Naturism in Popular Film and Literature
When you ask a non-naturist about having seen naturists in film or TV, the older generation will probably mention Inspector Clouseau aka Peter Sellers bumbling his way through a naturist 'camp' - as resorts were known then - in 'A Shot in the Dark.' Younger TV viewers in the United States might think of an episode of sleuth show 'Monk' in which actor Tony Shalhoub is embraced by a nude man on a nude beach.
On the whole, when you encounter naturists on TV, in ads, in movies, in books, there is always that connotation of 'aren't naturists silly, funny and weird.'
What needs to change?
Naturists should be featured as normal people with normal pastimes, and just as other characters in novels, TV series or movies. You can have a detective series where one of the investigators or one of the suspects or one of the victims is a naturist. Think 'CSI: Miami' with a naturist victim. A hostage taking at a naturist camp. A police series where one of the main characters is a naturist regular.
What we don't need is a preachy approach to naturism. Books purely about naturism are necessary and informative and will always be needed. But the average reader with no specific interest in naturism is not going to read them, and probably not even look for them. One common mistake authors with a cause make is that they preach to their audience or readership, which could work as a boomerang. The recent movie 'Formosa Betrayed' about past repression in Taiwan has been described as a case in point, a movie where the author keeps talking about his favorite cause but forgets to give the viewer an exciting story first.
What we need is to 'infiltrate' naturism into popular literature and popular arts. I'm writing about this topic because I recently found such an example. C.S. Challinor writes detective stories in the vein of Agatha Christie. In her most recent book, Murder in the Raw, her main character, Detective Rex Graves, is sent on a mission to the Caribbean to solve a murder. He faces one huge surprise: the French actress was murdered at a naturist resort, so he will have to spend his time investigating and questioning ... naked.
Since I haven't read the book, I can't comment on its literary qualities, but I see it as precisely the kind of book that could improve the image of naturism and acquaint more people from outside naturism with the practice of non-sexual nudity.
Having naturists and a naturist environment in an exciting story.
For a long time, I have been planning such a story myself. With several months ahead of me during which I will have more free time than usual, now is the time for me to take action. I have written one thriller before, and several movie scripts, and a TV pilot script, so even though I haven't been published yet, writing is my first mission in life. Since movies and TV series these days are hardly likely to feature lots of nudity as a story set in a naturist resort would necessitate, I have chosen the medium of the novel. The story, which has been in my ideas file for a couple of years now, will feature crime and suspicion at a naturist resort. In Hollywood terms, it could be described as 'LOST at a naturist resort,' though it will be less supernatural and more pure crime. I imagine it will also have a more contemporary feel than 'Murder in the Raw,' because I want readers to doubt the characters' motives and to feel suspicious about who the good and the bad are. I hope to let you know about the progress throughout the summer.
My working title for the story? The Naked Island.
You can find more about C.S. Challinor's book at the Clothes Free International forum http://www.clothesfreeforum.com/showthread.php?16914-Murder-Mystery-at-Nudist-Resort and at her web site www.rexgraves.com.
On the whole, when you encounter naturists on TV, in ads, in movies, in books, there is always that connotation of 'aren't naturists silly, funny and weird.'
What needs to change?
Naturists should be featured as normal people with normal pastimes, and just as other characters in novels, TV series or movies. You can have a detective series where one of the investigators or one of the suspects or one of the victims is a naturist. Think 'CSI: Miami' with a naturist victim. A hostage taking at a naturist camp. A police series where one of the main characters is a naturist regular.
What we don't need is a preachy approach to naturism. Books purely about naturism are necessary and informative and will always be needed. But the average reader with no specific interest in naturism is not going to read them, and probably not even look for them. One common mistake authors with a cause make is that they preach to their audience or readership, which could work as a boomerang. The recent movie 'Formosa Betrayed' about past repression in Taiwan has been described as a case in point, a movie where the author keeps talking about his favorite cause but forgets to give the viewer an exciting story first.
What we need is to 'infiltrate' naturism into popular literature and popular arts. I'm writing about this topic because I recently found such an example. C.S. Challinor writes detective stories in the vein of Agatha Christie. In her most recent book, Murder in the Raw, her main character, Detective Rex Graves, is sent on a mission to the Caribbean to solve a murder. He faces one huge surprise: the French actress was murdered at a naturist resort, so he will have to spend his time investigating and questioning ... naked.
Since I haven't read the book, I can't comment on its literary qualities, but I see it as precisely the kind of book that could improve the image of naturism and acquaint more people from outside naturism with the practice of non-sexual nudity.
Having naturists and a naturist environment in an exciting story.
For a long time, I have been planning such a story myself. With several months ahead of me during which I will have more free time than usual, now is the time for me to take action. I have written one thriller before, and several movie scripts, and a TV pilot script, so even though I haven't been published yet, writing is my first mission in life. Since movies and TV series these days are hardly likely to feature lots of nudity as a story set in a naturist resort would necessitate, I have chosen the medium of the novel. The story, which has been in my ideas file for a couple of years now, will feature crime and suspicion at a naturist resort. In Hollywood terms, it could be described as 'LOST at a naturist resort,' though it will be less supernatural and more pure crime. I imagine it will also have a more contemporary feel than 'Murder in the Raw,' because I want readers to doubt the characters' motives and to feel suspicious about who the good and the bad are. I hope to let you know about the progress throughout the summer.
My working title for the story? The Naked Island.
You can find more about C.S. Challinor's book at the Clothes Free International forum http://www.clothesfreeforum.com/showthread.php?16914-Murder-Mystery-at-Nudist-Resort and at her web site www.rexgraves.com.
Labels: Agatha Christie, C.S. Challinor, Formosa Betrayed, Inspector Clouseau, Monk, Murder in the Raw, Peter Sellers, Tony Shalhoub
posted by The Nude Guru at
10:45 AM
