Connecticut drops charges against nude model

The state of Connecticut has declined to press charges against a New York man who was summoned to court for posing nude on a public parking garage. As reported in a May 27 post on Nakedism, 36-year Charles Kearse was approached by police after nearby residents saw him posing nude on a Bridgeport parking garage.

Kearse, who also goes by the name Ahkmel Pharod, was told to appear in court, where he talked to Assistant State's Attorney Craig Nowak.

"I spoke to Mr. Kearse at length," said Nowak in a story reported by CTPost.com. "He showed me his modeling portfolio and at the end of our conversation I determined that his actions, while being an error in judgment, did not rise to the level of criminal activity." (Samples from Kearse's portfolio appear with this story, used with permission.)

As a result, the state did not proceed with the pending charge of second-degree breach of peace.

For his part, Kearse confirmed the story in a comment written to Nakedism, explaining that he had been contacted by the photographer, who paid his travel expenses. "I left court just as fast as I arrived," he noted, adding that the prosecutor "smiled and said have a good weekend."

Kearse also gave Nakedism a copy of an email that purports to show the rooftop nudes was the idea of the photographer, Israel Guibbory. But in news reports, Guibbory claimed to be surprised when Kearse disrobed on the roof.

"I am going to file a Defamation of Character lawsuit against the photographer," Kearse told Nakedism.

One size fits ill

An old joke says that if a guy tells you that "It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it" — then he's got a little one. That may be true, just it may be true that it's important to know how to use one's cock.

But the fact remains that for many people, cock size really does matter.

In my case, it usually matters in a negative sense. As another saying goes, I'm not a size queen, but I can be impressed. Sure, I love the look of a big schlong. But if an otherwise hot guy has a small cock, it makes little difference to me. I'm more interested in how good he is at kissing and sucking, and how his ass feels wrapped around my own cock.

The problem with big cocks only, well, arises when it's attached to someone who wants to fuck me. Some people are into pain. Some people are into challenges. (I've met both.) I'm into neither. I'm just glad that most of my gigantically hung friends are more interested in receiving than giving.

But there was one night when I met a true giant of a man — a veritable Penisaurus Rex. His member made my jaw drop, and not in a good way. And he wanted it in my ass.

I recount all the sordid details in this week's story offering, When Size Really Does Matter, now available in our Stories section. Check it out. And consider sharing your own stories of giant cocks you have known.

Celebrity outrage over nude photos promotes body shame

Hardly a day goes by anymore without some celebrity's nudity popping up in the news media. A couple of weeks ago, it was Congressman Anthony Weiner's eponymous organ supposedly bulging through boxers in a tweet to a college woman (photo at left). More recently, actress Blake Lively is denying the authenticity of nude self-photos circulating on the Internet, while Jennifer Lopez and her legal team are trying to block the release of video of her dancing nude on her 1997 honeymoon with former husband Ojani Noa.

But it didn't end there. On Friday, it was mixed-martial artist Tito Ortiz's turn to proclaim his innocence in tweeting a full-frontal self-portrait (photo below). "Someone hack my f**king phone," he reportedly tweeted after realizing what had happened.

Oh please.

First of all, Nakedism makes no comment about, nor are we in a position to evaluate, the claims of innocence of the various parties. Whether publicity stunts, flirtations gone wrong, or genuine invasions of privacy, we cannot say.

But the fact remains that in every case, the denuded party claims to be aggrieved or outraged or victimized. Such a state of affairs (pardon the expression) would simply not be necessary if people weren't so terrified by the fact of unclothed human anatomy.

It wasn't always this way. In the 1970s, a number of celebrities posed nude without shame for magazines like Playgirl. But most of these were seen as attempts to rekindle publicity for a dying career. (The same may be true for Ortiz, who hasn't won a fight in some time.) In any case, it never caught on as a trend.

Since then, digital cameras and the rise of the Internet have transformed the ease with which photos can be produced and distributed, not to mention their ubiquity. Americans are awash in digital photo sharing, and many of those include naked flesh.

But one thing hasn't changed: People are still ashamed of being seen naked. In fact, the shame has arguably increased since the 1970s. If the so-called sexual revolution produced lasting results in some areas, it produced only a backlash in the realm of body acceptance.

Despite the taboo nature of nude photos, people continue to take them and pose for them. As we reported last month, as many a quarter of Americans are thought to have taken or posed for naked pictures. Many of these, like the Ortiz photo, appear to be self-portraits.

