

[John P]

I followed the Nudeworldorder link, and my instant conclusion, based on seeing the images and not reading any text, was that it's pornography and nothing else. If there actually is a naturist element, all I can say is it's being hidden to the point where visitors will be driven away before they find it. I have no problems with the existence of porn or sex clubs (or whatever it is that ingenious minds will find next) as long as it's clear what the product is.

Edited to say I just saw my comment on this thread from December, and yes, when we're shown a bunch of pretty ladies with their clothes off, it's just same old, same old.

[BlueTrain]

Re-reading something that I wrote in this thread about the object of the pretty women in the early nudist magazines being to increase membership in nudist clubs, it is just as likely that the object was to increase the circulation of the magazines. But the magazines were interesting and were actually written by real nudists with photos taken in real nudist clubs. That one can figure out from looking for signs and the like in the photos. But that was a long time ago and some clubs have disappeared, new ones opened and the ones that hung on are more upscale these days, which is not necessarily bad. These things happen.

There are or have been a few other magazines that were not connected with national nudist organizations or clubs. "N," is partly like that, although the advertising is clearly from clubs and resorts. There was at least one nudist magazine that was oriented towards travel but I don't recall the name. I suppose there are British and European magazines and there is a Canadian publication that is bilingual.  The more the merrier. Non-nudist travel 'lifestyle' magazines sometimes have advertisements from clothing optional resorts, too. Apparently there might be a larger market for those who prefer non-membership resorts over membership-type clubs.

[jbeegoode]

I see that it promotes the idea that being seen nude is a shame filled punishment, that being naked in public is naughty fun, that people who register as nudist are just after kicks. Once in a while there is someone who just likes being naked. The whole gamut. I don't think that helps us much, promotes naturism, as much as entertains people living in ignorance of naturism and reinforces their misguided beliefs.

So, I read a bunch of the snaps and I got a kick out of some of it, I got disgusted with some. It is definitely some soft porn. It is popular. Too bad it is so much sick fun.

There is also an element of abuse to it, but then it often strips away and lays bare may disturbing orientations of nudity and sexuality in our society. It is very popular! There are apparently thousands of these produced by the readers.

I seemed to respond to the bold manner that some of the characters wander into a nude lifestyle. Living nude in a textile world is intriguing. I have no idea how I might respond, if given the ability. Here, imaginations give their ideas as to what that might be like. How does one cope with the reservoir of trash that is accumulated inside a mind growing up in a social order that promotes these ideas. Even the most pure naturist, must harbor some of it. What if anti-nudity laws were legally erased and how would that feel? Would it be fun, or inhibiting, or something else.

I think that I may have better things to do with my time.
Jbee

[BlueTrain]

The basic problem is that I don't think it's possible to de-sexualize humans. In a manner of speaking, it wouldn't be natural. But that's not saying we would naturally live in a hedonistic world if we could. But there are places to go for that, I understand. But on the other hand, I don't think we necessarily wear clothes, when we do, in order to de-sexualize us or to control our otherwise uncontrollable sexual impulses. There is that intent, of course, in some cultures, including ours, to attempt to do something like that by regulating clothing, what is allowed, how it's worn and on. Usually, though, the restrictions seem to be more on women than on men, at least in those places where serious enforcement of such restrictions exist.

[John P]

Not so, Blue Train, but it's a common miconception. Clothing restrictions are vastly more extensive for men than for women, but we're so used to our limited possibilities that we tend to forget them. That's especially true with regard to anything that exposes bare skin--once you start thinking about it, you could come away saying "Our society believes that the male body is hideous, and needs to be totally hidden"

Oh sure, you could tell us a story about girls getting into trouble with their school dress code. And then I'll ask you how many boys in that school would ever wear that kind of clothing, and of course the answer will be that all the boys are pretty well covered up and never have that sort of problem. We know what's expected of us.

But yes, it's true that "in some cultures, including ours, we regulate clothing, what is allowed, how it's worn and so on". I wonder what it means when one gender has so many more restrictions than the other, as far as display is concerned. Some ritualized attempt to regulate male energy, perhaps?