The Daily Newds 1/12/09

• After being suspended by AANR for associating with swinger groups, Caliente Resorts withdrew its membership. Now public relations director Angye Fox is trying to repair her image. Despite her speaking at Swingfest, and arranging adult costume parties such as "Eyes Wide Shut" based on an orgy scene in the Kubrick film, Fox defends her actions as simply a means of introducing younger people to the clothing-optional lifestyle.
• Nude art...in a hardware store?
• A Boston Globe reporter goes to Vassalboro, Maine, to find out more about the topless coffee shop controversy.

  "My husband doesn't drink coffee," said Erlile Pelletier, as she worked the cash register at Ferris Variety. "But I told him if he became a coffee drinker, we were getting a divorce."

• Porn star Sasha Grey is finding work in mainstream media as porn and pop culture merge at the "trash culture level".

  "I never sought any of these projects out," she said Friday at the Adult Entertainment Expo, "and I've been very fortunate enough and very, very, very grateful to have people come to me and seek me out, I believe, because of my own interest in film and music, because it stretches much further than a James Bond (film) or radio music."

• A painting of a mother nursing her newborn baby was banned from a city-owned building in Lubbock, Texas.

  Vince Gonzalez is a mediator for the Lubbock chapter of the ACLU. He challenged the city's ban on the drawings and asked to see the city policy banning nudity in art during exhibits in city-owned buildings. It turned out there was no such policy. Two weeks after the ban, the city backed down and issued this apology to (artist Lahib) Jaddo.

• Is skin a barometer for determining the state of the economy?

  Very few women are wearing more than a very few clothes these days. With all this nudity, the hemline has lost its usefulness in market forecasting. Now, it is women's naked or nearly naked bodies that have become the register of economic vulnerability.

• A statue of a naked man is getting a lot of attention in Bristol.

  "If it had been a woman's breasts, that would have been different," said (sculptor) Ms Johnson-Marshall. "I thought the world had moved on, but obviously not."

• The LSU Museum of Art is holding a panel discussion "Nude vs. Naked" on January 29.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 10/30/08

• After Gok Wan's Miss Naked Beauty parade, one finalist felt "degraded, confused, and very, very tearful."
• A New Zealand naturist club's open house brought in zero new members. It is also reported that memberships are dropping at all naturist clubs across the country.
• "Naked Las Vegas" is a new book which shows people from all walks of life both with and without clothing. "The book is about comparing. Compare the homeless guy to the CEO," (photographer Gary) Friedler says of two people in the book. "See how they're alike and how they're different. Naked, they're equals. But you put the clothes on and they take on completely different roles. And people respond to that very differently."
• An advice columnist agrees with a 15 year-old boy that his sister's penchant for home nudity is "inappropriate", and that there is no room for discussion on the matter.
• Please stop referring to creepy people like this one as "naturists".
• Are you ready for Boulder's 9th annual Naked Pumpkin Run on Friday?
• A new book by photographer Naomi Harris explores the world of the swinger's lifestyle in America. The article is accompanied by 14 photos which resemble many nudist images but with sexual activity added to the mix. Is nudism simply too tame for people now in our pornography infested world?

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

Nudism Struggles While Swinging Goes Mainstream

There's a CBS series called Swingtown, and in Florida hundreds of couples will be attending SwingFest at the Westin Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood.

Through Sunday, the hotel will host swingers from almost every state and 20 countries for lingerie parties, pool fests and “play rooms” that the SwingFest Web site promises will be “wild.”

“With so much space available to us during the resort takeover, you’re sure to find the room you desire,” according to the event Web site. “Or just lounge by the pool and soak in the sexually charged atmosphere.”

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

More on Swingers vs. Nudists

If you had any doubts concerning the true intent of Angye Fox and the swinging lifestyle at Caliente Resort, check out this article (with video), describing the "Eyes Wide Shut" masquerade event this weekend promising an "explosive sexual atmosphere".

Fox claims that "sexy sells" when it comes to attracting a younger crowd, and, after all, "this is America". Yes, this is America, which has continually shown its distaste for most things sexual, with laws prohibiting public nudist virtually everywhere, and regulating strip joints so severely that they are nearly unable to operate. How long will it take before lawmakers begin to look at Caliente Resort as an adult entertainment venue? And then how long after that will it take for more scrutiny to be applied to all nudist venues?

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

Can Nudists and Swingers Meet in the Middle?

That is what a Jan Glidewell suggests in the St. Petersburg Times.

The issue here really isn't over the nature or morality of their activity, almost all of which takes place in private. It is more over matters like real estate values, public perceptions, economics and marketing.

Really? Has nudism come to be only a financial enterprise, devoid of philosophy and purity of intention?

I agree to a certain degree that it's not about the morality or nature of the activities. It's about the merging of the two lifestyles.

Nudism and naturism has always been, and always should be, about the family. It's about teaching children, and people of all ages, that the human body is nothing to be ashamed of, that we do not have "dirty" parts, and if we do not all look alike, that is something to be applauded, not booed.

