Clothing and Nudity Taboos
Clothing and Nudity Taboos
First Published in the Equestrian Journal of Sociology and Equinology (August 1217, Issue 6750, Page 14)
Twilight Sparkle
It is said that Equestria has no nudity taboo.
In fact this is not true. The unstated social paradigm is that Equestria has no nudity taboo - or, more accurately, the social paradigm fails to address the subject of nudity entirely as, until recently, our society was generally unaware of the concept of a nudity taboo. It was only the arrival of the human, with his alien shape and unusual habits, that prompted any real discussion of even the idea of nudity in a social setting.
Bellerophon’s appearance on its own does not excite a great deal of interest. He shares some anatomical similarities with the great apes, especially the Zebrican Gracile Plains Ape, Pan pediobates, and both his unusual body structure and means of locomotion identify him as a creature unlike any most ponies might experience, yet in other respects he is similar enough to other more familiar species for this difference to be accepted. It was the small behaviours – the details of his interactions with other ponies – that singled him out as truly alien.
Of these behaviours, the most obvious and most remarked upon is that he wears clothing for so much of the day[1]. At a superficial level this is perceived to be an amusement and a curiosity that is soon dismissed. Sometimes, however, it raises more profound interest; why does he hide his body so?
With the concomitant but seldom-asked question: why do we not? And is it even true that we do not?
In fact, ponies regularly adorn their bodies with clothing to various degrees, and for varying periods of time. Most commonly ponies will wear accoutrements for a special occasion, such as a party, birthday or other group celebration, or even for no reason at all. Clothing in this role serves as a marker of social respect for an occasion, or just an opportunity to ‘show off’ in some way, to highlight some element of form, or for display, in much the same way a griffon might dye her feathers or a dragon might adorn himself with prized items from his hoard.
In the context of social gatherings, clothing and social hierarchy appear to be quite closely linked. Indeed, the more formal and ostentatious the event, the more elaborate the clothing becomes. No pony would ever attend the Grand Galloping Gala unadorned, for all that it’s just a large, rather sedate social gathering, yet many of those who fuss and preen for hours over their costumes will gladly attend a private birthday party in little more than a collar and tie, or nothing at all.
In the broader context, clothing again appears to play a prominent role in social hierarchy. A visit to Canterlot would confirm that many ponies walking the streets on a day to day basis are clothed the majority of the time. Many do not rise to more than the same collar and tie, a hat, or perhaps a frock, but the number of extremely elaborate costumes on display can be intimidating for those not used to the sight.
Detailed observation reveals a particular pattern in the way clothing is employed in such situations. Taking a brief overview of few examples we can begin to form a model of the way clothing is employed by particular social strata.[2] Generally speaking clothing falls into two uses: practical or functional; and decorative or non-functional.
Typically the more laborious and menial occupations require ponies to forgo clothing, except where they would require protective clothing such as overalls, or some sort of uniform. Often uniforms are limited to decorative clothing, but they perform a functional role in identifying the affiliation of the wearer and possibly their occupation.
Work overalls and protective clothing tend to be worn outside of work environments, but are typically perceived as ‘dirty’ or malodorous. The impression most ponies form when they see such clothing is usually quite negative[3] but tempered by the belief that necessity requires such clothing be worn.
The turn to clothing as more decorative comes with employment in secondary or service industries. Uniforms are often worn but they are, again, perceived as a necessary evil, a price to be paid for a higher income, and occasionally a small provision against environmental conditions. Most ponies working in the more service-oriented industries will forgo all but the most basic of decorative clothing.
As we climb the income ladder and find ourselves entering the wealthier and more influential social brackets, clothing begins to appear less optional, much more formal and, in particular, increasingly non-functional. Regular attendance at social events amongst high income earners places them under a requirement to be clothed on a more regular basis, and often such ponies may choose to wear clothes every day as a symbol of their wealth and social standing. Non-functional clothing worn on a regular basis would then seem to indicate a belief that a pony is part of a particular social stratum that is often perceived, rightly or wrongly, as ‘up and coming’ or, instead perhaps, ostentatious and overtly flaunting acquired wealth and status.
