Wanna pose naked? TimeOut NY is happy to help!

Because everyone know posing naked is The Best way to gain status/earn respect/help push the women's movement forward, it's no surprise that the benevolent folks over at Time Out New York are jumping on the birthday suit trend and allowing readers to view (clothed) snapshots of everyday women and vote on who they most want to see nakesters.

The vote was announced in last week's "horny issue":

Naked poll (women) (Leslie - "Duh.")
TONY readers want to strip for you. Read their stories, and vote on whom you want to see in her birthday suit. One winner will appear, in all her glory, in a future issue of our magazine.

The women who have sent in their pics and stories are diverse in age and ethnicity, but what struck me is the common belief that doing this will somehow lend a sense of validation to their lives. Take Fiona Bayly, 40, Upper East Side, for example. A triathlete, Fiona writes, “I’m a former dancer and have been a competitive athlete since age 7. I went to the world championships in New Zealand as a member of Team USA, and I’ve posed as a professional model for Nike. For TONY, I might ‘pin’ a racing number on my body or pose like a swimmer. I’ve always been a strong advocate for women’s athletics; one of my intents is to have the general public recognize that female athletes are just as accomplished as male athletes. Posing nude would help ‘unhide’ us.”

Really? You've competed in international competitions, finished grueling triathlons, posed for Nike...and you think taking off your workout gear will help the cause of women athletes not being valued?

How unbelievably sad is this, people? I mean, it may true - the world is screwy like that - but, my God.

Some other gems:

Alina Braverman
36, Financial District; mom and entrepreneur
“I am going through a divorce, taking care of my seven-year-old son and starting my own company. I have an amazing new boyfriend who is eight years younger than me. What I find sexy is a strong, intelligent, independent woman who takes care of herself. My initial thought for a fantasy shoot would be naked on the piers in running gear.”

Heidi Exline
31, Fort Greene, Brooklyn; works for a non-profit anti-hunger organization
"My fantasy shoot would have to involve food, since I am insanely obsessed with eating and cooking. I would love to pose among tons of sweet things, like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, etc. It would be in a cute little bakery and I'd be wearing an apron with ruffles."

(Leslie: The fact that she works for an anti-hunger organization makes this doubly mind-boggling.)

Teresa Sellinger
39, Sparta, NJ; stay-at-home mom
"I consider myself an ambassador for New York; I'd love to be photographed as part of the city. My ideas include me wearing my Vegas showgirl outfit and driving a Central Park carriage; sitting in a tourist information booth, handing out maps; driving a cab; with open arms on the GW Bridge; driving the Circle Line boat; as an announcer or guide on one of the tourist double-decker buses; running through the sprinklers at the Chelsea Waterside Park with my kids; getting a haircut at Whippersnipper with my kids; or sipping milk shakes with them at Serendipity."

(Leslie: "Wait, so you want to pose naked while drinking milkshakes with your kids? Oh, that trigger horrifying eating disorders for them later in life.")

Following each woman's plea is a link that reads, "Want to see her naked? Vote now."

Is the human body a beautiful thing? Undoubtedly. I think having nude photos taken of yourself could be empowering if done for private reasons (remember when I wrote the Women's Health Magazine story about the Atlanta photographer who helps women overcome their shame and body hatred by taking nude photos - faces not showing - to great therapeutic effect?) I also understand no one forced these women to offer up their bods for public consumption.

Other than society, I mean.

OK, judgments aside, this whole "contest" got me thinking..."what if?" If I were to pose naked, what would best convey my personality? Sitting cross-legged at my laptop in Starbucks, cup of oatmeal in one hand, Cadbury Egg in the other? Running topless, mid-stride, along Lake Michigan, while I yell at gawking men for staring at me?

Honestly, I think my ideal would be something black & white and intimate, just lying in bed with the appropriate bits covered with a cool white sheet and sunlight streaming in. But I can tell you this: It would be for my eyes only, and no self-proclaimed 'horny' magazine readers would get to vote.

How about you??

Comments

ok. that whole thing blew my mind. all of it. from the antihunger nonprofit worker to the athlete.
(caution TMI ahead)
Id always wanted to do a tasteful pic of myself wearing my nekid suit.
something I could look back at when I was 85 or so and think: huh. THAT'S what that tattoo looked like before it sagged and wrinkled. Id forgotten!

