Do all nudists think the same?

Interesting video about the opinions of an assortment of nudists. Some of the questions hit deep emotional resonances.

It is not a representative group of nudists. The average age was not 50, it wasn’t 2/3 male, and 5/6 white. But bringing nontraditional people into the mix is a good thing. Maybe we could learn a bit from the thoughts of people who are not just like us.

And they are all Americans from fairly liberal environments who are out of the closet. In other countries (or even some states in the US) I would expect radically different responses, depending on the local nudist community. I think we have a bit of social evolution to get through before the US reaches the place, say, where Britain or Germany are.

Watch the video first, then go to my own answers to the questions below. (I warn you, they are honest and personal.) And please offer your thoughts in the comment section!

NSFW stuff n the video.

I have gotten aroused while being nude – Strongly agree

Well, yeah. How else would you have sex?

And I’ve gotten aroused while fully clothed. If you hang out on nudist boards, especially the unmoderated ones, they are often dominated by the “what if I get an erection” question. My answer would be that then, you’d have an erection. And so what?

Women have an advantage here. Their bodies aren’t designed to obviously show their state of arousal. Not fair!

If you’re solo it doesn’t matter.

Most clubs ask that you lay on your stomach or put a towel over it or jump in the pool or take a cold shower until it goes away because many – if not most – members will find it makes them uncomfortable to have you bobbing around. The owners of the club get to set the rules and don’t argue or you will be evicted.

Even in “natural” settings, it is an essential politeness. (There are some “swinger” clubs that would be exceptions to this rule. Many nudists refuse to acknowledge swinger clubs as “real” nudists.) Adult male nudists quickly learn how not to get them in social gatherings, even around women they find immensely desirable. (Been there!) Erections are one of those “involuntary” responses one can easily, even subconsciously, learn to control. Time and place matter.

The human body is over-sexualized – Somewhat agree

Well duh! Watch television very long and you’ll see no end of hot bodies selling hamburgers or cars. Print and digital media are no different. All those airbrushed and photoshopped and carefully curated images of people who spent hours in makeup and starve and work out continually for a perfect look. They want us to drool like Pavlov’s dogs. They want you to feel desperately inadequate so you’ll rush out and buy stuff to compensate. I call bullshit.

OTOH I don’t have a problem with the display of sexuality itself. Sex is part of life. No degree of explicitness bothers me. I enjoy sexuality that is an organic part of plot or character development. I don’t enjoy it when it is inserted gratuitously (fan service) – but that’s just my opinion.

I sit with my bare butt on the couch – Strongly agree

As long as it is my couch. I don’t leave skid marks. But it is considered a matter of social etiquette to use a towel. The other guy can’t know your level of personal hygiene. There’s stuff like sweat and oil dead skin cells, and having a comfortable texture against bare skin that ague for a permanent couch cover that can be laundered. Given my two large dogs, I’m sure they leave far more dirt behind than I do.

Nudists do a lot of psychedelics – WTF?

That’s a weird question. In my twenties, I did lots of them – and when I could be, I was nude while I did them – but that wasn’t a “nudist” activity. My twenties were several decades ago.

Being naked in public should be legal – Strongly agree

Of course. It should be just another clothing option. From my own experience in the Bay to Breakers, after a few minutes, there’s nothing special about it. You’re just another walker. People get used to it very quickly. If the only time you see another person naked is for sex, you can’t understand how quickly nudity can become… nothing much.

It is legal in many parts of California, just not socially accepted. Taking advantage of that legality is still a risk. Hearts and minds battle needs to be won first.

It is appropriate to be nude among children and minors – Somewhat agree

Well yeah. There are a lot of “family” nudist clubs out there. I always see kids at Deep Creek when I go there. There are kids (and parents) in – and all along – the World Naked Bike Ride and the Bay to Breakers. Nudist kids couldn’t care less and textile kids just giggle. I went skinny dipping with my own children when they were very young.

Being seen at a distance when everyone is expecting it isn’t the issue. I would not wander uninvited into places where there are kids and be “among” them, even fully clothed. That makes you a potential creep and hopefully gets some attention from irate parents and maybe the police.

I am comfortable with anybody seeing me nude – Strongly agree

LOL! Anyone who’s seen this blog surely knows this.

In the past I have been afraid to show my body – Strongly agree

As a kid, I was very afraid of nudity in the locker room. The other boys would tease me mercilessly because I was uncircumcised. They’d never seen such a thing before and thought it was a defect. The adults in our lives weren’t about to explain anything. Then I got older and learned the customs of other countries/cultures and it relieved my anxiety.

My little FTW demon kicked in to rescue me. I was OK and they were the deluded victims of ritual sexual mutilation. 🙂

Since my modeling gig as a freshman in college, I’ve never been afraid to show my body to anyone, anywhere. It’s the legal and social consequences I’ve had to be wary of.

I am not bothered by what other people think of my body – Strongly agree

See the answer to the previous two questions.