What would pornographic images on barrel bags do to our sports credibility?

[synreal]

well then sam, i guess we'll just have to agree to disagree and that you're wrong ; )

in our private lives, with our partners, i do agree that Americans treat their sexualality in a similar fashion to many other european cultures, but as a country, how we treat it outwardly is far and away much different. we have buckets more people with eating disorders and other body dismorphic conditions per capita as a result a systemically ingrained shame that our culture puts on people and their looks/desires.

i'm perfectly comfortable with myself and what i feel like doing in my "private" life, but became interested in, and did a good chunk on research the subject when i almost lost a loved one to bulimia a few years back.

in other news, who would have thought that a thread about boobs printed on cloth would have started an actual discussion

[ghideon]

I'll have to disagree with shartley as well. Certianly where I live it's more liberal than most places, but I think the general American populace IS a bunch of prudes. The fact that we're actually having a discussion on this should prove that all is not well.

[KamikazeChiKenz]

It could hurt the sport but its not like its a jersey now is it? Also I think if its going to be seen by a lot of people then person w/ said barrel bag will have the sense not to show it to "the public". Also this is in Europe. I say let them have their barrel bag. It is your choice whether or not to buy it.

[dre1919]

This IS an interesting discussion, and I agree with parts of both synreal's and shartleys opinions. I think that a lot of opinions and actions people do in their lives are based on the puritanical views we've gotten handed down from generation to generation. When I was little, it wouldn't have been acceptable to be sitting in my room looking at a Playboy magazine. Why not? I had reached puberty, I would have been in private, and Playboy is a magazine that most would consider pretty tame by adult magazine standards. It shows naked women seductively, but Hustler or Genesis it's not. However, this still would have made my Mom gasp and would have caused a huge stir.

I think that even though the location was appropriate, and the material wasn't something that should be considered offensive, I would have still gotten punished because I had something "dirty." I know most people's parents would have done the same thing. Right there it shows we have a different attitude about nudity and sex than Europe and for different reasons. In Europe, a twelve year old boy sees a woman's breasts on TV it isn't a big deal...that's part of a woman. But here, it's a big deal for me to see them in a magazine...it always has been. We're getting better about it than we have been in the past, but we still consider nudity a big deal in all phases of life.

So my point is similar to synreal's...our opinions and reactions to these things come more from our forefathers views more than our own. I still think there is personal choices involved, but your first initial reaction comes from what you were taught. It's like the bad language thing...I too cuss like a sailor at all times. It makes me laugh because I get irritated when I go to a reastaurant and invaribly have a family seated by me and my friends. Right there, my first reaction is to watch my language around that family's kids. Then I stop and think: why? Why should it matter to me? I don't consider "foul language" foul...I know that when I have kids I'll let them cuss at home because to do otherwise would be hypocritical IMO. But yet, even if I did let them cuss I probably wouldn't allow them to when their grandparents come over out of respect to their ways. Growing up, cussing was "bad behavior" as most are taught so that's where my initial reaction to the family sitting next to me comes from.

I just wanted to say to me it's these teachings and beliefs that have fostered the "Americans are prudish" view into the world, but with each passing generation getting more lax on these issues we're building a more open opinion.

[ShooterJM]

Well, I personally think they're fine as long as common sense is exercised. But it will probably end up falling on the shoulders of field owners.

On a side note, did anyone else just kinda chuckle a bit at the appropriateness when they first saw nudity on a barrel condom.

[shartley]

[Jack_Dubious]

You can turn on the TV and watch numerous people getting murdered, or play video games where the object is to kill people......but once a bare breast is on the screen...Whoah!!! Call a censor!! You cant have kids exposed to that!!! They might grow up and become perverts.

Anyways I do feel our country has some prudish views when it comes to nudity. But naked girls on a barrel condom, or gear bag, or whatever...is just kinda immature. As for hurting paintball...i doubt it, there are numerous issues that hurt the image of paintball...and nudity isnt one of them...

