Does nudity translate?

In an earlier post I wrote about the rumpor/colas and their importance in the Argentinean society and their bare-naked presence on the beaches here. In this post I will continue on the same subject, but now I will discuss the nudity per se more in detail. It is quite clear that the rumpor/colas are more shown here than in Sweden for example, but what about the rest of the bodies? And how is nudity considered in other situations “off the beach” so to speak?

Let me start by describing what the nude scene is like in Sweden, or at least my view of how it is. Back in the seventies during the strong feminist waves in social democratic Sweden females were liberated in terms of not using bras etc. The sexual revolution and the hippie culture had reached the chilly north. But what the heck do I know; I was born only in 1978? Anyway, this is how I see it. The liberated Swedish women with their ok salaries and long vacations started to travel to the south of Europe to get some sun on their blond, pale bodies. Of course they took their newfound liberation to the newly opened Franco-Spain for example, invading the beaches topless. Even though I was not part of this era I have suffered the consequences of the reputation of “easy” Swedish women. I have many times answered “German” when asked for my nationality in countries like France, Spain and Greece… Here in Argentina Swedes have some reputation but luckily not the same as in the south of Europe! However, I have heard from my father in law that in one town in the south of Argentina there is a beach called “the Swedish women beach”. Apparently some time in the 70’s a Swedish company was building something big down there and the Swedish engineers lived there for various months during the construction. Their wives used to go to this specific beach topless, of course.

Nowadays, since let’s say beginning of the 1990’s it is not very fashionable to be topless on the Swedish beaches either. But it is not just the “toplessness” that has been part of our “naturalist-nude” tradition. The sauna culture has an important presence in the whole country, as well as the public bathing houses. (In socialist Sweden we share and share alike many public installations) Obviously these exist here in Argentina and in other countries as well. There seems to be a difference though, in how comfortable people feel being nude in front of strangers. In my experience women here cover up everything when changing in a locker room. Swedish friends of mine have had comments such as “you are quite secure concerning your body, right?” when naked in a locker room abroad. Maybe it has got something to do with us being obliged to shower together after gym class in the public school (up until 9 years old even with the boys)? I remember that the few girls that actually tried to cover up were considered a little bit strange… And believe me, most of us had far from perfect bodies! Some interesting remarks can obviously me made in these situations. As an example I can mention a comment by a friend’s daughter who looked at an old naked lady in the shower of a public bath: “Mom! Look how LONG breasts that woman has!” =)

There is also this thing with skinny dipping, especially around midsummer in June. But I would say that the sauna culture is one of the strongest influences on Swedes’ nudity. Concerning the sauna, you are actually obliged to be naked. If you do wear a bathing suit or alike you will practically be thrown out of the public sauna since it is considered NON HYGIENIC (as per the signs on the wall in the shower room). In some families they do not even cover up with towels in the sauna, not even when the parents in law (!) are there. Then of course you are completely naked when you run out and roll around in the snow or jump in the frozen lake for a quick dip. In high school some friend and I experienced this cultural difference for the first time when some Spanish girls were visiting. Before going out on a Saturday night we decided to use the sauna at my friend’s house. It is quite common to drink alcohol in the sauna, especially before going out! We then realized that the Spanish girls were not at all comfortable with the rest of us being nude…

I thought that Swedes had lost most the nude culture by now when the post-70’s generations are taking over. However, a friend of mine told me about a public sauna in central Stockholm just recently where naked women were practising yoga; in the sauna, not covering anything in any position. And obviously bare naked. My friend’s only comment was that it was merely “too much information”. The thing is that the Swedish nudity seems more natural than sexual in its character, if you understand what I mean. For example, when my grandma is topless on the beach it is not the same thing as when a hot, “posing” (always posing, what is that all about?) girl wears a g-string on an Argentinean beach…