A store in Germany started a promotional action where people can get a full set of clothing for free if they march into the store completely naked.
It’s always very sad to see people who would debase themselves for a small amount of money.
Can you get any more pathetic than these folks? Well, at least I’m glad that these aren’t my fellow Russian speakers making fools of themselves for money this time.
Sorry, but when I saw the pic and found they were Germans, I was reminded of Cartman’s line from the South Park movie after he saw his mom acting in a weird German porno: “What the fuck is wrong with German people?” I just had a can of Monster and I’m sort of hyper now, sorry if this is a dumb comment 😀
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No, I think it’s a great comment because I had the same reaction. 🙂
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Actually its pretty funny. Remember some people are nudists so the money would just have been a bonus. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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//Well, at least I’m glad that these aren’t my fellow Russian speakers making fools of themselves for money this time.
I think you think too bad of your “fellow Russian speakers”. People are people everywhere.
The 1st two girls look underage. Is it even legal? Did their parents let them do this?
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The belief that parents can “let” teenagers do or not do anything is deeply flawed. 🙂
And of course I dislike my people. Why else would I emigrate if not to avoid spending time with them?
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//The belief that parents can “let” teenagers do or not do anything is deeply flawed.
Actually, they can in many cases. If they just can’t, how would your own proposition to fine bullies’ parents work?
I also think that as long as they support the teen and are legally responsible for him / her, parents do have a right to put some limits. F.e. not to participate in such.
I still can’t understand how presenting naked pictures as underage teens on TV isn’t classified as child pornography. As long as it leads to profits it’s OK, I guess.
//And of course I dislike my people. Why else would I emigrate if not to avoid spending time with them?
I know, but isn’t being just a virtue, especially for an academic? Imo, you present them as worse than in reality.
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“I also think that as long as they support the teen and are legally responsible for him / her, parents do have a right to put some limits.”
– From having a right to exercising, it there is an enormous road to travel. 🙂 I just find it very entertaining to see parents of teenagers who honestly believe that those teenagers take their prohibitions into consideration. All it achieves is losing the trust of the teenager and making sure that once s/he leaves homes, s/he will only get in touch once a month out of a sense of obligation. My teenager, on the other hand. . . well, we all know that story. 🙂
“I still can’t understand how presenting naked pictures as underage teens on TV isn’t classified as child pornography.”
– I don;t think the photo I posted is from a TV program. Is it?
“I know, but isn’t being just a virtue, especially for an academic”
– We are all human, even me. 🙂 🙂 I promise I wouldn’t misrepresent anybody at a scholarly conference or in the classroom. But I need at least one space to be genuine, and blog is such a place.
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//I don;t think the photo I posted is from a TV program. Is it?
Even if not, if the store encouraged such behavior and let the photo to be taken (with understanding it would be on Internet) or even itself posted it, can’t the store be sued? Especially in the latter case.
// I just find it very entertaining to see parents of teenagers who honestly believe that those teenagers take their prohibitions into consideration.
I think it depends on the family relationships and on the nature of prohibitions. You describe 1 kind of family, in other kinds teens can do something their parents dislike, but be honest about it, hating to have trust destroying “dark secrets”, OR may disagree with some prohibition, but still follow it out of respect and love for parents.
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“Even if not, if the store encouraged such behavior and let the photo to be taken (with understanding it would be on Internet) or even itself posted it, can’t the store be sued? Especially in the latter case.”
– I know nothing about German law but in the US and Canada, the photographers would have gotten signed permissions to disseminate the photo from every participant. I was filmed a couple of times for the newspapers and newscasts (as an innocent bystander :-)) and I always had to sign a release.
“OR may disagree with some prohibition, but still follow it out of respect and love for parents.”
– Past the age of 12?
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// in the US and Canada, the photographers would have gotten signed permissions
Are they valid, if taken from an underaged person?
//Past the age of 12?
Yes.
In relationships whether with a spouse or with a parent sometimes there is a need to compromise, to do or not do smth out of regard for the other. (I don’t talk of cases of a relationship being 1 big compromise, but of good ones).
Why would doing something for a spouse be OK, but caring about a parent’s feelings – not OK?
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“Why would doing something for a spouse be OK, but caring about a parent’s feelings – not OK”
– There is a completely different balance of power.
“//Past the age of 12?
Yes.”
– I’m sure that such very rare cases exist but such people will blow up like nuclear bombs and the explosion will be progressively bigger depending on how much they delay breaking the umbilical cord.
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//- There is a completely different balance of power.
Yes, but still with love, respect and understanding.
May be we talk of different things? I didn’t mean stupid stuff like hair color, but more like disappearing for an entire night without calling to say all is OK, as asked (“they should train themselves not to worry” –> they will, when you go live in your own flat, jerk). Or going naked like here, despite parents buying one all other clothing and begging not to do it, so that not to publically humiliate them at their workplace (everybody can see the photo) and among friends & family.
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“Yes, but still with love, respect and understanding.”
– And with heads, shoulders, and feet, I’m sure. 🙂 I find it very interesting that you equate the dynamic between parent and child with the dynamic between romantic partners.
“as asked (“they should train themselves not to worry” –> they will, when you go live in your own flat, jerk).”
– No, they won’t. Let’s stop kidding ourselves. Intrusive parents keep intruding well past one’s retirement age.
“Or going naked like here, despite parents buying one all other clothing and begging not to do it, so that not to publically humiliate them at their workplace (everybody can see the photo) and among friends & family.”
– Parents who don’t understand that teenagers’ bodies have nothing whatsoever to do with them, their workplace, their friends, etc. are extremely dangerous to teenagers’ well-being.
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I dunno – some people might do it as a joke. Perhaps Germans are less prudish than Americans. The crowd looks cheerful. I just think that the store was seeking publicity plus ad photo fodder.
