Weekly Wrap: Feb. 7
This week on Planet Nude: Feeling seen and feeling free, a power dispute in a California nudist camp, and the surprising trope of giant naked women destroying tall buildings
Welcome to this week’s Weekly Wrap! This week dug into nudity and identity, looking at what nudity reveals when it moves past being seen and starts being felt and what happens when that freedom is challenged in real, tangible ways. We explored the cultural legacy of Virgil Tibbs, leaned into the playful trope of giant naked women reshaping cityscapes, and examined the escalating power dispute at Olive Dell Ranch and why access to nude space still matters. Add in new podcast episodes and fresh Strips, and it was quite a week on Planet Nude. Dive in! 🚀
This week on Planet Nude 🪐
Residents of Olive Dell Ranch say their ongoing legal fight with new ownership has escalated after electricity was disconnected at multiple homes, leaving some without hot water or power for medical equipment. The dispute follows a lawsuit challenging a mandatory clothing policy and alleges illegal utility shutoffs intended to pressure tenants during an eviction process. With dozens of plaintiffs and a court date approaching, the conflict raises urgent questions about tenant protections, disability rights, and the future of a 70-year-old naturist community.
A moment of vulnerability becomes a turning point as this story explores what happens when being seen, fully and honestly, stops feeling like a risk and starts feeling like liberation. Centered on real experiences rather than theory, it zeroes in on how nudity, presence, and acceptance can crack open confidence, connection, and a deeper sense of personal freedom in ways that linger long after the moment passes.
🎧 Listen to this article now:
A subtle but important distinction takes shape as this #UndressedThread looks at the difference between feeling comfortable and feeling truly free while nude. Grounded in lived experience, it points to why those two states are not the same, how many nudists get stuck in one but not the other, and what actually changes when nudity moves beyond tolerance into something more embodied and intentional. There is also an opportunity to join in the poll about what nudity means to you.
This book review by Evan Nicks explores John Ball's 1966 detective novel The Cool Cottontail, which transplants iconic detective Virgil Tibbs from the Deep South to a fictional nudist camp in Southern California where a murder has occurred. The piece examines how Ball—a nudist writer himself who published under the pseudonym Donald Johnson—crafted an engaging time capsule of 1960s naturism, complete with thinly veiled references to real clubs like Glen Eden and Oakdale Ranch, while maintaining the dignity and intelligence of one of fiction's first Black detectives.
🎧 Listen to this article now:
Brett Marcella traces a curious pattern he’s noticed in recent comics, where women grow to kaiju size, shed their clothes, and find themselves at the center of both the action and the reaction that follows. Moving from mainstream titles to an indie standout, the article looks at how nudity shifts from a passing gag to a deliberate theme, touching on power, spectacle, public judgment, and what it means to stand exposed—literally and figuratively—while saving a city.
Last week on Planet Nude:
This week on Strips 🚀
By Zaftig Pink
Share the original post:
Sponsored message:
The Planet Nude Sticker Club.
The Planet Nude Sticker Club is a monthly mail drop surprise package of all kinds of nude-centric merch and miscellany. For just $12/month great way to support Planet Nude and get fun handcrafted stuff delivered to your mailbox every month, the old school way. 🐌 ✉️
New podcasts this week 🎧
In part two, Helen and Professor Annebella Pollen discuss the feminist history of naturism and why women remain central to the movement. Pollen highlights how early female pioneers—as thinkers, creators, and club owners—worked to dismantle social barriers. The conversation bridges the gap between the 1920s and today, examining persistent issues of body representation alongside modern challenges like social media hostility and the community's culture of mutual respect.
Listen to more:
The Naturist Vibe
In Episode 34 of The Naturist Vibe, hosts Gabby and Dan chart the shifting terrain of modern nudism through platform updates and cultural analysis. They announce Doff Social, a new space designed to bypass big tech restrictions, and celebrate legal victories for nudist rights in Seattle and Arizona. The conversation pivots to critiques of Kevin Hart’s viral mockery of nudist colonies and Chapell Roan’s controversial Grammy look. Ultimately, the hosts argue against the policing of bodies and champion nudity as an ethical, community-driven lifestyle rather than a mere spectacle.
Still in rotation:
Recent posts from 1 Naturist Life
In this article by Dustin Cox, the naturist community is urged to move beyond body positivity toward body neutrality—shifting from "I am beautiful" to "I am here." He argues that the pressure to love your appearance is just another form of self-monitoring, and suggests that focusing on function over form creates a more inclusive space where the goal isn't to feel empowered about being naked, but simply to forget you're thinking about your body at all.
That’s a wrap
That officially wraps up this week! Join us next Saturday for more insights and stories from the week ahead. 🪐