nakedmalenews

Celebs pose nude for PETA

2010-07-07T01:16:00.000-07:00

If you think Miley Cyrus’s outfits are revealing, get a load of her ex in his birthday suit!

Aspiring country singer and former underwear model Justin Gaston has stripped down for a steamy anti-fur photo shoot for PETA. The shots show him – all of him – in a variety of racy poses with wannabe model Giglianne Braga and actor hopeful Ben Elliot, his co-stars on the Hulu reality series “If I Can Dream.”

"With this PETA campaign, what I really wanted was it not to be about me but to be about the animals," Gaston, 21, said. "We're trying to bring light to this cause."

Joining Cyrus’s former flame in the fight for critter rights is actress Jenna Dewan Tatum, who poses in nothing but snake-scale body paint to spotlight the slaughtering of animals to turn their exotic skins into accessories.

In a behind-the-scenes video from her “Leave Animals Out of Your Wardrobe” shoot for PETA, the 29-year-old wife of actor Channing Tatum, says, “There’s faux alligator, faux python, there’s faux snakeskin. There’s a lot of different things you can find, you just have to ask. Not only are you helping animals and not promoting cruelty, but you are saving money.”

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/06/celebs-pose-nude-for-peta/

Roskilde naked race 2010

2010-07-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

http://roskilde-festival.tv/

No ‘butts’ as nude cyclist is arrested after riding through Bournemouth and Poole

2010-07-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

A NAKED activist with a penchant for biking in the buff surprised beach-goers when he brought his hobby to the promenade.

Richard Collins, 53, known as ‘The Cambridge Nude Cyclist’, took advantage of the warm weather on Wednesday, riding au naturel from a friend’s house in Moordown to Bournemouth Pier, and along the prom to Sandbanks – where he dressed to wait for the ferry. It was there that the police caught up with him.

It is not his first run-in with the law. He was arrested for cycling naked in London four years ago – but the case was dropped.

A committed naturist for three decades he has spent years promoting the cause, appearing on TV on BBC Breakfast.

The electrical engineer said he doesn’t set out to offend or shock – he just chooses to “live life naked when it’s warm enough”.

“Cycling is a great way to get a bit of exercise in itself – but especially without any clothes on,” he added. “You feel the breeze on your skin, and the sun on your skin – it feels wonderful.”

Richard began cycling naked in the countryside around his Cambridge-shire home in 2002 – putt-ing shorts on when he passed through the city.

“One day I decided to see what happened if I didn’t. Everyone cheered – and the rest is history as they say.”

He said the usual reaction was surprise or amusement – including on the Bournemouth prom.

“I looked at a few people, including some old ladies, and it definitely brought a smile to their faces –a pleasant smile, and there were a few whoops and cheers, he said.”

But while nakedness in public is not an offence in itself, Richard’s outing on Wednesday saw him arrested by police after a complaint from a member of the public.

He was charged under Section Five of the Public Order act 1986 for “disorderly behaviour within the hearing or site of a person likely to be caused harassment alarm or distress thereby.”

He will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates Court on July 21.

http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/tidnews/8252825.No____butts____as_nude_cyclist_is_arrested_after_riding_through_Bournemouth_and_Poole/

2010-07-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Disappointed football fans streak at Bird's Nest

Yu Feng and Li Jinyu on their naked dash Photo: Courtesy of t.sina.com.cn/java1991

By Wu Jie

Two irritated Argentina fans streaked at the Bird's Nest Sunday after their favorite team suffered a humiliating loss to Germany.

Yu Feng, director of the TV play Tunnel Warfare, bet his friend a 50-meter naked dash at the Bird's Nest that Argentina would beat Germany and snatch a semi-final berth.

Three other friends of Yu joined the bet, but only one, Li Jinyu, kept his promise with Yu as Germany dismantled coach Diego Maradona's star-studded outfit in an emphatic 4:0 win in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday.

"It's awesome running naked! Shame on the others who didn't carry out their promise and stood us up," Yu wrote on his micro-blog at sina. com.cn.

"We would be scorned if we don't upload our streak photos as evidence," Yu added.

While streaking, they saw police and security guards, according to Yu, but they went unnoticed during their short dash and were not stopped.

"There was no one streaking around the Bird's Nest Sunday," said an employee surnamed Sun with the Olympic Forest Park police station Sunday.

Another Web user called Li Daxiang also uploaded his own streak photo to the Internet after Holland thrashed Brazil at a come-from-behind win 2:1 Friday.

"I'm overjoyed because the Orange knocked out Brazil. It's an amazing victory!" said Li, who dashed naked in Shuangyushu, Haidian district.

"Streaking is a matter of morals [and not law]. But if their bold behavior violates public order and yields serious consequences, they will face up to 10 days in detention," said Ma Guohua, a member of the Beijing Lawyers Association.

