- More than half object to nude beach in Australia, but that means that nearly half were for it. [abc.net.au]
- Nude models share what it's like to be naked in a crowded room. [Webster University]
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
The Daily Newds
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
The Daily Newds
- PETA protesters stage nude protest in support of sheep [PETA]
- Kudos to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts which is taking in high school students because many public and private schools do not offer art classes. Even more encouraging, these students are sketching nudes, a class usually taught at only the college level. I wholeheartedly agree that this "is the oldest and most honored form of drawing training." [Philly.com]
- Art exhibit celebrates women. "The human form, the female form in particular, should be revered. It's not necessarily an object of lust, but one of sensual beauty." [Shreveporttimes.com]
- A new film examines the history of the female breast. The filmmaker is coming to terms with the death of her mother from breast cancer as well as her own issues with body image. Worth checking out. [Orlando Sentinel]
- Nudist photo of the day [ClothesFree.com]
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Nude Calendar Craze
Let's face it, a year full of nudes on the wall sure beats a year full of cute kitties, and it seems like every day there is a news story about a sports team or some geriatric group baring it all for the sake of charity. The latest story about the "Stews", five over fifty flight attendants who are protesting the loss of their pensions, can be found on their website here.
So what is going on here? Thirty years ago when my parents were as old as I am now, it was completely inconceivable to imagine them daring to get into a bathing suit, let alone strip for a camera. I thing that there are a number of cosmic energies coming together. Since statistics show that many nudists are over the age of forty, there exists the Woodstock generation mindset for peace, love and a oneness with nature. Add to that the fact that people are living longer and healthier, and mix it with the stresses and complexities of today's lifestyle, and you have the ingredients for people to want to wave the proverbial middle finger at the world and take off their clothes.
As an over fifty nudist myself, I think that this trend is wonderful. It shows that attitudes are changing, that many people are discarding the notion that the human body is a temple of shame, and that in fact it is the most beautiful thing that each and every one of us owns. Going nude for charity, protest, art or just the pure sensual delight is a basic human right and should not be misconstrued as something perverse or deviant. Nudity as a personal expression is as fundamental as speech.
So, my advice to all of you is to get naked for something. Take off your clothes and do housework, make it a point to visit a nude beach, take it off for Spencer Tunick if he comes to your area, shop online for Christmas presents au naturel - just use your imagination. Perhaps you can publish your own calendar. And don't forget to support your local nudist or naturist organization. The only way to change attitudes and laws is to organize and educate - a little activism from a lot of people can go a long way.
So what is going on here? Thirty years ago when my parents were as old as I am now, it was completely inconceivable to imagine them daring to get into a bathing suit, let alone strip for a camera. I thing that there are a number of cosmic energies coming together. Since statistics show that many nudists are over the age of forty, there exists the Woodstock generation mindset for peace, love and a oneness with nature. Add to that the fact that people are living longer and healthier, and mix it with the stresses and complexities of today's lifestyle, and you have the ingredients for people to want to wave the proverbial middle finger at the world and take off their clothes.
As an over fifty nudist myself, I think that this trend is wonderful. It shows that attitudes are changing, that many people are discarding the notion that the human body is a temple of shame, and that in fact it is the most beautiful thing that each and every one of us owns. Going nude for charity, protest, art or just the pure sensual delight is a basic human right and should not be misconstrued as something perverse or deviant. Nudity as a personal expression is as fundamental as speech.
So, my advice to all of you is to get naked for something. Take off your clothes and do housework, make it a point to visit a nude beach, take it off for Spencer Tunick if he comes to your area, shop online for Christmas presents au naturel - just use your imagination. Perhaps you can publish your own calendar. And don't forget to support your local nudist or naturist organization. The only way to change attitudes and laws is to organize and educate - a little activism from a lot of people can go a long way.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The Daily Newds
- Rochester Ski Club Has No Trouble Finding Models for Nude Calendar [Post-Bulletin]
- "Pride and Prejudice" cast Went Skinny-Dipping Between Takes [Scotsman.com]
- Brits Shop Online Drunk and Naked [Chicago Sun-Times]
- Whattaya Mean I Have to Take Off My Clothes?! [Red Orbit]
- Nudist Photo of the Day [ClothesFree.com]
- Web Site of the Day [bodyfreedom.org]
- Quote of the Day: "I enjoyed the nude scene, it's opened up the nudist in me. I walk around my house naked now. I had extensive willy training for the role which helped." Singer/actor WILL YOUNG talks about his naked role in new movie MISS HENDERSON PRESENTS [Contactmusic.com]
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Friday, November 25, 2005
The Skinny on Nudism
The National Geographic is one of the only mainstream publications to offer an objective and fair article on nudism. If you have not read the article, click here.
