German Magazine Normalizes Sex and Nudity

The photo at the left is from the online version of the German magazine Bravo. Target audience? Ages 10 and up.

Elisa Ung in the Philadelphia Inquirer has written an article about the publication which points out the fact that Germany is far more frank in dealing with sex and nudity than most other societies. With the help of columnist Dr. Sommer, German teens are finding it easier to speak more openly on sexual issues.

Each weekly issue of Bravo now features photos of two nude teenagers - male and female, generally between the ages of 16 and 20. The feature is called "That's Me," and the pictured teenagers talk about their bodies and their experiences with love and sex.

Imagine the uproar and backlash from the conservative right is such a magazine were to be published in the United States. The idea of dealing openly and honestly with sex is taboo here, but selling sex commercially with fantasies is mainstream. We still have an adolescent attitude that encourages secret masturbation and shame over education and mental well-being.

"We take this very seriously," said Bravo's deputy editor-in-chief, Alex Gernandt. "It is not pornography. It deals with naked people, but in a very sensitive way. We try to portray young people to tell readers, 'You are not too fat, not too thin. You are OK the way you are.' "

Bravo, Bravo.