WHAT'S UP WITH AMERICANS AND NUDITY? | Feli from Germany

What are your experiences with nudity in the US and other countries?👇 ▸Compare news coverage from around the world and across the political spectrum with Ground News: ground.news/feli Correction: At 22:48 I said that the numbers in Sweden and Norway are even lower than in Germany. That was true for an older study by Gallup from 2010 but it's actually not correct for the study I ended up quoting

What I don't understand, and which happens in Europe as much as in the US, is why an administration (here the school's) immediately gives in after receiving a complaint from a microscopic minority (here two parents). Like 95% of the parents didn't see a problem with that statue, why does the school care about these two parents? Why not just pay back the tuition and let their kids go to another school? At least from the outside this simply looks like sorry spinelessness.

In general, what bothers me the most is the high acceptance of violence over nudity or sex. For example, a movie or a video game can be extremely violent, but the instant a pixel of a nipple appears, the maximum restrictions are applied.

I saw Michelangelo's statue of David when I was 7. I still remember it. I did embrace my mother however. Being from America I had never seen anything like that. I said, kind of loudly, "mommy that man doesn't have any clothes on." She appreciated the beauty of Michelangelo's art. So I was able to see all these wonderful works of art without any prudish crap. And was allowed to grow up appreciating Renaissance art.

So crazy! I was exposed (excuse the term) with the rest of my classes to the various works of art featuring nudity. This was in the 1960's, in Virginia, and it was no big deal! We just learned about the different types of art, period.

One of the "funniest" examples of American prudishness was when someone said that: "Seeing breasts was inappropriate the young children." They're literately made for feeding children. LOL

Growing up in the US (mid 80's), my parents had a coffee table in the living room that was two antique bronze statues of cupid (not the diapered version) each holding one side of a glass table. It had been there for my whole life, so I never thought twice about it. Well... one of my friends (ten, or so, years old) described it to their parents and all hell broke loose. I don't remember much of the details, but I know the school was called as well as parents of many other children. Then the police paid us a visit after getting a complaint of child pornography in our house. After seeing the table, they apologized for the inconvenience. It took a few weeks to calm the waters, but the only consequence was that everyone agreed the mother was a lunatic, the kid was no longer allowed to come over, and he was forbitten from talking to me at school. On the bright side, my parents still have the table.

As a teenager in Northern VA In the late 70s/early 80s we had a public pool in our neighborhood. Someone had family visiting from “Europe” (might have been Germany or Switzerland)…one lady simply came in, took off her top and lay down to sunbathe. There was NO huge uproar, someone simply informed her gently that it was illegal in the states. She wasn’t mortified, parents didn’t scream and cover their children’s eyes. We teenage boys were STUNNED though.😂 for a bunch of freedom lovers, we Americans can be INCREDIBLY prudish…

The most absurd thing: Prostitution is illegal in the US, yet they have the biggest porn industry in the world. So it is legal to pay a woman for sex, but your friend has to stand in the corner with a camera and film it. And this woman can be 18 years old – but she's not allowed to drink a beer after the filming.

As a 23-year old young woman who had alot of issues regarding my own body growing up, I would also like to add to the FKK and nude sauna conversation that it truly helped me feeling better about myself. Seeing all kinds of naked bodies while chilling with these people of all ages in a sauna or related swimming pool place helps putting into perspective how normal my body is.

It’s amazing at the record of “The Simpsons” in predicting the future. About 30 years ago, they had an episode where Marge leads a group of parents trying to regulate decency for the children. When the art museum brought David in for an exhibit, the parents got upset over a naked statue on display. But, Marge recognized the work of art it was, and said everyone should see it.

Got to agree with other posts, the "controversy" in Florida is WAY overblown by politicians trying to grab headlines. Absolutely ridiculous.

The story about the poster of the David statue in the Glasgow Subway really surprises me. The UK is generally not that prudish about naked statues. I read a bit about the story on the BBC website. Apparently it was something to do with the company responsible for the advertising, rather than the Glasgow Subway itself. It seems absurd, particularly when you find out that there's a Channel 4 TV show in the UK called called "Naked Attraction" - it's a dating show, where the contestants are shown stark naked, and there are often close-ups of their genitals. Also there have been straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender contestants on the show. Also in the UK breast feeding in public places is protected in Law, and it's technically criminal offence for someone to try to prevent someone from breastfeeding in public.

