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Cosmo Kramer said it best: "Our policy is, we're comfortable with our bodies. You know, if someone wants to help themselves to an eyefull, well, we say, 'Enjoy the show.'"
Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguydownsouth
No, American's are USED to modesty. Not all like it. I like to skinny dip in my OWN pool which is completely out of sight from anyone. When I mention this to my friends they think Im crazy. Theyre like "Arent you afraid someone might wander in your yard and see you?" Umm....seriously?
Well, I do wrap a towel around my waist most of time in the locker room. I don't have a problem baring it all; quite the contrary: I've had to be on stage nude in theater performances before. In front of big, wealthy audiences. But I digress...
It is just a shock to some people to see the male anatomy. Here in my part of Alabama, it's more taboo for a man to be uncovered or even suggestively dressed than anywhere else I can think of. I like to wear briefs to the pool, and this is met with tons of stares from males and females. I have had men tell me that they wish they had the confidence to do it themselves, and women act like they are completely turned off and avoid me.
I don't like to advertise, but I do like to cover in the mens locker room. My biggest issue? Probably a secret inner homophobia....And I'm actually sad to admit that, as I have gay friends who have never been anything but wonderful to me.
Fair enough. One more item to take to the gym, but I guess a towel would fit easily enough into a gym bag.
I will say that my earlier post, including the part you quoted here, reflects the perspective of someone who grew up in a time when nudity in the locker room (boys'/men's locker room at least) was the norm, and no one thought anything of it.
It wasn't just the locker room. As a child, I swam nude in an indoor pool one time, because those were the rules. As I understand it, this was in the last years of this practice. Pretty sure nude swimming in indoor pools was commonplace a generation or two before mine. Something about concern that old filtration systems might be clogged by lint from bathing suits, if I'm not mistaken.
In college, I lived for two years in a dorm with a communal bathroom on each floor. On the guys' floors the showers didn't have separate stalls with curtains in front. There was just a single room with shower heads all around the perimeter, so several guys at a time might be showering in front of each other.
When you've grown up during those times, nudity in such locations seems like the norm. You don't really think anything of it. As I said in my earlier post, I last worked out in a gym at least ten years ago, and it still seemed to be the practice then for guys to walk through the locker room naked. Given the usual practice as I was growing up, I don't think a thing about this. It just seems normal.
I agree with this:
I find it, well, interesting that today's young generation talks as if they're very open about sex, or at least sexuality, yet the experiences people relate in this thread (and the one from last year on this topic) seem to indicate that it's mostly younger men who are especially modest about nudity in the locker room.
And I really agree with this:
I've never witnessed the "towel dance," most likely since the practice seems to have begun more recently than my last workout in a gym. Reading about it, though, it really seems odd to me. Guys are kind of rough around the edges. It seems kind of weird to me to read about guys who are so squeamish about just undressing in front of other guys while they change clothes that they do this "towel dance" thing.
Great responses, supposed more free to talk about sex and gender but yet these young guys are so hung up on nudity. My dad talked about going swimming nude at the YMCA and also in canals. It is a wonder he survived to his late 80's! LOL
Well, I suppose if you're also a member of a bodybuiding site then you must really know your stuff regarding this topic and that gives your opinion much more weight. I mean wow, that's really something,a real live member of a bodybuilding website forum and here I am, little ol' me interacting with someone like that...wow. Thank you for weighing in.
Joking aside, I'll inform you that the reason more older guys do it is because they have less hang ups. Younger people are concerned about their appearance, behavior, etc. Older guys have been through a lot more and aren't bothered by something so inconsequential. And let me just stress that it is an amazingly inconsequential thing to be bothered by.
LOL it's merely a response on a message board. Don't get so riled up about it! Your attempt to ascertain the intent of my post is a poor one at best. I hope your day gets better!!
My father was born in the Netherlands. As such, my family would frequently take vacations there so my father could visit his relatives and old friends. These trips were annual until I was about 12 years old, then we started going every other year. We would always stay at the same hotel. The hotel had an indoor pool with a steam and dry sauna. From the first time I remember up until the last time we went, every evening my father, younger brother and I would head to the pool every evening for a swim and a sauna. In the evening hours the pool area was clothing optional. My father, brother and I never wore swimsuits. We would wear robes to get to the pool, then the second we got there the robes would come off and we'd be swimming and playing with other kids (male and female) in the pool and most everyone was nude. If we went in the summer and visited the seashore, the entire family would be nude at the beach- along with everyone else. I have never had hang-ups about my body or anyone else's. We all have the same parts and there is no shame in it whatsoever. That's how I was raised. Nudity around the house was common and no one thought a thing of it. So there's the "back story" and the reason why what this gentleman asked of me seemed so strange...
