Comments on: Spencer Tunick Shoots 18,000 Naked Mexicans

Spencer Tunick Shoots 18,000 Naked Mexicans

ZenMasterThis — Mon, 07 May 2007 05:55:08 -0800

18,000 naked Mexicans can't be wrong.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 05:59:27 -0800

Then the INS showed up and thanked them for preparing for the strip search.

By: DU

DU — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:00:06 -0800

A single link MetaFilter post can be, though.

By: davehat

davehat — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:07:07 -0800

DU: what did you want, a dissertation?

By: chrismear

chrismear — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:09:08 -0800

I just head-pronounced 'mexicocity' to rhyme with 'viscosity', and I think I prefer it that way.

By: mendel

mendel — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:17:19 -0800

I never would have discovered this "Reuters" if not for this post.

By: lostburner

lostburner — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:21:33 -0800

18,000 naked Mexicans are, on the whole, a lot paler than I expected. And doing this in front of a cathedral is kind of weird.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:22:29 -0800

I just head-pronounced 'mexicocity' to rhyme with 'viscosity', and I think I prefer it that way. Taco Bell burritos have now reached 30% mexicocity.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:30:13 -0800

Well, he beat my naked Mexican record.

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:36:19 -0800

I never would have discovered this "Reuters" if not for this post. Fine, but tell me with a straight face that this isn't the best of the web.

By: DU

DU — Mon, 07 May 2007 06:46:10 -0800

:| This isn't the best of the web. :|

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:01:22 -0800

DU... hmm... having a bad day...?

By: DU

DU — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:04:04 -0800

No.... This is just dumb. LOLMEXICANS?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:04:14 -0800

Nothing a few naked Mexicans couldn't cure.

By: rolypolyman

rolypolyman — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:18:24 -0800

I've never really understood the appeal of these mass nude photos... they've always seemed a lot more like a PR stunt. But I have to admit the very distant shot showing a pale, square crowd was kind of neat.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:23:59 -0800

Why would anyone be LOLing? Spencer Tunick's work is world-famous and people love being included in it because though one is just a faceless blip in the sea of bodies, the actual experience of being nude in such a large group with no sexual motivations is a very human experience. My favorite is his cover of POZ Magazine, in which all of the participants were HIV positive. The documentary about the shoot, "Positively Naked", was incredibly heartbreaking, as people in every possible stage of the disease tell their stories about the shoot.

By: Grod

Grod — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:29:28 -0800

Does anyone else find it weird that not having clothes on can be considered dehumanizing and detrimental to dignity? now being really, really fat is undignified *ducks*

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:29:57 -0800

the actual experience of being nude in such a large group with no sexual motivations is a very human experience. Um, dude, come on. It's art and all that shit, but do really think that a lot of the people aren't there to ogle nuditity for the off-chance of getting laid?

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:32:48 -0800

I think Tunick takes a concept that could indeed be a very callous PR stunt in another's hands and really imbues it with something special. What's more, it's very difficult to arrange such large-scale shoots without having the weight of a corporate advertising budget behind you. The photo on his main page, for example, just boggles my mind, and knowing that anyone is welcome to participate just adds a layer to my thoughts about it, as I try to imagine what it must have felt like to be in that sea of people.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:36:58 -0800

What's more, it's very difficult to arrange such large-scale shoots without having the weight of a corporate advertising budget behind you. Probably not as hard as you'd imagine. If the amount of homemade nudie pix online is anything to go by. tehre's an awful lot of exhibitionists out there, and with the added bonus of getting to look at other naked people, this is a great way to bring them out.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:39:57 -0800

It doesn't work that way, jon. The people show up early, are assigned spots, wait around for a long time, get shuffled back and forth, and when everything is all arranged, THEN they are asked to strip, their clothes are collected for the duration of the shoot. When Tunick's got his shots, the clothes are redistributed and everyone is done. If it doesn't sound very sexy, it's because it isn't, really. It's very mechanical and meticulous, just like nudity in films, though people's enjoyment of it certainly varies from one person to the next. Besides, if you wanted to ogle nudity, why would you go to all the trouble of getting into a Tunick shoot? That's what the internet is for.

By: pfafflin

pfafflin — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:40:47 -0800

As far as commercial influence, there is a pretty rad Vaseline commercial that homages Tunick (at least I don't think he had anything to do with it) ... the choreography is beautiful. (There's also some making of clips that gives some insight into what it could be like behind the scenes at one of his shoots here and here).