To me, one of the most important benefits of shedding clothes is to achieve a healthy perception of one's own body image. This seems to be a central issue to most nudists, that society has imposed unrealistic and unhealthy attitudes over what is "perfect", and yet we are all unique and beautiful just as we are.
The article quotes Mark Storey: "There are very few model-perfect people out there. At a nude beach, you get a more realistic perception of what humanity really looks like." Are we really so withdrawn as a society that we do not have a realistic impression of the human body? After all, we all have a body, we have all seen ourselves naked - can others really be so different? The ultimate realization that comes from social nudism is that we are all the same in own uniqueness, that we are ALL "flawed". While society constantly presses images of botox-injected, lipo-sucked and silicone pumped Barbie dolls into our brains, we lose touch with the reality that we do not live in that false and plastic world. It's no wonder that people nip, tuck, and vomit their way into trying to achieve the unachievable.
I find it particulary sad when film stars who are beginning to age go on an odyssey of self-mutilation in a hopeless, pathetic atempt to maintain the youth that was captured on the big screen. In the movies, the stars are ageless, and it is both wrong and psychologically damaging to believe that humans should try and emulate that timelessness.
I have always had problems with body image. Some of it comes from being raised by overly modest parents, some of it from the fact that I was "husky" as a child and received some taunting from other kids about my weight. Even when I was 18 and in just about perfect physical condition (for me), I still looked in the mirror and saw a fat kid. In the past few months after going naked for most of the time, my own body image has vastly improved, I am much more comfortable in my skin.
We as nudists have to work hard to dispell the wrongheaded notion that nudism and sexual activity are one and the same. It is frightening to think that the simple, natural act of skinny dipping can land you in jail, or target a person as a sex offender. Yet it's perfectly legal to accept money to perform sex acts on film and sell the product on the Internet, in stores and in most hotel rooms for prurient reasons.
The hope to be found in all of this is that most of the world nudism is a non-issue. The last bastion of Puritanical repression is the United States. It will take time and much peaceful effort to change attitudes, to open up more public land for nude swimming and recreation, to change the laws to be more accepting. It's hard for me to fathom that where I live there is no nude beach at all, that I cannot legally on an hot day strip down and go swimming nude in any public area without risk of arrest or fine. This fear of our own naked selves is symptomatic of a society stewing in a sea of false morality and materialistic mania, resulting in a regimented and continually restrictive lifestyle for everyone. Overworked and underchallenged, forced to think with the masses and denied the pure and natural.
So, get naked and stay naked, take off your clothes whenever you can, experience the true natural state of the human body, and accept yourself for the wonderful person you are.
To me, one of the most important benefits of shedding clothes is to achieve a healthy perception of one's own body image. This seems to be a central issue to most nudists, that society has imposed unrealistic and unhealthy attitudes over what is "perfect", and yet we are all unique and beautiful just as we are.
The article quotes Mark Storey: "There are very few model-perfect people out there. At a nude beach, you get a more realistic perception of what humanity really looks like." Are we really so withdrawn as a society that we do not have a realistic impression of the human body? After all, we all have a body, we have all seen ourselves naked - can others really be so different? The ultimate realization that comes from social nudism is that we are all the same in own uniqueness, that we are ALL "flawed". While society constantly presses images of botox-injected, lipo-sucked and silicone pumped Barbie dolls into our brains, we lose touch with the reality that we do not live in that false and plastic world. It's no wonder that people nip, tuck, and vomit their way into trying to achieve the unachievable.
I find it particulary sad when film stars who are beginning to age go on an odyssey of self-mutilation in a hopeless, pathetic atempt to maintain the youth that was captured on the big screen. In the movies, the stars are ageless, and it is both wrong and psychologically damaging to believe that humans should try and emulate that timelessness.
