Nudist / Nude Pictures
voyeurism or natural curiosity?  

This topic sat before the editorial dept. for a long time before I finally picked it up.  I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to tackle such a seemingly judgmental subject, sans all the grit of the lab and psych studies.  One has it tough enough in a world of political correctness, without throwing the “porn vs. anything” into the mix.  I have debated art vs. porn, educational vs. porn, and exploitation vs. porn.  This one should be interesting.  

Ok, so I have a batch of naked pictures shuffled all over my desk.  I look them over, seeing breasts and penises, butts and bellies.  All manner of undress, from nude to naked.  None wear clothes although many wear jewelry and shoes.  Shoes seem to be a popular item among nudists.  (Perhaps some kind of holdover from all those thorns in Eden?) 

Not difficult to discern the obvious modeled pics amongst the rest.  Even though many can be seen as modeling or paid for their nude efforts, it is easy to tell which were taken in nudist settings and which were studio or location shot.  

Many nudist photos contain images of people that look real.  That look like all of us normal folk and it’s there where the curiosity factor busts through our natural inclination to shyness regarding our naked human bodies.  For some of us it’s shame, others it’s simply upbringing and modesty issues. However, that being said, it seems as though the perusal of nudist pictures, those taken in natural occurrences and settings/ seems to be a way to “not cheat”. 

“Not cheating” with the use of nudist photos is somewhat akin to handjobs being ok but anything else is adultery. It’s a ridiculous argument to begin with.  But we have those who just want to look at naked bodies without the wife hitting the roof on the topic. That, combined with the desire to see everyday, ordinary people nude (some see THAT as a fetish) and nudist galleries are swamped daily. 

Here’s the rub – the nudist sites that are genuine and filled with knowledge on all manner of nudist living….many show huge pages and galleries full of pictures of nude people, seemingly nudists.  It’s understandable to show a few photos for the sake of illustrating the joy some folks find in the nudist lifestyle, even a gallery or two on activities and more.  But at what point does it just become another “porn” site?  Although most of us hate that term in relation to nudity, we have to accept that a good portion of the world associates the two.  To them, porn includes the gawking at of naked flesh, especially attractive naked flesh. 

And so we find the whole discussion at a standstill until we get to the part about nudist vs. nude; then it becomes heated once more.   

Some say if a picture is posed, it would be classified as nude.  I can’t agree.  Some nudists pose for a picture.  Does the model have to be paid for it to be nude? Absurd.  Does it have to be a model to constitute nude?  What if a model is a nudist? 

As you can see, the whole debate slips into the realm of nonsense over this.   

My point is, what difference does it make?   

If a person wants to look at nude pictures, and feels better about him/herself by looking at “nudist” pictures, who are we to judge?  Some hardassed nudists might start the hue and cry about their pictures being sacrosanct and not to be blasphemed as wank material.  Let them not put pictures on a forum/website or other media which can be accessed by damn near everyone.  That is just asking for trouble.  Why go to the expense of a private nudist club, only to have your picture snapped and stuck up on the largest media on the planet? 

Yes yes, I know the argument about friends taking pictures, etc. However, sites get hacked, pics get taken and people get pissy.  The courts are also becoming involved now on a nudist’s right to be nude without the worry of someone taking a photo. Most places now have no-photo rules or releases for group get-togethers and so forth.   

Times they are a changin’  and the definitions of nude and nudist, naturist and nude art had better be rethought.  All in all, nude is nude.  If we desire access to nudity, that is our right.  So long as we gawk responsibly, who the hell cares. 

Copyright 2004