Trashy or Empowering?

When women post pictures of themselves nude, is it trashy or empowering? I think it's empowering because it's showing that you are comfortable in your own skin. You feel good enough about yourself to show the world your body.

Some people feel the exact opposite and that by showing off one's body makes you trashy and catering to men. I disagree. As long as it's done so you're in control and you're comfortable (not like the man is calling the shots and whatnot), I think it's very freeing.

What are some of your thoughts?

 

i think it depends on the woman's personal reasons for doing it and her attitude. if she's maybe naive and is doing it because she has low self esteem and believes it will make people like her et.c that its kinda degrading i guess.

but if she knows what she's doing and has no delusions about it then i think it's different, and esp if she's very open and proud of her body then i don't see how anyone can take advantage?

its like the difference between dying your hair red because you like it red so want to show it off cus you think it looks good, or dying your hair red because you are unsure of yourself and you think everyone else will like it and so like you too.

 

i agree with both of the above posts...
in certain respects it's demeaning and shows a lack of security in themselves... It all depends on the person's personal reasons, and the way the picture looks... Like the 1st reply I agree that there is a bold line between nudity and pornography... I guess it depends on how the person is posing and the facial expression, I'm not quite sure what it is, but you can tell when it's porn, instead of just simply being comfortable in their bodies... For example, a lot of girls don't necessarily post NUDE pictures of themselves, but to me it still looks like porn...I can't explain it.

I think it's horrible when women think they have to take off their clothes to get attention...especially from men.
But, you can really tell when that's not the case, some women just love their bodies and feel comfortable being nude... and that's fine.

But I know my boyfriend would for sure kill me if he came across nude pictures of me on the internet, so whether I'm comfortable with it or not, I keep it for the bedroom

 

The reason I posted this is because my gallery went from rated G to rated R in a few days. Some of the pictures are naughty, but I don't take any of it seriously. They're just there to brighten someone's day and get a laugh or two.
I know you could look at them and be utterly sickened, but there is such an intense feeling of "You can't take this seriously" in my gallery that it surprises me people are offended by it.

I do it because I'm comfortable in my skin and it's certainly not to get attention. I can do that with my personality (I didn't mean that as vain as it came out, LoL)

Thanks for the replies - keep them coming.

 

Okay, here's what i think:
I think pictures of women nude can be trashy if they are put forth in a sexy way....but when they show nudity as being natural and normal and as a sex image then they aren't. I geuss it's simply a matter of distinguishing nudity from sex maybe?

 

I have taken (and posted) some nude picuters and I have also taken some pictures that are only meant to be seen by the person who took them!!

I think there's a big difference, but even when it comes to porn pics, I don't think those women are trashy! Most of them (in the "respectable" magazines) are simply beautiful and if they know it. If they are comfy enough to take nude pictures and people want to pay them for it- why the hell not?

even without pay, I believe that the woman's body and sex is like art. Some people view it that way as well.THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SEX OR BEING SEXY! I'm sure some girls do it for attention, or because it's all they know how to do. That's sad and wrong. I wish those girls could look in the mirror and see inner beauty.

But I think that most girls who show nude pictures of themselves are just confident, and proud of thier body and know that thier beauty runs deeper than the surface of thier skin.

 

I find with this website, many girls who would normaly feel uncomfortable posting such material of themselves do it anyway, to join in per say, and be part of the crowd, which is fine, really.... but Iguess you have to think of the other factors too, for example, suppose you got a job in the media and those images suddenly 'surfaced'... would you still be comfortable with them being out there, or suppose your dad had them emailed to him by a co worker... that sort of thing... I mean these pics are alright, in context.... but when taken out of their context, they becoe a whole new issue.

Not tryinfg to rain on anyones parade.. I have posted said pictures myself...

 

I think that's a good point, its easy to forget where pictures can end up...

 

its interesting because it can be a really mild thing too, like the pictures in my sig for instance, I thought of them as more of an artistic piece rather than a skin show, but I found out one day that an old ex of mine had been sending them out of people I used to know under the premise of "Wanna see someone you know in her knickers?"

It just cheapened the whole thing really

 

man thats really low. i guess if you're a good soul then because you would never dream of doing something like that you just don't think about the fact that someone else would.

i had a bad experience (well, i was about 10 years old!) but basically i wrote a 'love' letter to my boyfriend and he showed it to all his friends and they all laughed at me. I was so upset! but the point of it is that since then i have always been so wary about what goes in print, be it words or pictures. i am always quite distrusting of where things will end up.

i suppose thats something you just have to accept when posting or printing nude photos.

i feel sad about what happened to you though, he completely twisted the context and as you said, cheapened the whole thing. scuse my french but he sounds like a dick.

 

hehe yeah, thats why he's an ex, use all the french you like!


I guess the way I do it now is, if I show it to one person, I think about if I"m prepared to show it to everyone.

 

I think it all boils down to what exactly the picture is portraying, and how tastefully it's done. I mean, the female body is absolutely beautiful, and I have seen many pictures, paintings, artwork that are simply breathtaking. There is not one single crude edge to them, just the natural beauty of the female form. But there are some nude pictures that can immediately provoke a negative response.

