Nudity’s Safe. Why Ban It?

Bare Platypus is sitting in a tire shop watching the television set in its waiting room.  (Platypusses may have webbed feet, a beaver tail, and poisonous hind claws but they can’t fix their own brakes.)

Anyway, the news program on the tube has run stories about three public events where people have been injured or killed.  The first was an airshow with a predictable air crash.  The second was one of those boat races where tiny craft with GIANT engines on them fly across the waves with virtually no way to stop them.  Last Saturday a boat pilot died when his boat hit a wave the wrong way.  When the races resumed on Sunday another two racers were killed during the same tournament.

The third news story discussed the violence that has erupted during  children’s Easter egg hunts across the country as parents pushed and shoved others out of the way to give their own kids a better chance of scoring more eggs.

Bare Platypus is not looking to ‘diss air shows, boat races, or egg hunts. Heck, Platypusses contribute to the world’s supply of eggs after all.  But we have to wonder why a nude beach---where no planes crash, boats sink, or people get pummeled and shoved---is more controversial, and likely to be banned, than the afore-mentioned activities?  Does it really hurt anyone to see a bare bottom, a breast, or a penis?  More than a flying piece of aircraft aluminum or a parental elbow to the jaw?

Perhaps there's sunburn if sunblock is not applied correctly.

Skinny dipping hasn’t always been controversial; at least not in single gender situations. The Saturday Evening Post once celebrated boys enjoying a dip with Norman Rockwell and Joe Leyendecker’s illustrations on covers in summer months.  YMCA’s used to allow (indeed, require) nude swimming.

So what do we need to do to get more nude beaches?  Maybe we should start arranging dangerous jousting with beach umbrellas.

Sleeping NAKED - Platypus Advice (with pic)

The Bare Platypus team voted pajamas the most unnecessary article of clothing ever created.  Some of us lobbied for swimsuits, but concede that there are times when respecting the sensibilities of others makes wearing them a requirement.  But sleepwear?  Really?  We just don’t get it. 

IF the weather is chilly AND you have a habit of tossing and turning during slumber that causes you to lose bedcovers and get cold in the night maybe you should wear some flannel during colder months.    The rest of the time you should sleep starkers.  Consider this: If you spend an average of eight hours per night snoozing, you spend more than a third of your life asleep.  That’s one-third of your time you could be enjoying your own skin, and it doesn’t have to affect anyone else!

With years of experience reading message boards and emails to nudist sites, we know there are a few issues associated with dozing in the buff that you may wonder about, so let’s “cover” them:

Q:   What about when I go out of my room and down the hall to use the bathroom during the night? I live with (roommates, parents, siblings, etc.) who wouldn’t understand.

A:   Invest in a nice plush terry-cloth bathrobe and place it near your bedside for ease of access.

Q:   What about in case of fire? I don’t wanna be caught naked if the (house, apartment, dorm, doghouse) burns.

A:   First, consider moving out of the fire-trap in which you live and make sure there are fresh batteries in your smoke detectors.  Next, see the above suggestions about keeping a terry cloth robe next to your bedside.  Finally, if you do end up stark naked on the sidewalk watching your place burn, turn to the nearest firefighter and say, “Do you mind not staring at my naked butt?  My @#$%&ing house is on fire and I would rather you spend your time doing something about that!”

Q:   I share a bedroom with a (roommate, sibling, etc.) and they’re gonna notice if I start changing into nothing to sleep. What do I do?

A:   Wear boxers (guys) or a long t-shirt to bed and then ditch em under your pillow when the lights go out.

Q:   I’m a heavy sleeper and my (parents, siblings, boss, truant officer, probation officer, constituents) often come into my room to wake me up for (work, school, court appearances, run for reelection to Congress).  What do I do to avoid awkward moments?

A:   Use the lock on your bedroom door.  If you don’t have one, install one.  If you have no door, or locks are a no-no per house rules, sleep naked anyway.  We’re virtually certain that after the first time said intruders wake you and see a glimpse of birthday suit, they’ll probably start knocking on your door or yelling from the hall.  In any event, you’ll have broken the ice about your preferred sleeping attire.  You’ll be half asleep and unlikely to remember much of the episode.