From here it might be expected that the trend is toward more and more elaborate clothing as we climb social ranks to the nobility and senior members of government. Instead the reverse appears to be the case. In the environment of Canterlot there is a clearly visible fashion toward reduced use of clothing once again, and such clothing as is worn tends to be extremely minimalist and decorative, a trend mirrored by – or mirroring – the lower social strata. Often the only discernible difference is the quality of materials used and the prevalence of jewellery, particularly worn on the head and horn.
At the very pinnacle of our social hierarchy we find the Princesses, who are seldom, if ever, seen wearing anything but their royal garb.
From this we can draw a few initial conclusions.
Social standing and clothing are not simply correlated. The use of clothing seems to peak around the upper middle class and tails off sharply after that point toward a minimalist position, possibly influenced by the minimalism of the diarchy’s choice of adornment.
The lower and upper classes tend to dress similarly, though whether this is a result of the upper classes attempting to present a ‘working class chic’, or whether the lower social strata are attempting to mimic the nobility, is unclear, and there is not room for a detailed study at this point.
In addition the upper-middle class, particularly those ascending to the so-called ‘new rich’, are perceived in a fairly negative light by both the nobility and the lower classes[4].
From this we may finally conclude that the use of clothing itself, rather than any particular concern over nudity, might generate confusion when faced with a creature that tends toward the regular use of clothing in a manner that doesn’t appear to match its perceived social standing.
As a being that chooses to wear clothing whenever possible, Bellerophon stands as a prominent example of this. As his reputation spread, so too did a confusion about his appearance which, in many cases, was rationalised as an aversion to his culturally-influenced choice to remain clothed in situations where most ponies would wear little or nothing at all.
However, it appears possible – indeed likely – that the superficial rejection of his choice is less to do with misunderstanding of his cultural background and as much to do with a subconscious belief that he is attempting to appear ‘above his station’. That is, by wearing clothing, yet finding employment in obviously low-skilled work as a ‘handy man’, the human is perceived to be attempting to appear to be more than he is, and thus generating a subconscious hostility in other ponies that is translated into a conscious discomfort of his apparent taboo.
Such an attitude might be thought less prevalent amongst the wealthier sections of society, particularly those whose contact with Bellerophon is through his second occupation as soulageur de la musculature, particularly as such an occupation might be expected to require the use of clothing purely for the sake of cleanliness and decorum.
Nevertheless, studies suggest the same superficial taboo confusion is quite prevalent amongst ponies in the more affluent social strata. Perhaps surprisingly the greatest hostility is found amongst the lower or ‘junior’ nobility and the upper-middle class, particularly those who have only had a passing interaction with the human. Based on the prior trends it would be tempting to assume that those who wore the most clothing for the most time would sympathise most with a ‘fellow traveller’, yet it appears not to be the case.
The so-called senior nobility, Tarry’s ‘aristocratic welly-wearers’[5], are again surprisingly, the least hostile of all the groupings studied. Rather than hostility or confusion, instead they express intrigue and fascination with the ‘unusual’ and contradictory behaviour of the human, considering it a novelty and a ‘delightfully entertaining lark’.
This hostility and fascination seem to stem, once again, from the perception of the role of the human in society, and his choice of clothing defying that role rather than defining it. In this case we see the belief that Bellerophon is not carrying himself with suitable respect for his profession by wearing the clothing resembling that of menial labour. The social contradiction of a fashionable desire to be serviced by an extremely talented individual and an equally fashionable desire to reject or otherwise highlight his socially offensive manner of dress creates a pressure both to react, and to generate a justification for that reaction.
In one hoof, we have a group that seeks conformity of behaviour for the sake of social cohesion and mutual benefit. In the other we find a group that derives benefit and raised standing from its denial of the very conformist social order from which it sprang. In both cases the reaction has the same essential root: discomfort with a perceived outlier.