I have always had problems with body image. Some of it comes from being raised by overly modest parents, some of it from the fact that I was "husky" as a child and received some taunting from other kids about my weight. Even when I was 18 and in just about perfect physical condition (for me), I still looked in the mirror and saw a fat kid. In the past few months after going naked for most of the time, my own body image has vastly improved, I am much more comfortable in my skin.
We as nudists have to work hard to dispell the wrongheaded notion that nudism and sexual activity are one and the same. It is frightening to think that the simple, natural act of skinny dipping can land you in jail, or target a person as a sex offender. Yet it's perfectly legal to accept money to perform sex acts on film and sell the product on the Internet, in stores and in most hotel rooms for prurient reasons.
The hope to be found in all of this is that most of the world nudism is a non-issue. The last bastion of Puritanical repression is the United States. It will take time and much peaceful effort to change attitudes, to open up more public land for nude swimming and recreation, to change the laws to be more accepting. It's hard for me to fathom that where I live there is no nude beach at all, that I cannot legally on an hot day strip down and go swimming nude in any public area without risk of arrest or fine. This fear of our own naked selves is symptomatic of a society stewing in a sea of false morality and materialistic mania, resulting in a regimented and continually restrictive lifestyle for everyone. Overworked and underchallenged, forced to think with the masses and denied the pure and natural.
So, get naked and stay naked, take off your clothes whenever you can, experience the true natural state of the human body, and accept yourself for the wonderful person you are.
The Daily Newds
- Sandra Bullock Plays Naked Twister? [The National Ledger]
- Minneapolis Artist Needs Nude Men [Minnesota Public Radio]
- Another nude calendar for a good cause [mlive.com]
- Naked Sushi in Chicago [thetimesonline.com]
- Yet another nude calendar - this time it's French farmers! [Bloomberg.com]
- Candace Hough: Naked! [The Michigan Times]
- Nigerian Women Threaten Naked Protest [thestar.com]
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Wake Up People!
Monday, November 21, 2005
On Modesty and Shame
I asked my wife one question with regard to my nudity: "Can you give me one good reason for wearing clothes in the privacy of our home?"
Of course there is no good reason. Going naked in the home is natural and comfortable. Both my wife and I have seen each other naked enough so that we know each other's bodies as our own, so what is the purpose of covering up? Aside from the obviously practical reasons, such as for protection from cold or other hazards (I'm not keen on doing woodworking in the buff), the only reasons for wearing clothing in the home is to appease our own mental needs for modesty, and the imagined shame that results from exposing our "dirty parts".
Shame in our own nakedness is not surprising in our present-day American culture, given the national trauma we all witnessed when Janet Jackson exposed a breast. It's impossible to explain logically why the female breast, the source of nourishment for babies and the penultimate symbol of motherhood and love, can cause mass hysteria and mental damage to millions at simply being seen, or why the male nipple is perfectly acceptable at being exposed in virtually every public place in America while a nursing mother must cover up her breast or feed her baby in private.
So we are taught over and over that the naked body is something bad, to be hidden away and viewed only behind closed doors, that personal nudity is only OK when bathing or having sex. Yet we are in the midst of an exploding, billion dollar pornography industry, we make icons out of women who have sex on camera, we celebrate the annual Sports Illustrated bathing suit issue, but we cannot ourselves go to the beach and swim naked in the surf without risking a fine or police arrest.
We are told that it's shameful to expose the body, you must be modest, you must cover up, it's dirty to show your private parts, it's bad, it's filthy, it's abnormal. It has gotten so bad that religiously conservative politicians are draping cloth over nude statues, schools are removing artwork from exhibits that show the naked body, and women who bare their breasts as a form of protest risk being tagged as sex offenders.
And all the while billions of dollars are being hauled in by the pornography industry. Even the Ipod is being targeted for porn - this form of graphic, impersonal and degrading sex will now be in our cars, at our workplace and in our schools.
And here I sit nude. I am not a pornographer, I am not an exhibitionist, I am not a molestor, or an adulterer, or a pervert - I merely believe that human beings deserve the right to live in the natural state, free of clothing.
