I have to emphasize that these are not tabloid papers, such as the British SUN or American NATIONAL ENQUIRER, but in fact are well-respected dailies. Der Standard is considered a more liberal paper, Kurier a more moderate paper.
One of the local radio stations, FM4, sponsored a music festival and at this festival, a German photographer asked for volunteers to pose nude for one of his photo projects. The volunteers took off their clothes and arranged themselves as the photographer directed in an open area near the festival.
The issue here isn't nudity, per se, but rather society's reaction (or non-reaction) to it.
I'll let you imagine for yourself the reaction that would result in your community should photos like this appear on the front pages of daily papers, displayed openly on newsstands (where---gulp!---children could see them. The children...the children...[wring hands, clench teeth, be afraid, look for someone to lash out against])
I could give a shit about nudity one way or the other---you want to be nude, be nude. You want to wear clothes, wear clothes. I just think it's interesting that Austrian mainstream newspapers will run pics like this on the front page, and will refrain from pixilating the "naughty bits."
2 comments:
While the nudity is something the US would have a lot of problem with, there is something even more subtle apparent - at least to me.
I notice in the photo everyone is VERY close together.
And there appears to be quite a few more men than women in the group.
So, how many men in the US would feel comfortable being naked that close to another man?
There are lot more differences between the US and Austria than most people imagine!
I hadn't thought of that----Nude Man Proximity Syndrome.
Though my one, brief experience with public nudity (in which I was a participant, I mean) taught me that when everyone is doing something, it becomes less bothersome to individuals because they've been given permission.
Still, we have personal space requirements that are formed in our societies and our families, and woe to the person who violates them.
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