In passing it should be mentioned, purely as an anecdotal aside, that Lero has expressed the belief that his most favourable customers are work ponies and the same senior nobility; the former are practical and willing to accept him based on pragmatic necessity, whilst the latter appear to be genuinely interested in Lero as an individual. In contrast his least favourable customers are those whose position in high society is the most precarious.[6]
Yet where does this leave the question of clothing in Equestrian society? Clearly we are not, as is often claimed, a species with no nudity taboo. On the contrary, many parts of our society have complex rules about what clothing should be worn, and when, without the contextual restraint of health or work requirements dictating those rules. And whilst there is no moral or legal requirement to remain clothed at all times, there appear to be a large number of informal social requirements trending toward that same state of affairs.
Such requirements already dictate notions of propriety and acceptable behaviour within society. To be considered a member of the industrial middle classes, the nouveau-riche, or to be accepted at particular social events, one must not only be of a certain wealth, one must also engage in the appropriate social behaviours - including modes of dress, both inside and outside the context of those events and social groupings. It is quite easy to see a path from this set of circumstances to a set where clothing is considered a necessary, permanent requirement of continued membership of society.
Where fashion leads, propriety often follows. It is said that we make virtue of necessity, but as appears to be the case with clothing, necessity is sometimes made of virtue. It is entirely possible to see how a nudity taboo could develop within a society such as our own, when the choices of the most influential social strata become the means by which socially acceptable behaviours are defined.
Dr Twilight Sparkle
Professor Honoraris
Hocksford University (Coltsfield College) Department of Sociology
[1] Hooves, Spangle and Theroy, Public and social attitudes toward novel species in the context of clothing (Seams and Seats - the national journal of dressmakers, designers, tailors and cutters, 1217, Issue 9233)
[2] Survey data available on request
[3] Fancy Pants et al, Clothing and Class - perceptions of social status in modern society and their influence on social mobility (The Journal of Social Economics, June 1204 AC issue 877)
[4] ibid
[5] ‘...those of the aristocracy who appear to be the very core of Equestrian nobility, they who embody the idyll of the noble ruralist so beloved of Russét and Les Romantiques. Rarely do their great halls open more than a dozen rooms, preferring as they do to prudently keep the majority of their palatial piles in storage. Often they are seen plodding through muddy fields, tweeded and booted, tending hobby farms that would put the great industrial farmsteads of the Whitetail Provinces to shame in their prodigious scale, whilst a single servant cares for the worn carpeting and collected dust of a hundred or more generations in the quietly mouldering family home. Only the quality of their boots and their accent sets them apart from the commoner, despite their wealth and position in society. They nibble toast when other, lesser personages lay on lavish feasts, and take tea in the kitchen in preference to the plush rooms historically set aside for the purpose, considering the practicality of a hot cuppa in a cracked mug more desirable than the socially acceptable lukewarm tiffin received on an ancient noble seat. Truly only the unbelievably rich can afford to be so poor.’ - Tarry, The Guardians of Society (Roundworld Books, 1209)
[6] Aegidienberger, Walking with Humans (Canterlot Times Books, 1217)
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Argh
I hate foot notes in HTML! In order to follow them you have to loose your place on the page.
Grrr.. Grumble grumble
"et al"
Can't contain all my delight for seeing that phrase
Now I'm thinking, would academic/technical journals be considered a form of literary art if they take place in the fictional land of Equestria?
1543825 I just thought of a way to possibly fix that. Hope it works.
When I saw the topic was the nudity taboo, I was honestly expecting Twilight to explain to the pony populace Lero's mind set (why he wears clothes all the time, etc.)
This is a much better explanation of the relationship of clothes and ponies. Most assume that they are a nudist society when it really is not entirely the case. Just another look into an alien world with alien sociology.
1543850
And thank you for going to that small trouble. Quite useful. Now if they'd only add in mouseover support for footnotes using a system similar to the comment system.
An easy fix would be to include a link in the footnote back to the originator
1544168>>1543825
...or you could just open it in a new tab. Am I not understanding the problem here?
whats a solageur de la masculature, i tried looking it up and it didnt translate
Huh, now that you've pointed it out to me, Fancy Pants is Lady Sybil, isn't he?
1544293
Does he breed dragons?
1543850 that is a great improvement, thank you for taking the trouble to do that!
1544334 It finally answers the question of where Spike's egg came from.
This is pure genius, masterfully executed.
