The Great Divide?

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Often I can appreciate both sides of an argument and completely understand where both sides stand and why.
Sometimes this is a blessing because I happen to be in a position where I can suggest an alternative approach both factions can heartily agree on.
At other times it's a curse because I can see where both sides are right but wrong at the same time. They're right to hold the views or values that they do, but they're wrong by being so absolutely blinded and blinkered by those very views or values that they can't see the world in any other way. "This is how it is!" Yes that is how it is, but it's also this way as well. That's without even getting into quantum physics!

So a question I am posing to a couple of different groups I network with is this:
"Do you believe a proliferation of photos on the Internet, ranging dramatically in quality and taste, helps or hinders the wider societies acceptance and understanding of nudity?"

Let me elaborate a little. Think about the people you work with, ride to school on the bus with, stand in line at the mall with.
Do you think they might become more accustomed and accepting of nudity if the majority of pictures they see advocating nudity are of guys taking shots of themselves naked with their phones. Glamor shots of women. Glamor shots of men. Selfies by women.
Do you think it's more likely they'll see nudity as a more normal thing when they predominately see advocacy sites showing pictures of people in the outdoors enjoying nudity. In groups participating in nudity. Do you think instead they might feel alienated by those types of images because what they portray seems too inaccessible. Do you think close up shots of people in their home or garden appeal to the wider audience?
Perhaps it's a mixture of all of these or perhaps even none. Are people not accustomed to nudity at all basically appalled by any kind of image with nudity in it?

Try not to think about what you personally feel is appropriate or positive. Think about how everyday people around you might perceive these things.

28 thoughts on “The Great Divide?”

  1. When you mention nudism to most not involved if you are looking you can see the video run behind their eyes, naked girls with hormones overflowing running rampant or images of roman orgies. just as when you mention Wicca you can see the images of old misshapen women in tall black hats calling up all manner of demons. It is the perception that they have been conditioned to have. and no matter the marketing or the facts they have made up their mind and dont want to be confused by facts.

  4. As we all know sex sells every thing from cars, boats, vacations, magazines you name it there will be a female body some where. The first so called nudist magazine I see was "Sunshine & Health" in the mid 50s where pubic hair was air brushed out. It contained young females in so called Healthy activities if I remember correctly no male bodies where shown.

    If one would pic up a so called "Nudist" magazine today the only difference would be that the pubic hair would not be air brushed out or it would be shaved. Again the emphasizes is on young female bodies and very few males bodies.

    The many years of attending nudist resorts across the United States, Hawaii and Australia I have yet to see the images that are shown in so called "Nudist" magazines.

    Now we have the world of the "internet" where the word "Nudist" can mean just about any thing one can possible dream up. The porn world thrives under the Heading Nudist. Take any web site and there are more than one could look at in a life time. But any one that looks at a site must be of the open mind that this is not real "Nudist life" it is open invite to Sex yes there might be one or two actual nudist photos of some one laying at the beach for example. But over all again it is the young shapely female bodies that is the main attraction.

    So having said all that how does one promote the positive side of being a Human Being that doesn't wear clothing other than for protection from the environment. Notice I didn't say Nudist, Nudism, Naturist, any other word that has been associated with being without clothing. Why because those words are used in the manner described above.

    Protection from the environment means the physical damn it is cold out to those branches have thorns on them yes shoes keep my feet from being cut. But it also means the society we live in it is also part of the environment. All cultures where there are more than two people there will be some does and don'ts thats life. The United States has some might tough laws about nudity Montana has the strongest law on the books "Life in Prison" for indecent exposure. So one must play by the laws of the land.

    Knowing the laws of Montana our small space which is fenced gives us the privacy and allows many friends from across the state a place to just BE without the stigma that prevails in the "Nudist" world. So one couple at time or one young person at a time we make them feel important as Human Beings.

