Director at Western Nudist Research Library. Creator of Naked Age podcast. Contributor to New Nudist Podcast. Grandson of Rudolph Johnson. Fun-loving freehiker. Views are mine. He/him www.planetnude.co
In this episode, we dive into the history of one of America's oldest and most storied nudist clubs, Rock Lodge, through the eyes of Barry Siegfried, a lifelong member who has seen the club and the nudist movement evolve over four generations of his family. We also hear from Dorothy Coleman, Barry’s spouse and the club's resident historian, who shares her own unique perspective on the club's rich history.
From its roots as the American Gymnosophical Association, to the contributions of key figures in the early days, including Kurt Barthel, Ilsley Boone, and Maurice Parmelee, we explore the conflicts and personalities that helped shape the culture of Rock Lodge and nudism in America. Don’t miss out on this incredible story. Strip down and tune in!
Uncovering the History of One of America’s Oldest Nudist Clubs, and One Family Representing Four Generations of Membership There
Reviewing the 2012 Short Film's Thoughtful Exploration of Nudity, Identity, and Loss
Oh, Willy… is a contemplative and thought-provoking stop-motion animated short film from 2012 that is directed by Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels. The film tells the story of Willy, a middle-aged man who returns to the naturist camp of his youth to visit his dying mother. After her death, Willy is left feeling lost and confused and retreats into the forest, where he finds solace under the protection of a gentle and maternal creature. The film explores themes of grief, loss, and identity through a unique visual style that is both striking and original.
One of the most striking elements of Oh, Willy… is its use of nudity. The film is set in a nudist camp, and the characters are all depicted in the buff. This use of nudity is not gratuitous, but is instead used to create a sense of vulnerability and intimacy. The nudist camp setting serves as a metaphor for the characters' emotional states and their journey towards self-acceptance and understanding.
Finish reading this review on Planet Nude:
Reviewing the 2012 Short Film's Thoughtful Exploration of Nudity, Identity, and Loss
Nudity as a Narrative Tool for Belittling the Powers That Be
The Emperor's New Clothes is a classic tale by Hans Christian Anderson about a ruler who is duped by two swindlers into thinking he is wearing a magical set of clothes that are invisible to anyone who is unfit for their position or are simply not smart. Thus, the emperor parades around naked, completely unaware of his own nakedness. The people, too afraid to speak out about the emperor's lack of clothing, go along with the charade until a young child blurts out the truth. The child who is not bound by social conventions is able to see the Emperor's nakedness and call it out for what it is.
The story is often used as a metaphor for how people in positions of power can be easily swayed by flattery and can be blinded by their own ego. It serves as a commentary on the power of social norms and the dangers of pride and vanity. The emperor's nakedness becomes a symbol of his ridiculousness and the folly of blindly following authority. Nudity in this story serves as a way to expose the truth and to mock those in power. In this way, nudity can be a powerful tool for satire, allowing for the exposure of hypocrisy and the ridicule of those in power.
There are several aspects of nudity that make it a compelling device for storytellers to employ, especially for satire.
Read the full article on Planet Nude:
Nudity as a Narrative Tool for Belittling the Powers That Be
Freehiking: Tips for Doing It Legally (and Illegally)
Not That We Suggest Doing Anything Illegal 👀
An exultant nude woman on a mountaintop. Photographer unknown, c. 1955.
The combination of being nude and in nature can invoke a sense of freedom and liberation that cannot be found at a nudist resort or a crowded nude beach. It allows one to connect with the natural world in a more authentic and genuine way.
In the last year, I’ve gone out on roughly three dozen freehikes. For me, freehiking brings mindfulness, as it elicits true presence in the moment by requiring me to be fully engaged with my surroundings. It is a way to to unplug from the stress and distractions of daily life, and reconnect with the natural world. I find it addictively therapeutic, and as you might imagine I’ve become somewhat passionate about it. Naturally, I’ve picked up a few insights.
Are you interested in giving freehiking a try? Here are some tips for how to do it legally, or if so compelled, to safely do it illegally.
A Few Thoughts on the Algorithmic Amplification of Body Shame
“Two Seated Nudes” by Auguste Rodin, crudely censored with emoji icons
Social media algorithms have come under scrutiny for their biases and the ways in which they influence the content that users see, such as the ways they inadvertently amplify conspiracy theories or extremist content, as we have seen in the news in recent years. Yet there are a myriad of other ways in which these biases shape our experiences and behaviors online, and not all of them have been broached by anchors on CNN.
One that nudists and artists have become all too familiar with is the bias against nonsexual nudity, and the double standard these platforms create by simultaneously promoting highly sexualized images, clothed or not.
Social media algorithms are designed to prioritize content that is likely to receive a high level of engagement. This means that sexualized images are more likely to be shown to users, even if they do not want to see this type of content. One result is the normalization of these sexualized images, and the stigmatization of normal human nudity. Most people are not even as offended by a highly sexualized, misogynistic watch ad as they are by the sight of an adult nude man.
Even if you create a brand new account on most social media sites, even if you don’t follow anyone else at all, the algorithms will automatically inundate your feed with high performing posts and ads portraying items of varying levels of luxury next to scantily clad, next-to-naked models with unrealistic physiques, galavanting in glamorous locales, posed and photoshopped to be artificially tantalizing and envy-inducing in every way. These sorts of images are the stock and trade of social media platforms.
