Are these activities good for promoting nudism?

[Gary Naturist]

It's been said that there is no bad publicity -- anything that gets your cause in front of the public is beneficial. Does this apply to nudism as well? Wellm, not always -- e.g. a newspaper report of public sex involving nude people isn't beneficial for the cause.

However, activities that involve non-sexual nudity may encourage more people to try nudism. Do you think that the following (some relatively private, some public) are positive or negative for encouraging nudism?

-- Skinnydipping with friends at night at the cottage?
-- Playing strip poker in a mixed-sex group?
-- Sunbathing nude in a small group at the far end of a non-clothing-optional beach?
-- Streaking Wimbledon (as was done last week)?
-- Running nude in the Bay-to-Breakers run each May in San Francisco?
-- Spencer Tunick's mass nude photo sessions?
-- The Naked News on the Internet?

Gary

[Gary Naturist]

It's been said that there is no bad publicity -- anything that gets your cause in front of the public is beneficial. Does this apply to nudism as well? Wellm, not always -- e.g. a newspaper report of public sex involving nude people isn't beneficial for the cause.

However, activities that involve non-sexual nudity may encourage more people to try nudism. Do you think that the following (some relatively private, some public) are positive or negative for encouraging nudism?

-- Skinnydipping with friends at night at the cottage?
-- Playing strip poker in a mixed-sex group?
-- Sunbathing nude in a small group at the far end of a non-clothing-optional beach?
-- Streaking Wimbledon (as was done last week)?
-- Running nude in the Bay-to-Breakers run each May in San Francisco?
-- Spencer Tunick's mass nude photo sessions?
-- The Naked News on the Internet?

Gary

[Stewey]

With all of your examples, it depends upon the situation.

-There were several instances where my friends have gone skinnydipping for the sole purpose of sexual conduct accompanying it. But does that mean that all instances of skinnydipping are sexual in nature? Not at all. But I personally think most of them are.

-IMHO, strip poker has nothing whatsoever to do with nudism, nor does it promote nudism. It's just a game that kids play to get a quick jolly (and before I get wrongfully accused of sainthood, suffice it to say that I've had my fair share of strip poker games during my college years as well...)

-I suppose this would be OK, provided that the sunbathers in question were not doing it for exhibitionistic purposes.

-To me, the usefulness of streaking where nudism is concerned ranks right up there with strip poker.

-I don't know enough about the Bay to Breakers events to form an opinion about it.

-Ditto with the nude photo sessions. Perhaps you could elaborate about these further.

-No, no, no, no, NO! Naked News is about stripping for ratings. Period. And they do get the ratings, which is odd because I personally think their website isn't all that great.

[Bartamus]

Gary: Of all those you mentioned..I would
think the Streaker at Wimbleton and Naked
News are the least effective for
encouraging naturism.
The Media played the Streaker story as "some
kook who has done the same thing several
years in a row." I think people see that guy
as a nut who likes to get publicity for
himself. Frankly, that's how I see him.

The Naked News website is primarily a strip
show that features attractive naked people
reading the same news that we can get
anywhere. I think it also does nothing to
encourage the acceptance of naturism. People
taking off their clothes on camera appeals
to the prurient interest.

All the remaining things you mentioned on
that list definetely help us naturists
spread the word!

[Bob S.]

Skinny-dipping and sunbathing are both nudist pastimes. Doing it on land that is designated public is legally risky but can help spread the idea of non-sexual nudity and can get people on the side of our rationalle.

The Bare-to-Breakers run can show people that nudists can coexist with textiles with no problem. See last statement above.

Streaking is mostly about the adrenaline rush one gets by doing something illegal and how long they can do it before they get caught. It has nothing to do with nudism.

Strip Poker is a sex game, almost like foreplay. The nudity is totally sexualized as the environment is highly sexualized.

Naked News would be better for nudism if the anchors didn't strip in the beginning and if they represented more body shapes.

Spencer Tunick's photo sessions are more in the category of Nude Art, which is an offshoot of our plight but differs slightly. Having to debate nudity on the canvas or in a work of art differs from debating whether one should be allowed to be naked.

Bob S.