Going along with the nude breast topic...

[K. in Cleveland]

OK, I know this may be beating a dead horse, but I just wanted to share an angle on this I recently took. Also, I realize there are people from all walks of life, and some other cultures are more open, and others are even more conservative... but all I really know is American culture, so that is what I'm speaking of.

Yesterday I visited the incredible Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. Amidst the other famous and not-so-famous artists were a few incredible Reubens works. If you're not familiar with Peter Paul Reubens he was a Flemish Baroque master from the 17th century. His most famous subjects are full figured female nudes (though all of his work is beautiful) which is where the term Rubenesque to describe what we now refer to as BBWs.....

As I stood in the gallery looking at this incredible piect of history and art, with nude breasts staring down at me from this impressive canvas, I was not in the least bit offended. Nor was I offended by the marble sculpture of a nude woman and man lying down amidst some rocks... Then I stepped into another room and there were more nude breasts looking down at me from their elevated positions on the gallery walls. Why did these fleshy female protuberances not offend me? Or the flacid male parts for that matter? Perhaps it was because these artists did not present it in a sexual or deviant way. It was not meant to incite arousal, rather to show the natural human condition... we came into the world nude and no one thought it obscene... we were only immediately wrapped up to keep heat in, not because of humility and shame.
Why is it then that nudity becomes shameful? Is it because we feel so vunerable while standing au naturel.. all secrets exposed.. all imperfections, scars, and bumps visible to all who care to look? Or is it because the human body is intrinsically shameful and only meant to be seen by our most intimate of partners? Why do we (American culture) view breasts as not horribly offensive, but the exposed nipple means X rated? And if an exposed nipple in public is criminal, why then can classic art be viewed without censor bars? Don't those black censor bars protect my innocent mind and thoughts? Oh, wait... I was always curious to see what was behind that black bar when I was younger, so I looked around and found it.. amazingly enough it didn't scar me for life or leave me tormented mentally. I saw and understood the human body, then the mystery was gone.

Now, to bring discussion (if you've read my rantings this far).. What defines art? Is a public display of nudes offensive in a metropolitan art district? Is a naked male body offensive in the kitchen, living room, bedroom? Where are the lines drawn for you personally, and why?

[Saishuu]

K. in Cleveland

Would you be offended if someone walked down the street naked and you saw them?

I for one would not.

I'm going to assume I'm being ignorant as to why I should be offended and therefore I'm pretty stupid and in the minority (oh theres a good example of cultural repression).

But really I cannot put my mind into a position to see why anybody would be offended by this.

I can fathom "taking fake offense" for religious reasons (whether real religion or just the religion that is our life that we all come to posses via our parents and societies nurtue) because people have been brought up to automatically take offense to such things without thinking for themselves.

But yeh would you be offended?

On another note

I like my art pretty to look at and possibly thought provoking.
I really like art that depicts pain & suffering. Especially film & text.

Just me though.

[K. in Cleveland]

Well, I wouldn't be offended unless it were a naked man waving himself at old ladies and kids..lol.. and not at me..
In all seriousness though, I wouldn't be offended, but I do feel there is a proper time and place for everything. I wouldn't really want to go to McDonalds with everyone walking around nude (I don't like half of what I see in public when people are clothed..lol) but that doesn't mean that if I knew there were a place in which nudity was welcomed that I would not visit

[Exavion]

Full nudity in public isn't a good idea, for sanitary and health reasons, however, total nudity except with underwear/boxers should be fine. Why not? What is the big deal if someone wants to be almost completely naked? It's just a human body.

[Saishuu]

Full nudity in public isn't a good idea, for sanitary and health reasons

I don't understand why?

They should wear shoes to protect their feet no?

Ok I suppose I wouldn't really want to place my hand before eating my burger in some yellow discharge on a table in Mc Donalds, but people spread germs everywhere anyway...

And I agree clothes stop alot of people pooping on pavements.

But are these the only health risks?

One seems trivial and the other seems easy to stop with some poop police!

[Jasperky]

I hate to sound boring, but on a Dating, Love & Sex forum, this isn't really the best place to get a representative answer.

Pickiness aside, I think it's alright. The main problem is it could get mighty dangerous bumping into a guy.

Not to mention, where are you supposed to keep money?

[slittylicker]

If anyone has ever been to a nudist resort or a nude beach, you would have a whole different perspective.

If you go to Florida, South Beach, Miami is a totally topless beach.

In certain areas and under certain circumstances, nudity isn't even an issue.

[Dan And Jennifer]

Originally Posted by Jasperky

I hate to sound boring, but on a Dating, Love & Sex forum, this isn't really the best place to get a representative answer.

Hmmm, I would think an audience that's talking openly about sex would be a perfect place for this type of discussion. After all, it's certainly not going to break out at a religious extremist gathering anywhere. :-)

Here's a poll we ran on this topic - with roughly 650 votes as of today...