Perhaps what is needed is a celebrity — preferably many celebrities — to come out of the closet with their nude photos and say, "Yeah this is me, naked. So what?" If enough opinion leaders set a good example of body acceptance, maybe real change would follow.

We have
some simple
advice for celebrities:
Don't get mad —
Get naked.

Our advice to celebrities — and everyone — is simple: Don't get mad. Get naked.

Sadly, Tito Ortiz, despite his reputation for being controversial, might have been one to get the balls rolling. Unlike retired basketball player Dennis Rodman, whose occasional nudity seems to underscore an attempt to show how unusual he is, Ortiz's photo reminds one of the typical in-the-mirror shot that so many of us have seen and taken in a moment of self-pride.

But instead Ortiz chose to react with an expletive and a denial, which, true or not, was designed to distance him from the act of self-revelation.

I'm not sure why he bothered. After all, his girlfriend and mother of his 14-month-old twins happens to be Jenna Jameson — a porn star.

Soccer star will run through the streets naked

Basque soccer star Bixente Lizarazu will keep a promise made last year to run naked through the streets to celebrate his team's promotion to the French football division known as Ligue 1.

Lizarazu, a former Bayern Munich left-back and France international, stated nearly a year ago that if Évian Thonon Gaillard, a football club from France's Alpine region, won the promotion, he would run naked through the city streets. That happened last week when Évian won a 2-1 victory over Stade de Reims. It was only just a year ago that the team was promoted to Ligue 2 following the 2009-10 season.

A French TV channel asked the 41-year-old defender if he planned on keeping his striptease promise. "I'll do it, I'll do it," he said. "I'll keep my word, I'll do it, but I'm not going to call the international press."

Lizarazu, who is a shareholder of Évian, won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2001 and helped France win the World Cup in 1998.

Photos of Lizarazu's muscular chest and a video of his naked legs and shapely butt are available to the public on the blog Just Beautiful Men.

Rainy day fun

Where I live, we get a lot of rain. But sometimes, staying indoors on a rainy day isn't so bad. Especially if you happen to have a friend who will help you pass the hours with some idle fun.

That's what happened to me a few weeks ago. A good buddy of mine was in town for the weekend. And when the weather made sight-seeing a less-than-desirable option, we turned our sights on each other. The rhythm of the rain beating on the windows was a throbbing echo of our own tender passions.

But don't take my word for it. Check out the newest addition to Nakedism's video page and click on Rainy Day Ride. I think you'll agree the damp weather didn't dilute our drive.

Viral video imagines naked gaming parties

A video purporting to document a widespread craze of nude video gaming parties in New York City has received over 100,000 views on YouTube and has been reposted by a number of blogs. But far from being a genuine documentary, the titillating video is merely a viral marketing tool designed to promote Xtendplay, a video game accessory.

The video, titled Nude Gaming Party, is the brainchild of James Percelay and Michael Krivicka of the marketing agency Thinkmodo. The carefully scripted story included a mix of actors, friends of the creators, and extras recruited from a Young Naturists and Nudists America gathering.

As with most viral marketing, the idea is to fool viewers into thinking they are watching something other than a commercial. In fact, however, the video succeeded brilliantly in publicizing Xtendplay, whose Web traffic shot up 41% in one day.

Of course, YouTube videos of naked gamers are nothing new. It's pretty easy to find home productions showing naked young men playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero. But so far, large parties of naked gamers remains the figment of marketers' imaginations.

Vet students carry on naked calendar tradition

Veterinary students at New Zealand's Massey University have a tradition of nude modeling. For the sixth year in a row, third-year vet students will get naked for cameras for their annual "Barely There Calendar."

Although stratetic use of props and positions hide genitalia in the photos, the students are nevertheless completely naked with one another during the photo shoot itself.

It's a "little awkward," commented 21-year old Rosie Keen, one of the students who modeled for the project. "But once you get over the initial stage it turned out to be an awesome day."

The July-to-June calendar raises funds for a student vacation in the North Island's adventure capital of Taupo. In addition, 10% of the money raised will go to the local SPCA to protect animals from abuse and mistreatment.

Massey University, which attracts students from around the globe, is one of the few vet schools outside North America that has received American Veterinary Medical Association accreditation for their veterinary degree. Calendars can be purchased online at the VetCalendar.co.nz site.