9/27/13 Update: Dakota U. "Beditorial" on the subject at Sleeping Nude "Beditorial"

Bare Platypus now offers products with Platypus artwork at the Bare Platypus Souvenir Shop .  You can get a tote bag or a coffee mug, a t-shirt, or all three!  Plus there's more to come.

These designs are one-of-a-kinds that you won't find elsewhere.  Tasteful enough that you can show or serve them to all guests, but unusual enough (and always bare) that they can help you get a conversation going.

You're invited to visit!

NO Shame in THIS Easter Nudity

Platypus Note:  The members of the Bare Platypus team respect that there are people from many different faiths who live together in this world and who also enjoy nudism.  We celebrate that. At the same time, we have never made a secret of the fact that our Christian faith is very important to us.  This post is primarily intended for our Christian brothers and sisters as we look toward the Easter holiday weekend.

“Nudity is shameful” we sometimes hear.  Especially when someone is making a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission about a glimpse of bare breast or buttocks they saw during a Super Bowl halftime show, or TV program.

Bare Platypusses know that their friends within the nudist community will disagree, but we hope those within our Christian community will disagree also.  At least when it comes to the nudity we know and read about during Easter. 

See, as Christians we believe that about 2000 years ago the very Son of God, creator of mankind and the universe, chose to come to earth and live like us before experiencing a gruesome death and resurrection that set things right again after we had messed them up big time.  During His last week on earth, Christ spent a lot of time naked, but there was nothing shameful about it. Oh no.

On the evening of the Last Supper, we read that Jesus stripped to very little, then proceeded to wash His disciples’ feet, using what little he had on Him to wipe them dry.  In doing so, He personally provided one of the most powerful examples in history of what it takes to be GREAT in the kingdom of the Almighty.   And that’s being least.  A servant. Stripped to the bare essentials of what we need to serve others.

Within just a few hours of that powerful demonstration, Jesus made “nakedness” a gem of honor in his everlasting crown when he allowed himself to be stripped so that his back could be whipped in preparation of redeeming Adam and Eve’s race. And while Roman soldiers tossed dice to see who would get what few clothes he owned.  Being hung on a cross---naked or in a loincloth--- was meant to make Him suffer more and to subject Him to humiliation.  But Christians recognize that we deserve the humiliation for our sins that made it necessary for Him to be there.

At the moment of Christ’s death a fabric curtain in the Temple meant to be the barrier between God and man ripped in two from top to bottom.  No shame with the destruction of a piece of cloth that wasn’t necessary anymore because of what had just happened. Finally, when Jesus arose on Easter morning, the grave clothes were left behind and He was risen.  No shame conquering those wrappings either!

No, we have a bit too much faith to say nudity is shameful at a time like Easter.

Is Nudism Ready for Google Glass?

This week Twitter chirped with news of a new project launched by the geniuses at Google.  If you haven’t heard about Google’s Project Glass, you will.  Nudists only have to learn the rudiments of the program to see how it could affect our way of life.

Essentially, “Glass” puts the functionality of a search engine, map program, social networking, camera, and additional features into a pair of lightweight glasses that users wear out and about in the real world.  The glasses allow one to see normally, while also accessing the afore-mentioned Google features.  You can watch a video demonstration here: Google Project Glass

Some industry insiders estimate the glasses may be widely available for sale as early as Christmas 2012, while others say that time frame is unduly optimistic. 

Nudists already know about the way that camera-equipped cell phones have altered the balance of privacy on beaches and in clubs.  While clubs have rules regulating their usage, it’s not always easy to tell the difference between someone holding a normal conversation and one who is trying to invade others’ privacy by taking unwanted pictures.  Imagine if the world becomes heavily populated with people who depend on their Google Glasses for directions and communications.  Now imagine trying to determine whether someone wearing such glasses on a nude beach is simply texting a friend or uploading footage to a You Tube account.

