Nudity in the News

Annie's Mailbox: Hot-tubbing at home not public nudity [1]

By Kathy Mitchell & Marcy Sugar
For The Norwich Bulletin

Posted May 18, 2009 @ 11:04 PM


DEAR ANNIE: I am 23 years old and a virgin. I have never seen a naked man in my life because I believe virginity should be kept until marriage. The other day, I went with my sister to watch my nephew’s baseball game. He plays on a field that is uphill, so you can see the backyards of some of the houses across the street. My nephew had heard from his friends that one of the men in those yards sits naked in his hot tub. I always assumed this wasn’t true.

When I got to the game, I instantly remembered those rumors. I didn’t intend to be a Peeping Tom, but I looked around and saw a man in a hot tub. I assumed this was the guy, so I kept watching. Five minutes later, he got out of the hot tub and really was naked. I instantly got a headache and my eyes burned. I want to do something to prevent children from seeing him. I know he was in his own backyard, but you could see him clearly from the field. Would that count as public nudity? Do you think I should report him?

SCARRED FOR LIFE

DEAR SCARRED: We’re sure glad you didn’t go blind. For someone claiming not to be a Peeping Tom, you certainly expended a lot of energy trying to catch a glimpse of this naked man. If he is hot-tubbing on his own property and taking appropriate precautions to be discreet, it is not public nudity. Unless, of course, he does the hot-tub routine only during games, in which case there is some exhibitionism going on. If you think this is traumatizing the Little Leaguers, you can mention it to one of the parents.

[1] Mitchell, Kathy & Sugar, Marcy. Annie’s Mailbox: Hot-tubbing at home not public nudity. The Norwich Bulletin, May 18, 2009 (accessed May 20, 2009). http://www.norwichbulletin.com/lifestyles/x342404240/Annies-Mailbox-Hot-tubbing-at-home-not-public-nudity

The re-printed article above is the latest example of nudist related news I came across from crawling non-nudist news sites. The original writer to this “Dear Abby” type column goes far beyond being ridiculous and yet I found the article another sterling example of the equally ridiculous perspectives of non-nudists when it comes to the nude human body.

First, since she thought it necessary to inform everyone that she was “a virgin” who “[had] never seen a naked man…because [she] believes virginity should be kept until marriage” it is evident that this person clearly associates nudity with sex, a most common misconception among Textiles. Second, she goes out of her way to become a common voyeur and spy on a man who within the privacy of his own backyard, enjoys a refreshing dip in his hot tub sans clothing and then has the unmitigated gall to complain that she was so offended that she signed herself “Scarred for Life.” She attempts to justify her “Peeping Tom” behavior by rationalizing that she was only concerned about the welfare of children who might be exposed to seeing a naked man which was nothing short of hypocritical. I did enjoy the dramatic flair she exhibited by stating that after she observed the naked man whose privacy she was brazenly violating, “I instantly got a headache and my eyes burned.” There is no way of knowing of course whether the man involved was an actual nudist or just one of likely millions of Americans who finds hot tubbing most meaningful when enjoyed in the nude. My girlfriend, who does not at all have an attraction for naturism per se, does enjoy both nude hot-tubbing and skinny-dipping on occasion when we have the opportunity. But the article does bring to light many issues related to nudity.

First, why should nudists and others who like to be nude on their own property, in the privacy of their own backyard and who have taken the reasonable precaution to avoid offending the prudish community by erecting a reasonable privacy fence, have to fear repercussions resulting from complaints by the likes of Miss Virginal Prude? I think this lady needs grow up, don her big girl panties and accept the fact that every male on the planet has a penis and every female has a vagina and breasts and both have butts, and then she needs to get over it. The simple fact that she happened to be occupying an elevated site that permitted her to be able to violate someone’s privacy by looking over their fence into their backyard does not all serve to condone the fact that she took advantage of the circumstances to do so and then became “offended.” After a span roughly 5,000 years of recorded human civilization, it is mind boggling to me that the majority of humans are so plagued by an unhealthy view of their own nudity and that of others. Doesn’t it make you wonder how we ever progressed as far as we have? In some respects I find myself wondering whether as a society we are becoming more civilized or less so.

I did for the most part find myself in agreement with “Annie’s” reply. She not only flatly informed the writer that what she described was not public nudity but also called her out on the fact that she was the person in the wrong by engaging in voyeuristic behavior and then crying foul! I also enjoyed the little jab, “We’re sure glad you didn’t go blind.” The only disagreement I found with the article was the final “Unless, of course, he does the hot-tub routine only during games, in which case there is some exhibitionism going on. If you think this is traumatizing the Little Leaguers, you can mention it to one of the parents.” While I agree if someone was exposing their nakedness for exhibitionist purposes, they cross that invisible line between mere nudity and lewdness but of course someone like the writer who has already revealed their agenda would of course skip over the “if” and go directly to the “then" "mention it to the parents” part.