    That is how we look at making the positive change in how people feel about themselves not the books, magazines, TV ads and the internet BS.

    the Naktiv site site is on the right track especially the part that few of the ladies are speaking up.

    Thanks to all the female voices and looking forward too more chiming in from the rest of you.

  5. I wonder if we have the branding of the cloths free life style wrong.. If I pick up any number of naturist publications I will find an excess of young slender examples of the female form.. Has anyone asked themselves what market this type of depiction is targeting? One editor explained that if the cover did not carry a young female, circulation plummeted. Sadly the world that we live in does not cater for the ideals only what the people want, that is driven by money.
    I also believe that you can not represent the naturist lifestyle though pictures. Holiday snaps tend to be uninteresting beach shots that provide little or no interest to the observer. The owner of the images will happily provide a vivid commentary that will be triggered by memory and emotion of the event that was captured. My impression is that the best way to get people in to naturism is experiencing it for themselves and it is that experience that is the key.

  6. Yet another reason not to wear knickers in the first place 😀 nothing to get knotted up when you strongly disagree with a point of view that rails against your own views so dramatically LOL
    maybe we should try that with politicians. We might actually get somewhere.

  7. I wonder how many people actually think about that? Freedom is a pretty common denominator among nudists. As is non conformity. It doesn't make a lot of sense to ditch your clothes as a rejection of the rules and constraints of society only to turn around and impose a whole new set of values and constraints on people around nudity.
    I was a little surprised at some of the venom that seemed to be directed towards Howards post. That lead me to question the perspective I was viewing the whole thing from.
    When I started to question my perspective it started to dawn on me, what if I've got all this backwards. What if the most mundane pictures of people naked actually makes people think, "this is completely normal. If all these people are stripping off at home, in their garden etc, then why shouldn't I?"
    That's why I feel it's important to question your assumptions.
    As it is you have raised some interesting points I've never seen discussed elsewhere. It's not like this subject of how do you bring up the subject and positives of nudity with others hasn't been discussed before. I simply haven't seen anyone raise that point.

  8. In my last job some of the people there knew about how I spent some of my freetime. My boss had a laugh about it and he found out because some of the guys I worked with showed him pictures. I don't think he would be trying it anytime soon though. Two friends did strip off briefly while hiking in the mountains but only to try and shock me by showing that they weren't prudish. Of my female friends they have a giggle about it in general although one has said that she admires the fact that I hike naked or lie out on the beach naked. I don't think she will be joining in either though. I have found out accidentally that another female friend prefers to sunbathe nude when we were in a mixed group one evening. This stemmed from a question regarding how I knew another woman which we had met a few evenings previous. I said we knew each other from the beach and one of the guys said he never saw me on the beach. I told him that we didn't go the same beach and the conversation developed from there. I was as surprised as he was initially when our friend said she goes nude on holidays. He wanted to come one day but his motives being a bit voyeuristic he was denied. Another girl at the table was appalled at the very idea of being nude.
    My point I think is that reactions vary but seem to be balanced in mixed company, but if I am with all male peers it's seen as something to be joked about and no meaningful discussion will be had on the topic. The images you describe will only serve as a tool for the side who wish to see it as a joke or something bizarre and weird. They aren't real advertisements for partaking in nude activities.
    Sorry for the epic tale by the way.

    • I posed this as a lengthy question with some lead ins rather than a poll because I wanted epic tales, not knee jerk reactions.
      The responses you and Laurie have given are far more interesting and insightful than I expected. It's actually more interesting to hear how various people brooch the subject of nudity with others than directly answering the question I posed.
      Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences Marc.

    • It's always good when you get the opportunity to discuss nudity, naked hiking, or whatever variation, with people who are new to the idea. I recall going for a naked hike one day with a friend, and being interviewed on the local radio network, by this lady reporter we happened to meet on our route. When I went into work the next day, my boss said: "you sounded like you were enjoying your naked hike, that's a nice way to spend a day off". Smiles all round

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