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I was reading a couple of posts in different forums relating to the same topic: the "image" of nudism. So I figured I'd say a few things about my personal experience.
When nudism was created in Germany over a century ago, social nudity was but one component of a broader philosophy. The other components were vigourous exercising, dieting, and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This formula survived at least through the 60's; then at some point, the philosophy was almost entirely reduced to social nudity. It is interesting that the "hard part" was conveniently tossed out. But has that benefited or hurt the nudist movement?
I have a few nudist books and periodicals from the 60's, and the "image" I have of nudism back then, which was often represented, is along the lines of the one I posted below: active, fit, healthy, dynamic. This "image", by the way, can still be found in Europe, especially Eastern. But what is it here and now?
I once ran into a college classmate at the local nudist resort in VA. After the initial shock, we started talking about the "nudist experience." And he started sharing his disappointment. It was his first time, and he was expecting games, activities, people our age. Instead, aside from my wife and I, all he had seen were "fat people idling by the pool", and proceeded to write-off nudism as a "lazy" activity. Since then, I have heard that comment over and over again. Most recently, after her infamous trip to Caliente, Paris Hilton corroborated that image by describing her nudist experience as "gross, old fat people." Of course, Caliente and nudists were outraged by that comment. But my thought were: "is that really what young people today are perceiving nudism to be about? If it is, we're probably in more trouble than we think."
I guess the question that should be asked is: "Does nudism need to stand for more than social nudity?" Of course, being a 155 lbd non-smoking, non-drinking fitness aficionado, it is easy for me to say "YES! We need to take it back to what it USED to be about." But the reality is that obesity, along with drinking and smoking, are real issues in american culture, and that has had a definite impact on the textile perception of nudists; and like it or not, it is not a very positive one.
I can't really offer any solutions here. For me, nudism very much = health and fitness, but I can't convert anyone to my way of thinking, and get everyone to join a gym and be more physicaly active at their resort. But I do think that such a change would benefit nudism in a monumental way; because nudism would come to be perceived as a health-oriented activity. And we'd all live longer, which is not bad either.
When nudism was created in Germany over a century ago, social nudity was but one component of a broader philosophy. The other components were vigourous exercising, dieting, and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This formula survived at least through the 60's; then at some point, the philosophy was almost entirely reduced to social nudity. It is interesting that the "hard part" was conveniently tossed out. But has that benefited or hurt the nudist movement?
I have a few nudist books and periodicals from the 60's, and the "image" I have of nudism back then, which was often represented, is along the lines of the one I posted below: active, fit, healthy, dynamic. This "image", by the way, can still be found in Europe, especially Eastern. But what is it here and now?
I once ran into a college classmate at the local nudist resort in VA. After the initial shock, we started talking about the "nudist experience." And he started sharing his disappointment. It was his first time, and he was expecting games, activities, people our age. Instead, aside from my wife and I, all he had seen were "fat people idling by the pool", and proceeded to write-off nudism as a "lazy" activity. Since then, I have heard that comment over and over again. Most recently, after her infamous trip to Caliente, Paris Hilton corroborated that image by describing her nudist experience as "gross, old fat people." Of course, Caliente and nudists were outraged by that comment. But my thought were: "is that really what young people today are perceiving nudism to be about? If it is, we're probably in more trouble than we think."
I guess the question that should be asked is: "Does nudism need to stand for more than social nudity?" Of course, being a 155 lbd non-smoking, non-drinking fitness aficionado, it is easy for me to say "YES! We need to take it back to what it USED to be about." But the reality is that obesity, along with drinking and smoking, are real issues in american culture, and that has had a definite impact on the textile perception of nudists; and like it or not, it is not a very positive one.
I can't really offer any solutions here. For me, nudism very much = health and fitness, but I can't convert anyone to my way of thinking, and get everyone to join a gym and be more physicaly active at their resort. But I do think that such a change would benefit nudism in a monumental way; because nudism would come to be perceived as a health-oriented activity. And we'd all live longer, which is not bad either.
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