Celebrity reaction.

Why are they treated differently?

Why is it that when a celebrity goes naked the overwhelming commentary is supportive and yet when the average person does the same, the reaction is derision and criticism?

Halle Berry posted an image of herself naked on a balcony sipping from a glass of wine.  The image was safe for work.  The majority of the commentary around the post was positive with only a handful of negative reactions. One Twitter (X) account saying:

"Imagine being in your 50s, still posting nudes for attention in menopause when you should be chilling with the grandkids. Aging with dignity is no longer a thing,"

I am not sure that the person tweeting had an intimate knowledge of Miss Berry’s hormonal state or if they were making an assumption based on her age as to whether Miss Berry is menopausal or not.  Frankly, whether she is or not has no bearing on her capacity to acknowledge her body confidence.

The overwhelming responses, however, seemed to be supportive and a lot of the feedback was positive, calling the picture brave, empowering and celebratory.

Award-winning singer Pink posted a picture of herself showering outdoors while on holiday with her husband and children.  The post received wide coverage and mostly positive feedback.

Shania Twain was recently interviewed by Woman’s World and talked of body confidence and her desire to get naked with friends.  Again the predominant response was positive and supportive.

UK media personality, Amanda Holden, recently admitted to basically being a nudist and the response was mild indifference.

It’s not just women celebrities that embrace naturism.  Kevin Bacon, Robbie Williams, Justine Timberlake and Brad Pitt have all shown a preference for enjoying nudity.

Celebrities embrace nudity for a number of reasons.  Body positivity, artistic expression, personal empowerment or advocacy for causes that they believe in are all motivations for celebrities to strip off, but perhaps there is simply another reason.  The one reason that many existing naturists already embrace, that is it is just more comfortable.

If it is empowering for celebrities to show skin and to be indifferent about nudity, why do so many people object when ordinary people do the same?  Is it not also empowering for the average person to embrace nudity in non-sexual situations?

Is it because in this age of celebrity, we value the opinions and actions of the famous more than we value the opinions and actions of everyday people?

If a celebrity endorses a perfume or a clothing designer, then sales of those products will jump significantly.

Actress Scarlett Johansen was in New Zealand making the film The Ghost in the Shell. On one occasion she visited an organic cafe in the suburb of Moera and bought a piece of chocolate cake, taking to social media extolling the treat as the best she had ever eaten.  The cafe owner who made the cake once a week as a Saturday special, found that the demand took off after the social media post, with people queuing down the street to buy a slice of Scarlett’s favourite cake.  The power of the celebrity endorsement is strong.

Why do we value the opinions and actions of celebrities, when it could be argued that their motivations are more likely to be calculated to increase followers and make them more marketable in their industry?

Aren’t the simple motivations of everyday people to be more comfortable and more connected to their environment just as worthy of merit or at least acceptance?

If the actions and opinions of celebrities are so influential in our modern society, and with so many celebrities owning up to non-sexual nudity in their lives, why are more ordinary people not willing to celebrate the naked human form in their own lives?

Celebrities might reveal that they enjoy being clothes-free, but that can't be easily monetised, and so is largely ignored by marketing companies.  As there is no money in it, we don’t see campaigns that advocate getting naked despite many celebrities likely to endorse it.

Is it because in our capitalist consumer-driven world, we are conditioned to pay for what is supposed to bring us happiness and joy?  Cosmetics, clothes, material things that all promise an easier or better life, or diet and exercise regimes that all promise a happier you.

We are so used to being told what to like and what to believe that we simply accept what we are being sold as normal without questioning what the motivations behind promotions are, or considering what is best for us or best for the planet.

Tens of thousands, perhaps even millions of people will spend money on Revlon makeup because Halle Berry was the celebrity endorsing the product and appearing on the cover of their magazine, but how many of those people will spend next to nothing to enjoy the simple pleasures of drinking a glass of wine naked on their balcony?

"It is not people or purpose but life's simple pleasures; hot coffee, a soft bed, a quiet walk in a forest, that save us in the end.” – Beau Taplin

Thank you for reading, have a comfortable day.

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Next Week:

Amateur Nudist?

The existence of an amateur nudist implies the existence of a professional nudist.