Yes, we're very repressed sexually. Too much religious dogma, not enough understanding of true spirituality.
In Sydney I witnessed a family park their stuff on a a beach in street clothes and change into their swimwear. No cover or tent. Guess what? Nobody exploded. Also their VHS rental places did not put adult films in a dark cave guarded by minotaurs. It was just another section (though even I was of 2 minds on that one.
In Munich's biggest park people throw off their clothes and run around doing the usual park things like frisbees. Again, no casualties. In fact, on a warm day you may see business people in suits and pantsuits opening their clothes and getting some rays on their boobs while walking on their lunch break. Again, no biggie.
Sexual repression causes mental health problems as does all repression. It's more serious than "Oh, haha yeah we're prudes!" (I'm not implying anyone said that, just making a point).
The free the nipple campaign arises from our deep-seated need to grow DF up! Look, if every person went around topless for an entire month it would become Ho-hum boring within a few days. A week Max.
As a sexually repressed American male, I went to strip clubs when I was younger. I discovered once the initial excitement wore off, I tended to be pretty numb to it. This tells me it should be no big deal and our culture needs to evolve.
I completely agree. And as a sexually-sheltered (and sexually objectified rather than shown/told about my own sexual subjectivity) Canadian young woman, when I found myself at a male strip club for the first time (at a bachelorette party, ofc), my mind was blown. Not by the existence of male nudity, but by the rush of power all we girls felt. It was a revelation...like, 'oh, ok.....*this* is what it's actually about.' Anyway, I am now beyond pleased to be in Europe, where in the summer I see 70-year-old women biking down country roads in bright red bikinis and sun hats—looking amazing, and being harassed by nobody (at least as far as I've seen).
P.S. I'm extremely envious. I always wanted to live in Europe for a while. Now, of course, nowhere seems safe and I'm hoping to be abducted by aliens and taken somewhere better.
I was also sheltered, partly because I was sent to a Catholic school, but probably mainly because my parents were from a different time. They were great depression era kids, and pretty uncomfortable with discussing sex. The general pattern of parenting in that era was to tell the kids NOTHING about any important topic like finances, sex, etc. and that went DOUBLE for the youngest kid.
Mandy, my wife and I are planning a trip to Sweden this September. We will have a week in country. Apart from visiting Stockholm, what would you recommend visiting?
Hi! Great that you’re planning to visit. I’m not at all a tour guide (the name of my Substack is, perhaps unhelpfully, tongue-in-cheek), so I’m not sure how helpful my recommendations would be. My main suggestion is to follow your own interests; there’s a lot of natural beauty in Sweden, as well as culture, so you could choose to visit trendy restaurants in Gothenburg or hike around Gotland. Since you’re going to Stockholm, I can at least recommend taking the commuter train (Pendeltåg) 40 minutes north to Uppsala, a lovely old university town.
Tusen tack ☺️! (Also your emoji choices are spot-on; that is the downside of the open-concept gyno experience, isn't it...it can get pretty effing cold in that chair)
You didn’t get the DIY pap smear by mail? Also, too right about gynaecology- that awkward walk from the clothes chair to the Chair of Doom kills me every time. I wish I could make it funny but as a prudish Brit, it’s borderline traumatic 😂
Yes although I don’t know if it’s specific to age or location - but if you don’t return them they just keep sending them, I’ve received about 5 now 😅 it’s like having a weird cooch stalker
I’m born and raised in the states. When I was visiting Helsinki, I went to take a sauna in the hotel and the sign said “clothes forbidden”. Being half Finnish, and aware of the sauna culture, this was no surprise to me. But another American father and son came in soon after very covered up despite the no clothing rule and were clearly uncomfortable I was nude.
In the UK, we share the Canadian attitude to remaining clothed. I remember visiting a sauna in a hotel in what was then Czechoslovakia (I was in my teens), and being horrified to be denied access in my swim suit, told I had to take it off, and being handed a towel. My friend and I returned with the straps on our costumes pulled down, and the towel firmly wrapped around us (where they remained). When we finally managed to gain access to the sauna, we found that it was full of fat, old, naked men. It put me off saunas for a very long time!
Oh so sorry to hear you had a bad experience! I hope you've had a better time in 21st century Scandinavian sauna situations. My experiences have all been great—mixed in terms of gender, body-type, and age and, what I really care about: they've also been amiable and relaxed and totally free of creepo vibes.
Not yet! I haven't been in a Scandinavian sauna as of yet. I was in Stockholm in January and there was one in my hotel, but I was on my own and not keen of a solo experience. I am coming back in June (this time not on my own) and hoping to have a good experience way up north :D I am so looking forward to it! We are going to travel the night train to Narvik, and I am hoping to speak more Swedish than just Ursäkta mig, pratar du engelska? :D
Yes, we're very repressed sexually. Too much religious dogma, not enough understanding of true spirituality.
In Sydney I witnessed a family park their stuff on a a beach in street clothes and change into their swimwear. No cover or tent. Guess what? Nobody exploded. Also their VHS rental places did not put adult films in a dark cave guarded by minotaurs. It was just another section (though even I was of 2 minds on that one.
