The Century Project Weathers a Storm

Dr. Paul Rapoport chronicles the obsession of Oklahoma State University professer John Foubert with Frank Cordelle's "The Century Project".

Although images of nudity may occasionally surprise, confuse, or bother some people, and individuals may misuse some, naturists need to oppose the claim that the existence or viewing of such images causes or increases sexual violence or crime. Countering it may be a tough task. But the mythology and censorship surrounding nudity, especially the non-sexualized variety in naturism, are large and hysterical, and as disturbing as John Foubert’s fabrications and bullying.

You can read Dr. Rapoport's full article here, published in the latest issue of "Nude and Natural" magazine.

The Century Project Comes to Oregon

Dr. Paul Rapoport passed on this article about Frank Cordelle's The Century Project, which is supportive, but the real interest is in the comments, which reek of vitriol and ignorance. A taste:

At its root, the pornography industry and those who sell access to pictures of women's naked bodies is about making money without regard for the consequences to the objectified images it deals in. The pictures you are selling access to continue to convince people that women and girls images can be bought and sold. That is evil. That harms the society in which we live. Please stop.

This comment is from John Forbert, who apparently has tried to block every exhibition of the project, all unsuccessfully. It's sad that so many people view any image of a nude child as being either pornographic or exploitative, and it's indicative of a society which has sexualized and objectified the human body to unhealthy levels.

UNC Wilmington Bans The Century Project

In a stunning display of ignorance, the Provost of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has banned all photos of females under the age of 18 from being displayed as part of Frank Cordelle's The Century Project exhibition, scheduled to begin next week. The University is the only organization to ban any of the photos in the 18 year history of the project.

It has been reported that the ban took effect after a complaint was lodged by someone in Oklahoma.

What does the book's publisher think of the ban? Dr. Paul Rapoport of Heureka Productions states, "UNCW was misinformed about The Century Project. It should have done some easy homework, to learn what the Project is and does. The Project has captivated and helped tens of thousands of people."

"What about the University's prior commitment to The Century Project?" asks Dr. Rapoport. "And freedom of expression and inquiry? Also, by banning all the photos of the under 18s, the University indicates they may be pornographic or illegal, which they aren't. That's unjust.

"UNCW's unnecessary censorship does violence to The Century Project. It's deplorable, coming from a university."