So, why is human nudity such a taboo issue?

[Munch]

I was watching a couple of wildlife documentaries today, about gorillas and other primates, and it got me thinking about human society, and how we are the only animal on the planet to feel the emotion of shame when exposed to the world naked.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

I'm curious when this might have begun in human society, sure we are a hairless ape and need things to keep our hairless bodies warm, but if history has shown, mankind has always immortalized the physical form of male and female, as shown in ancient sculptures.

We live in a society now where if a full grown man walks down the street naked, he will be arrested. However this doesn't apply to children if a child takes off all its cloths and runs around starkers. We are shown adverts of near repealing nude bodies in perfume adds, but if someone walks into a Wal-Mart or tescos in nothing but a tiny thong, it's looked at as indecent to the public eye.

This taboo we have for being disgusted with nudity is something I now think of the same way as I do religion, the fear of being offensive to religious screwballs by calling them out on their beliefs is no different then not giving a fuck if someone's offended if I'm looking at a nude mens magazine or if my shorts reveals my low hangers when sat on a bus.

[Solitary]

This is a very good question. I think in our country it is because the Puritan ethic is still with us. The fact that Islamic countries cover their woman from head to toe shows it was probably to protect woman from rape in a "mans" world. I have no doubt it has something to do with sex originally. I have always thought it is hilarious that men can show their nipples and woman can't, or that woman are forbidden to show their private parts when all you can see is a hair pie. I think it might have to do with old men being authority figures who make up the unwritten rules that look disgusting nude, as well as old woman, and they are jealous of young handsome men with beautiful bodies, and young beautiful girls with their beautiful bodies. I'm ashamed about how disgusting I look now compared to just 13 years ago. You have to admit a man walking around naked with an erection is either hilarious or a symbol of man's power over woman. Even nudist colonies avoid this---   Where is Tracy when we need her opinion?

[Munch]

Well for me a man walking around with an erection sets off the signals in my head yelling 'Get some!', but to each their own ^^.

[SGOS]

Well, another way to look at it is if you like the naughty part of sex, the Puritan taboo makes it all the better.  Of course, it might ruin it for others who want sex to be done in the name of Jesus.  Then it's maybe a problem.

[NakedTracyBlack]

As a nudist... I'd say people wore clothes at first likely for protection.  Eventually it became a cultural norm. 

I think Clothes can accentuate the human form too.  Sometimes I do wear clothes at home (and obviously when I go out in public because I don't live in a nudist colony, though I do live in a neighborhood where I can walk around nude without complaints)   You know how some birds are attracted to bright colors?  The same concept can be applied with humans.

ETA: Thinking about it more, usually I either wear clothes at home that my wife will find attractive, or if I'm around people who are uncomfortable with it.  I imagine much of the discomfort comes from the fact that men and women are always comparing themselves to each other.  I'd imagine religion has some effect as well, but men and women do often look at others and can often feel inadequate.

I think a better question is -- where do all of our sex taboos really come from?  Why did we take up monogamy?  I'd imagine some of it is due to jealousy.  People don't like to share.  But even still, religion has treated sex as something sinful, and it's a bit baffling really. 

[Mike Cl]

As a nudist... I'd say people wore clothes at first likely for protection.  Eventually it became a cultural norm. 

I think Clothes can accentuate the human form too.  Sometimes I do wear clothes at home (and obviously when I go out in public because I don't live in a nudist colony, though I do live in a neighborhood where I can walk around nude without complaints)   You know how some birds are attracted to bright colors?  The same concept can be applied with humans.

ETA: Thinking about it more, usually I either wear clothes at home that my wife will find attractive, or if I'm around people who are uncomfortable with it.  I imagine much of the discomfort comes from the fact that men and women are always comparing themselves to each other.  I'd imagine religion has some effect as well, but men and women do often look at others and can often feel inadequate.

I think a better question is -- where do all of our sex taboos really come from?  Why did we take up monogamy?  I'd imagine some of it is due to jealousy.  People don't like to share.  But even still, religion has treated sex as something sinful, and it's a bit baffling really.

