Nudity in a western culture: “Hayley Goes… Naked”

Mary Fletcher

In this TV programme Hayley Pearce considers aspects of how the female body is regarded. She tries posing sexily in underwear for money online – and won’t take all her clothes off – fearing future disparagement. Later however she agrees to take part in one of those saucy calendar shoots where middle-aged women pose coyly, hiding their breasts with various props, to be photographed by a man. They are raising money by producing a calendar for charity.
Life-class posing is mentioned – and however much I feel images of naked women are often exploitative – rarely acceptable – Bonnard being an exception where the woman is shown with respect and love – at least it seems a cut above girly magazines and their online equivalent. The wholesome attitudes of acceptance of the body in a naked state shown in a nudist camp and a naked yoga class are subverted by the camera person’s coy shots in which a book or long hair conceal breasts or a penis. Yet we also have the ridiculous Naked Attraction programme in which participants discuss the relative attractiveness of other people’s exposed genitalia. There are brief shots of classical Greek statues – from a time when the body was idealised and revered without titillation or exaggeration.
It seems now we are mostly stuck with the shame of Adam and Eve.