What's the deal with Americans and nudity? [WORK-SAFE AGANE HURRAH]

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Douglas, this sounds like a possibly lovely idea and all, but honestly, haven't you ever been stuck in a situation where you encounter someone and you can honestly not name a single positive attribute about their body? I definitely know you can name at least one positive attribute about any random person's personality or inner self, but the outer self? Heh, I'll just have to say that you obviously haven't encountered me. ;)

― Many Coloured Halo (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I was also going to add to my last post: The problem with porn is not images of sex and nudity in and of themselves, but idealized images of sex and nudity that psychologically impact the way we see ourselves/others.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I would say that everyone has at least one positive attribute.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

xp
But you know, I guess the same could be said for body images in most mainstream media.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

No, there are no gaping sores or anything, but my body is lumpy.

But bodies are lumpy. That's what they do. I mean, it's OK to want to reduce the lumpiness, but it'll never be totally gone, and it's ok!

Also, check this out: http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/digital/digital.html

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Jaymc OTM. Nicolars too. (xp)

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

if they were simply exposed (haha) to more "normal" bodies.
Uh, we're getting way to polarized here. Americans have never seen anyone naked vs. Finns don't wear clothes. Hooooooolllllllddddd on. Americans know what people look like naked. Europeans aren't naked that much more often than Americans are. Europeans don't treat the issue at all uniformly. In many ways, Europeans enjoy/labor under a much more repressed set of social norms than americans do. "das tut man nicht." (one doesn't do that) is the first phrase in German a newcomer needs to learn.

Anyway, Tuomas seems to have fled the thread.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

And another thing...my body ain't lumpy!

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, we've done the project with several hundred people so far, have encountered MANY MANY body types (small/large/lumpy/taut/wrinkly/smooth/whatever), and have never had a problem coming up with at least one genuine compliment. Despite the number of people (mostly women, sadly, but some men too), who say things along the lines of "betcha aren't going to be able to come up with one for me..."

And the general reaction we get when people see the pictures is "wow, you're right, they actually are all beautiful if you give them permission to be!"

(n.b. if there are regulars here who would like to see the URL where we've got a bunch of them, email me privately--I just don't want it posted/circulated in public.)

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:43 (twenty-two years ago)

No idea about women's lockerroom, but I think in general, women are more private, according to my ex.

Don't know about that. I've never seen any of my male friends naked, but every girl I've ever known has seen every female friend of hers naked.

Call me a modest American, but I don't ever want to see my dad's cock. It has nothing to do with religion or morality or whatever. It has everything to do with the fact that it's my DAD for chrissakes.

But why do you feel this way? Such an attitude doesn't come from nowhere.

We don't know why, but we think nudity is always about sex (speaking of the population in general).

Because in America that's the only time people ARE nude, in everyday life and in TV/movies. The two are so closely associated because there is no other situation where two people are nude around one another than during sex.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Eh, I agree that most Americans haven't seen enough naked people and are too convinced that people should look like models, and that they should feel bad that they don't look like (computer-, drug-, and anorexia-enhanced) models.

And another thing...my body ain't lumpy!

Oh, give it time.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, Casuistry, those images are disturbing. I mean, like those people were hideous before the airbrushing/photoshop. They should stay inside. Yech, have some self respect! What?....whadaya mean I don't get....?

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Of course I am balding fast and have steamer trunks under my eyes...

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Americans see each other naked. It's just when we're drunk out of our minds so we can't see straight anyway and playing strip poker.

Good link, Chris.

― JuliaA (j_bdules), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Sex and nudity sell better when they're contraband.
-- Casuistry (chri...), November 4th, 2003 4:08 PM.

Casuistry seems to be OTM a lot on this thread. Which, btw, I fail to see how it is work un-safe.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks, Nick.

Did someone linkify the Tom of Finland picture? That's the only non-worksafe thing (so far, eep).

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

hey, the filthy dirty scummy and yet surprisingly lifelike drawing is gone! Shazam!

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The most disturbing of the set Casuistry posted was the guy whose tummy/chest were slimmed down -- he looked perfectly fine before! If I saw that "before" picture on its own I would never come to the conclusion that he needed to be slimmed down.

― Annouschka (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah - but you're a chubbychaser!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:02 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, i'm chubby too

― Annouschka (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i am both 'phat' (like nate newton) and 'fat' (like leon lett). I am not however 'nude' (like troy aikman).

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Love the body you've got vs. 66% of americans are overweight. Could also have something to do with it. Europeans, unfortunatley, are joining the trend and getting heavier.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

the term "chubbychaser" really needs to be removed from the english language, stat.

― Annouschka (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

anyhows, the seinfeld on this provided more 'insight' (like emmitt smith) and 'laffs' (like alvin harper) than this thread, although the linkification of the tom of finland pic speaks VOLUMES more than anything else.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

66% of americans are overweight

yeah, and a lot of people have terrible eyesight too... where's the national crisis over that?

i'll shut up now.

― Annouschka (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to suggest an alternative used by a 'friend' of mine, but it is offensive in the extreme. "Chubbychaser" is positively charming in comparison.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

oh, I love specs porn!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuck you and your glasses and contacts! My poor eyesight is just who I be! *finger snaps*

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

reason for being anti-nudity = reason for being anti-shorts on grown men in public? (ie. THE BLINDING GLARE)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Skinny dipping is the best thing ever.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

also: men = disgusting looking (with certain exceptions - jude law, spencer chow, etc.)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

And anyway, we're not really talking about not feeling comfortable with the way you look, we're talking about thinking that it's wrong to be nude with people you're not fucking. That's a very different, although possibly related topic.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Bullshit, Blount.

Also, glasses = sexxy. No, make that sexxxy.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

skinny dipping = k-classic! (unless with michael stipe)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

glasses = kkkkkkkkkk-sexxxy!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe some people would like to be fucking everyone?

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I said certain exceptions!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe some people would like to be fucking everyone?

< /apu>

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

glasses also no good skinny dipping or in the sauna, but it's still fun in spite of the blindness

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

glasses horrible in the sauna! (it burns)(also bad in the sauna: sitting on a nail)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't imagine anything that would be fun to do with Michael Stipe.

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:17 (twenty-two years ago)

It would be fun to throw things at him.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Lisa & I have twice done a photo project where we've taken regular & Polaroid photos of people (about 300 people total so far), all of them wearing a fish mask to cover their face & nothing else; then we write one specific, honest compliment about each person's body on their Polaroid, and give it to them... we did it at a big party a couple of months ago, and it was a MAJOR hit.

Douglas, I read "compliment" as "complaint" and I was thinking, "Douglas is a jerk and his friends are masochists." Heh heh, whoopsie.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Sitting on nail in sauna: CLASSIC thing to happen to someone else. Watch the jumping bean hopping around with a burned ass or worse!

― Skottie, Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

glasses also no good skinny dipping or in the sauna, but it's still fun in spite of the blindness

Fun, with burning eyes and nowhere to hang your glasses?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

(good in the sauna: sitting on a naif)

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

plastic framed and lensed don't burn but the do mist up.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:20 (twenty-two years ago)

real reason american men wear towels in the sauna: to prevent dread testes to hot nail contact! (what the deal with europeons and testes to hot nail contact?)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

B-but I am a jerk and my friends are masochists!...

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

long article in the Washington Post about this very topic:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30524-2003Oct28.html

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 4 November 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

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