Nudity, Naked Bodies And Censorship:
Naked Bodies and Censorship Issues: Before we try and comprehend Nudity and Censorship, we must first understand the fundamental basis used by censors today as guidance. So with that in mind, I will start off by listing the terms that censors use as reason for deciding what should be censored and what would be considered "safe" or public worthy.
Using these terms in this post will be based on their legal definitions, recorded at the end for your own benchmark. Click on any term below to jump to its definition.
Censorship of Nude Bodies In America - Performers Of Oh! Calcutta!
The essential terms that'll be referred to are:
Censor
Censorship
Nudity
Osbcenity
Lewd
Pornography
Sexual
Sexual
So since we have listed and defined the basic terms, let us investigate the issue of censorship and how it pertains to nudity and the naked human kind.
The Issue Of Nudity and Censorship and CensoringOf Bare Bodies
Is Nudity A Crime! Problems with the censoring of unclothed bodies!
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is the guideline used by the legal system, in the U.S., for freedom of speech. This is where we'll begin:
The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Some might claim that today in the U.S., the problem of censorship has been spinning out of control. Mainstream Broadway shows, TV shows, artwork, publications, articles, websites and many more have been compelled to change or cut out parts as a way to abide by the censorship standards set forth by the powers that be. For the most part, the reasons given for censoring materials change but in its essence, it normally has to do with the morals and ethics set forth by the country and its courts (in a democratic society).
Not all censored information would be considered contentious. There are many examples where censorship is utilized by government agencies as an important part of national security. They do not tell the public what they may be doing because it could undermine their ability to carry out a mission, thereby putting innocent people's lives at Independence from clothing and feeling the warm sunlight on our "buns". Additionally, no tan lines! . (An example of this would be if the FBI got wind of terror cell's aim to execute an assault. By broadcasting intent to apprehend the terror cell's members, they run the risk that those terrorists will just run away before they get found).
But not all cases are so cut and dry as is true for artistic or simple and / or innocent nudity. To realize why nudity is censored today we must first recognize when it began. The naked human form was not always viewed as a threat. The early Greeks and Romans had no issue with nudity, therefore the many naked figures depicted within their various forms of art. Both empires created statues and art depicting the naked human form in a celebratory mode, with many of the naked figures standing tall and proud. They clearly didn't have an issue with public or societal nudity since the original Olympic Games were conducted (by men) in the nude, and the people who frequented the public bath houses were all unclothed. Bath houses were a meeting place for social interaction and some of them were even unisex, as was the case with the bath houses that were unearthed in Bet Shean Israel.
The Sources of Censoring Unclothed Bodies
So one might wonder, when did everything change and why? Well, the first methodical attempt of censoring the unclothed human form happened with the rise of Christianity and the Catholic Church. Once Christianity became an established faith we find a dramatic shift in attitudes towards the naked human body. The Church's perception of nudity and the naked human body changed the nude figure in art from a positive image to one among shame. Once the Church began seeing sexuality as a primal sin, the aesthetic representation of nudity started to transform at the same time. The naked artwork that was created during the medieval time period began depicting nude figures that were guilt- mountainside, the African sun feels sharp. One needs to be in pretty great condition or even worse forever damned.
Hans Memling's The Last Judgment
It's important to note the hazard of "eternal damnation", for true believers, can be a powerful motivator and will unavoidably become a driving force that fuels the movements of individuals who seek to implement ideals predicated on religious beliefs.
During the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church tried to control the depiction of nudity and the human form. Under the guidelines set forth by the church, nudity in art was merely to be permitted when depicting classical mythological subjects, but not enabled when depicting spiritual or just arbitrary ones. The church's attempts to suppress and censor the depiction of nudity were exceptionally successful and their policies were the law of the land for several years to come. Actually, it was not until the Renaissance that we begin to see a shift back towards a more accepting and positive depiction of nakedness and a resurrection of the classic, more accepting view of the naked body.
The Renaissance ushered in a new era. Works of art for example Michaelangelo's David and Raphael's The Three Graces began to challenge the idea that the nude human body should be synonymous with shame. Their works depict nude people in a glorified manner, devoid of negative connotation.
Michelangelo's David
Following bits continued this trend of celebrating the human form but as the decades passed, things didn't get easier for artists whose work dealt with the sensitive topic of nudity.