In Munich's biggest park people throw off their clothes and run around doing the usual park things like frisbees. Again, no casualties. In fact, on a warm day you may see business people in suits and pantsuits opening their clothes and getting some rays on their boobs while walking on their lunch break. Again, no biggie.
Sexual repression causes mental health problems as does all repression. It's more serious than "Oh, haha yeah we're prudes!" (I'm not implying anyone said that, just making a point).
The free the nipple campaign arises from our deep-seated need to grow DF up! Look, if every person went around topless for an entire month it would become Ho-hum boring within a few days. A week Max.
As a sexually repressed American male, I went to strip clubs when I was younger. I discovered once the initial excitement wore off, I tended to be pretty numb to it. This tells me it should be no big deal and our culture needs to evolve.
I completely agree. And as a sexually-sheltered (and sexually objectified rather than shown/told about my own sexual subjectivity) Canadian young woman, when I found myself at a male strip club for the first time (at a bachelorette party, ofc), my mind was blown. Not by the existence of male nudity, but by the rush of power all we girls felt. It was a revelation...like, 'oh, ok.....*this* is what it's actually about.' Anyway, I am now beyond pleased to be in Europe, where in the summer I see 70-year-old women biking down country roads in bright red bikinis and sun hats—looking amazing, and being harassed by nobody (at least as far as I've seen).
P.S. I'm extremely envious. I always wanted to live in Europe for a while. Now, of course, nowhere seems safe and I'm hoping to be abducted by aliens and taken somewhere better.
I was also sheltered, partly because I was sent to a Catholic school, but probably mainly because my parents were from a different time. They were great depression era kids, and pretty uncomfortable with discussing sex. The general pattern of parenting in that era was to tell the kids NOTHING about any important topic like finances, sex, etc. and that went DOUBLE for the youngest kid.
Mandy, my wife and I are planning a trip to Sweden this September. We will have a week in country. Apart from visiting Stockholm, what would you recommend visiting?
Hi! Great that you’re planning to visit. I’m not at all a tour guide (the name of my Substack is, perhaps unhelpfully, tongue-in-cheek), so I’m not sure how helpful my recommendations would be. My main suggestion is to follow your own interests; there’s a lot of natural beauty in Sweden, as well as culture, so you could choose to visit trendy restaurants in Gothenburg or hike around Gotland. Since you’re going to Stockholm, I can at least recommend taking the commuter train (Pendeltåg) 40 minutes north to Uppsala, a lovely old university town.
Haha, welcome to Sweden 🇸🇪 ❄️ 🍑
Tusen tack ☺️! (Also your emoji choices are spot-on; that is the downside of the open-concept gyno experience, isn't it...it can get pretty effing cold in that chair)
Very much so! And as if it weren’t humiliating enough, they ALWAYS say ”Lite längre ned”…
I actually don't think I've gotten that one (yet)! Or maybe I just didn't follow their Swedish and they gave up 😅
You didn’t get the DIY pap smear by mail? Also, too right about gynaecology- that awkward walk from the clothes chair to the Chair of Doom kills me every time. I wish I could make it funny but as a prudish Brit, it’s borderline traumatic 😂
omg wait....is there actually a DIY mail-pap???
Yes although I don’t know if it’s specific to age or location - but if you don’t return them they just keep sending them, I’ve received about 5 now 😅 it’s like having a weird cooch stalker
Oh. Wow. This is very very funny. May I ask what region you’re in?
I’m born and raised in the states. When I was visiting Helsinki, I went to take a sauna in the hotel and the sign said “clothes forbidden”. Being half Finnish, and aware of the sauna culture, this was no surprise to me. But another American father and son came in soon after very covered up despite the no clothing rule and were clearly uncomfortable I was nude.
It's fascinating to me — that (North) American cultural norms re: the human body are so...Victorian!
In the UK, we share the Canadian attitude to remaining clothed. I remember visiting a sauna in a hotel in what was then Czechoslovakia (I was in my teens), and being horrified to be denied access in my swim suit, told I had to take it off, and being handed a towel. My friend and I returned with the straps on our costumes pulled down, and the towel firmly wrapped around us (where they remained). When we finally managed to gain access to the sauna, we found that it was full of fat, old, naked men. It put me off saunas for a very long time!
Oh so sorry to hear you had a bad experience! I hope you've had a better time in 21st century Scandinavian sauna situations. My experiences have all been great—mixed in terms of gender, body-type, and age and, what I really care about: they've also been amiable and relaxed and totally free of creepo vibes.
Not yet! I haven't been in a Scandinavian sauna as of yet. I was in Stockholm in January and there was one in my hotel, but I was on my own and not keen of a solo experience. I am coming back in June (this time not on my own) and hoping to have a good experience way up north :D I am so looking forward to it! We are going to travel the night train to Narvik, and I am hoping to speak more Swedish than just Ursäkta mig, pratar du engelska? :D
Ah, vad roligt! I hope you have a great time 😊
https://youtu.be/hfgwrdYUQ2A?si=VtyAzmIF96ykHPP8