By: zorro astor

zorro astor — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:48:04 -0800

I didn't see any boobies. :-(

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:56:13 -0800

18,000 naked Mexicans can't be wrong. NO. 18,000 NAMED MEXICANS IS VERY WRONG.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:56:53 -0800

NAMED JOSE.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:57:06 -0800

OR MAYBE JESUS.

By: magullo

magullo — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:57:11 -0800

Clueless

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:57:13 -0800

OSCAR, EVEN.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 07:59:02 -0800

the lady in the third picture of magullo's link has a nice tush. just saying.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:12:32 -0800

We should do this at the next meet-up.

By: Wonderwoman

Wonderwoman — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:19:29 -0800

christ, what an asshole.

By: veggieboy

veggieboy — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:26:25 -0800

The Mexico City Missed Connections on Craigslist should be a laugh after this. "All I saw was your ass . . ."

By: veggieboy

veggieboy — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:28:47 -0800

Eh, there are probably a lot of Missed Connections like that on there already.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:32:52 -0800

18,000? Yet Metafilter had 50,000+ members? hmmm.....

By: jacquilynne

jacquilynne — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:43:01 -0800

The coolest thing about the photos on the AP story is the thousands of naked people surrounded by thousands of piles of clothing. I wonder how many of those people are going to end up going home in someone else's pants?

By: sciurus

sciurus — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:09:29 -0800

I've been in Zocalo Square and I've posed naked for Spencer Tunick. What do I win?

By: GrammarMoses

GrammarMoses — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:22:18 -0800

The euphemism for nakedness should now be changed from "birthday suit" to "Spencer tunic."

By: lapolla

lapolla — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:27:07 -0800

ah, grammar moses. that is brilliant

By: chundo

chundo — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:27:45 -0800

Tunick's web site is designed by Wang Media.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:42:20 -0800

I'm picturing the Missed Connections section of the paper now... "I saw you across the square. I caught your eye. You smiled & I sensed a spark so I smiled back. Then we lost eachother in the crowd. I was the naked Mexican guy..."

By: inigo2

inigo2 — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:51:53 -0800

Did you know in Mexico, it's just called "food"?

By: voltairemodern

voltairemodern — Mon, 07 May 2007 10:33:24 -0800

What if they disagree with 19,000 naked mexicans?

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 07 May 2007 10:59:04 -0800

do really think that a lot of the people aren't there to ogle nuditity for the off-chance of getting laid? And now you know exactly why you're never invited to those kinds of parties.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:00:43 -0800

Yeah, it's all about art, maaaan.

By: Charles Wilson

Charles Wilson — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:01:25 -0800

When I read that article, my first thought was "I bet that smelled bad."

By: jeffburdges

jeffburdges — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:08:28 -0800

I find large groups of naked people quite cool, especially in conservative countries. Thanks! I met lots of way cool Mexican's but I rarely find Mexican women attractive, just a little too chubby. Mexico, England, and the U.S. maybe have similar average fatness. But there are plenty of hotties in England and the U.S. while I find that Mexican girls have less weight variance. Or maybe it's just my friends.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:34:52 -0800

There are even more hotties in England when people have their mouths closed. [not British dental hygiene-ist] And lotsa hotties in France if you're out of olfactory range! [not French B.O.-ist]

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:40:19 -0800

you forgot Poland.

By: cell divide

cell divide — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:42:04 -0800

great shots. viva mexico!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 12:01:56 -0800

Also, isn't anybody worried these people are going to cross the border and take jobs away from Naked Americans?

By: Citizen Premier

Citizen Premier — Mon, 07 May 2007 12:09:51 -0800

Did you know in Mexico, it's just called "food"? Not only that, but in Mexico, Mexicans are just called "people."

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Mon, 07 May 2007 12:38:20 -0800

Not only that, but in Mexico, Mexicans are just called "people." Really? Just in Mexico?

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Mon, 07 May 2007 12:51:59 -0800

jeffb-- I am fascinated. Please tell me more, lots more, about your preferences regarding Mexican's women's.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Mon, 07 May 2007 12:57:57 -0800

Do you know that in Brazil, Brazil nuts are just called nuts. Actually, that's not true at all. They're called castanhas-do-Pará. I suspect in Pará, they're called castanhas-do-Julio. I suspect Julio calles them mis-castanhas.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:00:46 -0800

In France? French fries aren't even called FRIES! wtf?