JDub

[ogre55]

Originally posted by Jack_Dubious
[B]You can turn on the TV and watch numerous people getting murdered, or play video games where the object is to kill people......but once a bare breast is on the screen...Whoah!!! Call a censor!! You cant have kids exposed to that!!! They might grow up and become perverts.

Ain't hypocrisy grand?

So let's recap. Mangled body on film = GOOD (or at least acceptable) Nudity = BAD.

Seriously though, for better or for worse, this is the state of public perception and what should and should not be public. I think it's fairly obvious to all the these products should not be flaunted on American fields. Whether they will or they won't is another story.

Ogre

[dre1919]

Originally posted by shartley

Well said Sam. I don't think they'll hurt the sport at all. I mean, look at the NFL. Are the Philadelphia Eagles or the NFL as a whole hurt by the fact the Eagles Cheerleaders now sell a lingerie calender? No. Personally, I could care less whether people have these barrel condoms or not. If that's what they like, more power to them, but they would have to expect a reaction here in the US for whatever reason. I just think it's good the choice is there if that's what your into.

[MantisMag]

i'll have to say that for the most part americans are fairly liberal when in private but there are still a considerable number of prudish people. i won't compare the numbers to europe because i haven't been there.

as for the barrel condoms/blocking devices i don't see a problem as long as they stay in europe. as was said before nudity is not a big deal over there.

on a side note. isn't it funny that it's not considered nudity until we see nipple? when 99% of the breast is exposed it's still ok as long as we don't see that tip, or any part of the areolae(sp?). i even saw bare breast on an old episode of xena. they digitally removed the nipples so it was ok for tv. censors are so weird.

[magman007]

Originally posted by Kevmaster
I spent a summer in Spain a couple of years ago...at age 16 i could go into a strip club, i could purchase "Elle" and other mags which were full of nudity (including the cover). And its not like they just dont check IDs, its that they ALLOW it!


Europe also differs in drinking laws....I could drink...legally thre too

Now kev, as many of you know, i am in chile, and i am experiencing the same things. I think, as a guy, its cool that people are open about these things.

But the thing is, even tho it is for europe, who is to say it wont show up in the usa? some guy who thinks he is cool orders it from europe, and decides to use it infront of jonnie 12 yearold newbie... that just isnt right.


Also, what if it shows up in magazine coverage of the mellenium series? a big picture of say the Ton Tons, and you see this barrel condom bag etc on there? what will people think? what do you think?

What if a mother opens up this coppy of apg whih so happens to have the theorhetical tontons isue, and she sees this, that would probabally mean no more paintball for jonnie

[hitech]

Originally posted by shartley
Time and place? time and place?.. and paintball is neither the time nor place for pornography.

I think that says it all. It really is about time and place. Hopefully, "common" sense tells you when it is the right time and place.

[Mr Pink]

If you think Censors in the US are weird - check out Japan, they have stuff that makes me squirm, and yet are still prudish about others!

Gotta love the differences between countries It'd be boring travelling otherwise.

[cledford]

I think that this is very interesting as the Europeans often look down their noses at us because of our full-auto, camo-wearing, "militaristic looking" marker ways.

Honestly, I wish I had a buck for ever overt or veiled comment they make over there about choices we're free to make here putting "their" sport in a bad light - funny how they don't look it at the same when it is the other way around.

No offense Simon, I'm not saying everyone from that neck of the woods is like that, but I've just seen to many comments that made me mad to not say anything.

-Calvin

[halB]

its acceptable over there, but not over here, therefore as long as it stays over there its not gonna damage our sport at all. a topless chick isnt something too awful big over there. and yes, despite what that old windbag did say, america IS uptight, we come damn close to the taliban sometimes in our censorship and so forth. now then, we've made some strides in recent times, we do have nudity in movies and on special cable shows now, and someday we will be like europe. but still, we aint too far from the days when the producers of gone with the wind were fined 500 dollars for saying the word "damn" by the movie ethics committee.


got off point there... bottomline, more pornography, less punks in ghillie suits!