The streaking spree was allegedly inspired by Maradona, who pledged before the South Africa tournament that he would run naked in Buenos Aires if Argentina managed to clinch the title.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/metro-beijing/update/society/2010-07/548368.html

Fremont Solstice Parade Uncoverage

2010-07-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Some intriguing firsts for Seattle’s traditional Fremont Solstice Parade.

If you count the painted cyclists as part of the parade (they used to be, anyway), it started on time. In fact, it started a bit early. If you got there the traditional 15 to 20 minutes late, you missed most of the painted cyclists.

If you don’t count the painted cyclists, the thing started around an hour late! The cyclists did not lead out the floats. After the cyclists ran through the corridor, nothing happened for so long that a certain number of people (especially parents with small children) gave it up.

One reason for the huge gap is that the cyclists were literally freezing their asses off. At the noon starting time, it was traditional Junuary in Seattle, 57 degrees, overcast, a slight breeze that lowered the “feels like” temps almost to the 40s. We were chilly in sleeves and tights and cannot imagine what it must have felt like milling around waiting for the traditionally late floats to get their act together.

There were a lot more naked cyclists than traditionally. Not sure why this is. Perhaps a crack team of investigative reporters can get on this one. Somehow the word is getting out that riding naked in the Fremont Parade is the cool thing to do. It’s certainly the cold thing to do. It was hard to count them all because they rode in clumps and, unlike the traditional figure-8, lazy Mazie style, just kept riding right through.

There was a lot more actual nakedness than traditionally. Some riders had hardly any body paint. A few riders did not cover up with bikini shorts and/or tops. Many were visibly flopping around. This went slightly counter to the official Fremont Solstice Parade line, which is to wrap the packages so the kiddies don’t see. Our response: If you are concerned about your kiddies, don’t bring them to the start of the Fremont Solstice Parade. In fact, you might want to avoid the Republic of Fremont in general.

Despite the weather, the crowd was bigger than ever. And noisier.

It all adds up to further evidence of what we think of as New Seattle — bolder, saucier, less discreet, more open. And younger. We don’t get naked like, say, Rio or Portland or San Francisco yet, but we’re trending further and quicker in their direction. If anything, the Solstice Parade is becoming Seattle’s version of the Brazilian Carnaval.

http://bikeintelligencer.com/2010/06/fremont-solstice-parade-uncoverage/

Behind the Scenes with Morgan Tepsic's Naked Photo Shoot

2010-06-28T03:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.morgantepsic.com
http://vimeo.com/groups/publicart/videos/12820102

Players bare all for true rugby test

2010-06-21T06:07:00.001-07:00

The true mark of a man is in his swagger, according to Dunedin folk.

And there is no better indication of this than rugby played in its purest form.

Nude, that is.

Perched at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, Dunedin on Saturday hosted the All Blacks and Wales rugby Test at Carisbrook.

A few hours prior to the game, another international was played out before a 2500-strong crowd of rugby fans and curious tourists.

In a test reserved for men very confident in their ability, the undefeated Nude Blacks clash with the visiting Welsh Leeks.

The match coincides with National Nude Day, and the New Zealanders are led out by David "Bourkey" Bourke, a veteran of all Nude Blacks' games since they were formed in 2002.

The core of the 43-year-old's team were Otago University students, known as "scarfies".

"I've never turned away from stiff competition," Bourkey quips before the game.

On the field there is no shame and no inhibitions. In fact, there is nothing but men - and a football.

"Go the big fella," roar a chorus of spectators, as Bourkey takes to the pitch.

The competing players refuse to hold back, even at scrum time.

"There's nothing delicate about this game," one spectator says.

Here all are measured against a pint of the famous Dunedin brew, Speights Gold Medal Ale.

"None of them measure up," the spectator points out.

The Nude Blacks look set to retain the trophy come the end of the first 10-minute half, before a brawl erupts after one player is unceremoniously dumped to the turf.

"Come on Nude Blacks, show us all ya got," bellows one spectator to rousing laughter and applause.

While the players are very much exposed to the elements, there is also nowhere to hide for the crowd stationed along the touchline.

Women squeal and bolt for higher ground as three Leeks clamber for a wayward pass.

The line-out that follows prompts more giggles, before the ball spins wide to the Nude Black's first five.

He slips a pinpoint pass to the charging fullback on the crash, who slices through the Leek's defence and scores in the left-hand corner.

The Nude Blacks retain their trophy, crossing for four tries to three.

There are no concerns when a naked woman runs onto the field for a celebratory lap of honour on behalf of the victors.

Ruth from Wales watches on as her husband, Johnny, a member of the Leeks team, poses for post-match photos.

''Oh my, that was so embarrassing,'' she says.

''I had no say in this. He's a very proud Welshman.

''He was not going to pass up this opportunity to represent Wales.''

Ruth and Johnny made the journey to Dunedin with Bottom Bus Deep South Adventures.

''We played strong and came back well, but unfortunately we got very fatigued and we lost a bit of structure," Johnny says.

He will not be allowed to compete again, Ruth says. Ever.

