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I have heard that in Europe nudity is viewed as no big deal, that people can walk around naked, or shown naked on all kinds of media and it's viewed as totally acceptable; that it's even common for young children and teens to see lots of nude people at events and such. The U.S gets viewed often as backwards for puritanical views about such things.
yes and no. "Europe" is not a unified thing, it is composed of different countries with very different opinions and ways of life, and also regarding nudity. Some are more conservative and some more liberal in that aspect. In general I would say Europeans don't sexualize EVERYTHING in the way Americans do. It is not weird to go to the beach and see topless people. There is often a part of the beach that it is full nude. And in TV ads or night programs that are not adult rated you can see the occasional nipple and no one cares. Also in magazines in bookshelfs of bookstores.
People are asking me this all the time. No matter how I try to explain, it seems to be a concept very hard to imagine or understand. Things that are normal and natural for most people in Europe, are still shocking and obscene in the US. Most people don't even know the difference between nudity and pornography.
Taking one’s American children through museums poses certain challenges. Shocked mothers cover their kids eyes, and expect nude statues or paintings to look decent and covered.
Generally, in Europe being naked is not a shame, sex is not dirty, breast feeding mothers don't have to seek seclusion, and feed their baby under covers.
Contrary to the US where breasts became more sexualized, and less functional - more the purview of men as sexual objects and less the domain of infants and as a source of food. Accidentially showing a nipple will produce headlines on the national news.
Yes, American travelers to Europe who's visited a public sauna, perused a newsstand, hung out at a beach or park on a sunny day, or channel-surfed broadcast TV late at night will notice that Europeans are far more relaxed than Americans about nudity.
People are asking me this all the time. No matter how I try to explain, it seems to be a concept very hard to imagine or understand. Things that are normal and natural for most people in Europe, are still shocking and obscene in the US. Most people don't even know the difference between nudity and pornography.
Taking one’s American children through museums poses certain challenges. Shocked mothers cover their kids eyes, and expect nude statues or paintings to look decent and covered.
Generally, in Europe being naked is not a shame, sex is not dirty, breast feeding mothers don't have to seek seclusion, and feed their baby under covers.
Contrary to the US where breasts became more sexualized, and less functional - more the purview of men as sexual objects and less the domain of infants and as a source of food. Accidentially showing a nipple will produce headlines on the national news.
Yes, American travelers to Europe who's visited a public sauna, perused a newsstand, hung out at a beach or park on a sunny day, or channel-surfed broadcast TV late at night will notice that Europeans are far more relaxed than Americans about nudity.
This is not entirely true. While they are more casual about it in a broad sense, nudity is still a very taboo thing across the general public throughout most of Europe. Even in the most nude friendly countries in Europe mainly Germany and Austria. Nude and clothing optional beaches are closing down, and the younger generation is far less interested in the Freikörperkultur (nude culture) then the older generations. Even in super chill Barcelona there have been movements to ban clothing optional beaches. Its sad but Europe has been creeping closer to more puritanical stance on nudity over the last 20 years and the newly arrived "migrants" really aren't helping either.
This is not entirely true. While they are more casual about it in a broad sense, nudity is still a very taboo thing across the general public throughout most of Europe. Even in the most nude friendly countries in Europe mainly Germany and Austria. Nude and clothing optional beaches are closing down, and the younger generation is far less interested in the Freikörperkultur (nude culture) then the older generations. Even in super chill Barcelona there have been movements to ban clothing optional beaches. Its sad but Europe has been creeping closer to more puritanical stance on nudity over the last 20 years and the newly arrived "migrants" really aren't helping either.
This is not entirely true. While they are more casual about it in a broad sense, nudity is still a very taboo thing across the general public throughout most of Europe. Even in the most nude friendly countries in Europe mainly Germany and Austria. Nude and clothing optional beaches are closing down, and the younger generation is far less interested in the Freikörperkultur (nude culture) then the older generations. Even in super chill Barcelona there have been movements to ban clothing optional beaches. Its sad but Europe has been creeping closer to more puritanical stance on nudity over the last 20 years and the newly arrived "migrants" really aren't helping either.
I would blame it on the advent of smartphones and internet everywhere instead.
Well here you have to blame skin cancer. We have the highest rate in the world and it is not fun having parts of you chopped out or frozen. If you see people on the beach at midday without much on, you tend to assume they are tourists. I gather that the way many of us swim, with rash shirts oven polo shirts would not be allowed in parts of Europe.
This is not entirely true. While they are more casual about it in a broad sense, nudity is still a very taboo thing across the general public throughout most of Europe. Even in the most nude friendly countries in Europe mainly Germany and Austria. Nude and clothing optional beaches are closing down, and the younger generation is far less interested in the Freikörperkultur (nude culture) then the older generations. Even in super chill Barcelona there have been movements to ban clothing optional beaches. Its sad but Europe has been creeping closer to more puritanical stance on nudity over the last 20 years and the newly arrived "migrants" really aren't helping either.
Ha! That must be pretty new. Perhaps has something to do with the mix of new cultures, and the trend to make everyone happy. However, a website launched in 12 languages by the German government last year is aiming to show refugees and other foreign visitors the right ways and the wrong ways to have sex
Zanzu has been praised for its frank approach to sexuality, which they view as necessary to help refugees from conservative religious cultures integrate into European far more liberal society.
Sex manual: https://www.zanzu.be/en
So, no more (or much less) nudity in the public, but you still see it a lot in advertising, magazine covers, movies, etc. People still go to public baths or saunas, and spend hours there, because of the abilities to feel comfortable with their bodies regardless of their shape, and they don't mind to see their friends or strangers nude. People don't stare, or make uncomfortable comments about others being naked either.
Artistic representations of nudes are not a target of censorship or spark a public outrage, like this one in Houston three years ago: ( where many people still consider nude art a porn) https://www.click2houston.com/news/m...51123155117263
Also most European countries make sex education mandatory, contrary to the US, where only 22 states require sex education in public schools. (13% of biology teachers are openly sympathetic to teaching creationism, and 60% feel uncertain about teaching evolution.)
It obviously works, because sex education system has been successful in preventing unwanted pregnancies and promoting safe sex practices. Four and five year old kids already get some introductory sex education. Believe or not, public schools teach everything from the biology of reproduction - to how to properly use contraception - to how to reach orgasm. Sex is evidently not a dirty taboo.
In the US wast majority of parents want abstinence taught in sex-ed, and believe that teaching abstinence is the best for their child's health and future. No wonder that the US has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world.
or shown naked on all kinds of media and it's viewed as totally acceptable;
Correct. Showing a naked body has nothing to do with porn. Some people confuse those two terms. There is also a difference between looking and lusting....
I wouldn't say people are getting more prudish, but view the freikörper-culture and nude beaches as weird as F.
If I were an 18-yo girl, would I really want to go to nude beaches being among 70-yo saggy bags of skin? Probably not. Could I take a sauna with my male friends? Most likely if you're a Finn.
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