Why do we equate nakedness with s*x?

Question

There are many cultures on earth for whom nakedness is a normal state of being... particularly in the tropics.

Our culture seems to have equated nakedness with s*x... and public or social nakedness is seen, for the most part, as a sexual act and therefore 'indecent'.

Does our social attitude towards nakedness serve us well or does it do more harm than good?

Answer 1

rape is a power thing not so much a s*x thing so using that logic i dont think clothes really matter. i think clothes are the reason people hate the human body so much. i mean you dont see naked people walking down the street often and when you do its a huge shock. but if you see naked people walking down the street everyday it wouldnt be anything new.

Answer 2

In the 'west' nakedness is definately a naughty-ie,the Bible,fig leaves,stuff like that.But on the other hand nakedness is kind of s**y since we're not used to it-at least I'm not anyway.I had some reservations about going nude on a Hawiian beach many years ago-in Europe nakedness is considered healthy-I tried to keep this in mind when I peeled-and suddenly I realised that its' quite meaningless really-its' my culture that seems to condemn it.There was a guy at Berkeley years ago who walked all over town shamelessly,went to class with his nuts right on the fold down chair. some people thought he was making a statement,most thought he was slightly ,well,nuts.I just wouldn't want to sit in that chair-clothes are ok because you can cover things up that you don't want others to see,more sanitary too.Well,thats my answer in a nut shell.

Answer 3

So would you say, it would depend on the geography, how one would answer this?

Actually, naked beaches are the best places to be naked in public, because people don't care that they are naked. They are there to be free of clothing and its restrictions. They love being totally in the buff! And they can do so freely without the "connotations" involved.

When I read your question, I will say when i read the word , "nakedness", i thought of my body being naked. I did not see me in the middle of a s*x act, however.

Perhaps it then depends on the individuals appetite for s*x? If a person who loved a certain sexual act, saw a naked person, they may want to see that part of the anatomy , and look at it. And think, """s*x!!!"""" . But not everyone.

I don't exactly know how Europe and Asia handle children's p**n, but in America, they have gobs of it floating around under ground on the internet.

Children are naked, in these pictures. You ask does our social attitude towards nakedness serve us well?

Does it do more HARM than good?

It serves my children well. It does no harm to be covered in public. We live in a land where you don't know what your neighbor is doing online. He could be a professor of Religious Important Stuff, and be collecting kiddy p**n at night, when the wife and kids are asleep. yes, we need to protect our nakedness in America.

We have perverts, therefore, we need to have a social attitude on nakedness.

Answer 4

Presumably because most people do not have s*x while clothed, also the fact that all the sexual organs are exposed.

Answer 5

I think it does more good.   It makes it easier to see the person for who they are.    Don't think that in cultures where nudity is acceptable, that perverts don't exist.   Having clothes on gives some fighting chance against a rape.

thc451,

Have you ever been to Europe or did you just read that info someplace??   It's actually mixed.    Topless sunbathing is legal but in some parts of Europe, it's not really socially acceptable.    Complete nudity is much less common except with young children.

ETA:  Cassandra:

I'm not sure how Europe or Asia deals with kiddie p**n but I remember reading  a message board with a Belgian woman who was repeated molested as a child by her grandfather.   She had a terrible time getting therapy in her home country that specialized in helping sexual abuse survivors.   Also in bookstores she couldn't find self-help books that dealt with sexual abuse survivors.   She was amazed that there was so much more help available in the United States.   In America, subjects like kiddie p**n and child s*x abuse are very much out-of-the-closet.    It wasn't that way for this woman in Belgium.   Her best therapy was communicating on another online message board with other survivors.  Maybe America is too uptight about nudity but we are out-of-the-closet about everything.   We also have support services available for those who need it.

I have also read that many Europeans think that Americans are too obsessed with s*x and s*x abuse.    My own feeling is that America is more serious in speaking out against s*x crimes especially when it involves children.