Bottom Bus tour manager Ralph Davies says: ''In all our years of this fixture we have never seen visitors embracing the concept as passionately as the Welsh."

The Nude Blacks are already anticipating next year's nude rugby World Cup, he says.

''We do not have much knowledge of Georgia, but we know what the Scots wear under their kilts so we can expect an interesting match-up for that fixture,'' he says.

''The concept has international appeal and is all meant as a bit of a fun - kick and giggle stuff - which has been accepted as a part of major rugby weekends in Dunedin.''

As far as the victorious skipper, Bourkey, is concerned, winning isn't everything.

"It's all in the name of fun ... and good rugby,'' he says.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/players-bare-all-for-true-rugby-test-20100621-yql6.html?rand=1277093713944

Video: http://www.3news.co.nz/Nude-rugby-a-hard-match-in-Dunedin-contains-nudity/tabid/309/articleID/161713/Default.aspx

Naked Cycling London 2010

2010-06-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Naked cyclists protest oil, promote positive body images

2010-06-21T04:03:00.001-07:00

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_961927d2-755b-5a66-b367-7f2825ae0847.html?mode=video

Pictures of London WNBR on Demotix (wrongly dated)

2010-06-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.demotix.com/news/355842/naked-bike-ride-london-may-12th-2010

Naked Cyclists in Manchester

2010-06-14T00:55:00.001-07:00

Naked Bike Ride streaks across Vancouver

2010-06-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of Vancouver cyclists doffed their drawers on Saturday afternoon for a global nude protest against oil dependency and car culture.

The annual World Naked Bike Ride began streaking across the city at 2 p.m. at the corner of Beach Avenue and Bute Street, circling the city's downtown core before participants settled down for a vegan picnic.

The event started in 2001, and has been held in some 25 countries and 70 cities. Organizers say it is intended to celebrate cycling and protest against what organizers call indecent exposure to automobile emissions.

Participant Jessica Mason-Paull said the public nudity draws attention to their cause, and also let riders show off their "beautiful bike bodies."

"Riding your bike gets you really fit. Not only is it good for the environment, but it's good for your body, so we like to show off our bike bodies once a year," she said.

Surprised onlookers didn't appear to mind either. "Wow," one bystander said at the corner of Burrard and Robson streets. "Way to make a statement."

The ride's official website says nudity is not mandatory, and that riders are to "refrain from ogling."

Click here

Naked hiking: what's the appeal?

2010-06-11T05:41:00.000-07:00

Paul Burkimsher has been rambling in the nude since he was a teenager

A court in Switzerland has acquitted a man who had been fined for rambling in the nude.

He had been challenging a new law in the eastern region of Appenzell, which banned a practice that is permitted under federal law.

Why do some people decide to do without clothes them when they set off for a stroll?

To find out, Europe Today asked another fan of naked hiking, Paul Burkimsher, who lives near Geneva.

Listen to the broadcast at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/06/100608_naked_hiker_et_sl.shtml

Naked Butlers

2010-06-11T03:53:00.000-07:00

Buttlers are specialists in providing, well mannered, charismatic, hunky naked Butlers for special occasions such as; Birthday Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Wedding Receptions and Hospitality.

http://www.buttlershk.com/

Going nude for nature

2010-06-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 07:17

Goggles and snorkels were the only compulsory items when brave swimmers stripped off last weekend for a nude snorkel designed to raise awareness about Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

The event at Nelly Bay Beach on Magnetic Island, off Australia's northeast coast, drew 23 snorkellers and 10 swimmers aged between 19 and 60 for the 20-minute splash, organiser Ben Schultz said.

"We had blue skies and the water was not chilly at all," Schultz told Australian news agency AAP. "It was like a bath."

The event, to mark the United Nations World Oceans Day on June 8, drew an estimated 250 spectators.

"No, they weren't there for a perv (a lascivious look) but to show their support for the environment," Schultz said.

Fears of an environmental disaster on the Great Barrier Reef, which is home to scores of marine species, were heightened earlier this year when a Chinese coal carrier ran aground on the massive coral reef.

The boat was later removed without a serious oil or coal spill but it gouged a huge scar in the world heritage-listed coral.

http://travel.iafrica.com/bulletinboard/2466176.htm

Miami Group Says Grin and Bare It for BP

2010-06-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

If you simply can’t bear to see any more pictures of oil-soaked pelicans and you live near Miami, you might want to think about taking a bike ride this weekend.

A naked bike ride, that is, though the slightly shy can also indulge in “creative” bits of clothing or body paint to disguise the fact that they are otherwise in the buff.

The cause is a protest against America’s dependence on oil, and the current BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, where to date an estimated 1.5 million gallons of oil per day have been leaking into Gulf waters and destroying wildlife in a 40-mile-long swath.

The leak is now at 51 days and counting, so even though BP reports collecting about 64,444 barrels since June 4, the amount of oil sloshing around in the deep and washing onto Gulf beaches remains catastrophically unimaginable.

