manxcat
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Exhibitionism is not necessarily about nudity, nor negative, as *society* seems to view it. It is about attention seeking, albeit sometimes in negative ways. Many performance artists and actors/actresses are exhibitionists, while equally as many are shy.
Encarta dictionary came up with exhibitionism
ex·hi·bi·tion·ism
noun
Definition:
1. attention-seeking: loud, exaggerated, or boastful behavior designed to attract attention
2. exposing of the genitals: a psychological disorder causing a compulsion to show the genitals in public
hmm don't like that one
let's see what dictionary.com has to say
ex⋅hi⋅bi⋅tion⋅ist
–noun 1. a person who behaves in ways intended to attract attention or display his or her powers, personality, etc. 2. Psychiatry. a person afflicted with the compulsions of exhibitionism.
ok that is better
to attract attention and display....
so that makes comedians, etc, exhibitionists, doesn't it?
I looked in several other dictionaries, and most do not qualify the genital exposure defiintion as a psychiatric term. Some do use a similar difinition of attention seeking. As a performance artist, I am an exhibitionist. And I have rarely looked at it in a negative sense.
If one gets a sexual thrill from it, especially nudity, in *inappropriate* settings, it is considered an aberration or disorder.
Many people get the wrong idea about nudists. I had some friends who were trying to get up a swinging club. Now I was not interested in that, but they offered to pay me to go and do body painting at the event, which was held at a nudist camp. I had always been interested in going to one, so I accepted, without pre-conceived notions as to what sort of people would be there. Imagine this, people of all ages, sizes, colors, and incomes. There were kids there too.
Not a hard-on in sight, and I am willing to bet that the pussies weren't wet either.
What my friends discovered was that it was not about a sexual thrill at being naked, (and did not find a singe person interested in swinging) but the freedom of being naked outdoors WITHOUT a lot of judgmental gawkers.
I ended up living there for three months. It was totally awesome, and I still have friends from there. I got to ride my Harley naked too. ;;-)))
I learned that clothing is an ornament, like jewelry, that distracts from who a person is. Hair can act in the same way, as i discovered when I had my head shaved. Now that was a cry for attention. But I ended up learning a lot about myself, and others as a result. But I digress.
I enjoy the power of being clothed while *he* is naked. I also enjoy being naked, and there is power in that as well, or all those dancers would not make a dime. For me nudity is usually about the freedom. To feel the sun, rain, or wind on my skin, to become almost one with what nature was offering.
When I modeled for the drawing class, more than one person assumed I was just some crazy white bitch that wanted to show her body to indians. It was at the time, my only income. At 20$ an hour, it paid my bills, for a few hours a week.
When I compete in a Poetry Slam, or other speech competition, I am an exhibitonist, as I am attracting attention to my work, my skill as a poet, as a public speaker, and as one with knowledge to impart. When I win, it is that much better. But I do't necessarily need to announce that win. And while I may have a feeling akin to sexual arousal, it is not about sex at all. It is about showing my worth in other areas.
Just sayin'
manxy
edited cuz a definition got lost
< Message edited by manxcat -- 9/1/2009 7:20:11 PM >
_____________________________
The television, that insidious beast, that Medusa which freezes a
billion people to stone every night, staring fixedly,
that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little.
Ray Bradbury
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RE: What is it about Exhibitionism? - 
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