Is getting naked the key to happiness?
Last week while Gov. Rod Blagojevich was gettting arrested and Oprah was announcing she now weighs 200 pounds, actress Jennifer Aniston was also making headlines.
Aniston posed for the January issue of GQ magazine wearing nothing but a neck tie and you better believe that got some people’s attention.
Pop culture pundits say Aniston is not only hoping to promote her new movie “Marley & Me,” but that she also wants the world to know she’s not sitting home getting fat and sulking about “Brangelina.”
(If you’re not familiar with all of this, the video below will get you up to date, but beware that Extra correspondent Carlos Diaz is so excited about Aniston’s photos I half expect him to need to excuse himself before the segment is over.)
Aniston was quoted saying, in regards to the photo shoot, “It felt really good to be that comfortable with myself…” and this comment echoes the sentiments of many women who have posed nude for magazines.
While I’m thrilled that these women love their bodies, it frustrates me that posing nude is the supposed self-confidence booster that seems to be celebrated most in the media. Sure, a woman should have a right to pose nude if she wants to, but aren’t there other ways, better ways, to feel sexy and confident and celebrate our bodies? And is having folks lust over your photo real sexual power?
What do you think?
First of all, let me say for the record that nude is overrated. I hope that there are other men out there like myself who feel that sometimes its what’s not revealed that is sexy, and that outward beauty is enhanced in some way by mystery. I think that the whole artistic side of nudity was wrapped up in the mystery of nudity, and that died with the sexual revolution and the onset of availability of porn in the form of “dirty” pornographic magazines and movies AND in the form of classy pornographic magazines, such as Maxim and GQ, and movies such as Eyes Wide Shut, Unfaithful, and the Thomas Crowne Affair remake. Take away that mystery and it is just boring lust that makes you feel a little dirty on the inside if you happen to catch a glimpse of it at, say, the GROCERY STORE CHECKOUT LINE while standing there with your kid!!!!!! Second, what Jennifer’s expose tells me is not that she is still sexy and emotionally liberated from the Brangelina gossip, but that she has hit the bottom and will do anything to stay up. And I also hope that there isn’t a person out there who thinks Jennifer really looks like that nude. I am sure GQ could make a donkey look sexy if they wanted you to think just that. If you know anything about humans, you know that when they age they get things like (hold your breath) wrinkles, cellulite, varicose veins, moles and those aweful stretch marks.
“I also hope that there isn’t a person out there who thinks Jennifer really looks like that nude. I am sure GQ could make a donkey look sexy if they wanted you to think just that.”
Real talk, playa, real talk.
i agree with Edward! and yes that Carlos guy waS a little to excited.
he is probably stalking Jen as we speak.
every time aniston has to promote a movie, she either starts talking smack about brangelina, or revealing something about her personal life, or in this case, revealing all. but, hey, it works? she was everywhere–on dave letterman, on huffington post, on cnn. pretty good publicity stunt, if you ask me.
haha – I was thinking, she looks great. But, you’re right. I totally forgot (and always forget) about technology today.
I have to say the doubt you’ve pointed out makes posing nude a lot worse. If I work hard to have a great-looking body and get up enough courage to pose nude, I sure as heck don’t want people doubting that I look like the pictures.
Nudity or not, the thing that irritates me most is that the media is constantly harping on the whole Brangelina thing every time Aniston is mentioned.
I’m sure she’s not the one bringing it up in every interview… I mean, how long has it been? Five years? Will this woman ever get out of the shadow of being dumped by Brad Pitt?
OK. Soap box over. 🙂
I do think it’s sad that celebs feel the need to prove their confidence by posing naked. But I also think when it’s done in an artful way, the photopgraphy can be beautiful. Back in the day, painters used to paint all kinds of nudes and it was no big deal. Then again, all the body flaws were also included — and considered lovely.