belladonnis

Thank you!!!! And YES MAM!!!!;)

Dragon

I respect that some people choose not to look at nudity themselves but to say it is immoral to so much as look any naked form just seems strange to me. I really don't feel like I'm cheating on my boyfriend if I go to a museum and look at the David or the Thinker. I don't feel like my boyfriend is hurting me if he looks at Leda and the Swan or even (heaven forbid) a playboy. So long as we are not lusting after these or expecting each other to look just like that then it's not hurting anybody.
And belladonnis I thought your pic was hilarious. I was surprised at the furor over it.

pollyesther

it's not a very difficult line to draw...the difference between tasteful nudes and inappropriate images. it's all about the intent of the artist which is made clear by the art they produce. playboy is produced for inappropriate reasons, and although i know some would disagree, i consider it to be pure garbage. i would be very offended and hurt if my husband wanted was "reading those articles" ...on the other hand, there are many many tastful nude pieces of art and i would not censor them even from my kids. Man, life is too short. I think that tasteful nude art is a good thing for society yet what gets shoved in our face consistanly on tv, movies, and the like, I DO find very offensive and tiresome. i HATE those "girls gone wild" commercials and think they SHOULD be censored and removed. does that make sense to anyone else? If youre worried about your kids seeing tasteful nudes and want to shelter them from art and museums that is your poragtive, but i think its a mistake. SHELTER THEM from all the yucky stuff. the human form in and of itself is not going to hurt anyone. I would argue that tasteful nudes are a wonderful form of expression and are an important part of developing healthy sexuality. there is a stark contrast between tasteful nudes and the garbage that we are all exposed to.

solosater

I hadn't even thought of those commercials but you're right, they make me sick.

Not just the naked bodies but the fact that they are so young and haven't a clue what they are going to feel later in life. I imagine them grown with kids and terrified that their own children would one day see them.

That "drive by porn" is, to me, even more offensive than any thing I've seen in playboy (I used to get the "Nudes" issue from time to time for models to draw).

At least in playboy the women are pretty well compensated and in this day and age they are not looked upon in the light they were before, they get a little respect and some have made a good name for themselves.

That is shocking but at least it’s not as exploitative as those Girls Gone Wild movies.

The other thing I feel when I see those commercials is disgust for those girls parents. I wonder what the policy on nudity was in their homes? Where are their parents now? How sad that they have not been taught to respect themselves, that they are worthy of respect from others.

I have a friend who basically raised herself she was quite poor growing up, married the first guy she met, and while they are still friends (they never should have married) she’s single now. She has “relationships” with whomever she can find to give her a sense of belonging, of worthiness, of stability. She’s willing to do anything for and take anything from these men to please them so she won’t be alone. She’s ended up a single mother working two jobs and being run into the ground by life. Those girls remind me of her.

It sickens me.

Dragon

I remember a few years ago my hockey team was in the last round of the playoffs. The city of Calgary went crazy. The main street downtown (Electric Ave) was absolutely thronged with fans wearing red jerseys, so much so it was affectionatly known as The Red Mile. I recall seeing all those drunk young girls flashing the crowd and showing off their chests and all I thought was "There is not enough liqour in the world to get me drunk enough to do that".
It seemed like those girls thought so little of themselves that they could be swept into public acts of nudity (for lack of a better term.)
I also recall seeing photos by an artist who gathers random people from the street, has them strip down naked and poses the entire group in a large public place. He doesn't pose them sexualy, simply has them all lay down in rows or stand in formation. This could be considered public acts of nudity as well, and he has in fact gotten into some trouble from the authorities. But there was nothing lewd or gross about it, the exposures were always from far enough away that though you could tell everyone was nude they weren't 'In your face, porno nude'. I wish I could remember his name because his works were really interesting.

belladonnis

I agree with both of you. Its a shame to think that most of the children in the world are being raised by the television set and that their opinions on life are are being formed by IT instead of by their parents. I can be a mean mommy because there are some cartoons that I wont let my kids watch!

solosater

Dragon, I've seen the kind of thing you're talking about, don't know if it was the same guy but I found it interesting not lewd. I used to have a photo saved on my computer (lost it in a crash) of a group of people skating down a hill in what looked like San Francisco completely nude aside from the skates. I can’t even remember if they were coming or going but I thought it was fabulous.

bella, you’re supposed to be mean, if your children like you more than they respect you they’ll probably end up flashing strangers in the street.

belladonnis

Could you imagine turning on the tv and seeing your childs face and what ever else on that garbage. Im so blessed that my children love to play outside so much more than watching tv or playing on game boys. They do like their cartoons though especially after a skinnned knee from climbing up the tree in the back yard!

solosater

I still like cartoons.

