Journalism about nudists is terrible.
Newspapers and websites love nudism. The nudity taboo is so strong in our society that anything involving naked people is a reader magnet. Journalists play straight into this narrative with articles that are designed to tap into readers’ naughty thrills.
The result: terrible writing about nudists and nudism. Articles treat nudists like an alien species, or like a gang of lunatics ostracized in “colonies”. They use childish jokes, unfunny references to body parts, and the most tired cliches imaginable. How often does an article promise the “bare facts” about nudism?
As nudists, we can we can start to influence how nudist topics are covered. Society is probably not going to start to respect, or even accept, nudists any time soon. But we can take positive, constructive action to shift the standard narrative away from its childish, sniggering shamefulness, and towards a positive, accepting view of nudism.
Here are some actions we can take any time we encounter poor coverage of nudists in the news.
Wherever we respond, though, attitude is crucial to getting our message across. The general public already believes the narrative about nudists being slightly deranged, out of touch with social norms, and oversexed or perverted. It’s extremely damaging to nudists to play into this narrative.
A common mistake is to try to turn others into nudists. You won’t convert anyone; you’re likely to come off as a weird crank who wants to see other people naked. Don’t say “If you only tried it...” Leave non-nudists out of it.
And do not escalate the dispute. Accusatory language (“How dare you!”), victimhood (“We’re being persecuted!”), and anger (“You fool!”) will all weaken your argument.
Instead, concentrate on the positive nature of nudist philosophy. Less shame, more body positivity. People from all walks of life enjoy nudism. We’re not harming anyone. We welcome an opportunity to discuss our values.
One of the benefits of the nudist culture is the exceptionally friendly individuals involved in the lifestyle promoting well-being and healthy life choices.
This is a great message to put out into the world! Incorporate those positive values as much as you can when you call out poor coverage of nudism.
The search for acceptance of nudism in our nudity-averse society is an uphill battle. If all nudists become active, positive advocates for the nudist philosophy, though, we can’t fail to improve others’ attitudes as well, even if they choose not to take part in the lifestyle themselves.
Have you found any examples of good journalism about nudism? Post links in the comments below!
Whether or not you’re a fully committed nudist, joining a nudist group is a good idea. The benefits usually far outweigh the small membership fee.
The first objection that many people have to joining a nudist group is that they can get the same thing for free online. This might be true for some organizations, but it definitely isn’t true for nudist organizations. There are some legitimate online nudist organizations, but they are far outnumbered by illegitimate ones.
Why are so many groups illegitimate? It’s the voyeuristic quality of the internet, unfortunately. When people discover that nudists are posting photos of themselves, the membership quickly explodes with people seeking nude photos. (With the number of nude photos available on the internet already, it’s hard to understand why they do this, but it seems inevitable.)
There are some online organizations that do not require or even allow photos. These sometimes start up really well, but they present another problem: authenticity. There’s no way to know whether a profile represents an actual nudist. Too often, profiles on these sites are just people looking for female nudists to pester for photos, or someone satisfying other, more prurient interests.
It’s far less common for people to join legitimate, established organizations if they aren’t already a nudist. So if you want to be sure you’re part of a group with actual nudists as members, and supporting real nudist values, join an organization that isn’t just online.
Supporting these groups is a small step towards bigger changes we need to make nudism more acceptable in our society.. As the groups gain members, their political clout and public reach increase. Societal change is slow and incremental, but you can help to speed things up by joining an organization. (You can help even more if you’re able to contribute as a volunteer, too.)
One of the most important benefits to joining an organization is information. You’ll hear about issues involving nudism, issues that you might be able to help with (such as by signing a petition). You’ll learn of new nudist groups and venues, or even established venues that you didn’t even know about. But the biggest benefit is getting to know the people who are making nudism a reality. It might feel like a small thing, but so often we say “If only I had known...” This is one way to make sure you’ll know what’s happening, when it happens.
Finally, becoming a member of an established organization helps to legitimize and normalize naturism, not only in general, but for you. By becoming a member you are making a commitment to nudism, and that will have an effect on your own engagement and involvement with the nudist lifestyle.
What organizations are in your region or country, and have you considered joining them? What would you want to get out of a membership in a nudist organization? Tell me in the comments - and post some actions you’d like to see nudist groups take, if you have any ideas!
