Trouble is, we’re not exporting many birthday suits to other
countries, so our supply is unlikely to lessen any trade imbalance. In fact, we’re exporting something else:
prude notions about nakedness and the human body.
The best example we can give you came a couple of years ago
when some members of the Bare Platypus team got an urgent communique’ from the
President of the Naturist Federation of Croatia, within former Yugoslavia. Now, before we go further we should explain
that nude beaches and naturist resorts are as big in Croatia as cheesesteaks in
Philadelphia. They’re synonymous with
the culture and a thriving part of the economy---like banking in Switzerland.
At least they used to be.
But now the glow from all-over tanning may have lost some of its golden
hue. For the first time in decades the
Croatian ministry of tourism has considered dropping naturism from the
activities it enthusiastically promotes within the international travel
market. Officials have already started
moving naturist brochures from atop the tables at trade expos and will sheepishly
reach under the tablecloth to retrieve such brochures only upon request.
What’s more, the Croatians have greatly pulled back from
depicting even bare bum shots of kids walking the Istrian Peninsula beaches that have
served more than four generations of nudist families.
Want to know the reason for all this change? Croatia is hoping to attract more
Anglo-American tourists from certain “developed” countries who view the whole
birthday-suit thing---especially among kids---as
creepy. Clergy abuse scandals plaguing
Eastern Europe have played a role too.
Thus, the President of the naturist association in Croatia
contacted nudist advisors in the US like the Bare Platypus to ask for guidance
on a problem they’ve never faced before.
"How do we persuade nudity foes in government to change their minds?"
Platypus wishes we were back in the days when America exported
blue jeans and steel.
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