We can, and will, adapt of course.  The question is, “how”?  Some will no doubt propose banning the glasses outright from nude venues.  That gets tricky as more and more people rely on the technology… and maybe even use it to pay for their stays as people pay for cups of coffee with iPhone apps now. Perhaps someone will invent a way to “jam” photographic transmissions.  Just as likely, it may mean accepting a new (lower) level of privacy expectations. 

After all, when there are 20 million sites boasting "Glass Voyeur" cams, someone will have to wade through those 20 million to find you.  For those who look like the typical Platypus, they probably won’t bother!

Dollars and Sense: Nudist Economics Drive Tough Choices

Where were you when you heard the news that the Space Shuttle exploded about ten years ago?  Two members of your Bare Platypus team remember vividly. We were sitting in the manager’s office of a nudist club that was about to go over to the “Dark Side” and begin catering to a distinctly sexual market.  We had driven several hundred miles to press our case that continuing to serve a straightforward sunbathing clientele would pay better in the long run.  Besides, the club in question had spent over a decade building its brand as a great place to enjoy Southern weather and down-home hospitality.  Why throw all that away?

For his part, the manager had just finished explaining the myriad reasons that the club’s ownership didn’t feel it could afford to court a “wholesome” market anymore. That’s when some gasps from people watching a news program in the restaurant just beyond the office got our attention and we went out to learn about the shuttle tragedy.  We would like to report that our mission that weekend was a success but it failed.  Nudism lost a club and we gained yet another lesson about a disturbing trend: Economics are making it more and more difficult to stay on the straight and narrow.

Years ago when land was cheap and leisure time more plentiful most nudist clubs in North America got their start as cooperative clubs.  A group of people who wanted to enjoy their birthday suits would put some of their money together and buy some land out a couple hours’ drive from the nearest big city. Such driving distances provided seclusion and lower property costs, but amenities were few. 

At first a club might offer only a volley ball net, a sunning lawn, a central water spigot, and a tenting area to weekend visitors.  Outhouses were more common than flush plumbing, electricity and telephone service years away too.  What’s more, club volunteers had the responsibility for maintaining grounds, cutting the lawns, and replacing toilet paper rolls.  But at least they got to be naked and it kept costs down.  Some clubs still function this way (Squaw Mountain Ranch in the Pacific Northwest is a great example.)

As travel and consumer habits changed in America, nudist consumers changed too.  Leisure time became scarce for some, who valued it too much to be able to commit to weekly lawn care assignments or front desk duty.  Outhouses and unheated showers?  Even Boy Scout camps grew to have better accommodations than that.  Building codes and health laws added layers of complexity to what used to be simple camp improvement projects also.

As full-time personnel replaced volunteers, electric lights replaced lanterns, and state of the art swimming pools replaced the pond, costs for providing those services rose.  Problem is, recently the costs have been escalating to extremes that are putting many campgrounds and smaller hotels out of business---nudist or no.

The cost of providing septic service that meets code to a campground of 60 to 100 sites, for example, would astound anyone who has not solicited quotes from a construction company recently.  Figures well north of $500,000 are common---and that’s with staff from said business performing much of whatever manual labor doesn’t require the services of an engineer!  One half a million dollars! Before the first pool is dug, hot tub installed, or tennis court poured.  Not that those would satisfy the demands of today’s travelers, who also want wifi internet access, a restaurant with a varied menu, etc.

In our fifteen years serving the nudist travel market we naturally met some people who were more successful than others.  But we never met club owners who were striking it filthy rich.  Even the ones with the business savvy to prosper most would probably confide to you that there are easier places to invest time and money that would yield a lot more money with less effort. 

Ultimately, we believe that the same economics that are turning KOA campgrounds into Walmarts has a lot to do with why your local nudist club has difficulty making it without supplemental income from things like high-end alcohol sales.  For those clubs it’s hard to make it if their clients consist of the family that retires at 8:30 pm each night after preparing its own meal at the tent site. Or volleyball players who turn in early so that they will be well-rested for the next day’s tournament---and then soon leave after that tournament. We may lament the “party crowd” that has emerged in some clubs (we do), but we rarely offer an alternative for producing the income potential “party crowds” offer.