If you have not read the 205 Arguments and Observations in Support of Naturism (pdf file), I suggest that you take the time to look it over and try and play devil's advocate with any of the logical and reasonable points made. It is clear that in these United States we are almost hopelessly behind the rest of the world when it comes to attitudes toward the human body, but at the same time there is a growing movement of thousands of people who are seeking a more natural and relaxed way of life. Shedding clothes is free of cost, liberating, comfortable, exhilarating, sensual, normal, healthy, natural, and more.
All it takes to be naked is to take off your clothes and set aside modesty and shame. Children are not born modest or ashamed, these are taught, and for some people it might take a lot of courage to overcome years of having this mental block. All I can say is that I really wish that I had made the decision to live nude many years ago. Waiting to the age of 51 to come to terms with my own body and natural state is by no means too late, but the epiphany should have come much sooner. Don't make the same mistake, shed the false modesty and stop being ashamed - you are beautiful just as you were made.
Of course there is no good reason. Going naked in the home is natural and comfortable. Both my wife and I have seen each other naked enough so that we know each other's bodies as our own, so what is the purpose of covering up? Aside from the obviously practical reasons, such as for protection from cold or other hazards (I'm not keen on doing woodworking in the buff), the only reasons for wearing clothing in the home is to appease our own mental needs for modesty, and the imagined shame that results from exposing our "dirty parts".
Shame in our own nakedness is not surprising in our present-day American culture, given the national trauma we all witnessed when Janet Jackson exposed a breast. It's impossible to explain logically why the female breast, the source of nourishment for babies and the penultimate symbol of motherhood and love, can cause mass hysteria and mental damage to millions at simply being seen, or why the male nipple is perfectly acceptable at being exposed in virtually every public place in America while a nursing mother must cover up her breast or feed her baby in private.
So we are taught over and over that the naked body is something bad, to be hidden away and viewed only behind closed doors, that personal nudity is only OK when bathing or having sex. Yet we are in the midst of an exploding, billion dollar pornography industry, we make icons out of women who have sex on camera, we celebrate the annual Sports Illustrated bathing suit issue, but we cannot ourselves go to the beach and swim naked in the surf without risking a fine or police arrest.
We are told that it's shameful to expose the body, you must be modest, you must cover up, it's dirty to show your private parts, it's bad, it's filthy, it's abnormal. It has gotten so bad that religiously conservative politicians are draping cloth over nude statues, schools are removing artwork from exhibits that show the naked body, and women who bare their breasts as a form of protest risk being tagged as sex offenders.
And all the while billions of dollars are being hauled in by the pornography industry. Even the Ipod is being targeted for porn - this form of graphic, impersonal and degrading sex will now be in our cars, at our workplace and in our schools.
And here I sit nude. I am not a pornographer, I am not an exhibitionist, I am not a molestor, or an adulterer, or a pervert - I merely believe that human beings deserve the right to live in the natural state, free of clothing.
If you have not read the 205 Arguments and Observations in Support of Naturism (pdf file), I suggest that you take the time to look it over and try and play devil's advocate with any of the logical and reasonable points made. It is clear that in these United States we are almost hopelessly behind the rest of the world when it comes to attitudes toward the human body, but at the same time there is a growing movement of thousands of people who are seeking a more natural and relaxed way of life. Shedding clothes is free of cost, liberating, comfortable, exhilarating, sensual, normal, healthy, natural, and more.
All it takes to be naked is to take off your clothes and set aside modesty and shame. Children are not born modest or ashamed, these are taught, and for some people it might take a lot of courage to overcome years of having this mental block. All I can say is that I really wish that I had made the decision to live nude many years ago. Waiting to the age of 51 to come to terms with my own body and natural state is by no means too late, but the epiphany should have come much sooner. Don't make the same mistake, shed the false modesty and stop being ashamed - you are beautiful just as you were made.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
The Daily Newds
Something exciting is on the beach in Liverpool [Liverpool Daily Post]; I think that I shall never see a thing as lovely as a tree [KRON 4]; Nudity can be hazardous to your health [SUR]; Nude dancing threatens to bring a whole town down [Berkshire Eagle]; Howard Stern offers uncensored raw footage for a fee [The National Ledger]; Dispute over nude art exhibit in Indiana [The Shield]; Swimming naked with a New Zealand mayor [Scoop]; Australian community split over nude beach [ABC Australia]; Naked statue triggers mental imbalance [Discovery]; Nakedness is contempt of court [UPI]; Nakedness is teambuilding [Worldfootballers.com]; A British boy starts singing...naked [M&C Arts]; The naked truth about streaking [La Canada Valley Sun]...
