I ask this question after reading that Richard Collins was accused of indecent exposure by an off-duty police officer while seated nude on a bench in Hastings, Sussex. He didn't see the problem. "I've been naked in pubs and pub gardens without any problem. There's nearly always a positive reaction from the public" he says.
But why the craving to be naked? What does he get out of it, apart from a lot of attention from other people? Maybe that's part of the attraction. Personally I try to avoid attention, I like to be as anonymous as possible.
If people don't want to see my naked body, I'm quite happy to keep it covered up. I don't feel hard-done-by if I've got clothes on. I don't feel I'm hiding my real self or being deprived in some way.
Fair enough if you want to be naked on an established nude beach, where the only people around are other nudists. That's not going to bother anyone. Jenny and I once stumbled on a male gay nude beach on our travels. It was just amusing to see all these blokes disporting themselves, hoping to be admired and seduced.
I'm certainly not shocked by nudity. I saw plenty of naked boys at boarding school. And of course I've seen a few naked women. What's to be shocked by? I could think of many things that are genuinely shocking. Like widespread poverty in a very wealthy country.
Let's just say, the percentage of people who look good without clothes is very, very small.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Very true. But presumably whether they look good isn't the main consideration.
DeleteAs far as I recall it s only indecent exposure if there is intent to insult a female...thus his claims of positive reaction. There used also to be the dictum that 'de minimis non curat lex' - invoking sniggers in the case of indecent exposure.
ReplyDeleteFly: He did in fact point out to the police officer that there was no crime unless he was causing alarm or distress to other people.
DeleteIt's not really normal human behavior. As far as I know, there's not a single human culture in the world in which being naked in public is normative. Almost all people feel uncomfortable being naked in front of anyone except a small number of people they're on very intimate terms with. So in most cases there's probably an element of attention-seeking and trying to startle people.
ReplyDeleteNudism doesn't seem to go with the British climate, but I understand it's popular in Germany, which is probably even colder.
Infidel: True, nudism doesn't seem to go with the chilly British climate.
DeleteInteresting discussion. I've not been interested or involved in the past.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: I guess most people don't actually know any nudists. I certainly don't.
DeleteHave you seen the doco where Miriam Margolyes goes to a nudist camp?
ReplyDeleteI remember a young woman there saying it was great for her confidence. She had struggled with body image and seeing others naked made her realise that most of us are far from Instagram perfect.
Nudism isn't for me but I don't think it's at all elated to showing off or attention seeking
Kylie: No, I haven't seen that. Good that nudism can boost someone's confidence about their body.
DeleteI have no problem at all with nudism. Have we forgotten that we entered this world naked ? A wonderful feeling to swim naked in the sea and yes I'm German and here we have not much problems with nudism, you can wander without clothes in the woods but of course there are no people going around naked to shop, there are nudism shops in vacation areas but not in the city. On public playgrounds for children you can see quite a lot of small childrenthem being naked in summer. One of my nephews grew up in New Caledonia in front of the beach mostly naked and when moving back to Paris at the age of 5 ,he developped a severe eczema because not used to have clothes on his skin. I think in town people should be dressed not to offend other persons .
ReplyDeleteThe post went off without being signed and some mistakes .
ReplyDeleteHannah
Hannah: It looks like Germany is more tolerant of nudism than the UK. Interesting that your nephew developed eczema when he started wearing clothes. And interesting to know there are nudism shops!
DeleteNaked comes in degrees. That's why bikinis and swimming trunks were invented. When God threw Adam and Eve out of paradise for a relatively minor demeanour what was the first thing that happened? Suddenly they felt shame. Yes, shame. So the previously innocent and naked used fig leaves to cover their genitals; poor Eve also tried to cover her breasts (with her arm). Thus the textile industry took off.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the problem (well, my problem) is that it's not nakedness - in public - per se. It's all the dangly bits and, dare I say it, hygiene. Do I really want to sit on a stool at a beach bar (or pub) that has just been vacated by a stranger in the nude? No.
Anyway, Nick, you ain't seen nothing yet. Some years ago, I thought it was a joke, a whole gaggle of geese, mostly ganders on their bikes weaving their way round our way (city) - in the nude. It appears to be an annual event. A bit like spawning for frogs or something.
Never mind the Germans - what of the Swedish mingling with strangers in the sauna? Well, I suppose at least they will be clean (which is very important to the Swiss and Germans!).
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Ursula: I'm with you on not wanting to see those unattractive dangly bits. And wondering how hygienic those recently vacated stools are. I don't know about the Swedish but gay men have been mingling with strangers in the sauna for a very long time.
DeleteI had to laugh. I had a long term male friend, fairly conservative, who would go to a nude beach in Florida for a week every year and invited me one year. I only had one question. "Why?"
ReplyDeleteI seriously never, ever wanted to see him naked and honestly thought there was something sexual for men in the whole prancing on the beach with dangly bits flying everywhere. I would joke with him about it. I mean how could you be friends afterwards when you've seen EVERYTHING on a male friend? Women, yes, in locker rooms, etc or sharing a bedroom on vacations. But I've never thought a nude beach was somewhere I'd want to be.
XO
WWW
www: I think I could easily be friends with a man who's shown me his dangly bits. But as yet I've never had the opportunity to test this theory!
DeleteMary says "I have no idea. I want to keep my bits to myself and would like others to do the same."
ReplyDeleteMary: I certainly have no wish to see men's genitals, which are a profoundly unattractive part of the male anatomy.
DeleteNick you made me laugh. An circumcis penis can look quite attractive !
DeleteHannah
Hannah: I think a circumcised penis is more attractive than a natural one, but even so....
DeleteI can’t think of anything worse
ReplyDeleteJohn: You won't be going to a gay nude beach any time soon then....
DeleteMs Scarlet says: "Clothes were made for a reason - to protect the body from the sun; the cold; horseflies; and strange looks!"
ReplyDeleteMs Scarlet: But people wearing clothes can get lots of strange looks. In fact some people wear certain clothes precisely for that reason. Think microskirts, boob tubes, six inch heels etc.
DeleteDecades ago I did once sunbathe topless on holiday in the Canary Isles but never wanted to go completely naked, I just don't understand why anyone wants to.
ReplyDeletePolly: Being naked would just draw attention to myself, and I prefer to stay in the shadows.
DeleteOooh - naked at the beach - can you imagine all the little nooks and crannies the sand would invade?
ReplyDeletelady m: Indeed. Either an immediate shower or hours of irritation in your intimate areas.
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