Planet Nude

Dolls and Dues, Suburban Wife, The Torrid Teens, Call Me Bad, Dial ‘M’ for Man—all characteristic titles for pulp fiction short stories and novels of the 40s and 50s. But Orrie Hitt (1916-1975) was not your typical writer of pulp fiction, and some of his 150-plus novels also have more unexpected and intriguing titles—take Panda Bear Passion, Love in the Arctic, Ex-Virgin, Diploma Dolls, and Abnormal Norma for example. The writer Brian Greene dubs Hitt “the Shakespeare of Shabby Street,” and a “visionary artist” who explored characters within “moving human dramas.” (Shabby Street is both a metaphor here and the title of an early Hitt novel.)

At first glance, Nudist Camp, published in 1957, appears to be just another exploitative example of the genre, but there is a little more going on between its covers than meets the eye. 🪐

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The Friends of Little Beach (FoLB) are locked in a culture war with Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) over the right to nude sunbathing at Little Beach. Facing increased enforcement, the group has launched an alert system to evade police citations and reignited their advocacy, gathering over 5,000 signatures to support clothing-optional status. Despite legal hurdles, victories in court offer hope. The push for allies and community backing underscores the ongoing struggle to safeguard expression and access at Little Beach. Read the compelling article on unity, resistance, and the pursuit of naturist rights. 🪐

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With DeAnza Springs Resort “going textile” last July, Olive Dell Ranch being listed for sale a few days later (since unlisted), and Lupin Lodge a few months later, the California nudist community is in turmoil. Members of these resorts, and of the non-landed clubs that often used them, feel confused and abandoned. But all is not lost in the Golden State. There are still landed and non-landed clubs that are stable and thriving, and regional and national organizations dedicated to the cause. What is needed is an opportunity for everyone who cares about social nudism in California and beyond to gather, vent and discuss, feel the passion that still exists, have some fun together, and help chart a path forward. This moment brings with it a call for California nudists to come together. A call for unity. 🪐

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The naturist community prides itself on taking up the charge for diversity, inclusivity, and body positivity in an effort to foster a sense of equality among all participants. However, recent incidents have highlighted inadvertent consequences of mixed messaging, hindering women's integration into naturist spaces. As a naturist woman, I've advocated for women to embrace naturism, highlighting its positive impact on body image and mental well-being while consistently challenging societal norms perpetuated by print media, entertainment, and social platforms. 🪐

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Not long after I released my book, Nudism in a Cold Climate: The Visual Culture of Naturists in Mid-20th-Century Britain, a review feature appeared in the French newspaper, La Libération. Wittily subtitled ‘Tout Nus Mais Pas Bronzés’ [‘Everybody is Nude, but Nobody is Tanned’], the 2022 article was accompanied by a monochrome 1948 photograph from the book, showing pale, white-skinned diners in a nudist club restaurant in the south of England. 🪐

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“We got it all, and we show it all!” shouts the Cavalcade of Perversion ringmaster Mr. David (David Lochary) to a crowd of curious carnival goers in director John Waters’ 1970 underground feature Multiple Maniacs. Inside the Cavalcade’s tent is an array of performers in various states of undress, engaged in activities that are viewed as obscene or perverse by the conservative suburban audience. Though Waters has utilized shock and showmanship to market his films, the scene acknowledges an uncomfortable truth about the American entertainment industry. American filmmakers lure moviegoers by appealing to their visceral rather than their intellectual sensibilities. They offer movies with familiar, traditional plot structures and cartoonishly simplistic characters, enhanced by gratuitous violence, exaggerated drama, and uncontextualized nudity. 🪐

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I discovered naturism when I was facing my biggest fear in life. I had spent eight years trying to acquiesce and appease this fear. Actually, that’s not quite true; I had spent twenty-one years doing that, but the last eight were particularly more difficult. Though the appeasement attempts were mostly successful, appeasement never makes fear go away, it just buries it temporarily. During this time, I saw a photo of a naked woman and was mesmerized by it. It took a while to decipher the source of the appeal. She was striking a powerful pose, but that wasn’t the only thing; the entire photo was not sexualized. There was also a naked man in the photo, and she was clearly more powerful than him, but even that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she showed up as a human being, first and foremost. It was so unusual, so arresting; it moved something deep inside me. (Years later, I find that it is still very different; even amongst many naturist photos, it’s as if the lens consumes a woman’s body in a very narrow box.) I decided I needed to know more. 🪐

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On January 9th, 2024, New Jersey lawmakers, led by Republicans Carmen F. Amato, Jr. and Brian E. Rumpf, introduced Senate Bill No. 1905 and Assembly Bill No. 1723. These proposals seek to update the existing legal framework, specifically targeting the operational scope and zoning requirements of businesses classified under this category. These bills, by stating the need for special supervision to protect “community health, safety, and morals,” assert a legislative viewpoint on the potential societal impacts of these establishments. 🪐

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On January 18th, 2024, Hawaii introduced legislation concerning indecent exposure, with bills presented in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Led by Democrat Scott Saiki, HB 1873 and SB 2251 aim to adjust the state’s approach to indecent exposure laws, with a focus on enhancing protections for minors. This move aligns with a broader trend seen in states like Wisconsin, where legislation often emphasizes “protecting the children” from exposure to nudity. 🪐

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Home is a 2008 French-Swiss film directed by Ursula Meier. The film tells the story of an unconventional family living in near isolation in a cluttered, brutalist, concrete home in the bucolic French countryside, a few short steps away from an unfinished, deserted stretch of highway. Home explores themes involving family dynamics, environmentalism, isolationism, and the impact of urban encroachment on rural communities. Home was the official Swiss submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards, was selected at the Cannes Semaine de la Critique, and won numerous international prizes, including Best Film at the Swiss Film Awards. 🪐

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