# National Geographic Nudity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574 "2004-03-10T23:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/1 "2004-03-10T23:36:53Z")
Do the National Geographic specials that run on TV (not the magazine) show “native nudity?” Did they ever? I was under the impression that that kind of thing was determined to be insensitive a long time ago and had stopped. AFAIKs and IIRCs welcome, but concrete, citable information highly prized. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/2 "2004-03-11T02:37:25Z")
I don’t know about today, but they used to. They frequently showed native people in Africa or the Amazon in whatever clothing (or lack thereof) they typically wore. Topless women were everywhere, as were the bare butts of both men and women. Naked genitalia was less common, but you occasionally saw it. Back in junior high, we always loved those NG specials 😉 ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/3 "2004-03-11T19:35:34Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I don’t know about today, but they used to. They frequently showed native people in Africa or the Amazon in whatever clothing (or lack thereof) they typically wore. Topless women were everywhere, as were the bare butts of both men and women. Naked genitalia was less common, but you occasionally saw it. When was that, the 60’s or 70s? Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![zwede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ac91a4/32.png) [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/4 "2004-03-11T19:56:20Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Do the National Geographic specials that run on TV (not the magazine) show “native nudity?” Did they ever? I was under the impression that that kind of thing was determined to be insensitive a long time ago and had stopped. > > AFAIKs and IIRCs welcome, but concrete, citable information highly prized. I’ve seen “native nudity” on the travel channel (basic expanded cable) every now and then. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/5 "2004-03-11T20:04:37Z")
Yes, I’ve seen titties recently on the National Geographic Channel. (186 on dish network) They seem to make no distiction between 60 year old flapjacks and 13 year old “child porn” either. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/6 "2004-03-11T20:31:46Z")
“Nudity above the waist is OK below the equator.” ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/7 "2004-03-11T22:00:26Z")
Insensitive? I think it’s more insensitive to – ahem – cover up the fact that nudity is acceptable in other cultures. By the term ‘insensitive’, I’m assuming that ones being ‘protected’ are the people who appear on the show. If that’s the case, then how can that be considered insensitive, unless you take it for granted that they are embarrassed by their primitiveness, by the fact that they are not more like us? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/8 "2004-03-12T16:15:38Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > If that’s the case, then how can that be considered insensitive, unless you take it for granted that they are embarrassed by their primitiveness, by the fact that they are not more like us? Well I tend to agree. But I’ve heard others say it’s exploitative somehow. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-geographic-nudity/233574/9 "2004-03-12T17:33:11Z")
I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s. It sounds like those shows haven’t changed much. > [@](#): > > I think it’s more insensitive to – ahem – cover up the fact that nudity is acceptable in other cultures. By the term ‘insensitive’, I’m assuming that ones being ‘protected’ are the people who appear on the show. If that’s the case, then how can that be considered insensitive, unless you take it for granted that they are embarrassed by their primitiveness, by the fact that they are not more like us? Now that I think about it, I have to say I agree with **Spectre**. When people say that the natives are being exploited, aren’t they pre-supposing that the natives’ standards regarding indecency are wrong, and that Western standards of indecency should be the norm everywhere?