Bare Bodies by Raphael - The Three Graces
Naked Bodies and Censorship Issues: Before we try and comprehend Nudity and Censorship, we must first understand the fundamental basis used by censors today as guidance. So with that in mind, I will start off by listing the terms that censors use as reason for deciding what should be censored and what would be considered "safe" or public worthy.
Using these terms in this post will be based on their legal definitions, recorded at the end for your own benchmark. Click on any term below to jump to its definition.
Censorship of Nude Bodies In America - Performers Of Oh! Calcutta!
The essential terms that'll be referred to are:
Censor
Censorship
Nudity
Osbcenity
Lewd
Pornography
Sexual
Sexual
So since we have listed and defined the basic terms, let us investigate the issue of censorship and how it pertains to nudity and the naked human kind.
The Issue Of Nudity and Censorship and CensoringOf Bare Bodies
Is Nudity A Crime! Problems with the censoring of unclothed bodies!
The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is the guideline used by the legal system, in the U.S., for freedom of speech. This is where we'll begin:
The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Some might claim that today in the U.S., the problem of censorship has been spinning out of control. Mainstream Broadway shows, TV shows, artwork, publications, articles, websites and many more have been compelled to change or cut out parts as a way to abide by the censorship standards set forth by the powers that be. For the most part, the reasons given for censoring materials change but in its essence, it normally has to do with the morals and ethics set forth by the country and its courts (in a democratic society).
Not all censored information would be considered contentious. There are many examples where censorship is utilized by government agencies as an important part of national security. They do not tell the public what they may be doing because it could undermine their ability to carry out a mission, thereby putting innocent people's lives at Independence from clothing and feeling the warm sunlight on our "buns". Additionally, no tan lines! . (An example of this would be if the FBI got wind of terror cell's aim to execute an assault. By broadcasting intent to apprehend the terror cell's members, they run the risk that those terrorists will just run away before they get found).
But not all cases are so cut and dry as is true for artistic or simple and / or innocent nudity. To realize why nudity is censored today we must first recognize when it began. The naked human form was not always viewed as a threat. The early Greeks and Romans had no issue with nudity, therefore the many naked figures depicted within their various forms of art. Both empires created statues and art depicting the naked human form in a celebratory mode, with many of the naked figures standing tall and proud. They clearly didn't have an issue with public or societal nudity since the original Olympic Games were conducted (by men) in the nude, and the people who frequented the public bath houses were all unclothed. Bath houses were a meeting place for social interaction and some of them were even unisex, as was the case with the bath houses that were unearthed in Bet Shean Israel.
The Sources of Censoring Unclothed Bodies
So one might wonder, when did everything change and why? Well, the first methodical attempt of censoring the unclothed human form happened with the rise of Christianity and the Catholic Church. Once Christianity became an established faith we find a dramatic shift in attitudes towards the naked human body. The Church's perception of nudity and the naked human body changed the nude figure in art from a positive image to one among shame. Once the Church began seeing sexuality as a primal sin, the aesthetic representation of nudity started to transform at the same time. The naked artwork that was created during the medieval time period began depicting nude figures that were guilt- mountainside, the African sun feels sharp. One needs to be in pretty great condition or even worse forever damned.
Hans Memling's The Last Judgment
It's important to note the hazard of "eternal damnation", for true believers, can be a powerful motivator and will unavoidably become a driving force that fuels the movements of individuals who seek to implement ideals predicated on religious beliefs.
During the early Middle Ages, the Catholic Church tried to control the depiction of nudity and the human form. Under the guidelines set forth by the church, nudity in art was merely to be permitted when depicting classical mythological subjects, but not enabled when depicting spiritual or just arbitrary ones. The church's attempts to suppress and censor the depiction of nudity were exceptionally successful and their policies were the law of the land for several years to come. Actually, it was not until the Renaissance that we begin to see a shift back towards a more accepting and positive depiction of nakedness and a resurrection of the classic, more accepting view of the naked body.
The Renaissance ushered in a new era. Works of art for example Michaelangelo's David and Raphael's The Three Graces began to challenge the idea that the nude human body should be synonymous with shame. Their works depict nude people in a glorified manner, devoid of negative connotation.
Michelangelo's David
Following bits continued this trend of celebrating the human form but as the decades passed, things didn't get easier for artists whose work dealt with the sensitive topic of nudity.
Bare Bodies by Raphael - The Three Graces