I think it all centers around control and how to control others.  Religion is very well suited for controlling the masses.  And what better tools for control than those things that give people the most pleasure?  Sex is one of those at the top.  Control how one can get sex and you really have a huge tool for controlling the masses. 

[Hydra009]

The really strange thing about the taboo on nudity is how disproportionately it's regarded.  You can put all sorts of stuff on a magazine cover, but somehow, breastfeeding is the thing that crosses the line.  Or TV shows can have a great deal violence without much problem, but have to be extremely cautious with any nudity or sex scenes, if they're allowed to show any at all.  I mean, Game of Thrones can show beheadings galore and no one bats and eye, but show a naked woman and everyone loses their minds.

[TomFoolery]

The really strange thing about the taboo on nudity is how disproportionately it's regarded.  You can put all sorts of stuff on a magazine cover, but somehow, breastfeeding is the thing that crosses the line.

I was just reading something yesterday about how women in Tudor times may not have had issues with exposing their breasts. It seems almost shocking, since not long after this time period showing ankles became scandalous.

I think it just shows how human beings are remarkably schizophrenic when it comes to notions of "decency." I personally think I have great boobs, but at the same time even if it were legal in my area, cultural and social stigma would keep me from walking around topless.

[Munch]

Incidentally, one of my fav super hero comics is appropriately named Naked Justice:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

A surprisingly fun comic book series, with a lot of homoerotic happenings (obviously), but with a surprisingly heart felt look at how a chatacter who's powers only work from being naked and overcoming that stigma.

[GSOgymrat]

I think part of it has to do with what is expected in a particular social setting. I go to nude beaches occasionally and quickly habituate. If everyone is naked I don't feel self-conscious naked, yet if I showed up to work in gym attire and everyone was dressed in suits I would feel very self-conscious. If the new fashion was for women to expose their left breast most people would eventually get used to it, similar to how much leg or cleavage women have exposed in different cultures over the years. That said, I think there is something universally taboo about people exposing their genitals in all situations. I don't know of a culture where people go completely naked all the time.

[GSOgymrat]

Speaking of nudity, I found the variety of physiques in the ESPN body issue very interesting.

http://espn.go.com/espn/bodyissue

[Draconic Aiur]

because clothes prevent me from seeing dicks everywhere and blinding me eyes

[Baruch]

Social status is expressed thru clothing.  The three-piece suit evolved from the clothes that King Louis XIV was wearing 300 years ago.  As I stated elsewhere in classical civilization, nudity was a "god" thing ... if the statue of the Emperor was in armor ... it is obvious what propaganda he is projecting.  We no longer get that when an Emperor was portrayed as nude, he was making a statement about his divinity.

That being said, I am not sure why nudists/exhibitionists do what they do, but I don't get too upset about it.  I have occasionally been an exhibitionist myself ... and it was usually because I was expressing my sociopathy.  I think that aside from climatic reasons, wearing long robes and head coverings, at least outside of the desert ... is an expression of oppression.  Western women are less oppressed, and act accordingly.

Early man didn't wear much, because clothing was an expression of status ... it took a lot of work to make animal skin clothing for example.  On the other hand, it is a part of heterosexuality that there is a maximal eroticism with not too much covering and not too much exposure.  A totally nude person is simply distracting to me.  Expression of status is usually why cross-dressing is usually frowned upon ... you are either expressing the wrong status or trying to invent a new status.

[Sal1981]

I have no idea. Probably a cultural thing.

[Mermaid]

For some reason, sex has become something shameful and terrible and wrong except in a few, well-controlled, limited circumstances. Covering your naughty bits apparently prevents us from thinking about sex, which is bad and wrong and naughty unless it's one man, one woman who are MARRIED, missionary position only, lights out, in bed and under the covers, without contraception whenever the man wants it. (and only dirty girls talk about what they need to derive pleasure from said act).

And let's not even discuss public breastfeeding, since boobs should be kept under wraps since they are for sexual purposes only.

To violate any of these basic principles of modesty can certainly get a girl raped.

I think much of the aggression that humans show toward each other is directly related to this. What the hell is wrong with people? We are fucked UP.