You gotta be butt naked in a sauna in Europe. Thats just how it is. Also, they have sauna/nude pools there.
Americans have a different culture - no boobs on tv and no little children in opposite sex bathrooms and no nudity anywhere else and I bet most sleep with clothes on.
My mom used to play volleyball - after the practise, all the women showered together, in one big shower area. I saw all of them nude and they had small talk while rubbing soap on themselves, nobody thought anything of it. I did the same when I grew up and played sports.
My dad played soccer - nobody got sweatty into their car afterwards - they all took a shower there, together and it was no big deal.
You gotta be butt naked in a sauna in Europe. Thats just how it is. Also, they have sauna/nude pools there.
Americans have a different culture - no boobs on tv and no little children in opposite sex bathrooms and no nudity anywhere else and I bet most sleep with clothes on.
My mom used to play volleyball - after the practise, all the women showered together, in one big shower area. I saw all of them nude and they had small talk while rubbing soap on themselves, nobody thought anything of it. I did the same when I grew up and played sports.
My dad played soccer - nobody got sweatty into their car afterwards - they all took a shower there, together and it was no big deal.
Well, I'm a bit sensitive to public nudity. I just find it strange. My father does not seem to mind much of naked men in the locker room. I'm ok with brestfeeding however, considering that my mom did brestfeed my brother in public.
Are all beaches in Europe nude. I should seriously muscle up and plan a trip there before getting old .
Well, I'm a bit sensitive to public nudity. I just find it strange. My father does not seem to mind much of naked men in the locker room. I'm ok with brestfeeding however, considering that my mom did brestfeed my brother in public.
Are all beaches in Europe nude. I should seriously muscle up and plan a trip there before getting old .
no, not all beaches are nude. But on many you can see topless women.
When I was a junior-high-schooler, I dreaded locker rooms. I had several good reasons, being a physical "late-bloomer", having a noticeable spinal deformity, poor co-ordination, and being one of a small percentage of boys who were uncircumcised. All this makes a young man a natural "target" for the well-muscled but small-brained ape who desperetely needs to throw his weight around -- somewhere.
And looking back, I don't really hold the phys-ed instructors "responsible"; there are cetain issues a person has to handle on his/her own, or they will becone dependent upon someone else's authority all their lives.
But all this changed after a mandatory swimming course during my freshman year in college -- simply because the low, bullying element had no place there. With a supportive environment, I mastered a physical challenge for the first time (though it took longer than usual) and found a "life sport". At age 65, I believe I'm in better shape than most of the people I knew back then.
I'll take an "open" shower over stalls in a locker room any day. It gives one the freedom to move around, shave, brush one's teeth, etc, in one stop. If young men are intimidated by this, it's probably due to too much influence from an over-protective Momma. Most men my age grew up with it -- it does build a bond and certain frorm of trust and acceptance -- nudists (with whom I associated for a while back in the Eighties) just seem to have extended this view to both sexes.
It's not the environment alone that causes the insecurity, but how it's handled.
when i was a junior-high-schooler, i dreaded locker rooms. I had good reason, being a physical "late-bllomer", having a noticeable spinal deformity, poor co-ordination, and being one of a small percentage of boys who were uncircumcised. All this makes a young man a natural "target" for the well-muscled but small-brained ape who desperetely needs to throw his weight around somewhere.
And looking back, i don't really hold the phys-ed instructors "responsible"; there are cetain issues a person has to handle on his/her own, or they will becone dependent upon someone else's authority all their lives.
But all this changed after a mandatory swimming course during my freshman year in college -- simply because the low, bullying element had no place there. With a supportibve environment, i masttered a physical challenge for the first time (though it took longer than usual) and found a "life sport". At age 65, i belive i'm in better shape than most of the people i knew back then.
I'll take an "open" shower over stalls in a locker room any day. It gives one the freedom to move around, shave, brush one's teeth, etc, in one stop. If young men are intimidated by this, it's probably due to too much influence from an over-protective momma. Most men my age grew up with it -- it does build a bond and certain frorm of trust and acceptance -- nudists (with whom i associated for a while back in the eighties) just seem to have extended this view to both sexes.
It's not the environment alone that causes the insecurity, but how it's handled.
amen!
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