Called the Miami World Naked Bike Ride, and modeled on the international movement, World Naked Bike Ride, or WNBR, the protest ride begins at 4:30 p.m., when the sun is below its zenith and riders don’t have to worry about sunburn on body parts that have heretofore never seen daylight.

Riders will start at the BP service station on the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 10th Street, then ride across the Venetian Causeway to South Beach.

Organizers challenge Miami residents to “come if you dare, and bare if you believe”. The cause, a clean energy future and an end to dependence on oil, is one that WNBR supports wholeheartedly, and it’s motto, “As Bare As You Dare”, does not discriminate against the nervously naked and clothing-addicted. But do bring sunscreen.

Founded by Conrad Schmidt and Daniel Johnson in 2003, the WNBR is active in Seattle (brrr) and 70 other cities, as well as 20 countries. The Seattle group, under the expert leadership of artist and social activist Daniel Johnson, rode for the seventh time on April 29, 2010 to protest Seattle’s suit against a naked cyclist.

The WNBR is more than frivolity, though, and behind the barefaced chutzpah is a definite purpose. As Johnson says:

"World Naked Bike Ride exuberantly celebrates a future of human-powered transport and healthy, clean, green walkable cities with simple, grassroots naked bike rides all over the world. As the vessel of this revolution, we highlight the beauty, power and individuality of the naked human body with an aim of promoting body-positive values, self-awareness, simple healthy living and independence from consumerist, toxic, oil-dependent and car culture paradigms that are killing us."

You can contact Johnson at: jointhefun@WNBRSeattle.org, or phone: 206-369-2661.

The Miami event has its own Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126583797373042&ref=mf

http://www.energyboom.com/transportation/miami-group-says-grin-and-bare-it-bp

Butlers in the Buff: Why the simplest ideas are the best

2010-06-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

When I mentioned to my partner that I was off to interview Butlers in the Buff, she asked: “Can I hold the microphone, please?”

Something about fit, handsome young men swanning about with their bums on display had sparked an interest in my work that had hitherto been dormant.

And that is the simple, brilliant idea behind the Butlers’ business: women like to waited on by handsome, toned, semi-clad male hosts. And they will pay for it.

I asked Stacey Lynn, one-third of the management team behind Butlers in the Buff, how the business started.

“Our MD, Jason Didcott, had just left the navy after 15 years when he had the idea of creating a naked butlering service. The girls raved about the first event, so he recruited a few other guys, including Will Jones, our other business partner, to do more.

“At first it was a bit of a hobby, beer money and a laugh. Over time they realised they were onto something. They asked me to join the team to manage PR and marketing.

What sort of PR did you achieve?

“All our guys are attractive and toned, they are scantily-clad, and it makes a good news story. We got a lot of press coverage.

“Slowly but surely we recruited more butlers — we always go for ‘boy-next-door’ types who look after themselves — and the business took off.”

Did you get any professional advice back then?

“In the beginning we all had other jobs and worked on Butlers in the evenings and weekends. We didn’t have an office. We hatched our plans in the pub.

“I think it was around that time we went to see an adviser at Brave Enterprise.

“We managed to get a meeting in the early evening, which was handy, as we went straight after our day jobs.

“It was a free consultation on what it actually meant to set up a business. The adviser made some sensible suggestions. We were only a couple of years out of University so were glad of the advice.”

What is it like managing a fast-growth company?

“In the first year is was all about setting up systems. There was no model to follow. No one had done naked butlering before!

“Taking the bookings, recruiting butlers, getting money from clients. There were lots of decisions to make. Who collects the money? The butler? We got a Visa machine pretty quickly and only take advanced payment.

“There were tax issues and employment law questions because we were only employing men. And there are all sorts of health and safety rules and regulations to comply with.

“As more and more bookings came I was able to drop from five to four and then three days per week at my ‘other’ job.”

Have you branched out into other areas?

“Yes. People often asked whether we know a good catering company, wine tasting or perhaps a beauty therapy service. So now we offer complete one stop shop; supplying all those things and more such as a spa day and accommodation, whatever is required.”

Tell me about franchising

“It seemed a natural development, after all we have built a brand and got very good at managing the business.

“Franchising is a lot of work, it’s like starting another business. You are selling a major investment to someone, so it’s all got to be exactly right: legal contracts, the marketing, and an operations manual. Then you have to advertise the franchise and get someone to buy it.”

What does the future hold?

“Franchising is a great way to grow. It builds the brand and is good for revenue; a franchisor gets a percentage of the franchisee’s turnover.

“And we’re diversifying, too. We now supply French maids for corporate events such as awards ceremonies and film launch events.”

What about the competition?

“There are a couple of competitors now but they don’t have the infrastructure or the established brand. For instance, Butlers in the Buff got name-checked in EastEnders a couple of weeks ago!

“We have a large network of guys, over 250 butlers nationwide, so if someone’s sick or can’t work, there are others to take his place. The smaller outfits don’t have that cover. We strive to be the biggest and the best and keep our standards high.”