This is definitely a very new and interesting look on why ponies where clothes all the time and other times they don't. Nice explanation.
Ah, loved this part about the worries of some ponies that Lero is trying to ‘above his station' because he is wearing clothes whole time. Such, simple and little thing and can cause so many misunderstandings.
Wow, some nice insight on this particular subject, and I like that notion; only the trully rich can afford to be so poor. It makes it seem people like fancy pants are even less pretentious, a king who eats just what his poorest subjects eat.
(a single bowl of porige and some water, possible wine.)
rather then feast on enormous amounts of food "fit" for a king, earn my respect.
Disagreeing with Anhero here. While the majority of the paper is done rather well, you can work the introduction better, and the overall organization is flawed.
The usage of a boldface heading usually indicates that a single section out of a number of sections is coming up. Said sections are usually interrelated but not linked in a chain, but rather form a "web" surrounding a central point. However, you only have the one section, making the usage of a heading confusing and rather jarring. It would be better to work your way from the introduction and tackled the single issue directly, rather than alluding to other questions but never answering them.
That's another important thing. You start this essay by making allusions to a number of other cultural facets that may be compared to Bellephron's culture, but then fail to really bring them up except in passing. You need to either work with those topics on a scale similar to that of "The Nudity Taboo", or cut them out of the essay altogether.
Additionally, if you were planning on releasing multiple chapters, where each constituted a single section from Twilight's paper, please don't. The breaking up of the sections makes it more difficult tor the reader to connect the dots, something which reduces the comprehensibility of your paper and decreases overall writing quality.
Do want to complement you for the footnotes workaround. That was rather cleverly done.
1544284
Wont translate but from the context it is a high end masseur which is a male who practices massage therapy. correct me if i am wrong
That was a pretty good read. Nice insight! Gotta agree with ShadowBro that the organisation could be better, but I think this is good enough on that subject and you should rather focus on making future 'papers' better.
Also in regard to :
1544284 it won't translate because it's mispelled. It should be soulageur de la musculature. Or soother of muscles, if you wish.
Loving this series!
Very clever. Social psychology has always been a curious interest of mine, and this is an excellent little window into (possible) pony society. Definitely my favorite chapter so far.
1544341 24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcqgzboTAw1rgoaqho1_400.jpg
1543850
why did not talking about the grand galloping gala? or more specifically the musicians? At a high horse social event like the gala every pony would be expected to wear extravagant clothing and finery, yet the musicians wore nothing more than simple bow ties why was that? I Think you missed an opportunity there mate.
>>>his second occupation as soulageur de la musculature>>> Y'all be usin' some real fancy wurds there. We dun like it none when ya'll try to make smart stuff round these here parts.
Anyway, world building cultural analysis! J.R. Tolkien would be pleased with you, Archonix. He liked to talk about his hobbits quite a bit.
...Roundworld!
Lets see, is it a passage from Guards Guards?
I will probably end up using this as a reference guide to my story for matters such as this. I really like how your are writing it!
Roundworld? Ah ... Well, lets find the Colour of Magic in all of this eventually as well.
This really is making me thing with all the references et hoc genus omne.
The organization threw me a couple times and the bold title bugged me some, but it coming together swimmingly. Well done!
Silly Twilight, forgetting to consider that correlation does not necessarily imply causation! It seems more of a coincidence than one class attempting to mimic the other, consciously or un-.
Also, I contest her conclusion that Equestria has no nudity taboo; her arguments support the conclusion that Equestrian society is pro-clothing, not anti-nudity.
Man, this is starting to feel like my Anthro textbook.
Complex by who's definition? The pony's? Not really that complex, as usual it's a matter of choice and social (context and financial) situation as well as need (e.g. job, sports, military), the princesses (are a bad example) are the pinnacle so they can wear whatever they like (1000s of years old, they don't give a crap). The vast majority of ponies are nude unless the social situation and social standing (e.g parties (formal), formal gatherings etc.) are under scrutiny, but the majority of those situations are few and far between so they're still nude (they have no qualms about nudity, no taboo).