Nonsexual images of natural bodies unposed in candid environments are truthful, and therefore rarely tick the necessary boxes to make life look sexy or glamorous. Yet they still can shock the puritan-minded, and offend others who do not share the nudist’s liberal views of the human body. To the profit-inclined social media corporation, a nude that’s not sexy is like a poison-tipped sword. Sex sells, but truth doesn’t.
Perhaps the worst offender of the lot is Instagram, which has a policy against "nudity, pornography, and other sexually suggestive content."
Finish reading the article on Planet Nude:
A Few Thoughts on the Algorithmic Amplification of Body Shame
Nudism, Homophobia, and the Battle for Jacob Riis Park
Nudism and the counter culture converge where beach meets the sea at Jacob Riis Park.
Jacob Riis Park, located in the Rockaways in Queens, New York, first established as a park in 1912, has a long history as an unofficial nudist beach. During the 1930s, the beach was informally known as "the people's bath," due to a historic art deco bath house that was first built there in 1932. In the 1950s and 1960s, the beach was a popular destination for members of the LGBTQ community, who faced discrimination and harassment at other beaches. As the decades went by and the beach became more mainstream, Jacob Riis Park became a site for tension of culture clashes.
As at most nude beaches, one issue at Jacob Riis Park has been the tension between nudists and non-nudists. While some beachgoers have embraced the nudist lifestyle and the values of body positivity and self-acceptance, others in the community have been less comfortable with public nudity. A familiar story in the United States…
Finish reading the full article over on Planet Nude:
Nudism and the counter culture converge where beach meets the sea at Jacob Riis Park
Nudity is subversive. It’s okay for nudism to be too.
Why nudists should want nudism to retain some of its rebellious edge
Nudity has been used by artists and activists as a form of protest and subversion throughout history. Nudity has been used to push back against oppressive regimes and to defy censorship. Performative art such as body painting, protest and political demonstrations, and even nudity in protests against racism, sexism, homophobia, and class discrimination all have been seen as ways of expressing dissent and a desire for change. Nudity has been used to shatter aesthetic conventions, to challenge the status quo, and to celebrate the beauty of the human body. It has served as a powerful symbol of freedom, of defiance, and of self-expression.
The nudism movement, ever-striving to become more mainstream, seeks to normalize nudity and help broader culture see social nudity as inoffensive and ordinary. Of course, that’s absolutely what it should be doing. That is how we achieve the utopian ideal of nudity as a daily way of life for any and all. However, in service of this, there is a tendency to let certain issues go unaddressed in avoidance of conflict or commotion. Is it possible that in its quest for acceptance, organized nudism may have lost some of its rebellious edge, and thus its ability to challenge traditional norms and values?
Read the rest of the article on Planet Nude:
Why nudists should want nudism to retain some of its rebellious edge
I am super excited to announce the launch of Planet Nude, a newsletter dedicated to exploring nudism through its history, art, and culture. At Planet Nude, we focus on the philosophical and historical aspects of the movement, and showcase nudism's unique aesthetic through the work of contemporary and historic artists. There are other blogs out there offering resort reviews or listicles for everything you need for your first trip to a nude beach. On Planet Nude, we will delve deeper into the ideas and principles that underpin the nudist idea and profile people living their lives in authentically naturist ways.
Subscribe to Planet Nude on Substack to join us on this journey.
A nudism newsletter exploring history, culture, activism and art. Click to read planet nude, by Evan, a Substack publication. Launched 2 yea
I’m selling copies of Naked Fear by Dennis Craig Smith on AbeBooks.
By the author of Growing Up Without Shame, Naked Fear examines the origin, nature, and puzzling prevalence of opposing attitudes toward nudity in historical and contemporary societies. This thought-provoking book belongs in every nudist’s book collection.
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
AbeBooks.com: Naked Fear: Anti-Body Myths, Phobias, Delusions, and the Madness of Modesty (9780965208529) by Dennis Craig Smith and a great
Everyone has a Spotify Xmas playlist right? Here’s mine. Got any good retro/offbeat/b-side tracks to add? Those are my fave. Drop a link in the comments.
I’m selling copies of Naked Fear by Dennis Craig Smith on AbeBooks.
By the author of Growing Up Without Shame, Naked Fear examines the origin, nature, and puzzling prevalence of opposing attitudes toward nudity in historical and contemporary societies. This thought-provoking book belongs in every nudist’s book collection.
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
AbeBooks.com: Naked Fear: Anti-Body Myths, Phobias, Delusions, and the Madness of Modesty (9780965208529) by Dennis Craig Smith and a great
Nudist activist Richard Mason of South Florida Free Beaches, posing at Haulover Beach with an improvised chair-sign, after being told by the parks department that they could not stake signs into public sand.
Listen to this and other stories of how Richard and wife Shirley Mason boldly established Haulover nude beach, in the latest episode of Naked Age: NakedAge.co
British photographer George Harrison Marks tells the story of meeting and photographing his wife, famous nudist and pinup model Pamela Green, in this article from Today, Feb. 2nd, 1963.
“It’s difficult to explain the special kind of detachment which a serious photographer has to bring to his work. People habitually associate nudity with sex. Some people, I suppose, even find something suggestive in the Venus de Milo.”
How does a beach become a nude beach? In this episode, we’ll meet Shirley and Richard Mason, two pioneers of the US beach movement who created the model for launching a legal nude beach, when they boldly established residency on Florida’s popular Haulover Beach. Plus, a brief history of nude beaches in “puritan besmirched” America. Enjoy!