If you belong to a private or cooperative club that does a good job walking the “straight and narrow,” great!  Extend a thank you to the employees or owners who make it possible from time to time.  Try to help it save money with simple things like turning the lights off in a room not being used, conserve the hot water where you can, and patronize the restaurant when you can.  We’re not asking you to cue the sympathy violins, but we’d rather not hear funeral dirges either.

“We need more nudists,” says Santorum

It’s been April 1 and you know what that means.  Millions of people tried tricking their parents, friends, and spouses with news of great or terrible things that didn’t happen. (We won the lottery last night, we’re getting a new car, there’s no school tomorrow, our dog is missing, the car’s been stolen).  For some strange reason the custom is to watch our listener get worked up with excitement, or fear, before resorting to the inevitable punch line “April Fools!”

Here are some news headlines we’d like to see be no joke:

US Presidential Hopefuls to Visit Nude Beach Seeking Votes Today

Olympic Committee Announces Return to All Naked Games

Naked performer snags win during American Idol season finale

YMCA’s Bring Back Naked Swimming

Nudist non-discrimination bill on way to Governor’s desk

“We need more nudists,” says Santorum

Bill Gates, Warren Buffet announce $20 Billion Charity to Promote World Nudism

Florida schools say birthday suits cheaper, better, than school uniforms

March Madness Ends with “Shorts and Skins” Final Four Event

Country Music Awards vow “More Nudity” in Next Year’s Show

How about you, our fellow Platypusses?  What headlines would you like to see?

Nudity – Therapy for Autism?

This week alarming new statistics about autism made headlines.  According to the latest release, about one in eighty-eight children will be diagnosed with some form of autism, ranging from mild to more severe cases. [See, for example, this article in USA TODAY ]

We have said many times on Bare Platypus that we are NOT doctors.  When it comes to autism, however, we have been following the condition for some time.  That’s because autism and nudism have crossed paths more than once.  It seems that many autistic people do not like the feeling of clothes on their body.  This may be due to an increased sensitivity to touch.

In our previous work, The Platypus Team in fact took up the case of one young man with moderately-severe autism who had made the transition to living alone.  He had a job and rode the bus line to and from his apartment each day.  He also removed his clothes immediately upon getting home and stayed that way until it was time to go to work.  It’s not clear that he considered any of the more esoteric aspects of “nudism”… he just knew it felt better to have nothing on his skin. 

All went well until he once went out on his balcony to retrieve his cat at about 5:00 in the morning without stopping to dress. [This young man was no pervert… just forgetful  He had signs taped to the inside frame of his front door made by his mother to remind him he needed to put on clothes before leaving for work.] 

A neighbor complained and the apartment complex planned to evict him until we assisted his mother with negotiating with the complex by leveraging the young man’s status under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  The landlords recanted; they also helped install new louvered blinds on the balcony to avoid further complications with the neighbors.  We considered this victory to be among our finest of hours.

Nudism and autism have also crossed paths in some studies linking autism with Vitamin D deficiency.  A chief source of Vitamin D is direct exposure to sunlight and about 15 minutes a day on a fully-naked body yields a full day’s supply of this nutrient.

Finally, we strongly encourage you to read this touching story about the mother of a six year old boy who watched him experience genuine freedom and joy when the family stumbled onto the Rooster Rock nude beach. See Living with autism: A beach, a boy, a moment of joy  . 

10/30/13 Update: We came across the following nudity and autism website .On it parents and grandparents of autistic children share tips and experiences. There are even suggested types of clothing for making kids more comfortabl or to seethat certain behavior is addressed. Several parents suggest nudism too.

04/25/12 Update:  Bare Platypus came across this somewhat humorous account from the mother of an autistic teen son with a nudist streak: http://thefunnysideofautism.org/2012/03/05/thinking-about-moving-to-a-nudist-colony/


07/13 Update:  Another story of one with autism who took to the buff to go swimming in a hotel pond.  Concerned mom and dad got her back safe and sound: Autistic Person's Nude Swim