Do you have any pointers for people who are just thinking about starting a new business?

“Try and get good advice early. You’ll quickly work out who to trust. Even a half hour of free advice from a proper consultant can be incredibly useful.”

This intriguing ‘male order company’ now has 250 butlers across the UK and a burgeoning franchise empire. Garcon! Champagne, please!

http://www.bristol247.com/2010/06/04/butlers-in-the-buff-why-the-simplest-ideas-are-the-best/

http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/butlers-in-the-buff/EJUYV65Lz8SXhlI6

Bizarre naked protests

2010-06-07T02:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.oddee.com/item_97093.aspx

VIDEO: Streaker Tasered at Wrightsville Beach

2010-06-04T04:34:00.001-07:00

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. - A man streaking through Wrightsville Beach over Memorial Day weekend was Tasered by law enforcement officers, according to a Greensboro man who shot video of the streaker lying naked and face down in the street.

The nearly four-minute video, which was posted on YouTube by Stephen Stearns, of Greensboro, does not show the man actually being shot with the Taser, but shows the moments afterward.

The streaker, identified as Matthew Martin Pick, a 23-year-old ECU student, is lying face down and naked in a crosswalk before officers cover his bottom with a foil blanket. Stearns engages in a shouting match with an officer who threatens to arrest him if he doesn't stop recording the scene.

The Wilmington Star-News reported Stearns said he was hanging out with friends for the weekend and was shooting some video for fun on North Lumina Ave. when he heard a commotion and saw the man streaking.

http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-wrightsville-beach-streaker-tasered-100601,0,4450921.story

Want to Hike the Alps Naked? Swiss Court Says OK

2010-06-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

(June 1) -- The decision of a Swiss court to uphold the right of a man to hike naked across the Alps is exposing, literally, an unusual hobby.

The Swiss man, whose identity has not been disclosed, saw his $87 fine lifted last week by a court in Appenzell, a conservative canton in northeastern Switzerland known for its tasty cheese and stunning mountain landscapes.

The decision was hailed by supporters as a "victory of freedom." It is also kindling local debate on crisscrossing mountain paths in the nude, putting naked hikers -- and all that comes with them -- in the spotlight as they enthusiastically fight for the cause.

"This court decision is showing that penal law is not a moral codex, and there's no way to punish nakedness in itself, unless it becomes sexual harassment," a Zurich, Switzerland, architect and naked hiker who represented the defendant explained to AOL News. The architect asked not to be identified, citing privacy reasons. Swiss law allows defendants to be represented by non-lawyers in cases involving minor offenses.

The Appenzell court ruled that the charge of indecent behavior did not apply in the case of the fined hiker. He was reported to authorities by a woman after walking past a communal barbecue area.

The architect, whose 30 years of naked hiking have taken him as far as South Africa and North America, said the reasoning behind the court's decision still has to be published. He noted that prosecutors could appeal the ruling.

Whether the court's decision will give unclad hikers the leeway to ramble freely across the Alps remains to be seen.

Daniel Kettiger, a legal expert in Bern, Switzerland, who has followed the debate on naked hiking for years, said the law in the canton of Appenzell technically punishes "misbehavior in public" and doesn't specifically target nudity, allowing for interpretation.

"Sometimes, police think that hiking, jogging or biking in the nude is something that goes under that [law] paragraph, and they fine people. The interpretation of the law is open-ended," Kettiger told AOL News. "If someone is nude walking in public, or sunbathing or having a picnic in the grass, that is not forbidden. If he is exposing himself, with a sexual connotation and offending common sense, that is forbidden."

Naked hikers, who are estimated to number a few dozen in Switzerland, say they enjoy the feeling of oneness with nature and the freedom to give up clothes.

"Some like the feel of the air all over their body; others like the sense of healthfulness naked hiking gives," said Richard Foley, a 50-year-old British computer programmer based in Munich, Germany. "The vast majority of the people I meet, when out naked hiking, are polite, sometimes perhaps a little surprised. Occasionally, someone makes a joke about us having lost our clothes on the races."

In general, Foley said, he receives "many more smiles than grimaces," but the occasional criticism, if not plain insults, can still occur. He hikes often in Germany, where the phenomenon appears to be quite widespread, as well as in France, Austria and Italy.

Arguments against naked hiking range from concerns that nudity could be offensive for some to more down-to-earth problems, such as the risk of sunburn or catching tick-borne diseases. Some argue that restricted areas, as with nudist beaches around the world, could be organized for hikers.

However, the architect who represented the defendant said the point is not to be surrounded by fellow naked people. "There are nudists' areas with fences, concrete walls, gates," he said. "It's fine for those who want to be with other nudists. But why should we be restricted when all we do is simply choose our clothes?"

Or, rather, the lack thereof.