I'm guessing you read Snuff by Terry Pratchet. love the references ^^
"royal garb" should be replaced with "regalia", which is what Celestia and Luna would be wearing (crown/tiara, any jewelry/garments befitting their station as rulers). I can't see Twilight referring to it in such an informal way.
love the footnotes and quotes , very pratchett. just the right amount of humour.
Maybe make the number on the footnotes link back to the original position on the page?
If one were to read this as a fanfiction, it would be terrible. Luckily I read things like incredible cross sections for star wars, halo data books, and WH40K codex. This is definitely one of the most fun fictional reports/data sinks ive ever read.
Very nice, still not done reading but noticed something that begged for a comment... YOU USE CHICAGO STYLE FORMAT FOR CITATIONS! This makes me, a history major, very happy=)
This reminded me, school starts in a few weeks.
You asshole.
3033141
Yeeah, I had to look that one up, lol. It's totally the thing she would use on a paper like this, though.
I disagree with that statement. They don't have a nudity taboo. They have many taboos around the subject of clothing, however, but nudity itself is never what the taboo is about.
To clarify, the taboo is about exactly what should or should not be worn. Thus, it is not about nudity. That's just one of the dressing options, but it does not seem any more or less offensive than any other horribly inappropriate dress choice in the wrong circle or situation.
There is nothing in Equestrian society specifically singling out "nudity" as being a particularly bad choice, hence there is no nudity taboo.
Damn. That read like a real life scholarly study. Well done.
1797798 That was actually from Guards, Guards! He even half attributed it, ie: The Guardians of Society.
Given the number of other species in Equestria, this seems odd to claim.
Just a heads up, all your hyperlinks are defunct.
Which is, actually, quite funny... In the human world, it tends to rather continue up to the highest social echelons, with the ones on top usually being adorned in what you'd consider excessive decoration - though the higher you go, the less advisable it becomes to mention this at all. Recall "The Emperor's New Clothes" for an acute exemplification of what I mean - and despite the obvious ridicule that persists, the idea is still alive and quite well in today's society.
It is my understanding that the more committed a pony is to their service, the less flashy they're going to be performing it - and this seems to hold true at least for the highest levels of pony society (the princesses and their immediate advisors). It seems to rather indicate humility, because you couldn't possibly say Celestia lacks the funds, or indeed the opportunity, to have such made (and some would argue she deserves a few, a sentiment I personally wouldn't argue against).
7954889
Considering that Equestria, generally, seems rather isolationist and has slight undertones of nationalism? Maybe it's just me, but for the most part it rather feels as if most ponies aren't all that keen on meeting other races, being perfectly content just living out their lives among other ponies like themselves. I'm not sure ponies as a rule are very tolerant, to be honest... and I'd think that being a different species in Equestria is probably not very pleasant on the day-to-day - I'm assuming everypony would be polite and all, but I can't see them being very welcoming.
So no, I wouldn't be suprised to see that pony culture, as a whole, hasn't really dealt with "nudity taboos" - or any social elements not present natively - at all, mostly by virtue of wilful ignorance on the matter. And certain reactions (even cited in the snippets in ch. 2) only seem to affirm my suspicions.
That is... complicated. It would be as much a lie to say that they wish for a return to their roots, as it would be to say that they're doing this to keep up appearances... and there's a bit of truth to both, still.
On the one hoof, I'm sure they enjoy the fact that others will probably trip over their own hooves while attempting to emulate them. They personally surely have no need for such labour, but it's fairly freeing - being able to get your hooves dirty, but not having to deal with all of it.
I suppose when you have enough money and influence that you can afford to be a little frivolous with favour, you not only get to express what you want, but you also get it. And if your position is that well-encamped, you've probably fought enough battles to grow tired of it.
And then there's the "agrotourism" aspect of it - I've hinted at it earlier. The basic premise is that you get to enjoy the joys of working, while at the same being shielded from the less enjoyable aspects of managing a successful operation. And, most importantly, you can take a break and step away from it at any moment, and it won't crumble into dust in your absence. I suppose that being able to take vacation in what would otherwise be someone's very mode of survival is a powerful signal of wealth.