THREAD ON MALE NUDITY: As someone who makes much of their living off of being naked, I can tell you that one of the things I am most proud about being a male nude model is being a representative of the male form out in the world...

To explain, I am not a man with some grand physique. I am a large, hairy Caucasian man with a smaller flaccid penis. I am quite typical not only of what many men in America look like, but what many might consider to be the most undesirable in this current climate...

Moreover, I am not naive; when I walk in, I have no doubt that many would rather have someone healthier or of the opposite sex. I am not the ideal, and I have no delusions about that. It makes me work harder to come up with creative, dynamic, narrative poses...

It has served me well. Over the last 6 years working as a nude model, I am regularly referred and lauded. This is not to brag, but I have become a favorite for most places I work for. This is due to the work I put in, my professionalism, and, no doubt, my unique physique...

One of the issues I take the most pride in, and this speaks to the professionalism I just mentioned, is my decorum as a male model. I understand that there is some stark dissonance much of the world, or at least the states, has in dealing with the nude male form...

For me, I grow increasingly frustrated with the perception and representation of the nude form in mass media. Specifically in this instance, the way they and we deal with the nude male form. It makes me both frustrated and sad...

I am frustrated because I have become tired of the nude male form being viewed as something either 1) to be a joke or 2) a threat. A nude female is viewed as increasingly dynamic, and rightfully so. It is also the preferred nude form...

This is because, among other reasons, a female body is not viewed as threatening. Moreover, any ideal can be represented rather gracefully from soft and curvy to strong and gnarled. I am only acknowledging this as objectively and with no venom...

I think the issues we have with male nudity have very little or nothing to do with how we approach female nudity. They are two fairly different animals respectively, though it bears mentioning it to examine how we perceive and receive male nudity...

Men have the burden of, regarding nudity, representing strength, but not too much. Certain features and attitudes can come off as intimidating. Either that, or, go the other way, too soft and not as impressive, you are dismissed...

I am frustrated that the nude male form is viewed as either a joke or a threat. I am sad because I can understand why, at least when it comes to being a threat. I think it’s hard to ignore that, after #metoo , women can be pretty intimidated by bad men...

And why shouldn’t they be? Men are taught to be aggressive and are, mostly, physically stronger than women. The very act of sex alone is an exchange that involves one party inserting a part of them self into another...

Not to mention the invention and regular use of the dick pic in both personal interactions and online culture as being maybe one of the only, if not the only, representation women are subject to of male nudity...

This isn’t even beginning to discuss rape and abuse. I am focusing more on the perception and reality of the nude male form and why I can understand the genesis of where these attitudes come from...

Hey, it’s a double standard, I know. I know that women and men are viewed differently on all levels in some way, shape, or form and I don’t have any desire to be on here trying to create some kind of relativism...

But, what I am saying is that I am proud that I not only get to be a representative of the nude male form, but that I feel I serve the larger narrative well in how I treat the art of modeling nude, or just being nude, around others...

I cannot change how others view the overall male nude form. However, I can attempt to show that beauty, dynamics, and character are potentially within it...

Moreover, I do it respectfully and professionally. I make every effort to make people comfortable and be polite. For example, in my 6 years modeling, though there have been a couple close calls, I have never once gotten an erection while modeling...

I also respect artists’ space, I am always covered when not modeling, I do not eyeball anyone, and, when I work with a female model, I am polite and show the utmost respect...

That being said, while I refrain from aggression, I am also not afraid to be bold, vulnerable, and revealing on all levels. I refuse to feel shame for this body and do not shy away from finding elements of my form that represent conditions like...

Violence, anguish, femininity, masculinity, grace, humor, life, death, all of it. This is because I feel all of it. I also do not hide bits of me with shame. This is my overweight belly; this is my hairy face; this is my penis; this is my bald spot...

This is also my broad shoulders, strong legs, big chest, and heart. There is something that makes me so happy that people get to see this body that I borrow on my short time on this planet. For a time, this is my skin, my flesh...

All in all, I love being and I especially love being nude. On top of all that, I love being nude for others. I enjoy being vulnerable and revealing and have no requirement that others return it...

That being said, I think the world would be so much better if ppl were more vulnerable with each other. The fact that simple nudity is so sexualized in our culture is such a shame. There is so much more we can learn by seeing each other. But, that’s just a personal observation...

I thoroughly enjoy being an ambassador, in some small way, for the nude male form, that I can show that it is not always either a joke or a threat, that men and women CAN experience each and meet with dignity and respect.

Thanks for reading this thread and I would love to hear any thoughts. #nude #nudity #naked #art #nudemodel #artmodel #lifedrawing #nudemale #rant #noshame