A Nudist Dust-Up

There's a bit of a tug-of-war going on between Tom at the Terra Cotta Inn and Dreadfree at the Nothing to Dread blog. Until now I have not expressed my opinion, but after what Tom posted today I feel I have to toss in my two cents worth.

I agree with Dreadfree when he says:

It's true that one does not have an expectation of privacy in public, but it would be nice if we nudists extended simple courtesy to our fellow travelers by not supporting surreptitious and exploitive (sic) photography in any environment where nude recreation takes place. Sneak shots on a beach only serve to remind us that we should stay off the beach.

Tom likes to use these "candid" nude or topfree beach photos from Europe on his posts. Like Dreadfree, I don't have anything against a nice photo of a nude pretty girl, I think the female body is perhaps the most beautiful object on the planet, but the people who shoot these beach photos are not interested in nudism, they are voyeurs, "Peeping-Toms", and the use of these surreptitious photos should be something to be discouraged in the nudist community.

I do not know Tom and his wife, but they certainly seem like very lovely people and they run a successful business. If I was not stuck here in the Midwest I would certainly spend some time at their resort. And I do not know Dreadfree either, but from his writings he seems to be a reasonable person with a sincere interest in nudism, and who also expresses himself very well.

It's not about "taking sides", but when something seems a bit out of place and contrary to the nudist philosophy, it's important to speak out. Tom loves to promote his business, he ties each and every post that he makes on his blog into a reason to visit his Inn, which can be somewhat irritating to anyone who is a regular reader. In my mind this tends to put Tom's blog almost strictly into the commercial category, whereas others like Nothing to Dread, Gymnophiliac (hate the name, please go back to Naked Nudism), and Nudist Day, all seem to be more in tune with actually advocating the nudist lifestyle rather than just trying to put more cash in the coffers.

And no, not all nudists are old, fat and ugly men, and not all nudists are college nymphs sunning themselves on a European beach, either. Tom and his wife actually seem to me to be more representative of real nudists - in their photos they are always smiling and proud of their lifestyle. Those are the photos I like, when it's obvious that the people in the photos know that the shutter is being clicked. I just wish that sometimes the Terra Cotta blog was more about the owners, their resort, and their guests, which would be far more interesting than those intrusive photos taken on beaches by voyeurs.

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