State of Undress: Is Nudity Still Newsworthy?

The conversation around San Francisco's recent "Nude-in," held to protest a proposed law that would limit public nudity, which is currently legal in the city, raises an interesting question: When a practice arrives at the point where it has a system of etiquette, has it lost its shock value?

According to The New York Times, one of the objectives of the Nude-in was to draw attention to a proposed ordinance -- introduced by Scott Wiener, a city supervisor -- that would prohibit nudity in restaurants and require unclad people to put a towel or other material down before sitting bare-bottomed on public seats.

What I found funny wasn't that Weiner felt he needed to nix bare-cheeked seating, but that the protesters were insulted at the idea that they would do anything so uncouth and inconsiderate: George Davis, who the Times reported is a "self-described 'urban nudist'" and "campaigned in the buff" during an (unsuccessful) run for mayor, said that putting that towel between your backside and the bench is "basic nudist etiquette," rendering legislation requiring it "totally unnecessary."

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Scott Wiener Talks SF Nudity on CNN

Put nudity and San Francisco together and you easily get the nation's attention.

Add a San Francisco supervisor trying to put conditions on public nudity and said pol gets invited to defend his views on national television.

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Coming out of the nudist closet

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Just north in Tennessee, you’ll find a campground where everyday things done differently. The campers don’t wear clothes.

Debbi Tannock hates wearing clothes.

“I don’t know how to describe it. I walk out on my front porch, the sun shinning, wind blowing, birds chirping, put my arms up and feel it all over my skin,” Tannock said.
Every year thousands come to Rock Haven Lodge to be naked.

“When you’re nude all the time,” Don Rawlings said. “It doesn’t bother you to be nude.”

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British stars bare all in fight against TV ageism

Some of British TV's most familiar female faces have dared to bare to prove that no matter how old they are, they should not be subjected to ageism.

Loose Women Sherrie Hewson and Andrea McLean posed naked alongside Coronation Street's Beverley Callard and EastEnders actress Gillian Taylforth for Best magazine's Body Image issue.

The ladies spoke of the way that women, despite their talent, can be denied roles on camera simply because producers believe them to be too old.

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Wreck Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia

Where else in North America let alone in the world – can you spend spring mornings skiing powder snow, and then, spend the afternoons sunning your bare buns, but at Wreck Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada?

This 7.8 kilometers long, wilderness-like beach, which follows a promontory below an emerald-green forested, 200-foot high cliff system magnificently weathered to beauty, is Canada's first and largest, legal, clothing-optional beach and is a Mecca to visitors from around the world!

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San Francisco tests its limits on public nudism

"No shoes, no shirt, no service" is a sign you see in a lot of US stores. In San Francisco, restaurateurs might soon have to add "no pants" to the list, as a row flares over nudism in the vibrant heart of the city's gay community.

On a sunny September day, Woody Miller strolls through the district, known as Castro. He's tall and fit, with a long grey beard and heavy silver nose ring -- and wearing nothing more than sneakers, a baseball cap and a watch.

"I go naked on a nice day because I like the feel of the sun and the air on my skin," says Miller, 55, who is one of the city's growing number of public nudists, popularly known as Naked Guys.

"There's nothing obscene about the human body," he adds. "The belief that there is is something that's taught. It's just another form of prejudice."

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Art buff? Join in the Naked Tea Party at Salford's Islington Mill

A mass nudity event is expected to attract hundreds of willing volunteers who will strip off to be drawn, painted and photographed.

Naturist Jess Bradley, 22, from Rusholme, is behind the project which he says will celebrate ‘body positivity, non-sexual nudity and feminism’.

Members of the public are invited to Islington Mill, Salford, tonight between 6-10pm to get their kit off and be drawn, painted and photographed by artists. He said: “Our project is basically what we would be doing anyway as naturists.

