What’s the difference between being seen and being consumed? In this episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale asks whether more naturist spaces, where bodies are visible, ordinary and not for sale, could change the landscape when it comes to paying to see the body (in formats such as Only Fans).
We go back to gymnosophy, the “wisdom of nakedness”, and Maurice Parmelee’s 1927 book The New Gymnosophy, including his claim that nudism lets men and women “see each other as they really are”. We also look at the darker side of his thinking: his body standards and the eugenic roots of early nudism.
Then to OnlyFans: who earns what, why creators join, and what need it might be meeting. Keon West’s research at Goldsmiths shows naturism improving body image, self-esteem and life satisfaction. Annebella Pollen’s history shows how naturist magazines blurred into erotica.
Finally, ethical porn. Why it’s a neighbour to naturism but not a relative, and three questions for keeping naturism in its own lane.
Sources: Annebella Pollen, Nudism in a Cold Climate and “Life in the buff” (Aeon). Keon West, “Naked and Unashamed” (Journal of Happiness Studies). Maurice Parmelee, The New Gymnosophy (1927).
Photography: naomigalephotography.co.uk
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