My husband and I have taken sexy pictures of one another, burned them onto a disk and locked them away from any curious eyes, but I would never post any pictures on the internet. Too much risk, would I really want my internet saavy family catching a glimpse of my husband and I in sexual acts? No. Would I want to share my body, that my husband is the only one that has ever seen naked, with the world? No, I'll keep that just for him.

I can understand the thrill there is to post sexual pictures, nothing wrong with that, to each their own, but you also need to consider what effect it might have later on down the line regarding employment, relationships, family, etc.

 

RiderOnTheStorm, I took a peep at your gallery... and here are my thoughts:
You have a beautiful body and a funky attitude about you and thats really strong in your pics, which is a great thing.
What I think you wold benefit from is, rather than webcamming your pics, having a friend whos good with the camera take the shots for you, make them a little less.... awkward.... and you could go for a real atmosphere rather than comming across as a cheeky girl who likes to get nekkid in front of her computer...
I think perhaps if you did your shots with more of an artistic direction, you might get more positive feedback.

Babe youre beautiful, and I think its great that you are comfortable with yourself. All the luck to you

 

I think it depends. I believe that nudity can look sophisticated and......chic (not sure thats the word I was planning on using lol) but it can also look trashy if not done right. I'm all for the 'artistic nude' as I'm an art student and if it wasn't for nude people coming in and posing for me, then I would have never improved my drawing techniques. But I think what can either make or break and great shot and make the woman seem empowering, is if the photographer is a creative person. That way they can pick the best lighting, pose, everything, rather than have someone who doesn't have many unique ideas, just telling the woman how to stand/sit and taking a photo where she doesn't feel good.

 

Funny I just read what you all wrote and I think that if anyone (Man or Woman) feels good enough to post their pic naked or otherwsie it's a good thing. If someone has a great body image and posts them then yes it was a very kool thing to share with anyone who wants to view them. Looking back on our friend Ashers that was not the case a few hung up people drove him off the galleries and had the nerve to gloat over it like they won something? What I don't know? So it was interseting to see how people react to when a Man takes off his clothes too. The response on a free site like this was pretty bad. We lost a guy who was an Artist and who was trying to share his work on here. This site is supposed to be a free so called Hippy site and yet if many of the so called Hippies on here had been to THE REAL Woodstock I am sure they would have run home screaming to their Mom and Dads about the EVIL NAKED people and would of missed the coolest concert that ever happened. So it's interseting to see peoples sexual hang ups on here. I forget about which one the abov posted they were afraid of their BOY FRIEND seeing them? LOL I would say Cup Cake your realtionship will be very fucked up if he is telling you what to do now as a young woman. I think Vicki had put her pics up to regain power from a MAN taking it away-like she says (if you would listen) she stripped once and this is better since she is calling the shots. So this has been empowering for her even though many people have already Judged her. When we do not JUDGE we never have to forgive. As far as her becoming famous and others seeing them so what-it happens everyday and it ws not like she did it to get a job-get $$-buy Drugs or be PIMPEd by anyone. So many Women can put down other women for things but will remain in unhappy realtionships where there is zero passion just so they can drive a late model car or have a nice house-to me that is really being a whore. So I would say posting ANY photo is ok as long as the person does it on their trems and how they want THEIR BODY pictured. I think u r all trying to define Erotic and that is ofcourse something different for each person. I like her pics and yes I also like her. I will take photos of her that will be much better quality too. But if you find her web cam shots offensive you will really be offended when the new ones are up. So my adivce now is don't look and go home and hide your bodies that you will only show another if they buy you some kool stuff in life. The Wiz

 

What I meant wizarddrew77, was that I think webcams are shit and dont take great pics, not that she is shit. Maybe I didnt word it correctly. I jsut think its a shame to have such a beautiful and obviously fun loving chick presented in any meduim but the best

 

oh come on ladies and gents, if youre going to give me rep points, either positive or negative, at least tell me who you are.

 

um... so if you have someone eles takes the pics for you (for the same general purpose), you arnt considered "cheeky"??? .....




MY TWO CENTS (((I will probably get flamed for this))):
I really think when you get nakid in front of a camera it should have a purpose, maybe artistic (although, I am not sure porning oneself off on an internet forum is artistic). I mean artistic, as in get someone professional to take the pics, or maybe someone in college to be a photographer. And please ladies use your own discretion, dont just post nude pics of your self because you want someone to like you, or you want to be popular....

I personally wouldent post a nude pic of my self on an internet forum or chatline.

Although, I would post pics of my self in a bathing suit, underwear, or fully dressed.. I just think that the female body is so widely displayed already, EVERYWHERE... Nothing is personal anymore... I think that nature gave every girl something special, beautiful, and personal..

maybe I am just blabbling...
But I really think people should think loonngg and hard before putting pics of them selves nude on the internet...



(EDIT) I DONOT think that it is slutty to post nude pics on the internet, I just think it is how to display it... And I really dont think posting nude photo's on an internet forum is a nice way to display your body. IMHO


And I truley believe that every girl here, whether they did or didnot post nude pics, is beautiful.

 

I think it depends on the motivation, setting and the enviroment in which the thing appears.

 

You've got to ask why you want lots of complete strangers to see you naked... I don't think that nude photos are 'trashy' per se, but I can't really understand why you'd want to put them up on the 'net for all to see...