As a very conservative Christian in the US, I completely believe the "controversy" over the statue of David is absurd and the two parents' complaints are laughable. It's a shame the school caved to a couple crazy parents over this.

I live in the US, and was recently doing some research about nipple reconstruction after mastectomies. The absolute craziest thing to me is I saw a lot of photos of women who had single mastectomies where the "real" nipple on one breast was censored, while the reconstructed "aritificial" nipple on the opposite breast was allowed to be shown. It is so frustrating to me that it's completely acceptable to view male nipples and reconstructed female nipples, but an actual female body part is considered indecent.

I can only talk for Germany - but in Kindergärten and schools we have books made for children where are pictures from a lot of very different bodies (with clothes but also naked). It‘s important to teach them from early on that every body is okay, that no part is bad and which rights they have! Perhaps this is one of the reasons why we don‘t have so much teenage mothers?!

Nudity is so taboo in the US. I have never understood it. I am American and grew up here, but never understood why nudity is such a big deal. Especially after I traveled to Europe a few times. Being nude is one of the most natural things we do. Besides....swimming nude feels great!

One of the things I've always realized was amazingly perverse about the US after having lived in Europe was how tolerant Americans are to violence in media for children but so upset about that children my see a naked body. Just too perverse for words.

No matter where you go, someone is always going to be offended by something, no matter how ridiculous it may be.

Thank you - you covered this issue well and with entertainment, especially about the naked statue of the uncircumcised David. I am a male - 73 years of age. I grew up in a small American town and the public pool's changing and shower areas were all open. Physical Education was mandatory and all showers areas were open. I played sports through high school and you would have been considered weird if it bothered you to shower in an open area (no other choices). When I got to college at Oregon State University, all shower areas were open. In fact the men's swimming pool was Olympic style - men swam naked. My class of 1974 was the first provided with black minimal swimsuits. And my wife said the women were provided with black plain swimsuits with no breast support. During these college years some girls went through the "burn the bra" stage and no breast support was common on campus. But there was definitely two school of thoughts - conservative & liberal. In college, coed swimming naked together in rivers or beaches was not a big deal. For some of different backgrounds, it was a big deal. It was common, in the coed dorms (which had separate men and women restrooms and showers) for students to stuff towels under the doors and turn the hot water up and make a coed "sauna". These saunas were not for sex, but for just relaxing and quit making such a big deal - also as a counter-culture statement to the conservative masters of the college. LOL :) Today I still participate in sports including membership and swimming at our pool, and all the men's showers are open (both at the public and private pools). When little boys come in they are naked, when adolescent boys come in they leave their suits on and find booths to change in, when men come into the shower they are naked - who cares, as everyone can do what they feel comfortable with. I am a long time scuba diver and it is common to need to change on the rocks or beaches. Men don't care, but women make a bigger deal of it and try to cover up, and men always try to get a look - and some girls, especially from Europe, really don't care. Scuba Diving in different parts of the world has let me know that some cultures aren't bothered by nudity, while some cultures seem to sexualize everything, even families bathing or changing together. Japanese, as a whole don't really care - but have changed some because of pressures of Western Culture. Bathing in the hot springs are so open, and while once coed are now one hot springs separated by some kind of a barrier. On the male side, all males are just naked and comfortable being so. My wife says the same with the women's side. And nobody is really bothered if there is a child of the opposite sex in the area. BTW - in most of the world, children can swim on the beaches naked and girls start covering their tops when they want to. In the USA it seems like American culture sexualize everything and put bras on babies. At our local Anime Conventions (attendance 10,000+) the exposure of nipples are not allowed by either sex and bottoms are mostly covered. Growing up, breast feeding was always in private and I never saw it happening, and have not seen any of my nieces or nephews breastfeed. Now breast feeding in public is common, with the mother mostly covering up, and I have seen all 8 of our Grandchildren nursing and we all get to change the babies. So, there is a report from 1951 to 2023. Any questions?