No, I'm not taking off my clothes before I post this latest addition to my blog. I am going to write about other people who have been naked and in the news recently. Oh, yes--it seems as if naked people are getting a lot of news lately. It doesn't seem to matter if the motivation is maniacal, criminal or egotistical--taking off your clothes is definitely a way to get yourself noticed. I can't dispute the fact that a naked person draws the public attention. I want to figure out if the movement is increasing and what it is that motivates people to bare their assets in public view.
I have been particularly disturbed by the work of Spencer Tunick, who photographs large crowds of people naked in public places. (He wants to cram 7,000+ naked people into Zocalo Plaza for his next "art installation.") Does this contribute to the blasé attitude in our nation towards lewdness, which attitude has long been swinging toward liberal and away from conservative values?
Not that any of this tomfoolery is new material. Back in the day--did I just write that?--that is to say, back in high school, I remember some four hooligans scrawling L-A-S-L-O-M-A-S across their collective buttocks and then displaying them prominently at a swim meet from atop the roof of the locker room. In college, I showed up for track practice one day to find pictures of the naked 4x400 relay taped up on the lockers of the various participants. These shenanigans are easily explained, however, when one looks at the impetuousness of youth and the high probability of heightened levels of blood alcohol.
Of course, that might not be entirely true in the case of the Russian pressed ham incident, but I digress...
More puzzling to me are the whack-os out there who strip down to their birthday suits before trying to pull off some crazily criminal antic. What can be running through those tortured minds?
"They won't recognize me in this getup."
"This'll throw them for a loop!"
"Maybe I can distract them juuuuust long enough to..."
It's probably not healthy to try to come up with more possible motivations for these nudie nut-jobs, so I'll finish up with links to articles about some of the more coughs interesting and recent naked news.
Naked man shot near U.S. embassy in Kyrgyzstan
Naked man in high heels shuts down Ore. building
Police nab naked jogger
Naked swimmer makes splash in Trevi fountain
Man arrested for naked Hitler birthday event
Naked couple shot at celeb hotel
Naked man leads police on chase
Naked, drunk and demanding
Nude swim marks graduation
