Erykah Badu to be charged with disorderly conduct for stripping in public for a performance art video shoot

I have never heard of Erykah Badu before. She is a performance artist. She just shoot a music video in the same Dallas plaza where JFK was shoot. Because she stripped naked in public, she is now being charged with disorderly conduct.

The New York Daily News covered this story. What I thought interesting was some of the comments. Here's the story and comments:

Erykah Badu charged with disorderly conduct for stripping in Dallas video shoot for 'Window Seat'
Erykah Badu has come under fire for stripping naked in a Dallas plaza where President Kennedy was shot in 1963 - for a scene in her new video for the song, 'Window Seat.'
Erykah Badu has come under fire for stripping naked in a Dallas plaza where President Kennedy was shot in 1963 - for a scene in her new video for the song, 'Window Seat.'

The singer Erykah Badu has been charged with disorderly conduct by Dallas police after stripping naked in a public square while filming her latest music video...

She can be seen walking through the square removing her t-shirt and pants followed by her underwear, while curious passers-by look on.

The singer then falls to the ground to the sound of a gunshot.

"The City attorney's office and the Dallas Police Department has decided to charge the entertainer known as Erykah Badu with disorderly conduct," a police spokesman said.

"After much discussion we feel that these charges best fit her conduct when she disrobed in a public place without disregard to individuals and small children who were close by."

The police spokesman said they have received calls from people across the country complaining about her behavior and a citation will be issued shortly...

"I would never disrespect JFK," she wrote on Twitter. "his revolutionary thinking is my inspiration. my performance art has been grossly misinterpreted by many."

Here are some interesting comments:

Badu should be ashamed of herself... she knows that black people cannot get away with doing the same thing two white people did and not get in trouble with the law.... I thought she had more sense than that... [Tom's note:Matt and Kim won a MTV award this year by walking in NYC while singing and stripping. They are white.]
Kevin McLean

I believe much ado (no pun intended) is being made over nothing!!! This country is far behind the Europeans re: nudity. If she was grossly over or under weight then I would be offended!! I consider the human body to be a work of art created by God!!!
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jhndgls

Artistically, it was uninteresting. Aesthetically, no thanks. In terms of publicity, cheap and effective. Chief Wiggum says: "Mmmmm, Mama!....I likes what you draggin' in yo' wagon!"
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RedSkyInJuly


Just because it is a music video doesn't mean she is trying to sell sex. She actually IS an artist -- a performance artist whose primary medium is voice/music. Unfortunately, her work is misfiled because of the medium she uses and much of what she does is diminished or ignored. I would be willing to bet that many of the people who have posted are not fully familiar with her music, her art, her message, or her life except on a very superficial level as presented by the media. There is a LOT of nudity in performance art. There is also a LOT of other types of words, activity, and products that incite very strong reactions. Making people think and feel and react is an important part of what an artist does. Many "classic" works in all genres of art were originally dismissed, disrespected, and disdained because they made people -- especially the dull, proper masses of sheep in all classes of society -- feel differently and asked them to think differently...
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Bluejeans

For all the people that didn't get, get this. You won't get. The message is beyond your comprehension. Go sit on your couch and watch TV. The offended people that are in such an uproar, are the same idiots that pay money to go into Lady Bird's fine arts museum and see ancient naked voluptuous white women. Now try to focus, this is art.

She is a super pot head and a nut. She should have gotten a permit and did this on a closed set not out in public and in front of children! She is a mother of 3 children. Would she like it if someone stripped naked in front of them and pretended to be shot in the head?
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LucilleG

5:13:32 PM
Apr 3, 2010

Most of you haven’t even seen the video well I have and first off the song is jamming. Secondly, Erykah is an Artìst and this video will still be watched and appreciated 15 years from now. Also, Erykah’s body is fantastic (she’s had a couple of kids too), so don’t be a hater."

For the full article, click here

Ms. Badu picked the wrong state for her video. Remember, Texas was the state where a school teacher was fired for taking kids to the Dallas Art museum because they saw nude sculptures in the museum. And she even had the parents permission.

What I liked about this story was the "what about the children" angle of the police chief. Obviously most adults could care less, so they have to bring up children since they can't comment that they didn't care either.

Ms. Badu certainly got her 15 minutes of national fame.

As for her art work, time will tell. Don't forget when the Eiffel Tower was originally built, French citizens hated it and wanted it torn down.

I wish her good luck and hope she fights the charges.

Tom Mulhall
Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa
Located in sunny Palm Springs, California
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For more information or reservations, call 800-786-6938

German Naked People artist site

There is an interesting artist side in Germany. You look at a regular clothed person in their everyday work clothes. You click on the person and they morph into being nude.

