Flutterby™! : Nudity and social custom 2001-10-21 14:24:08+00

Nudity and social custom

2001-10-21 14:24:08+00 by Dan Lyke 3 comments

Fixed link! Ellen Woodall of the University of Florida in Gainesville found that nudism in the US doesn't strip away as many social customes as you'd think

``I observed the formation of cliques, men commenting on or joking about the obesity of certain women, women giggling about the size of a man's genitals, sexual comments and harassment -- all activities one might commonly witness of larger society,'' she said.

Not my experience over the same 15-year period at all. I've written to Woodall and asked if her research is available online (so I can judge for myself whether it's bogus or not: eavesdropping doesn't really prove much). It may depend where she hangs out: at Lupin, for instance, laborers sit across from theoretical physicists in the hot tub every day. Her point about the socioeconomic demographic being less broad than we'd like to admit are generally valid, and cliques form everywhere where the same group of people hang out over a period of time. But the part about harassment? Giggling? Joking about obesity? Sexual comments? I have never heard that, not once in 15 years. That's a very big part of why I *do* feel so comfortable at nudist resorts. It may very much depend where she did her research. (Now, I *have* commented to a friend about someone's tattoos or body piercings, but in a "Hey, that's different" sort of way. I've always meant to ask one of those guys with a Prince Albert whether it hurt...)

Most of my nudity experience has been outside of the usual places, so I've no standard for judgement either. I'd guess, from her location, that Ellen Woodall did some of her hanging out at Paradise Lakes. I know Ziffle's spent some time there and has expressed the opposite to me.

I've only heard good things about Lupin, I've heard a couple of women complain that they get pretty heavily cruised at Harbin, there's probably a lot of variation from venue to venue. But somehow I've never managed to make either of those places where I wanted to go for a vacation, usually the nudity is incidental to the activity I'm vacationing for, ala Burning Man, or a hot springs, or what-have-you.

I have found her comments to be true, once in a while. But they are not the norm.

At Paradise Lakes (member since 1983) there is the 'old' side and the 'new' side. I prefer the old side as its mellow and no hassle. The new side does seem to be more like she describes. All in all those types are not really what I consider the beauty of the experience, as its really about 'body acceptance' not 'one up' manship.

Of course I have seen some wild nights in the night club there - guys in three piece suits mingling with half and fully nude people, dancing and having a wild time, but its not my style. I talked to a gal once who loved living there. She said she could go to the club (nude of course) and walk home through the place alone at two in the morning and feel completly safe - something she would not dream of doing, clothed or not on the outside. I once spent three and half months going from nudist resort to nudist resort through 37 states, all across America, and never had any problem at all.

Reminds me of the cartoon where the bears from the woods are looking at nude people through the hole in the fence surrounding the nudist resort and one bear says to the other 'I am not so hungry after all'. Basically no one is Adonis.

The really interesting thing is where the beautiful women go nude but wear tons of jewelry - people do think that is a bit much - its not about jewelry - its about being relaxed and accepting of each other.

I used to think I was on the bleeding edge of this go nude thing and then I heard about certain events at Burning Man ...