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:03:43 -0800

Where I live they call sprinkles "jimmies". And they call jimmies "willies". Advise, please.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:04:11 -0800

Not only that, but in Mexico, Mexicans are just called "people." Surely it's puebla.

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:15:15 -0800

So where do women from Iceland, Sri Lanka or New Zealand "fit" (haha!) on this continuum? I'd really like to establish a "fattie" scale which will enable my fat married US ass to summarily mock all but the very hottest women from around the world.

By: bigbigdog

bigbigdog — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:24:44 -0800

60,000 Naked Hoosiers

By: Dataphage

Dataphage — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:28:53 -0800

Mexican's women's what?

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:32:41 -0800

Preguntate el jeffo.

By: dov3

dov3 — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:43:31 -0800

jeffbirdges, it's your friends. I know many, many Mexican women and plenty are very good looking, especially if they are naked in the middle of Zocalo.

By: nax

nax — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:21:51 -0800

One-link or not, whatever your opinion of the project, this link and the comments were completely worth it for producing the new word, "mexicocity." In order to shop in my neighborhood you need to speak Spanish, because of the degree of mexicocity. chrismear, thank you thank you thank you.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:28:15 -0800

Actually, it is a really great word. Second best one I've heard this month. The first being a word I overheard when I stopped on my way down to LA for a bite to eat. The woman at the table next to me was clearly drunk & was trying to say "flustered" and "frustrated" at the same time. She said "flustrated." Totally rolls off the tongue, don't it? She had no idea she had said a non-word, nor did her friend. But I quickly wrote it down & declared it a brilliant addition to my vocabulary, which now contains "Mexicocity" too. Yay!

By: CrazyLemonade

CrazyLemonade — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:29:56 -0800

jeffburdges, you've obviously never met a girl from Monterrey.

By: ethnomethodologist

ethnomethodologist — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:31:17 -0800

Then the INS showed up and thanked them for preparing for the strip search. Why (and HOW) would INS show up? They're in Mexico. Unless there's something called "INS" there. Enlighten me.

By: Citizen Premier

Citizen Premier — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:42:11 -0800

Then the INS showed up and thanked them for preparing for the strip search. Every Mexican is a potential illegal immigrant*. We must prepare ourselves for the worst! *except for those who are light skinned, and speak English with an American accent.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:01:51 -0800

Um, you two, it's called 'satire.'

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:05:32 -0800

(by which I mean that anyone with the IQ of a houseplant can tell I was poking fun at both the current US paranoia about immigration and the fact that it's a big bunch of naked people, so I assume you just felt like getting indignant for no particular reason) (of course, if you are both houseplants, I apologize to you and all Botanical-Americans everywhere)

By: stackmonster

stackmonster — Tue, 08 May 2007 04:05:41 -0800

eh, i like it.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Tue, 08 May 2007 05:55:09 -0800

Even my ficus snickered.

By: Muddler

Muddler — Tue, 08 May 2007 06:10:11 -0800

"Hi, I'm Spencer Tunick! I'm a one trick kinda guy, and I got famous for making people get Nekid! I've never branched out from this one concept - people getting Nkid, and I make my living from getting more and more people Nekid with each outing. Talent? Originality? I don't really need 'em. I just need Nekid, Nekid, Nekid!" "Hi Spencer, I'm Nekid! I don't know why I'm Nekid, but I think I need validation in my life and 15 minutes of obscure fame! Can I feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself (even though it isn't)- that's a bit risky (even thought it isn't), that's NEKID (which it IS!)??!!! I'll buy one of your books and a print of this shot if I can, thus keeping you in cash. I'll also tell all my friends seeking validation, a sense of community, etc. etc. and next time the'll get Nekid with you too!" "Hi Spencer, hi Nekid, I'm searching for porn on the Internets. I know you say this photography isn't about sex, but it sure seems like it - either that, or like a bunch of Nekid corpses, which is creepy at best, not really thought provoking. I, like most people that look at your photos, am really just looking for Nekid people and you keep delivering! Thanks, Spencer, and Nekid, I want you to know that the minutes of elicit pleasure you helped give me before work this morning was well worth digging through Spencer's photos until I saw a clear shot of your ass."

By: IndpMed

IndpMed — Tue, 08 May 2007 17:25:59 -0800

I'm trying to find the right words to convey I agree with Muddler's comments or quotes. This is all I got: Tunick = tool.