Above is a picture of Mary Clare in her work clothes.

To see the site click here

Now this type of art project has been done before. But, it is always nice to see normal people being comfortable nude.

The site strips away the stereotype that only "models" can pose nude. Anyone can. Also this site shows that simple nudity does not have to equal sex.

Nudist resorts are the same way. We have guests from all walks of life from 21 to age 80. Tall, short, thin, regular weight, heavy, conservative, liberal, nonpolitical. Anyone can be a nudist. All that is required is that you are a happy person.

Now is the time for your best vacation ever. Go clothes free on vacation. Give us, The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa a call at 800-786-6938.

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Naturist artist gives great explanation for being a nudist

All the way back in cave man days, humans have drawn and painted the naked human body. Above is a painting from one of the grand masters.

An artist is being interviewed and gives a great explanation on the positives aspects of being a nudist or as he prefers to be called naturist.

Here's part of the interview:


"Q: What are the pros and cons of being a nudist?

A: Well, as you might imagine, being a “nudist” is something that is misunderstood, at least here in the U.S. I consider myself a “naturist” – that is, I think of my body and how it’s revealed in the context of a philosophy. Gymnosophy is an actual term that applies the opinion that the human body is inherently wholesome and proper, and that no part of the body is obscene. I believe that there should be no effort to conceal the body except when it is practical (to protect one’s self from the elements, as a consideration to others that are an accepted clothing only area, etc.). There is no practical reason to conceal the body in situations where it is obviously appropriate to do disrobe – at the beach, in the park, in one’s own home with friends and family, etc. If you think about it, wearing clothing does not really conceal what your body looks like. We can all tell – usually – what each other’s bodies look like, and what sex they are, with their clothes on. Clothing doesn’t really hide any personal secrets. There are only two sets of “equipment” for people, and the obsession with hiding our bodies only contributes to – I think – the unhealthy sexualization of so many areas of our culture.


Here are some random thoughts concerning this subject:
- I often use depictions of the human body from art history when instructing my students about their own work and their connection to their artistic ancestors, but, oddly, there is revulsion to the depiction of the body in a more contemporary situation, or a negative reaction when it is discussed that our students use the nude human form as a subject matter...

Since, when it is depicted, it is usually in an overtly sexual context, then that is (wrongly) the only connotation attached to it. I submit that this unhealthy and inconsistent attitude towards the human body is the primary cause of this disturbing attitude; i.e. that nudity equals sex.

- Americans seem to have a particular problem in this area. We seem to be ashamed of, and at the same time, intensively interested in the human body and sexuality. It’s this strange combination of Victorian era mentality coupled with daily use of internet porn...It also turns something that is inherently beautiful and wholesome (sex) and turns it into something that is forbidden and sleazy. There are, as you may know, many areas of the world that do not have this contradictory attitude towards the human body, and consequently these other countries don’t have the problems that Americans have with body/self esteem issues (especially in girls or young women), and don’t have the same problem with sexual crimes and disjointed attitudes (mostly by men) concerning what is proper behavior in a sexual relationship, etc...

- I go to beaches in the summer that are mostly clothing optional, and surprisingly (to an outsider) there are families, adults, children, and older couples – in other words, all kinds of “regular” people. There have been extensive psychological studies that have looked at families where children are raised in a nudist-friendly environment, and they found that these children are just generally more well-adjusted. They have better self esteem, they are better and smarter when in different social situations, and they are more mature and engaged with what his going on around them. In other words, they understand at an early age what is important – it’s not what people look like that matters, it’s what they do...

Most of the “clothed” beaches I go to are rowdier, more sexually charged, louder and more inconsiderate of the situation. At all the nude beaches I go to, they are quieter, more casual, more respectful, etc. More chill, you might say...

In my opinion, fashion is about vanity and shame and living in denial...

Our bodies are amazing machines that are ALWAYS beautiful and proper. An extremely influential American artist and art teacher named Robert Henri said “There is nothing more beautiful or profound or revealing of the laws of nature than the nude human form. It is among all people, not just artists, that a greater appreciation of the nude human form should develop. When we appreciate the nude human form, we will no longer have any shame about it.” He wrote this in 1910.

For the full fascinating interview click here

And if you want to try topless or nude sunbathing at America's most mainstream clothing optional resort and spa, considered one of the 10 best in the world by tripadvisor.com give us The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa a call at 800-786-6938.

Visit our site at http://sunnyfun.com

Hope to see you in sunny Palm Springs!