They aren't what they used to be but still they're fun.

I'm saved by the fact that Hi Def TVs give me migraines and my old RCA doesn't even get the local channels.

I watch DVDs and I'm a happy camper.

belladonnis

Whats been your favorite new ones so far?

solosater

Cartoons? I'm not really sure; I don't follow any only see them when I'm sitting at someone's house. I like Sponge Bob, and there's the one that Katie Segal does the voice for... Futurama I think, that's probably not a great choice for the girls, kinda' adult. I like King of the Hill - I'm a redneck so I kinda' have to;-)

There's lots of anime out there that is too adult for me; you have to be careful of that but there is also some pretty cool stuff that is animated drama and sci-fi. There was one I saw as a kid that was written by Isaac Asimov but I can't remember what it was called. There was some nudity in it but it was completely without degradation or sexuality even.

belladonnis

Actually I was refering to DVD's lol, but on the cartoon note when my kids go to their dads on his weekend I'll turn on the tv and sit and watch cartoon untill it finally clicks........my kids arnt here.......what the crap!

solosater

Oh, as for the DVD's I actually watch TV series on DVD I get netflix. I like a lot of British TV I've really enjoyed MI-5 and just started Robin Hood. Dragon and I were over on Channel Baldur discussing a show we both watched that no one has ever seen “RED DWARF” it’s a Brit com sci-fi futuristic spoof kinda’ thing. It started in the late 80s or early nineties and ended 12 years later with 8 full series. Hysterical! but not for everybody.

I love “Monk” and “Psych” and really like the “Stargate” family, enjoyed “Battlestar Galactica” and get a real kick out of “Eureka”.

I’ve just started speaking a different language huh? You didn’t know I was such a nerd. I am. I’m ok with it. It’s like the red neck thing, I kinda’ have to.

belladonnis

Thats funny I thought I was the red neck being from the south. Its good to know that the red neck sisterhood can be found far and wide!
I don't really watch alot of sci-fi. One of my favs was Sex in the City. I own every season.
Right now Ive gotten into a few of the shows on SHO. Weeds, Dexter and I really liked The United Sates of Tara.
Its nice to meet you by the way.

solosater

Very nice meeting you as well.

I'm from Indiana originally, we moved to Arizona when I was an infant but our family is still there except for Crazy Aunt Edna who lives in Georgia.

Red Neckedness is really just a state of mind I think.

But it also helps if you can bait your own hook. Now having said that, I don't fish, I don't like fish, to eat, I've nothing against them otherwise, you know live and let live and all...

I can change my own oil and rotate my tires. I guess for me that's being a red neck woman. Not being helpless and hopeless without a man. I also have nothing against men, I like them very much, but I don't want to catch one.

solosater

Not yet anyway.

solosater

Now I'm off to catch some Zs.

I'll chat at ya' later, have a good night.

belladonnis

I was born in Athens Ala and have been a bama girl all my life.
I was raised on cornbread,pintos, turnipgreens and fried sweet taters, which are my favs. Oh and lets not forget Alabama football. Thats what defines me as a red neck.
Unlike you I like to fish. I dont like to bait my own hook or take the fish I catch off the hook to throw them back. It gives me the willies.
At sixteen my dad made me learn to change the oil in my car, change a flat and put brake shoes on my car because he said you cant count on a man to take care of you. He knew what he was talking about because the one I caught I threw back. I guess in that sense we are alot alike.

indigo

Dragon check out Spencer Tunick. I believe he is the photographer you
want.