Larry Flynt and the Rest of Us
I’ve never been one to criticize Hustler’s Larry Flynt, because at the end of the day, most of us will prostitute ourselves for page views. I guess the above is a business article?
Perhaps I sound erratic on Benjamin Kanarek Blog (BKBlog), criticizing Emmanuelle Alt for not being sensual enough and making the case that sexuality in marketing is spot on when done with class, sensitivity and brand relevance one day — and wondering out loud whether as bloggers and journalists, we have any codes of proper use of nudity on websites the next.
Questions
Are we filtering these articles and images for the search engines (AOC does religiously) or are we just saying f*** it? We all know sex generates Page Views, but I see some fashion bloggers/trendmeisters upping the ante big time the last few weeks.
Gone is the word ‘nudity’ in an advance warming, fewer nsfw, screen captures from videos that take a fashion brand moment on the runway and make it a voyeuristic come-on for page views.
Our use of nudity is not only filtered for the search engines. We advise in advance with a warning, and almost never open with nudity in the two images that comprise the excerpt. We will never use a naked body or nipples for the website lead without an extraordinarily good reason.
The only one that comes to mind was Eniko on NOWNESS because every image involved nudity and selling prestige jewelry, the images were too important to ignore.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
When I look in the mirror, I must answer to myself on this complex issue: when am I cashing in on nudity for web traffic? When am I exploiting the female body, as a person who believes that physicality is not a sin?
Women trust me to make the right decision, to balance their desire for respectability with an exploration of their sensuality. They write me that they have never felt treated so beautifully in their lives as they do on Anne of Carversville. It must be my woman’s touch . . . Or an ounce of ethics.
These images are just another commercialization of women’s bodies . . . A tendency thousands of years old. Mind you, AOC stands for liberalism on nudity, but preferably within a thinking-person’s context. When one purports to write a business article and features Candice Swanepoel nude as the big picture, the website is trolling for page views.
These images are just a gratuitous selling of sex for web traffic, and I don’t believe the strategy will carry the day long-term with an audience that is predominantly female. Alexa.com gender demographics for the two websites validate my point that they shouldn’t piss off the women.
Nudity Is Great When Properly Used
I am the first person to agree that women like and pursue editorials that feature nudity. This is why I’m fighting to put more sensuality in our lives, to open Pandora’s box on these issues.
Ironically, AOC has more gender balance in our readers, because guys actually try to understand my female perspective. More balanced use of nudity and more thoughtful guys relating to ideas and discourse. Interesting factoid.
Importance of Boundaries
Do bloggers have an ethical position of just how far we will go with nudity? Will Alexa.com rank determine the answer? As the competition heats up, will more naked bodies be the headlines — and not the insider content — of fashion blogging websites? Do we have any obligations to take a few moments, trying to search for a model’s name? Or is she just a naked body?
Granted, we all recognize Candice Swanepoel.
Thankfully, at least the name Lise Charmel (image below) is now spelled correctly. On Friday I thought the brand name — Lise Sharmel — didn’t matter at all. The purpose was page views of ti** and not a prestige lingerie brand, whose name could be verified in a 5 second Google search.
We all make mistakes and my own typos have caused private memos from readers asking “how can such a brilliant woman make so many typos”? Because I type 90 wpm, but it’s no excuse.
Nudity As Natural or Intellectual
I predict a sorting out between those of us who do feature nudity with class and to make an intellectual point, while abiding by search engine rules concerning the filtering of images — and those of us who cash in on nipples and naked bodies for page views.
The mantra of Anne of Carversville is ‘telling women’s stories from fashion to flogging’. The good guy/bad guy continuum is much tighter and more closely linked on these topics, than we want to admit — which is why strong support among male readers thrills me.
Most open-minded women want to be honored in our physicality, and not used for purely commercial purposes.
Perhaps the sensitivity tide will rise if we protest against our own kind? Or all we all just pornographers at heart, and let people like me get off our high horses?
To be continued . . . Anne