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"The Ultimate Symbol of Humanity: Nude!" at Studio A Gallery

In the world of contemporary art, it’s quite possible to walk into some galleries and find objects that bear little resemblance to what most of us think of as art.  Take heart that traditional craftsmanship lives at Tarrytown’s Studio A Gallery with drawings, paintings and sculpture.  While some people may be uncomfortable with images of the nude, the skill level of the works in this multi-artist show is undeniable and highly respectable.

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Nonchalant about nudity

For Bonita Summers, her career as a nude model means contributing to someone’s artistic development.

“Someone made art out of observing me. That’s pretty amazing,” she said.

In the art world, the position is referred to as an undraped model. It’s a job that requires extreme stillness — sometimes for hours on end.

“It requires you to be uncomfortable for a long period of time,” Summers said. “You can’t fidget.”

Summers said as an undraped life model for fine art at Queen’s, she would hold poses for an hour and a half.

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Nudism in Scandinavia: Scandinavia for Nudists

Nudism in Scandinavia is nothing unusual - after all, Scandinavia is the most open-minded region in the world. It's perfectly legal in Scandinavia for nudists to swim naked, or to sunbathe either topless or completely in the nude.

Scandinavian travelers interested in nudism can find beaches quickly on the maps of nude beaches sorted by country.

In Denmark, nudism is allowed on 4,500 kilometers of coastline and there are 4 "free beaches" dedicated to naturists only. Norway has over 20 clothes-free beaches, and Sweden offers about 60 CO beaches for nudists! Signs are often used to inform beach visitors about nude-only or CO (clothes optional) beaches.

Where can you find a good spot for nudism at your Scandinavian destination? More about nudism locations in each Scandinavian country:

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Fancy a 'nakation'?

"They have only one wish, that this remains a purely nudist camp."

Most of the naturist tourists in Croatia are Germans, who account for around 40 percent of Koversada's 4700 guests. They are followed by Slovenians, Austrians, Hungarians and the Dutch.

While many Croatians enjoy the occasional dip in the buff, few visit naturist resorts, making up less than one percent of Koversada's visitors.

The movement's heyday in the Mediterranean country was the 1980s though global naturism is picking up, according to the National Naturists Association.

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The Nicest, Nakedest People on Earth

There are several other deliberate cultural differences. Perhaps the most immediately apparent is the tolerance of nudity. Nudity comes in all shapes, sizes, and genders at Burning Man. Twenty-year-old women wearing nothing but sequined hot pants. Seventy-year-old men wearing nothing but pith helmets. People of every sort wearing nothing but knee-high, rainbow-fur boots.

At times the nudity can feel political. The "Critical Tits" bike ride featured hundreds of topless women, on bicycles, making a vague statement about torso equality. To my amazement, gazing at that many breasts at once actually managed to de-eroticize them. (For a few hours, anyway. And please let's not talk about all the dudes eagerly snapping photos or—it was rumored—engineering a bumpy stretch of sand to enhance jiggle-osity.) Most of the women in my camp remained fully clothed all week, but a couple of gals whipped 'em out on Critical Tits day in what seemed to be an act of sisterly solidarity.

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'Prude Rev covered topless statue with crude breastplate'

The 400-year-old Goddess of Abundance was originally sculpted with her chest exposed.

But conservators working on the 900-year-old building where she graces a fireplace found her charms concealed with a crudely fashioned breastplate.

Abundance, who is seen holding a cornucopia overflowing with treats, was made for St James Priory in Bristol.

And experts believe Rev John Wesley — the founder of the Methodist movement — hid her boobs behind the cuirass when it became his parish church more than 250 years ago.

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Norfolk OKs mural of Roman goddess with bare breast

A mural of the Roman goddess Virtus, replete with a bare breast, will be exposed to passers-by on Monticello Avenue after all.

The City Council voted 7-0 after little debate Tuesday night to reverse a decision by the Planning Commission to deny the law firm Montagna Klein Camden permission to paint the mural.

