Comments on: Nude or Prude?

By: damier graphite louis vuitton

damier graphite louis vuitton — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:13:47 +0000

I would have to say, well stated.

By: Maks

Maks — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:16:07 +0000

As a German reading this article (lead here by google in search of something totally different from this) and all the comments, I think there is one other big difference. American culture tends to equate nudity with sexuality, in Europe however, that’s not always the case. Germans and other europeans are not naked in a publich shower or a Sauna because they are so much more liberal about their sexuality. They are naked because they are expected to be naked there – you canot realy feel ashamed for being nude in a public shower but it can happen that you’re being ridiculed when you shower in a swimsuit (that actually once happened to a guy in my gym). I think you’re easily conditioned to the things you feel ashamed for or embarresed. If Europeans go to the United States, they will feel as embarresed as Americans for being nude within short.
Anyway…regardless of all this.. you’re right about movies and television.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:46:09 +0000

As a kid who moved between countries and thus cultures, I found the dramatic differences rather uncomfortable. I would expect to swim with nothing at all and to sleep that way as a child. That did not translate well at all in the USA. My adopted “American Ways” caused me to feel ashamed at being around peers who had no clothes on for swimming in Germany. I never dropped sleeping nude as a kid, but I did certainly adopt uncomfortable feelings around any other people.

By: John Bambenek

John Bambenek — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 21:21:45 +0000

I’m particularlÝ tickled by being lectured about “facts” and “research” by someone who is citing wikipedia… Just wow.

By: Jill Bains

Jill Bains — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:36:11 +0000

“In America, sex is everywhere but in sex.” –(Roland Barthes)

By: Benevolent Dictator

Benevolent Dictator — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:04:00 +0000

Part of the problem is who is reproducing in a socio-economic sense. The most successful, most educated people are the least fecund while the least educated are most fertile. All of this raises questions about the need for social services, especially the need to improve public education in the United States. However, I do not believe that increasing nudity in the US will increase the population of the higher educated nor will in decrease the population of the less educated. There is no coincidence that the highest rate of marriage and divorce is in Ala or Miss (one of the two) which is also one of the most religious states. Read Hellfire Nation, the History of Sin in America by James Morone which discusses how the Neo-Puritans have influenced public policy in the U.S.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:03:54 +0000

The US only has replacement + presently thanks to immigrants. The white population is falling and will continue to do so.

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:10:58 +0000

John,

I suspect that the direction of causality is mostly (lots of factors – economic, cultural, practical, and more) -> low desire to have children -> more casual attitude toward sex rather than more casual attitude -> low desire to have children.

My reasons for this are:

1. As someone who has no desire to have children and a very casual attitude toward sex, this direction of causality matches what I’ve personally experienced.

2. Sub-replacement fertility levels exist in the vast majority of wealthy nations – Europe, yes, but also Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Canada. The US is one of the few exceptions. Sexual attitudes vary a lot from nation to nation.

By: Segen

Segen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:49:08 +0000

john…what is this?

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/07/world/20081207-GREECE_index.html

By: Joshua

Joshua — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:39:41 +0000

I feel like this is just about to get good…