Nov 20, 2011 [b]: Nudity comes to Arab Spring (NSFW)

[Undertoad]

"Put on trial the artists' models who posed nude for art schools until the early 70s, hide the art books and destroy the nude statues of antiquity, then undress and stand before a mirror and burn your bodies that you despise to forever rid yourselves of your sexual hangups before you direct your humiliation and chauvinism and dare to try to deny me my freedom of expression."

This is Egyptian Aliaa Magda El-Mahdy, and in posting herself naked on her blog, she is challenging freedom of expression in Egypt.

El-Mahdy wrote on her blog that the photographs - which show her standing wearing only stockings - are "screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy." The blog has received 1.5 million hits since she posted the photos earlier this week.

As Egypt's various political sects rush to condemn her, she's probably in deep danger. And this can't help: dozens of Israeli women shared their solidarity by also going nekkid for the camera.

"Girls, let's give the world a good reason to see the unique beauty of Israeli women," [organizer] Tepler wrote. "Regardless of whether they are Jewish, Arab, straight or Lesbian – because here, as of now, it doesn't matter. (…) Let us show the doubters that our international discourse doesn't depend on governments."

More than 100 women said they would attend. The participants were photographed holding a sign saying "Love without Limits," and "Homage to Aliaa El-Mahdi. Sisters in Israel."

Here may be the entire root of our cultural clash. The Arab world sees female nudity as deeply morally offensive. The western world is practically used to it. The rise of the equality of women in the western world has not led to more modesty. And so the Arab world decides that the western world is offering moral ruin. The sexuality in it means that a lot of this is coming from deep in our lizard brains.

I would strip in solidarity, but even the western world would demand my image be taken down as offensive.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

snip--
Here may be the entire root of our cultural clash. The Arab world sees female nudity as deeply morally offensive. The western world is practically used to it. The rise of the equality of women in the western world has not led to less and less modesty. And so the Arab world decides that the western world is offering moral ruin. The sexuality in it means that a lot of this is coming from deep in our lizard brains.
--snip

UT, did you mean to remove the word "not" above? Otherwise, I don't think I understand.

[Undertoad]

corrected, thank you

[BigV]

My pleasure. These posts may be deleted as far as I'm concerned.

[Undertoad]

Let them stay to indicate my incompetence.

[BigV]

They stay or go at your pleasure, but they indicate no incompetence.

[Trilby]

Nudity can lead to only one thing:


Rock 'n Roll!

Seriously, though, this is awesome.

Guys should let chickas be in charge for the next millenium.
We certainly couldn't do any worse than you all have.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Brianna

Guys should let chickas be in charge for the next millenium.
We certainly couldn't do any worse than you all have.

I dunno.
There is less and less modesty now.

[Trilby]

...And what is it with nudity and women and sex and the lizard brain?

Why is it so fearsome?

Women naked=Sex=Bad&NaughtyBoy=Death?

Is it still that old rag?

Or what?

[zippyt]

i say good for them ,
let your freak flag fly PROUDLY !!!

[Undertoad]

Sex is really bad. It leads us to disease, death, unwanted pregnancy and all sorts of horrible outcomes. But in our lizard brains, it has kept our species going for 200,000 years... before civilization of any kind.

At some point we noticed that all this sex was really horrible, and that it was leading to pregnancy (we had to figure that out).

So when we applied civilization to it, we made up all sorts of nonsense rules; such as if a man finds a woman attractive he cannot just pull out his weenie. (He must instead text a picture of his weenie to her.)

Along the way it was attached to religion, because religion was how we passed along information, and how we socialized the youths not to be pulling out their weenies all the time.

[CaliforniaMama]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Sex is really bad. It leads us to disease, death, unwanted pregnancy and all sorts of horrible outcomes. But in our lizard brains, it has kept our species going for 200,000 years... before civilization of any kind.

At some point we noticed that all this sex was really horrible, and that it was leading to pregnancy (we had to figure that out).

So when we applied civilization to it, we made up all sorts of nonsense rules; such as if a man finds a woman attractive he cannot just pull out his weenie. (He must instead text a picture of his weenie to her.)

Along the way it was attached to religion, because religion was how we passed along information, and how we socialized the youths not to be pulling out their weenies all the time.

The thing about sex is that it affects our bodies and minds in ways we are just beginning to understand.

When we have sex with someone, we are physiologically bonding with them. Our bodies, on a cellular level, are changing and being influenced by the the other person's physiology. We are attaching in body and in mind (and spiritually, some say).

When we then separate from that person, we are causing physical and psychic trauma to ourselves. Our cellular being is experiencing loss of that other being, as is our mind, whether we realize it or not.

Back in the 80's, a friend was getting a degree in physics. One of the tidbits of science that he shared was that when we are within a certain physical proximity of another person there is a physical exchange of ions.

We are, literally, physically influenced by the people we hang out with, for better or for worse.

This is what makes hanging out with the wrong friends so dangerous. We are not only influenced by what they say and how they act, but also by their physical presence.

[Sundae]

Irreligious societies managed to create laws and customs that punished rape, without religion.
It was called, in precise anthropological terms the "I'll Set My Dad On You" response.

[footfootfoot]

I like how in the other photo they are standing in front of a poster that says "Show You Are Not Afraid" Yet they are all hiding behind a big banner and covering their boobs.

Like we've never seen tits before. Show us; we're not afraid.

[Aliantha]

There is a lot less modesty, even in just the last couple of generations.

The girls that go to school with my older boys wear things I never would have even dreamed of wearing, even when I had the body to pull it off. I have to bite my tongue every time it happens and remind myself that my parents felt the same way about some of the clothes I used to go out in when I was a teenager and in my early 20s.

I don't know where it'll all end, but maybe we'll all just stop wearing clothes. *shrugs*