Have you ever thought about why we humans wear clothes? You probably have. In my case, it usually comes when I catch my dog watching me get dressed. I wonder what she thinks; if she realizes that this is something I do that she doesn't. I know she understands that what is about to happen to her is often connected to what I am wearing. If I put on my coat, she knows we are going out. If Amy and I both get dressed up, she knows that we are probably going somewhere without her.But seriously, why do we wear clothes? This time the question is not prompted by my dog, but by the controversy over the current art exhibit at the Bryan Center. To put it succinctly, if we all walked around naked, the Interim Village Manager and her staff probably wouldn't have a problem with the art that is on display on their turf. If the pieces were hung in a nudist colony, it would be about as ho-hum as water colors in the Senior Center.
The easy answer, albeit it seasonal one, is that we wear clothes to keep us warm. That is true for about half the year. What about the other half..? I can tell you at this stage of my life, I cover up my body because I am fat and out of shape. When I was 36 years old I ran the New York City Marathon in 3:42:54. I weighed 136 lbs., the same as when I wrestled in high school. Would I have gone naked back in those days? Not unless everyone else did.
I think I just hit on something... Not unless everyone else did... Somewhere in our history, in the timeline of human development, once the weather started getting warm, somebody decided not to shed their animal pelts. Was it a cavewoman who was tired of being ogled by horny cavemen? More likely, it was her husband who decided she needed to cover up. Then she said, "What about you..?" Soon everybody was keeping up with the Joneses.
So forget about where we draw the line with censorship. We will never agree and, no doubt, even if we do, our community standards would offend the folks in Cedarville, Xenia and Springfield who often grace us with their tourist dollars. Let's all just get naked! Come on, the weather's getting nice! I will, if you do. The Chamber of Commerce should embrace this idea. Imagine the crowds that would flock to the village to see us.
-vh
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5 comments:
there was a time a woman showing an ankle was considered scandalous ;) It's all very subjective isn't it and thankfully our choices of attire are not mandated by other people's tastes.
"...if we all walked around naked, the Interim Village Manager and her staff probably wouldn't have a problem with the art that is on display on their turf."
I understand this piece is intended to be humorous, but you are being insultingly dismissive of those who have raised concerns about the art displays in Bryan Center by mischaracterizing their concerns. The controversy is about the appropriateness of explicit messages in certain works in both the Arts Council and WVOL displays for the Bryan Center venue. It is not about prudes being offended by artistic nudity. I'm pretty sure you know that.
I know that this is going to provide me with plenty of material for the next few weeks. I love it! Kinda reminds me of the situation with the last superintendent of schools.
This reminds me of the court cases about displaying the Ten Commandments in front of courthouses.
Good point, Les. If a church wants to post the Ten Commandments in the Bryan Center, they should just paint and frame them. They're art if called art. Religious groups have no imagination.
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