Id never have spent the money to do it but a photographer friend offered to take the photos for me.

the operative word being for *me*

there ended up being nothing showing at all risque but I looked at the end result, showed my husband and filed it in my memory box.

again women amaze me with the lengths they'll go to to seek STRANGERS' approval and indication of their 'worth'

um, I fear Im babbling...I just cant believe women were eager to throw their clothes into the ring to be picked----and yet I can.

Heavens, it's rather depressing that these accomplished women feel the need to compete in such a ridiculous such a ridiculous manner. If they so desperately want to be seen naked then why not just strip off on the street? Though, I guess it's more about wanting to be wanted to be seen naked.

As for naked Cara-shots...well, it's hard enough to get me in front of a camera fully clothed, let alone baring my soul and my cellulite...

"How unbelievably sad is this, people? I mean, it may true - the world is screwy like that - but, my God."

I think you said it all right there.

One of my dearest friends did a contest similar to this (for a local swim store) - she was going through a divorce & very depressed & was working out 24/7 so I think she very much wanted the external validation that she still had "it."

Well, she "won". And the photog talked her into doing some pretty sleazy things. And they're all on film... with the copyright owned by someone else. I've seen the pics & now that she is happily married and a mother she is more ashamed of those pictures than anything else in her life.

hmm, this is rather sad, i think these women wanted their 15 min of fame. Does anyone remember the Sex and City episode where Samantha gets a professional photo shoot for her completely naked, just for herself?? I think thats admirable, you know, saying "hey i look pretty hot now, i might want to look back when i am 80 and agree i was i bombshell(of sorts)". I am an actress (or at least trying when i am not in culinary school) and i always never outright object to nudity, but i think it must fit the context and be tasteful, not sleezy. And i think I'd like a nakie pic of myself maybe with an apron and mixing bowl, to reflect my inner chef and all. I thought about knives, but knives and cold metal and a naked body just dosen't sit right with me. maybe me wearing a chef's hat, and nothing else...i dont know.. i am so uncreative about things like this.

So are they running a similar "contest" for men, or is it just women? To me, that's a huge question. (Although I'm too lazy to go try to find out).

If it's just the women, I find it tremendously depressing to see the "male" point of view treated as the universal veiwpoint yet again--especially in a magazine that as I recall, seemed relatively liberal and evolved.

Men=People, Women=Objects for People to Look at? When are we going to stop putting up with this crap?

(But if they're making men strip too--never mind. I'm fine with equal opportunity nakedness).

2 Seashells and some palm fronds. ;)

Er...thanks...Time Out New York, I'm officially creeped out with my Monday morning coffee. That doesn't usually happen 'til about 10:30 most days ;)

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I've never understood why, when it comes to how we live our lives, we don't really care what others think. But then when it comes to how we look, we basically degrade ourselves seeking people's approval.

As for my naked pics (which don't exist... yet)I would want something totally tasteful like having a bunch of my favorite flowers covering my naughty bits. No maps, cupcakes, or Nikes.

um. what?

I not only don't see the point in this, I don't understand what it is?

Why are they posing naked? Are we supposed to learn something? Why would i want to see any women naked?

I dont get it.

It's kind of ironic that as I read this I was watching an interview with the president of Harvard. The first female president of Harvard, ever, and she was talking about the fact that women couldn't even use the undergrad library there until 1967!
Why does it seem that the more progress women make, the more focus is put on our physical appearance? Maybe it's the only way our society can come up with to keep us from achieving "too much?"

If it doesn't lean too far one way, it leans to far the other way, doesn't it? How is it that good intentions seem to always just fall apart?

I think your fav phrase of the moment "OMG" is appropriate here. There is tasteful and tasteless. Do we really think this is going to fall into the tasteful section when it's for a "horny" section of TONY? I agree with you...if you want to take beautiful pictures of yourself (and what some of these women described could be wuite beautiful) for your eyes (and maybe a special person's) only, then knock yourself out. Even if all of these were to be in an art gallery somewhere. But TONY is something that is left on the bus, subway, or used as a pillow for a homeless person. I don't want to get into what is "art" but if my naked breasts were used as a dirty pillow (picture, not literally!) on a park bench I would think differently about the goal of this article.

I'm with Crabby...are the guys being encouraged to pose naked, too? If not, it seems like the same-old, same-old to me.

dara and crabby, it's only women. OF COURSE it's only women! For the exact reasons you stated. Barf.

It's kind of ironic that as I read this I was watching an interview with the president of Harvard. The first female president of Harvard, ever, and she was talking about the fact that women couldn't even use the undergrad.