The firm, at 425 Monticello Ave., had proposed a 23-foot-by-11-foot mural depicting the city's progress, with ships, light rail and the skyline. Looking down on all of it would be the goddess Virtus, who appears on the Virginia state seal.

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1,200 Israelis model in the nude for Spencer Tunick

One thousand two hundred male and female volunteers woke up early Saturday morning to participate in a mass nude photograph by artist Spencer Tunick at the Dead Sea.

The volunteers included men and women ranging from 20 years old to somewhere in their sixties.

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Take the Huffington Post Top-Free Poll

Huffington Post, the influential political and media blog, has a new poll “Should women be allowed to go topless at public beaches?” So far, voters that approve this action are at almost 59%.

Recently the media has focused on stories about celebrities talking about body acceptance and their positive views on nudity. Supermodel and Project Runway star Heidi Klum has long been a proponent of nudity in appropriate settings. The German-born star has often commented in articles about how nudity is treated differently in European countries and how she and her husbad, pop singer Seal, have treated the subject of nudity in their home.

In a recent article posted on CafeMom, Klum describes what she tells her children about appropriate settings saying, “See, you teach children that there is a proper time, place and etiquette to nudity. There are social reasons you CAN be naked HERE but CAN’T be naked THERE.”

Demi Moore recently tweeted a top-free self-portrait to urge body acceptance.

Take the Huffington Post poll here.

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Naked ambitions on a Greek island

Sunset strip: The nudist beach attached to Antiparos Camping on the island where both Tom Hanks and Madonna have houses.

[...]

The nudists appear totally normal to me now, but five years ago, when I first came to the beach with my sister and her boyfriend, I was not so relaxed. I remember it clearly. We sat not far from the nudists, but not so near as to be imposing, and began our beach routine. I became increasingly aware that wearing swimwear somehow excluded us, and I felt like I owed it to their nudity to undress. One nudist in particular frightened me into revealing myself. I like to call him Nordic Sea God: a Swede, around 60, an artist, and equipped with a handlebar blond moustache. He sat under his own shade like the beach's royal authority and eyed our swimming costumes with derision. I was afraid he might come and whip the bikini top straight off my chest.

Looking nervously at my sister's boyfriend I disrobed, while he did the same. Nordic Sea God's face lit up. The faces of several other nudists did the same: yes, you're just like us, they seemed to say, creatures bearing disappointing forms. It was time to go for a naked swim. Whereas I can't recommend anything more highly than nude swimming, walking out of the sea afterwards is a different matter. You are suddenly aware that the point will come when your unsheathed form will rise into full view and that the whole beach is facing the water, like an audience. As I came out of the sea that first time, I was met by Nordic Sea God's Swedish accent booming: "What a pale woman!"

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SFBG Radio: Johnny wants a nude-in

SFNudeOut by endorsements2011

A radio chat about the San Francisco Castro district nudists, it's refreshing to hear a non-prude view on nudism from Americans.

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Some of the clothing people wear in public is far worse

As for feeding a baby in a restroom, would YOU eat in a restroom? I believe that the issue goes deeper than breastfeeding a baby. I feel that a large part of this “problem” is the fact that a woman’s breasts (by the way, a few years back the word breast could not have been printed in a newspaper) have been turned into something only sexual.

To be viewed only in a sordid manner and not as God and nature intended. Nurturing, loving instruments to feed, soothe comfort and bond.  I would certainly feel much less offended by a nursing mother than by some of the “clothing”’ that people wear in public. That’s just one MAN’s opinion. Sometimes the problem isn’t the view, it’s the viewer.

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SF OK With Public Nudity, But...

(Newser) – What's the world coming to when San Francisco politicians start ... gasp ... regulating public nudity. Don't worry—"naturists" won't have to cover up on the street. It's perfectly legal in the city to be nude, as long as you're not lewd. But they may soon have to put a towel—or something—between their bare butts and public seating, reports the Los Angeles Times. "If you're going to be naked in public, and you're going to sit down on public seating, you should cover the seating," explains city Supervisor Scott Wiener, who has introduced the new measures. "We shouldn't have to legislate about that, but we do. It's about basic public health."

