Historicist: Life in Wartime
The Daily Photoist: November 9, 2009
Elsewhere in the Ist-a-Verse
Urban Planner: November 9, 2009
Newsstand: November 9, 2009
The World Naked Bike Ride wants to make a point that there are many things more offensive than a bare bum. The indecent exposure is not to some guy's twig n' berries, but to our polluted environment.
On Saturday, Toronto was among 70 cities around the world that took a spin au naturel as a celebration of cycling, a protest against car culture, a comment on pollution, or just to express some exhibitionist tendencies. And in case you're wondering about the legality of being nude in public, the police were there as escorts, and as long as the participants were wearing something (shoes, for example), they weren't technically nude. As with Pride celebrations, what constitutes lewd behaviour and indecency is sometimes vague, but in the case of the WNBR, the cops tend to be more tolerant as long as there isn't any "flaunting."
Though nude cycling events had existed previously in Canada and Spain, the first World Naked Bike Ride was organized in 2004. Nude cyclists have also participated in Critical Mass rides, and Seattle's Fremont Summer Solstice Parade (NSFW) is probably the most flamboyant of naturist cycling events. The WNBR neither requires participants to be nude nor on a bicycle, and many only go topless and choose to ride on skateboards or in-line skates.
Toronto's ride began at Coronation Park with about twenty riders who continued up Yonge to Bloor, and then to Kensington Market. Most participants were male, but by the downtown stretch, some women had joined the pack. In contrast, Montreal's group was larger and attracted more spectators—many with cameras. There were also rides in Vancouver, Ottawa, Victoria, Mexico City and Madrid, and participants in Paris and London actually numbered in the hundreds.
With Ontario's legalized toplessness, an official nude beach and naturist organizations like TNT!MEN (NSFW), Torontonians seem to be growing into our birthday suits, if only for a few short summer months each year.
Photo by pixelwrangler (less work-safe images are at his Flickr page).
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It's just a bit of skin, but it's all in good fun.
I am irked by the ubiquitous "NSFW" ("not safe for work") comment that accompanies certain photos but not others. The notion that some body parts are always NSFW is presumptuous and dead against what the World Naked Bike Ride is about. It also suggests that this event was something that it was not.
Warnings about nudity reinforce a massive and obsessive body phobia that is quite harmful.
Dr. R: I fully agree, but the reality is that a lot of people read Torontoist at work, and their nanny employers employ some serious web filtering for things like nudity and even profanity, and looking an nude people in one's cubicle can be a liability for a company (sexual harrassment, for one). Surely, adults should be able to handle seeing a stray nipple or two, but the corporate workplace is a strange place these days and the context doesn't usually matter.
The reason some links are tagged as NSFW and some others is because they lead to direct nudity rather than a page about Hanlan's Point, for example, and people don't like to be surprised when their web browsing behaviour is being logged or when they sit in a cubicle with their screen visible to their co-workers.
Nevertheless, I agree with your point. People are dying in Iraq and what we get our panties in a twist about are bare boobs.
Toronto loves naked.
Torontoist does not love naked.
Something doesn't add up!
Complain to nanny corporations if you like, not websites who want to keep their readers in a job.
The ride was a lot of fun. Most people have an idea of how liberating it is to swim naked. Well, imagine that feeling but in the downtown core with a police escort so you know your not going to get in trouble!
The smiles of joy, supportive hoots, hollers and looks of amazement from all ages are so wonderful to experience. I can't recommend it enough! Supporting a cause I believe was icing on the cake!
As for the NSFW issue, many of us are lucky enough to work in places where such warnings are meaningless. Tagging things NSFW allows those of us working in more restrictive environments the freedom to choose for themselves when and where to enjoy such material. I'm also pretty sure you're preaching to the choir around here.
People gotta eat but pulling up a picture of pasty white asses on bikes might not be the conversation starter you want to use with your religious boss or conservative HR dept!
Much better articles were in the Toronto Star "A wheely cheeky protest" and, believe it or not, the Toronto Sun "They leave gas power behind" and "Naked ambition: Cyclists take it all off to promote environment". These both focus on the central message of promoting good clean transportation, rather than the Torontoist's preoccupation with a Victorian concept of "indecency" which is completely irrelevant - especially considering that the air has turned toxic from the truly obscene excess of car culture.
As for "NSFW", why not change it to "NSFP", Not Suitable for the Puerile. The smog today is seriously not suitable for work, or play or anything - that's the big issue.
Torontoist has its fair share of articles on all matters environmental, especially cycling and pollution, but despite the underlying message, the WNBR is pretty much about naked people on bikes, which is a sight one doesn't see often just walking around downtown. That's why the schtick works to raise awareness for clean transportation.
As for the NSFW aspect, it's certainly not Torontoist that's got "the Victorian concept of indecency." I was clear in the comments above why we are forced to be careful, despite the fact that we're all adults. Plus, I've got a whole interview coming up about naturism in Toronto and the misinterpretations about what constitutes indecency. Stay tuned!