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Still Nude
When I made the decision to throw off my clothes and live life naked, I also threw off years of shame and false modesty about my own body. Living in the nude is not only liberating for the skin, it frees the mind and the emotional self from years and years of Puritanical repression. Although I am still primarily a closet nudist, that is, practicing at home and not in social settings, the transition from the world of clothes to the world of nudism is real.
Looking back, I have never been comfortable in clothes. All those hot and humid nights wearing briefs, all the summer days wearing a shirt and tie and hating the feeling of the clothes sticking to my skin - I only wish that I had come to my senses years ago. Now I sit at my computer completely nude and very comfortable, with no pants to bind by legs and waist and no shirt to rub on my skin. I feel happier and healthier both physically and mentally.
This is how people are meant to live. Clothes certainly serve a practical purpose as protection against the elements and other hazards, but at home or at the beach, there is no practical purpose to covering up. I love getting out of the shower in the morning and staying nude all day long, whenever I can. It has gotten to the point where my nakedness is far more normal for me than having to put on clothes. Whenever I do come home, the clothes go off, and I am instantly invigorated.
My wife has become very accepting of my nudity. At first she was a little nervous about my revelation - after all, I've been very modest for 25 years, especially for the last 20 while raising our child. My wife now understands that my nudism is healthy and normal, and she even told me that I had become a better man as a result. Being nude means that you have absolutely nothing to hide, and I firmly believe that a truer self can emerge when the clothes disappear.
So far my wife has not embraced nudism for herself. She does walk aroung naked more than she did before, and on a couple of occasions she has taken off her top when the heat was getting to her. She has expressed to me that she really likes wearing clothes. I think that if she accepts me naked then I have to respect her wish to remain her clothed. But last night she told me that it would be fun to go to a nude beach sometime. Hope springs eternal.
I have been unsuccessful at contacting a nudist organization in my area, although I have tried. The 2 listed clubs do not return e-mails, but there is a physical mailing address and I will drop them a line. It would be nice to meet up with some local naturists before venturing to a resort. I think my wife would be accepting of meeting up with a local group for a nude swim, but probably a little reticent to travel to a nudist club. I will post all progress here.
Get naked!
Looking back, I have never been comfortable in clothes. All those hot and humid nights wearing briefs, all the summer days wearing a shirt and tie and hating the feeling of the clothes sticking to my skin - I only wish that I had come to my senses years ago. Now I sit at my computer completely nude and very comfortable, with no pants to bind by legs and waist and no shirt to rub on my skin. I feel happier and healthier both physically and mentally.
This is how people are meant to live. Clothes certainly serve a practical purpose as protection against the elements and other hazards, but at home or at the beach, there is no practical purpose to covering up. I love getting out of the shower in the morning and staying nude all day long, whenever I can. It has gotten to the point where my nakedness is far more normal for me than having to put on clothes. Whenever I do come home, the clothes go off, and I am instantly invigorated.
My wife has become very accepting of my nudity. At first she was a little nervous about my revelation - after all, I've been very modest for 25 years, especially for the last 20 while raising our child. My wife now understands that my nudism is healthy and normal, and she even told me that I had become a better man as a result. Being nude means that you have absolutely nothing to hide, and I firmly believe that a truer self can emerge when the clothes disappear.
So far my wife has not embraced nudism for herself. She does walk aroung naked more than she did before, and on a couple of occasions she has taken off her top when the heat was getting to her. She has expressed to me that she really likes wearing clothes. I think that if she accepts me naked then I have to respect her wish to remain her clothed. But last night she told me that it would be fun to go to a nude beach sometime. Hope springs eternal.
I have been unsuccessful at contacting a nudist organization in my area, although I have tried. The 2 listed clubs do not return e-mails, but there is a physical mailing address and I will drop them a line. It would be nice to meet up with some local naturists before venturing to a resort. I think my wife would be accepting of meeting up with a local group for a nude swim, but probably a little reticent to travel to a nudist club. I will post all progress here.
Get naked!
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