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/want-to-hike-the-alps-naked-swiss-court-says-ok/19497533

“Axe Undie Run” Challenges US Students to Strip And Race for Charity

2010-05-31T04:24:00.001-07:00

Giving the shirt off your back has new meaning as students across the country strip off their clothes and race in their underwear for charity. Though sounding like a plot for a fraternity prank, the AXE campaign “Undie Run Challenge” has students across the country doing just that – from May 10, as announced previously.

AXE, the popular deodorant brand, is donating $5000 to each community that participates and they are certainly participating and then some. At the recent “Undie Run” that took place at Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, gathered over 5,000 pounds of clothing. The clothing stripped for the run is then given to as a resource to a local homeless charity.

The upcoming events and results of previous events can all be found on the Facebook page AXE has set up www.facebook.com/axe.

http://popsop.com/35023

Nearly one year later, naked biking case in Vancouver remains unresolved

2010-05-31T03:26:00.001-07:00

It's been nearly a year since Matthew Vilhauer was arrested for indecent exposure for riding his bike naked in downtown Vancouver (Washington). He hoped yesterday's jury trial would be the end of a roller-coaster legal journey, but after a 5 to 1 vote of not guilty, the case remains unresolved.

On June 19th 2009, Vilhauer and several friends from Portland (including myself) and Vancouver met for a ride (which I recapped here) to tour some of that city's night spots. The occasion was to toast our friend Todd Boulanger, who was leaving his job as a transportation planner with the City of Vancouver. In a story about the trial published yesterday, The Columbian newspaper referred to the ride as "an exuberant, alcohol-fueled late-night cycling celebration."

Vilhauer felt the need to remove his clothes about half-way through the evening (he was the only one to do so, but no one really seemed to mind -- see photo above). At around midnight, while riding on Main Street, Vilhauer -- wearing nothing but his helmet -- was approached by Vancouver police, then handcuffed and arrested.

Vilhauer faces a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

After nearly a year of postponed court dates and other legal wranglings, the case finally went to trial yesterday. Here's how the arguments played out, according to The Columbian:

"George argued to jurors that, “This is not Portland,” while defense attorney Vitasovic argued that nakedness by itself isn’t a crime, and that Vilhauer didn’t have any intent to offend anyone.

“He got drunk, he got naked, he got on his bike,” Vitasovic said.

"Not Portland" indeed. On this side of the river, biking naked is a common and accepted occurrence. Our World Naked Bike Ride had 5,000 people last year and organizers worked hand-in-hand with the Police Bureau to make it happen (the officer who organizers worked closely with, Mike Reese, is now Chief of Police). In November 2008, a Multnomah County judge dismissed charges against a man arrested for biking naked, saying it was a form of free speech and that it's a "well-established tradition" in Portland.

Since being naked in public is not a crime, Vilhauer's case hinges on whether or not his nakedness would have to be seen as obscene and be directed at passersby. The police say Vilhauer was exposing himself to a group of teenage girls, but in his defense, Vilhauer maintains they just happened to be waiting in line at a club nearby when he was arrested.

With the deadlocked jury ruling yesterday, the prosecutor could seek another trial.

With the naked bike riding month of June fast approaching, one Vancouver resident wants the Mayor and City Council to take a proactive stance on naked biking so this type of long, drawn-out legal situation doesn't have to happen again.

Marcus Griffith is shocked that the City hasn't dismissed the charges and sent an email to the Mayor and members of Council last night calling on them to take up the matter at an upcoming meeting. From his email:

"I am requesting City Council to endorse the mere act of nude bike riding as not being an obscene and indecent act by itself. I am further requesting charges not to be refiled against Vilhauer nor any cyclists for engaging in future nude cycling in Vancouver."

Griffith says if the City doesn't address this issue to his satisfaction, he's planning to mobilize "a few hundreds nude cyclists" at the next City Hall meeting, which he says would "help illustrate the value of nudity as a First Amendment form of protest."

http://bikeportland.org/2010/05/28/nearly-one-year-later-naked-biking-case-in-vancouver-remains-unresolved/

Matthew Vilhauer (nude) was arrested on
June 19th 2009, a few hours after this photo
was taken.
(Photo: Not sure but it

Commuters travel to work on the Tube NAKED to help boost company's bottom line

2010-05-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

It was a cheeky and unexpected sight that greeted commuters as they boarded a Tube into work.

But the four naked men and women certainly livened up the usually dull journey for many people – attracting gasps from stunned workers.

Carrying handbags or briefcases to cover their modesty – and wearing shoes – the nudes travelled on escalators and rode in the carriages as though their lack of suitable attire was completely normal.

But, rather than trying to start a new trend on the London Underground, the group were promoting a TV series which sees staff at struggling businesses helping to turn their company around.

Steven Suphi, behaviour change specialist and leadership guru, believes stripping off in the office will help boost employees' confidence and develop trust.

She said: ‘For most people in the UK going to work in the nude is a very daunting prospect.

I believe this extreme process will help them push their boundaries and become a close team that trust each other enough to get naked together.’

