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My, how times have changed

kokopelli

One of the Regulars
Messages
171
Location
East Tennessee
It's sort of a "bible belt" thing for some (like me) I suppose. It's just not something that we were raised to embrace (kids+adults+bodies), for lack of a better explanation. Ron

Smuterella said:
Are you suggesting there is something wrong with seeing your parents bodies?
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,190
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
Modesty is in the eye of the beholder.

What I find odd is for a 9 yr. old boy to comment how pretty mommy's belly button is. The story is either a lie or mom is harping on her surgery and encouraging her child to fixate on her belly button.
 

Smuterella

One Too Many
Messages
1,776
Location
London
ShooShooBaby said:
me neither. but to each, their own i guess... for the record, i come from a family where everyone stayed covered up for the most part.

I come from a family of hippies, so nudity was the norm and I often shared a bath with either parent or my brother until mid teens or so...
 

Miss 1929

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,397
Location
Oakland, California
The more I hear about you...

Smuterella said:
I come from a family of hippies, so nudity was the norm and I often shared a bath with either parent or my brother until mid teens or so...
...the cooler you get!

I grew up with modest parents, no at-home nudity, but in my cirle of friends in my teens, in the 70s on California, none of us wore clothes in the summer unless we had to. Ont he other hand, my husband grew up in a Catholic country, so he still freaks out if I walk around the house naked, with all the blinds down! "Showing yourself to the world" is how he puts it. So silly.

I think it is good for kids to see naked people. Much less body issues later in life. As long as no fuss is made about it, it's good for them to see that we come in all shapes and sizes.
 

Smuterella

One Too Many
Messages
1,776
Location
London
Miss 1929 said:
I think it is good for kids to see naked people. Much less body issues later in life. As long as no fuss is made about it, it's good for them to see that we come in all shapes and sizes.

A round of applause for you

:eusa_clap
 

ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
Miss 1929 said:
I think it is good for kids to see naked people. Much less body issues later in life. As long as no fuss is made about it, it's good for them to see that we come in all shapes and sizes.

i agree! i think my first time at the oregon country fair was the most nudity i'd ever seen in one place. it is truly amazing to see the vast array of human bodies, when not controlled by the beauty industry. everyone looks so different. i think it's when we keep bodies a mystery (except the tightly controlled images we see constantly in the media) that we start to get such horrid body issues. if everyone you ever see naked or near-naked is an airbrushed model, you're going to start thinking you're a freak! many of us have a hard time ever overcoming that. [huh]
 

Jovan

Suspended
Messages
4,095
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Miss 1929 said:
...the cooler you get!

I grew up with modest parents, no at-home nudity, but in my cirle of friends in my teens, in the 70s on California, none of us wore clothes in the summer unless we had to. Ont he other hand, my husband grew up in a Catholic country, so he still freaks out if I walk around the house naked, with all the blinds down! "Showing yourself to the world" is how he puts it. So silly.

I think it is good for kids to see naked people. Much less body issues later in life. As long as no fuss is made about it, it's good for them to see that we come in all shapes and sizes.
Good to know someone [sorry] older than me agrees with me on that. That's how I was raised and I think I turned out okay. :)
 

jayem

A-List Customer
Messages
371
Location
Chicago
Eh, I agree that it's a bit strange for a 10yr old boy to remark on 'mommy's pretty belly button'. It's also weird for the boy to think that his mothers natural sags and wrinkles are the result of staying in a bath too long. At that age, most kids including myself know that people age. Maybe if the boy was 4 or 5... but c'mon.

As for the family nudity debate... yeah... no. I can understand a mom walking around in her bra or something... but anything past undergarments is a bit odd.
 

TheKitschGoth

A-List Customer
Messages
407
Location
Brighton, UK
It's a modern book, now I know people on the FL don't tend to wear modern fashions, but the rest of the world tends to. A lot of modern fashions are a little more revealing, hipsters and cropped tops for example. So belly buttons tend to be visible. So the ten year old boy quote isn't really as shocking as everyone's maiking it out to be.
 

Naama

Practically Family
Messages
667
Location
Vienna
Come on! Beauty surgeon was already available in the golden era! Monroe had her nose done, rumor has it that Garbo had some teeth removed (I'm still not sure how true that one is).... I mean, sure, it wasn't THAT common as it is today, but I think when you are unhappy with something, you should have the freedom to change it if you want to.
When I was younger I was always sure that I'm going to have a nose job, but when I grew older, the only thing I would do is liposuction lol

But the book.... I don't know, I think the way it is put together just want's to make me puke, really.... It doesn't show plastic surgeon as something you (should) do for yourself but as something you do to confirm to standard beauty images....



Naama
 

nobodyspecial

Practically Family
Messages
514
Location
St. Paul, Minnesota
Naama said:
Come on! Beauty surgeon was already available in the golden era! Monroe had her nose done, rumor has it that Garbo had some teeth removed (I'm still not sure how true that one is).... I mean, sure, it wasn't THAT common as it is today, but I think when you are unhappy with something, you should have the freedom to change it if you want to.
When I was younger I was always sure that I'm going to have a nose job, but when I grew older, the only thing I would do is liposuction lol

But the book.... I don't know, I think the way it is put together just want's to make me puke, really.... It doesn't show plastic surgeon as something you (should) do for yourself but as something you do to confirm to standard beauty images....
Naama

I don't recall anyone suggesting one should not have the freedom to change one's looks. I'm sure most people wish to be taller, thinner, better looking, better athetes, have a full head of hair, a whiter smile, etc.... Some of these things are able to be changed easily in today's world. The extent to which one ventures to acheive these changes is something to debate. If one's self esteem is so fragile that it takes a face lift, liposuction and large breasts to feel good about themself, perhaps the money is better spent on therapy by a licensed professional.
 

Ada Veen

Practically Family
Messages
923
Location
London
Feraud said:
Modesty is in the eye of the beholder.

What I find odd is for a 9 yr. old boy to comment how pretty mommy's belly button is. The story is either a lie or mom is harping on her surgery and encouraging her child to fixate on her belly button.

What is interesting is how a 9 year old conceives of a 'pretty' bellybutton. What values - in a child - decide which belly buttons are 'pretty'? Is it ones that are similar to the cultural ideal, or an intrinsic aesthetic preference for certain bellybuttons or what? [huh] weird.
 

Chas

One Too Many
Messages
1,715
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Nudity? I have no issue with that - within reason, I suppose. Nudist beaches and camps are cool, but other than that, well.....

Don't get me wrong; I'm not a prude, but I don't believe that anyone's need for self expression outweighs all other considerations. For some naturalist/nudist types, I get the distinct impression that they are fishing for a reaction. Especially a negative one, so they can jump on a soapbox and rant about the "insecurity" of others.

And I can't cotton to that any more than I could to starlets and celebrities flashing their anatomy for paparazzi.

It's about balance, I guess.
 

Paisley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,439
Location
Indianapolis
I'm no expert on this subject, but from what I understand, body issues aren't caused by wearing clothes. They can be caused by parents who emphasize appearance.
 

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