the naked truth

[metaphorge]

[Poll #825397]

I'm thinking of circumstances where such nudity would not be jarringly out-of-place (changing room, nude beach, Burning Man, pagan festival, in someone's own home, etc.).

Comments

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

It's really behavior-dependent. Some people are just the same when they're naked; otehrs let their inhibitions hang out along with their bits, and when their inhibitions include courtesy, that can get uncomfortable.

But while most of us put on our best manners with our formalwear, and are a lot less so when dressed in pajama pants and a holey tank top, nudity actually required a little more courtesy (IMO) than casual clothing. (Accidental touching is a great illustration of this, as is staring at bits you don't usually see.) Most people are more sensitive about their appearance when unclothed than clothed, even in a really nudity-friendly environment - all it takes is one jerk leering at you or a bitch making remarks about your flab to make that comfortably-nude environment a lot less comfy.

[uber-pochacco.livejournal.com]

I can't say I've had too much experience with it. But yeah, I would say that I am pretty uncomfortable with it. Not in a "put your damn clothes on" kinda way, but in a "should I be seeing this?" kind of way.

That's more my own personal fuckupedness (or inexperience?), though, and not really based on any beliefs or ideas I have about nudity.

Also, I'm pretty much notorious for being extremely modest when it comes to my own nudity. Although I have improved to an extent, it's still a trait I have.

[uber-pochacco.livejournal.com]

Haha, wow, I just realized about 50 people have already answered this poll, and almost none of them responded with a comment. Now I feel silly.

[the-van-dyck.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't really, I guess the people who say yes feel more compelled to clarify. I said no because as an artist who does life drawing and an actor at least some nudity is fairly unavoidable.
Having said that, I've never been to any larger party or social gathering where nudity was involved so I don't really know who I would react to that.

[twopiearr.livejournal.com]

it's my own nudity i get uncomfortable with in those situations. yay for body issues. :P

[ineffabelle]

exactly.

[tyrsalvia.livejournal.com]

I am much more comfortable being naked myself than I am around random naked guys. The first time I went travelling in Europe, I stayed at youth hostels that had open (single gender) showers. At first, I was really put off by this, but then it got to the point that either I was going to be nasty and dirty and icky, or I was going to shower and deal with it. I dealt with it, and then pretty quickly learned that it did not matter.

[nhyrvana.livejournal.com]

Jesus christ. I ran backstage for a fashion/fetish show for YEARS. I've sen more people naked than I can count. When my gay friends invited me over to their house for the first time and they all stripped down and started wandering around nude they said,"Got a problem? Leave." I did not leave. I won't always bare myself, but if other people want to get all "sky clad"...whatever. IT'S JUST A BODY.

The only time I've ever done a double take was with a photo from Burning Man of the guy with two penis and one testicle. And that was only because I was pretty sure they were fake.

SO YAY FOR THE NAKED.

-e

[pope-guilty.livejournal.com]

Meh. It's nudity. It's nice to look at, but I always feel guilty for doing so.

[talonclaw.livejournal.com]

so far i'm happy with the majority

[oaksong.livejournal.com]

ooops, sorry, I'm tired and I thought the poll said "comfortable" not "uncomfortable." My answer should have been no, I'm not uncomfortable with nudity etc... I was trying to respond yes, I am comfortable with nudity etc...

I probably shouldn't answer polls at 5 am.

[quodlibetic.livejournal.com]

My kingdom for an "it all depends on the context", even within the circumstances that you listed.

[lee93.livejournal.com]

i'd be so much happier if clothing did not exist. truly.

[alostrael.livejournal.com]

+1

[sunfell.livejournal.com]

I'm not into nudity, to be honest. Part of it is that I dislike people staring at my albino hide and then comparing their own skin to mine. Not fun.

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

It took about a year of theatre for me to not care about the "others" bit and then about five years of pagan festivals with inconveniently open showers for me stop giving a shit about myself. And I think I'd still be terribly awkward in any context other than with the same festival people. Realising that just now it kind of bothers me.

[roadriverrail.livejournal.com]

I've been in enough environments with casual nudity at this point that nudity has stopped having any meaning to me. I'm not jaded, it's just not a thing that I particularly notice.

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

If Ghod had meant us to run around nude, we'd have been born that way!

[tyrsalvia.livejournal.com]

It really depends, as we've talked about. I am a *lot* less comfortable with random naked men, because my brain doesn't have an easy pathway to ignore them in the 'locker room' sorta way that I can do with naked women I have no sexual interest in. I can deal with naked women under any circumstance, but with naked men, it depends. If it's in a random place where this is normal (like Burning Man) it is less weird.

It becomes most awkward for me if I am in an enclosed space with a naked man that I know but am not attracted to who is not just changing clothes or a part of a normalizing environment like Burning Man, because then my brain thinks that he wants to have sex with me (even if I am not consciously thinking this), and I start to feel awkward and pressured to respond. Thankfully, I really haven't encountered this experience very often.