The nudes were publicising tomorrow’s episode of the new six-part series The Naked Office being screened on Virgin 1 at 9pm.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1279102/The-Naked-Office-London-Underground-commuters-strip-help-save-company.html

Ask an Academic: In the Buff

2010-05-24T02:43:00.000-07:00

Nudity is our most basic state, yet there are few things that cause the same extreme mixture of titillation and horror. Still, if one looks closely, it’s everywhere. Mass nude weddings with as many as sixty couples take place every year at the Hedonism resort in Jamaica. There’s nude sky diving and nude boxing (so-called “bouncy boxing”) in Australia, nude skiers in Austria (brr), nude synchronized swimming in Spain, strip poker, naked flights (no hot drinks are served, to prevent scalding), organized nudism, anarchic streaking, Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl. Why does donning the birthday suit get us in such a tizzy? I recently wrote to Philip Carr-Gomm, a psychotherapist, writer, and author of “A Brief History of Nakedness,” to ask his opinion.

Why nakedness?

It should be the simplest thing in the world for us to do: to take all our clothes off to soak up the sun or skinny dip, and yet it is such a fraught activity for so many people. This started to intrigue me about ten years ago when I was hiking on a hot day and stopped to rest. No-one was around, and I was so hot that I took my clothes off to cool down and enjoy the breeze. As I did this, I wondered whether I was breaking the law, and was suddenly hit by the oddity of the idea that I could somehow be committing a crime simply by being myself. Could I only legally exist in public if I was covered? Thoreau talks about this same issue when he notes in his "Journals": "What a singular fact for an angel visitant to this earth to carry back in his note-book, that men were forbidden to expose their bodies under the severest penalties!" I began researching the taboo against nakedness, and discovered an extraordinarily rich vein of material that I have been mining ever since.

Speaking of angels, nakedness has been put to many uses in religion. You’re an expert in English magic, including Druidism and Wicca. How do these interests overlap?

In Wicca, and to a lesser extent in Druidism, worshiping "skyclad" (i.e. clothed only with the sky) is used as a way of getting closer to Nature and to Deity. One might think that conventional religion, in contrast to these modern pagan approaches, would shun nakedness. But in reality there are numerous examples of religious leaders using nakedness to engender mystical states or get closer to God. The first third of my book focusses on this largely unknown history: looking in particular at the way nakedness has been used not only in classical Paganism and its modern revivals, but also in Hinduism, Jainism, and most remarkable of all, Christianity. I finish this part of the book with a quotation from Dolly Parton which nicely unites Pantheistic and Christian themes: “Sometimes I like to run naked in the moonlight and the wind, on a little trail behind our house, when the honeysuckle blooms. It's a feeling of freedom, so close to God and nature.”

Why is nakedness effective as a political protest?

Ever since Saint Francis took all his clothes off in front of his father in protest against being disinherited, individuals and oppressed groups around the world have used this same strategy to draw attention to their cause. At the beginning of the twentieth century the Christian sect of the Doukhobors in Canada began protesting against discrimination by marching naked in the street, and more recently women have stripped in China and Italy to protest against the fur trade; Chilean miners have walked naked through the streets of Santiago de Chile to protest against working conditions; Patch Adams has protested naked at the White House; and the Iraq war has provoked mass nude protests, harnessing photography and the power of the Internet to gain attention for the cause.

By exposing the human body, protesters convey a complex message: they challenge the status quo by acting provocatively, and they empower themselves and their cause by showing that they are fearless and have nothing to hide. But at the same time they reveal the vulnerability and frailty of the human being.

When I was in college, the night before exams began students would run naked around our quad—often in perilously freezing weather—in a massive streak called “Primal Scream.” What’s the origin of this kind of behavior?

Streaking started in the U.S.in the early nineteenth century—a future Congressman, George Crump, was suspended for one term in 1804 for running naked through Lexington, Virginia. This idea then became popular in the nineteen-sixties on campuses, reaching its height of popularity in 1974 when the kind of mass streak you mention found over fifteen hundred students joining a mass nude run at the University of Georgia, and twelve hundred at the University of Colorado. Over a dozen American universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Tufts, now have a tradition of streaking, dating back to this era. Sadly the clock has been turned back in some places. Pressure from the police in 2000, for example, has resulted in the abandonment of the "Naked Mile" mass nude streak of students at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Over in England in the seventies we started streaking in a different way—individually at sporting events. The English have always been obsessed with sport.

What was the process of researching this book like?

Friends have expressed surprise that I could write a book about nakedness. “What is there to say about it?” they ask, but the reality is that all of life is there. Having spent the past twenty years writing rather serious books, it was a great pleasure to turn to a topic that is full of both sublime and ridiculous examples of human behavior. So writing the book was an adventure, sometimes sexy—as in some of the picture research—but more often astonishing.

What is the most effective use of nakedness you’ve seen in recent years?

