Trends of How the Nude are Viewed

While we as a nation are very cautious of our bodies, we are gradually becoming accustomed to the naked body. If one were to project our current standings on modesty into the future, in 50 or so years America would probably be rating their films on the taste of nudity rather than the physical amount, publicly exposed individuals would not be shunned in certain districts, and art would no longer be shunned for its unclothed subjects. However, while modesty has slowly been dwindling, full-fledged nudity seems to be an impasse, no matter how tasteful. While it is revered when chiseled out of stone or painted on a canvas, nudity is rarely accepted in the physical world of flesh and blood. Nonetheless, a national trend, dropping the vulgar label given to the naked body, carries on.
Hemlines are higher, necklines are lower, and lewd clothing is becoming more and more prevalent. This could mean one of two things in terms of the tolerance of tasteful nudity. Either a) Americans will feel more comfortable about their bodies and, whether they choose to pursue it or not, respect that of others, both in life and in art and entertainment, or b) Americans will equate the sexuality involved in wanton clothing and lifestyles with the state of nakedness, boosting the sexual image often associated directly with nudity, therefore reinstating modesty.
Whether immodesty is corrupting our vision of nudity or not, there still are other trends leading to the tolerance of tasteful nudity. America's current "green" fixation with environmentalism seems to go hand in hand with pursuing our natural roots, sometimes leading as far as naturism. Americans are visiting and joining clothing-optional beaches and colonies. While I am not arguing for nudism, it is most certainly a way to have people see nudity in a non-sexual light and note that there is a difference between nudity and pornography. Lastly, being in an age of technology and transportation, Americans are constantly presented with the opportunity to travel and explore other cultures. Europe as a whole is a much less prude than America, and clothing-optional facilities are much more common in certain areas. By exploring foreign cultures, we bring home our cultural findings and note how they differ, perhaps allowing us to realize how progressive others are in comparison to our shallow, closed-minded views of nudity. In this way, we are able to put our modesty into perspective and realize when we are unnecessarily strict with our standards of modesty.