I shudder to think what the photo would look like in Missouri, 10th fattest state in the USA.
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Why do you find this debasing? I see these people as being happy and comfortable with their bodies.
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Isn’t it for the same reason most people view prostitution & pole dancing naked in a club as debasing? Since it involves presenting one’s nude body or having sex for money.
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If they gathered to celebrate their happiness and comfort because that’s what they wanted to do, I wouldn’t have a problem. As long as they didn’t expose others to all this, of course.
But this is done in exchange for clothes. And that’s pathetic. “Will be happy for clothes”?
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Lol, Clarissa, liberal in some areas conservative in others. I take it we wont be seeing you in the nude any time soon. 😉
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“I take it we wont be seeing you in the nude any time soon. ”
– I must have missed teh part where anybody offered me a bribe to do that.
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Come on, free clothes at a German store. 🙂 🙂
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I think you are missing the cultural context. In Germany public nudity is very common, so asking people to walk in naked there is like offering you a new outfit so long as you agree to make a funny face here. Yes slightly debasing but nothing worth getting your panties in a knot.
Written by someone who sunbathed (in swimming trunks) in downtown Munich a year ago while surrounded by several naked men and women.
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You really do not want to know how I analyzed this picture.
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Well, I know a few people who do this kind of thing for free, and the is in America where you can be arrested for it.
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I do many things for free that I would never consider doing for money. 🙂
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Me too.
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Still not seeing your point of view here. If they don’t mind being naked in public, why not do it to get something? If they don’t see nudity in itself as degrading, how is it different than if the store had asked them to all wear the same color?
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If you don’t mind having sex, why not do it to get something? 🙂
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Well, I don’t see the point in judging the people who do, of which there are many. Have I mentioned that my senior thesis was about the sex industry?
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So if these well-fed, jewelry-wearing, happy kids agreed to have sex with the owners of the store in exchange for free clothing, you also wouldn’t see a problem with that?
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I’d say that they were asking for a heck of a lot in exchange for some free clothes. I also don’t think it would make for as good a publicity photo.
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Well I guess I see a difference between prostitution as a professon and prostitution in exchange for gifts. If someone choose to become a prostitute/exotic dancer etc, goes in to work, performs their acts with expertise and skill, and receives a salary for their time and effort, I think that’s fine (and should be legal.) Scrambling about and having sex because some corporate entity is promising you a free trinket is quite another.
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” If someone choose to become a prostitute/exotic dancer etc, goes in to work, performs their acts with expertise and skill, and receives a salary for their time and effort, I think that’s fine (and should be legal.) Scrambling about and having sex because some corporate entity is promising you a free trinket is quite another.”
– Exactly. The store would never get such a crowd of professional sex workers or models to pose nude for something as minimal as a set of sports clothes.
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Well, now it sounds like the real problem you both have with these people is that they’re taking their clothes off for too little money.
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“Well, now it sounds like the real problem you both have with these people is that they’re taking their clothes off for too little money”
Not at all. I would feel the same way if someone got naked for 5 million dollars and while the exotic dance made minimum wage. These people (the naked German shoppers) aren’t hired by the company. They aren’t on payroll. They weren’t hired to compete a job. This wasn’t about working or the joy of being nude. It was about consumerism at it’s saddest. I’m sure the company is probably laughing at what they are able to get people to do.
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I agree with Evelina completely. I also think the company representatives are laughing their heads off at how easily they got people to do their bidding in exchange for something so minimal.
There is this thing called self-respect. Sadly, these kids haven’t even heard it mentioned, let alone experienced what it is.
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Maybe. I guess I’m seeing it differently because it looks kind of fun to me.
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@ djiril: On a completely different note, I want to say that I LOVE your Child Ballad website. I discovered it through some Googling eariler this year and think it’s so fascinating and informative. It’s so neat to know that the author of this website comments on Clarissa’s blog! 🙂
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@Evelina Anville Well think you! 🙂
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OK, mathematician speaking (I mean writing) here: They are not completely naked. Most seem to be wearing jewelry. I am not sure whether wearing tattoos makes one not naked, but wearing jewelry certainly does.
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I truly have no problem with nudity. If, as Culture Club mentioned, this was a group of people just enjoying themselves at the park, I would see no issue with it. I personally think nudity should be legal and allowed, But there is something sad about exposing your body for a trinket. In a different vein, I actually feel similarly when Americans wait all night in line in order to get a TV or free computers on “Black Friday.” Stay up all night because you are enjoying yourself or interested in something or studying or even working. But don’t stay up all night in a line just so you can get an electronic bauble.
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\\Stay up all night because you are enjoying yourself or interested in something or studying or even working… [not to] get an electronic bauble
I don’t think there is a big difference here. If you’re staying to work to buy a TV, why not stay for a big discount?
Also, do most who stay earn a lot? I suppose for many a TV or a normal computer is a big sum, which would take time to save for, not only 1-2 nights.
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I guess I was seeing “working” in the sense of something fulfilling. To me, work is something that sustains your mind and something that can earn you money. The “Black Friday” madness is just sad consumerism in my opinion. I don’t know. I just find it depressing when people get overly excited for stupid material possesions. I like my possessions–don’t get me wrong. I am addicted to my laptaop. But I wouldn’t sheepishly do whatever a marketer asked me to do in order to acquire one either. There is something very debasing about hysterically following the latest marketing scheme so that some company can toss their their over stock to a mindlessly ever-consuming flock of sheep.
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A handout is different from a salary. Making g money through your job skills is different from storming a store.
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I agree completely about storming stores on Black Friday. How humiliating! No material object is worth this if one is not starving.
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This is not even about nudity. It’s about people making idiots out of themselves for a handout. I had the same reaction to Russian women running in heels for a handout.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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