# Uh, thanks, but I'd rather not see pics of your newborn's genitalia **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178 "2013-08-26T03:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/81 "2013-08-27T19:37:49Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > 1. You should not show them because the kid will grow up to be embarrased by his naked babiness shown all over the place. Really? Why exactly should a grown-up be embarrased by a pic of him or herself as a baby? Does not compute. It could happen. Like, some baby boys are reallyyyy tiny. I’m not a dude, but it seems like something that a man or teenager might well feel embarrassed about. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/82 "2013-08-27T19:46:45Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I understand how posting a picture of yourself naked at 20 could end up causing problems later, but how on earth could a naked picture of yourself as a baby be a problem??? Besides showing that you used to be a baby, I’m not sure what the issue could be. Posting any picture of one’s self ought to be a personal decision, we can agree there, I’m sure. (Edit- out in public, all bets are off. People take pics of people, get over it.) So then from there, I get to: As a minor, decisions are made by parents, in the interest of the child. Pictures which are intimate, graphic, or potentially embarrassing should not be for broadcast dispersal, but rather kept to family and friends. “Intimate” doesn’t necessarily mean “sexy”, and “graphic” doesn’t either. Nor does “potentially embarrassing”. But all those terms involve not stepping on the dignity of other people. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/83 "2013-08-27T19:48:19Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Honestly, I don’t care that much. The thread came up, so I posted my views. Don’t like them? Fine. I don’t really expect you to care. Flash naked baby ass everywhere if you choose. 🙂 Well, sure. I’m just _questioning_ those views, because to me they seemed sorta internally inconsistent. Full revelation: I do not, in fact, “flash naked baby ass” (interesting way to put it). I just find it sorta odd that not only do some folks not like naked baby pics, they actually get offended by the practice. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/84 "2013-08-27T19:49:49Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > It could happen. Like, some baby boys are reallyyyy tiny. I’m not a dude, but it seems like something that a man or teenager might well feel embarrassed about. Imagine what John Holmes looked like as a baby! :eek: [Actually, what you look like as a baby in that respect has little to do with what you look like as an adult 😉] ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/85 "2013-08-27T19:49:54Z")
I’ve solved the problem. What happens is whoever’s about to flash around some baby pictures asks, “HEY!! Would you like to see some pictures of my new baby?!” Now the next step is for it to actually be acceptable for people to say no to this request. I would bet money that the majority of people who aren’t fond of naked babies just aren’t very fond of babies in general. I personally am not a fan of naked baby pictures more because of the baby than the naked. The naked is just TMI icing on the “I don’t want to look at this to begin with” cake. If I could actually be allowed to say “No, I don’t want to see pictures of your kids” without being shunned, I’d be very happy. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/86 "2013-08-27T19:56:27Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Posting any picture of one’s self ought to be a personal decision, we can agree there, I’m sure. > (Edit- out in public, all bets are off. People take pics of people, get over it.) > > So then from there, I get to: > As a minor, decisions are made by parents, in the interest of the child. > Pictures which are intimate, graphic, or potentially embarrassing should not be for broadcast dispersal, but rather kept to family and friends. > > “Intimate” doesn’t necessarily mean “sexy”, and “graphic” doesn’t either. Nor does “potentially embarrassing”. > But all those terms involve not stepping on the dignity of other people. The difficulty with this view is that what is “potentially embarrasing” to a person as an adult, is by no means “potentially embarrasing” to a person as a baby. The standards are totally different. Take diaper-wearing, for example … 😃 But seriously, there is no actual loss of dignity in showing a baby naked, because nakedness has a totally different social meaning for babies than for adults. Objectively, it does not “step on their dignity” to be shown naked (or for that matter, in diapers). Picture me, as a 40-something balding guy, in a crib wearing diapers? Definitely undignified. Me, as a baby? Not so. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/87 "2013-08-27T19:57:31Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Imagine what John Holmes looked like as a baby! :eek: > > [Actually, what you look like as a baby in that respect has little to do with what you look like as an adult 😉] I don’t know, I bet there’s a decent amount of correlation. But even if there’s not, I doubt that would be much comfort to an awkward middle school boy whose classmates have just seen his naked baby pictures on his mom’s FB. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/88 "2013-08-27T20:02:54Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > I don’t know, I bet there’s a decent amount of correlation. But even if there’s not, I doubt that would be much comfort to an awkward middle school boy whose classmates have just seen his naked baby pictures on his mom’s FB. In my day, someone making fun of a boy because of the size of his genitals in a baby pic would have been himself the subject of merciless taunting. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/89 "2013-08-27T20:05:20Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Imagine what John Holmes looked like as a baby! :eek: A buddy was present when ultrasound was done to, in part, determine his child’s sex. At one point he whooped, “IT’S A BOY!!” The doctor replied, “If that’s a penis, the child is hideously deformed. That’s an arm.” ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/90 "2013-08-27T20:10:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > A buddy was present when ultrasound was done to, in part, determine his child’s sex. At one point he whooped, “IT’S A BOY!!” > > The doctor replied, “If that’s a penis, the child is hideously deformed. That’s an arm.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/91 "2013-08-27T21:26:06Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > But there are no words to describe how much I loathe those 4d ultrasounds. I agree that they definitely can capture amazing detail and you can actually see a fetus instead of a staticky blob. But godDAMN they are creepy as fuck. They look like they’re from some _Doom_-esque video game level where you have to go through a bizarre demon world where there’s a wall that has shapes of distorted people or creatures trapped (or gestating! :eek: ) in it. They actually look like those [Andean child mummies](http://singularcity.com/images/stories/articles/071210/mummies-of-the-world-4.jpg) … ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/92 "2013-08-27T21:52:12Z")
I’m guessing that a lot of people here didn’t purchase Nirvana’s _Nevermind_. Honestly, if someone posted a picture of me naked as a baby, I could not give less of a shit. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/93 "2013-08-27T22:04:11Z")
A naked baby picture, IMHO, is like a naked pet picture. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/94 "2013-08-27T22:06:56Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > A naked baby picture, IMHO, is like a naked pet picture. The obvious solution: [http://www.dogswearingpants.com/](http://www.dogswearingpants.com/) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/95 "2013-08-27T22:11:04Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > A naked baby picture, IMHO, is like a naked pet picture. And putting clothing on a newborn (other than a onesie) is about as difficult as dressing a dog. I know, I’ve done both. ETA: wish I’d previewed. Cool link! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178/96 "2013-08-28T02:45:36Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > You can buy postcards here featuring hilltribes. In some hilltribe villages, the children are often running around buck naked, and some of the postcards capture this. It’s all rather innocent really, but still, one time when the wife wanted to buy a couple to send to friends in the US, I nixed the idea. I said someone in the postal service might alert the authorities to “child pornography” being distributed through the mails. > [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > This is kind of the same thing that came up in the “is rescuing a drowning child pedophilia” thread. No one touches or even looks at other people’s kids anymore, out of fear that someone, somewhere might think they are pedos. Some small percentage of the population gets some hangup over an issue, and everyone else starts policing themselves. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Yup. The issue to me here isn’t “OMG! Naked baby!” it’s “OMG! I’m getting arrested for child porn because some idiot sent me a picture of his naked baby!” The laws regarding child pornography and computers/internet don’t seem to be very flexible or forgiving (and I don’t imagine a lot of the people in this thread want them to be). That’s it exactly, I don’t want to to get some poor shlub who just happens to know me busted because I happened to send a (to me) innocent photo of naked children running around. I’m sure the US Postal Service has its share of Bozos just like any organization, and I can see some idiot trying to make a big deal of it. And of course the police would have to investigate, and who knows if some Bozo cop wouldn’t get the assignment and agree with the postal worker. Not to mention the embarrassment of my maybe being pulled out of the Immigration line on my next arrival in the US and being questioned about “child pornography.” I think in this day and age, you could inadvertently be asking for trouble if you’re going to be distributing naked-baby photos. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-thanks-but-id-rather-not-see-pics-of-your-newborns-genitalia/667178.md?page=4)