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REAL WOMEN: Exhibit focuses on beauty and body image

Richmond artist Susan Singer revels in painting the truth — and she doesn't care what Madison Avenue thinks.

"The form that we see on models and in the media is, for most people, not achievable: Most of us cannot be 6 feet tall and 110 pounds," the 51-year-old says as she sits in her Richmond studio, surrounded by canvases of scarred, tattooed and comfortably curvaceous female nudes. These images — which will be on view in the upcoming exhibit "Not Barbie: A Celebration of Real Women," at Crossroads Art Center Sept. 16 through Nov. 7 — are Singer's retort to modern culture's veneration of stick-thin, porcelain-complexioned waifs. In her view, it's a joyous retort.

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NUDE IN

NUDE IN works on the concept of a "sit in", though the participants are naked. The first NUDE IN takes place in SAN FRANCISCO on July 30, 2011. More NUDE IN gatherings will follow.

 

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The bare truth about bedtime

THE party could be over for pyjamas – it has been revealed almost two thirds of us sleep naked.

A massive 64% of adults regularly go to bed in the buff, according to a survey of 3,000 people.

Four out of 10 adults say they have never worn anything to bed.

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Meet New York City's Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society

Back in June, when it was sultry and sunny on the city streets, there was a woman who walked the Bowery topless. Some were shocked, as people sometimes are; others responded coolly, knowingly that, actually, it is legal to be topless as a woman or a man in New York City. Still others were inspired to try it for themselves. And then, we all pretty much put our shirts back on and went about our business, except for a group known as the Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society. After a first meeting on August 17, they are still going topless as they read pulp fiction outdoors in various New York City locales -- although probably not today, given the rain. They are hoping to take female toplessness from "something taboo," albeit legal, to something that people don't much notice, or care about if they do. They've got a blog that's been seen by more than 100,000 people (and they're on Twitter, now, too). We had a chat with a couple of the group's members this weekend.

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Adriatic coast in Croatia - Oasis and cradle of naturism

Foreign media often describe Croatia as a 'naturist paradise', it is therefore not surprising that CNN named island of Rab top destination for nudists.

All those who believe that Croatia is a conservative country, will be surprised at the fact that the Adriatic coast is one of the most tolerant naturist destinations in the world, and Rab island  cradle of naturist tourism.

Naturism in Croatia dates back in 1936, when the first naturist beach on the island of Rab was opened - Paradise Beach.

Nude bathing season on Rab was opened by British king Edward VIII, who several months later became the first king who abdicated for the love of divorced American Wallis Simpson. It is the island of Rab that was on CNN's list of the ten top destinations for nudists.

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Heidi Klum Talks Topless Beaches, Family Vacations

Well, Heidi admits, "I bring more bottoms than actually tops and bottoms. I'm surprised you have photos of me wearing the top."

Jay perks up: "You have photos of you without the top?"

"Yeah, I don't really like to wear tops because I hate tan lines!"

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Nudists Open Their Homes to Budget-Minded Travelers

Those looking for a nudist-friendly environment have a variety of groups from which to choose — not just Clothing Optional, but also Naked at Home, Freedom for Nudity, Nudist Lifestyle and nakedveganpotsmokingcyclists, among others. By designating their homes as nudist-friendly spaces, members of these groups provide travelers with temporary havens from the tyranny of fabric and public nudity laws. More important, perhaps, from the hosts’ viewpoint, they are taking the intimacy of couch surfing to an extreme, bringing the unguarded ethos of the nudist camp into their homes.

More than 1,100 people belong to the Clothing Optional group, which is exactly what it sounds like: people who may or may not choose to be naked, but are open to the option. The group’s goal is not to cater exclusively to nudists but, in the words of the CouchSurfing mission statement, to “create inspiring experiences.” For Clothing Optional hosts and couch surfers, that means that being open-minded is as important as being naked.

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