Nudists and naturists also believe in healthy sex lives. Whatever happens among consenting adults in terms of sexual play is generally acceptable. Certainly many nudists are swingers or members of the lifestyles movement, and that's perfectly fine.

The "behind closed doors" attitude is applicable to virtually every lifestyle.

If a clothing-optional resort bills itself as a swinger's club, or caters to swingers, then it can no longer be defined as being "nudist", because it restricts itself to a particular age group, and it's not appropriate for children. People will attend with the intent of seeking sexual encounters, and not to practice the naturist lifestyle.

How to target that market without becoming a part of it is probably the major issue, and today's economy is a dicey one that has most businesses leery of ignoring any part of their market base.

You would not run a brothel out of a church hall, or sell pornography in a Christian bookstore. But that does not mean that churchgoers do not sometimes frequent prostitutes, or view pornographic films. Images mean something, labels are important. People need to know what to expect from their organizations. Truth in advertising is not just a slogan.

Yes, nudists and swingers can co-exist, but not in the same club, resort or community. It's like oil and water, they simply do not mix, and there is no middle ground.

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked

The Daily Newds 2/7/08

• While Americans are struggling with issues over normal non-sexual nudity, private sex clubs are legal and thriving in Canada. [ottsun.canoe.ca]
• In Dayton, Ohio, getting nude on stage did not come easily for many in the cast of "Hair".

  "Several of the guys started doing it during the first run-throughs," said Lloyd, a computer systems supervisor for the city of Beavercreek. "The week after, several of the girls removed their tops. Others have gradually joined in. Almost everyone is removing some clothing." [daytondailynews.com]

• Former lap-dancer and screenwriter Diablo Cody bares her soul in her scripts.

  "I feel much more naked as a writer than I did as a stripper,'' she says. "When I was stripping I felt pretty emotionally neutral because it wasn't a massive event in my life.
  
  "But when I watch Juno, there are bits I can only watch through my fingers because I cringe at how personal it is." [independent.ie]

• An Arizona State University woman understands that American society fears the live nude body, but loves the dead mutilated one.

  It would be scary to have generation of kids desensitized to the type of violence seen in movies, especially when it's glorified. Yet I don't see a more casual display of the human body causing issues but instead allowing people to appreciate the body instead of fearing it. [asuwebdevil.com]

• A group of hospice patients in the UK are planning a nude fundraising calendar.

  Imelda, a mum of three, said: "All we know is that we want it doing very tastefully, we are not all young women! None of us have ever done anything like this before so it's quite nerve-racking." [wigantoday.net]

• An art teacher explains the difference between naked and nude.

  "Nakedness is basically being ashamed with your clothes off. Nudity deals with an artistic tradition where you look at the science and the expressiveness of the human body." [sdsucollegian.com]

• A samba group in Rio de Janeiro's Carnival was dropped to second place because its dancing queen paraded naked.

  Viviane Castro, 25, a model and dancer, had lost her original "tapasexo" -- a small triangle of glitter used to cover the most intimate parts. An improvised substitute glued between her legs right before the show also fell off on the parade strip.
  
  She symbolized native Indians as they appeared to the Portuguese. [news.yahoo.com]

• What was the real reason for police seizing those Abercrombie & Fitch posters in Virginia Beach?

  (Police Spokesman Adam) Bernstein said Saturday's police action resulted from complaints by several shoppers in the mall. He also said the ads made it difficult for police to enforce City dress codes, specifically noting teens who wore droopy jeans. [wavy.com]

• A University of Washington student offers advice to both men and women on how to dress to get naked on Valentine's Day. [thedaily.washington.edu]
• Two Charleston galleries are featuring exhibits focusing on the nude. [charlestoncitypaper.com]
• Margaret Cho has advice for people who want to be more confident with their own bodies.

  "I think the best way to get over your body issues is to just flaunt your body at every opportunity." [huffingtonpost.com]

• An advice column on teenagers taking nude photos of themselves makes some good points, but errs when it states that Vanessa Hudgens "nearly ruined her career" with her well-publicized nude. The fact is that the photo elevated her profile worldwide, she was hired by Disney for another "High School Musical" film, is set to star in a new movie "Will", is ready to release a new album of songs, and is a spokesperson for Neutrogena. So much for ruin. [ljworld.com]
• Three women with bodies that most would die for have posed nude to highlight the issue of body hang ups, and the point is completely missed.

  "My feet are too big, my thighs wobble, and my bum isn't toned," she (Bianca Gasgoine) said to Closer. "I wouldn't be happy unless I looked like Angelina Jolie." [femalefirst.co.uk]

• A Conservancy group in Indiana was able to pay $1.5 million for an island, in part with funds raised from the sale of a nude calendar. [wibc.com]

Tags: nudism, naturism, nudist, nudists, naturist, naturists, nudity, nudes, bare, au naturel, nude, naked