Two Observations of the Nudist Environment
by Eric Swanson
1) If one surfs the internet, they will see many sites that require paid
membership to gain the information that is within. Many of these sites deliver
high quality pictures and videos for a price. To the nudist, they are lumped
into the "Porno" paid sites and "Nudist" paid sites. However, to a concerned
parent or citizen, born in America, with the taboos and fears normally
associated with nudity, how can they tell the difference? One site preaches
clean nudity; however, both sites require payment for nudity. The business model
of both sites seems to be similar. They are both selling pictures and videos of
nudity for a price. If the dedicated nudist is trying to separate themselves
from sexually oriented nudity, so they can get acceptance in local and national
governments, why do they have the same business model? How are paid memberships
for pictures and videos any different from porno sites? How is the concerned
citizen or parent that will vote and make political changes be convinced of the
difference in ideas?
2) Nudists have paid memberships on the internet and landed and non-landed clubs
all for a price. The porn industry has paid memberships on the internet and
gentlemen's clubs and adult stores, all selling sex for a price. All of these
are businesses have political action groups dedicated to lobbying for more
rights and benefits. However if you are a business that sells something that is
taboo, why would you want a dramatic change in mindset about your product? Why
would you want considerable political change? I suggest that a business selling
nudity wouldn't want but nominal change to the acceptance of their product. The
dream of most nudists is to go to any beach or grocery store nude. However, due
to laws and social norms, they must do that at certain places and at certain
times, which usually is associated with a dollar sign to enjoy. The almighty
dollar is very seductive. If everyone got to go to the grocery store naked, then
that would put everyone that sells nudity out of business. And the businesses
that own the political action groups would not want that to ever happen. So, I
challenge the dedication of those nudist political action groups. How much
change do they really want? How hard have they worked on trying to change minds
and influence people? Which groups are secretly happy when they see a law that
would open nudist views to the populace be shot down? Are they representing the
people they are supposing to represent or are they supporting the all mighty
dollar that the business can bring in from nudist activities? Do they drag their
feet about political change?
Are these two ideas connected? I think so. No wonder political action groups
that actually work hard to change minds have a rough time. The business model of
the porn industry is the same as the business model of the nudist industry. With
that similarity, how could a truly dedicated political action group make
significant change if the need for money by the nudist businessman causes the
ordinary citizen to be fearful of the nudist environment? The ordinary citizen
having the attention span of a fly will only see both ideas in the context of
the same business model. They will not see the difference and knowing how
terrible the porn industry is will not vote kindly toward the nudist views.
The way to change this is the same way that any idea has come to change in any
place at any time. This can change through education. We need more money spent
on the education of the populace. We need sites that promote the normalcy of
nudity and not price it will be to see nudity. We need marketing that shows the
separation of nudist views from porn views. We need to educate the porn industry
on their harmful product. We need to make sure the ordinary citizen is
advertised in nudist pamphlets. That no matter the sex, age, race, or money in
your pocket, that you can enjoy a designated nudist environment until it does
become ok to go the grocery store in your birthday suit.
Also, I believe that to get away from the stigma that the porn business model
has corrupted, is to not be so worried about the Benjamins in the nudist's
pocket. If the whole point of the nudist environment is to take off society's
clothes and enjoy fellowship with all God's creatures, than why was one article
in the Wall Street Journal claiming that nudist travel was the fastest growing
recreational activity, noting that many fancy cars were lining the parking lot
of these resorts. Once again the almighty dollar is present. Now realistically I
know we can't get rid of the desire for money. But how bout an admission price
based on income level, so that those that are poor can also take off their poor
clothes and be judged as themselves and not the poor clothes they wear. Or how
bout just get rid of admission and paid memberships altogether and have
fundraising drives like every other non profit organization...oh wait nudist
clubs can not be non profit organizations because their business model is to
make money the same way as the porn industry.
|
|
|||||||||
| Who is Eric? | Economics | English | Ethics | History | Interests | Leadership | Psychology | Politics | Links |
Date this page was last updated: 01/26/2003