Personally, I think erecting a privacy fence around one’s backyard is all the reasonable precaution a person should be expected to take with regard to taking appropriate action to preclude offending someone who finds nudity offensive. Once they have done that, if others choose to build an elevated baseball field or a two story home for that matter that provides people the facility for peering over a privacy fence and observing what is going on in someone else’s backyard, then they cannot then claim to be offended if they happen to observe someone sunbathing or hot-tubbing in the nude. This madness has to stop!

Voyeurism and Sexual Harassment Concerns

Any woman knows that many men do harbor certain unwholesome sexual interest in nude female bodies. The growth of the pornography industry and the titillating displays of busty, naked women in magazines, movies and videos designed to meet a variety of male sexual fantasies and fetishes is testament enough to that. So how a woman might reasonably ask can she be certain that if she decides to participate in non-sexual social nudity can she know her nudity won’t be exploited by voyeuristic males or be confident that she won’t be subjected to unwelcome sexual comments, advances and other forms of sexual harassment?

One of the more persistent concerns and criticisms voiced by non-nudists about the practice of social nudity is that it must represent the ultimate dream come true for the male voyeur. Though this is usually expressed by women, many men may hold this opinion also. Probably nothing short of actual experience can adequately rebut this concern. Indeed, it may well be that many voyeurs do frequent clothing optional beaches and even pose as nudists to gain access to resorts and the like simply to satiate their voyeuristic appetites.

Mature, psychologically healthy people who like to be naked are neutral about seeing others naked. Even for those who might find it pleasurable, they still derive most of their satisfaction from being naked themselves. But what about individuals who are immature, inconsiderate, or otherwise are not in the best psychological health? The answer depends on the setting. Except for situations where access can’t be effectively controlled (such as clothing optional beaches or other public lands), a community of people enjoying nudity naturally tends to exclude individuals whose behavior for whatever reason is disruptive to their enjoyment. Even in the cases of public beaches, there is often a community spirit present among the regular users of such places that actively works to discourage voyeurism and other disruptive behavior. As far as nudist resorts, where access can and will be effectively controlled, voyeurs are less of a problem since any male who by his behavior demonstrates that he is there for the purpose of satisfying his sexual urges for voyeurism or exhibitionism will quickly upon detection be excluded and notified not to return.

It would be disingenuous to say a woman never need fear being exploited by a voyeur but it is truly less of a potential problem at resorts than at more public venues. It is also true that individuals who actually try the experience of nudity in a social setting usually find that being naked is so pleasurable and satisfying in itself, that the issue of voyeurism diminishes greatly in importance.

Unlike simple voyeurism, harassment on the other hand can be a real problem in gatherings of people enjoying nudity just as it can be a problem at places where people aren’t naked, such as a beach, a nightclub, a private party and even the workplace. Where sexual harassment is concerned, it would be less than honest to proclaim that it doesn’t occur at places where people are naked. It can and it does. In theory, if anything, the possibilities of harassment occurring are even greater in the form of staring, voyeurism, exhibitionism, explicit remarks about specific, “private” body parts and even inappropriate and unwelcome touching. In addition to all the usual openings some men will take advantage of to make unwelcome sexual remarks or advances, a state of nudity obviously affords many new ones. A program of education and sensitization directed at men is needed here. It needs to become very well known that places which offer social nudity do not welcome men who have harassing behavior in mind. It needs to be equally well known that women who participate in social nudity are not one bit more tolerant of sexually harassing behavior than women who are clothed.

Some men will probably never learn to curb harassing behavior, but they should learn very clearly where they aren’t welcome. Most men who choose to participate in social nudity for its own sake already understand that sexual harassment is wrong, just as stealing and selfishness are wrong. Men who are attracted to social nudity for the “wrong” reasons, or who sometimes simply forget their good manners, can spoil it for everyone, just as inconsiderate or boorish people can take the fun out of any kind of social event. Most if not all naturist clubs, parks, and resorts have formal policies that forbid harassment and provide for the expeditious ejection of anyone who can’t conform their behavior and conduct to the rules.

In summary, while both the concerns over voyeurism and harassment are legitimate concerns for women contemplating participation in social nudity, the former is often far less of a problem than it is imagined, at most a minor irritation that must be dealt with occasionally. The later, however, while it cannot be promised will never occur, is quite effectively dealt with by the existence and enforcement of rules against it and any other behavior that might serve to cause anyone to be made to feel uncomfortable. Thus, neither concern need be a reason for women to avoid social nudity participation.