Without doubt it is the appearance of two British films towards the end of the last century: "The Full Monty" in 1997 and "Calendar Girls" in 1998. They succeeded in changing many peoples’ view of public nakedness as something "kinky" or simply exhibitionist. Both films portrayed the protagonists’ public exposure as heroic and socially responsible. A film about a group of men stripping in public could have been sleazy, but "The Full Monty" addressed issues of unemployment, depression, obesity, coming out, separation and parenting in a way that captured peoples’ imaginations, including those of Tony Blair and Prince Charles, who praised the film. Likewise "Calendar Girls" raised over a million pounds for Leukemia research, and has contributed toward eroding the tyranny of stereotypical ideas of feminine beauty.

Alongside the influence of those two films, the work of the U.S. installation artist Spencer Tunick has helped enormously to change perceptions of nudity. Who could have predicted fifty years ago that he would be able to travel the world getting thousands of people to pose naked en masse for his photographs and films? Eighteen thousand people ripped off their clothes for him in Mexico City, nearly three thousand in Cleveland, Ohio.

We have such conflicted ideas about nakedness because our culture is founded upon two pillars: the Classical and the Judaeo-Christian. From Greece, we have inherited an appreciation of the naked body—gods and goddesses, athletes and statesmen were depicted nude. In the Middle East, nakedness was associated with poverty, slavery and prostitution. But the classical inspiration comes at a price: it offers an unrealistic ideal of beauty that exerts its own peculiar tyranny on us—especially on women.

Tunick and those two films show us Everywoman and Everyman as beautiful. Gok Wan and Carson Kressley in "How to Look Good Naked" and the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty are all building on this powerful idea. The reason they are using nakedness is not simply for "attention-grabbing", but is based on the psychological law that we are controlled by what we repress or hide. Paradoxically seeing nudity and being seen naked—in the right context—can help us to look beyond the surface. Beauty isn’t skin deep—beauty and heroism come from within—but as long as we hide the skin we are still held in the grip of the belief that our beauty is determined by our outer surface.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/05/ask-an-academic-in-the-buff.html

Naked Bike Ride in Madison looking good

2010-05-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Efforts to herd clothed, scantily clad and unclad bicyclists together for a potentially uncomfortable Madison tour on World Naked Bike Ride day have flopped in the past.

But next month, they just might pull it off. Or at least most of it.

There has been no official announcement, but there have been posters, and several informal meetings in the Rathskeller at the Memorial Union on campus. An earnest discussion group is maintained at Yahoo.com and news has circulated among bicycle groups.

In an e-mail to the Madison Parks Division's street use permit section, Tom Ryan, who said he was an organizer, wrote there will be a World Naked Bike Ride "parade" in Madison on June 19. The ride will start at 11 a.m. along an eight-mile 90 minute course with "very few hills" and a possible swing around the Square during the Farmers' Market.

Between a "dozen and 100 riders" are expected, Ryan wrote, describing a tentative route as "the lakeshore at Memorial Union, State Street, the (Capitol Square) and the lakeshore at James Madison Park." Ryan could not be reached for comment.

He wrote the event "is essentially a political demonstration in the form of a bicycle parade."

A Madison Police Department captain, Mary Schauf, has talked with Ryan and the City Attorney's Office has also been consulted. They may not need a parade permit or a street use permit, but officials said police discretion would be a factor in deciding whether a rider was ticketed or arrested for disorderly conduct or lewd and lascivious conduct.

Schauf said that with a public route, police not only are concerned about safety, but have to balance the fact that "we have people with a desire to express their opinions in creative ways," with "some people's objections to being part of it.

"Some people are just not going to want to see (a naked person)," she said.

She said Ryan, who is familiar Downtown as an orange-costumed street musician, told her he was "looking for a joyous celebration."

The international WNBR day - organizers point out that though "naked" is in the name, clothing is optional and many participants sport body paint - is scheduled for June 12. The Madison event is set for a week later, apparently so it does not conflict with the large WNBR in Chicago, where up to 3,000 riders are expected.

The ride was first organized internationally in 2004 to promote energy independence and positive body image, organizers say on the group's website. Madison, though a longtime mecca for bicyclists and exhibitionists of diverse stripes, has never been able to combine the two for any sort of formal public display.

Assistant city attorney Lana Mades said participants in the June 19 event, if any, stand the risk of arrest on charges, based on a police officer's decision, of lewd and lascivious behavior or disorderly conduct.

She noted, however, "they could avoid any risk with some minimal clothing, some of (the normal bicycling clothing) is pretty scanty these days, and you can get as much bicycling road rash from that as from being totally naked."

"Typically, if a bicycle ride group follows the rules of the road and are proceeding, I don't really see the need to have a parade permit," she said.

Nor does it appear the group will need a street use permit, said the Parks Division's Kelli Lamberty.

Amanda White, the director of the Madison office of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, said "we don't have an official stance on the ride, but we absolutely encourage people to get out on their bikes and have fun, typically (when they do this) they are wearing clothes."

Pics shown here from previous rides - various

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_419a32c0-6068-11df-9409-001cc4c002e0.html