Dear Farhad,

I suspect that you are on to something here, but I also suspect that a little less is going on that you may think. In this case, the context may matter. Ms. Hudgens was not filmed performing sex acts, like Paris Hilton or Pam Anderson, so the nature of her transgression is different. And, unlike other people who have appeared nude and in a sexual context on the internet, her pictures were meant entirely for private use. She had not posed for a photographer (amateur or professional), unlike some of the other people you mention. Where I agree is maybe there are so many of these pictures coming out that the powers that be are now deciding that it doesn't make sense to make a fuss over all of them.

I agree with your general premise that the internet has inured us to exposure to nudity, but much of that nudity takes the form of pornography, and I would assert that our complacency in the face of sexually explicit and often very abusive material is not necessarily a good thing. Indeed, it has desensitized many people to the questions of human dignity involved in pornography. Moreover, at the risk of sounding like a prude, there is merit in values such as modesty and self-restraint. I am not sure that flashing people when drunk or placing naked pictures of oneself and friends on the internet in a strange show of exhibitionism are examples of "mature" attitudes towards our bodies or sexuality. Indeed, these kind of things are profoundly immature and lacking in dignity. Maturity, I would argue, is treating sexuality with respect and others with consideration. These are not qualities that are necessarily nurtured by exposing yourself to the world.

Sincerely,

Shaun Narine

Dear Rebecca,

I don't watch MTV, and I have no intention of watching Britney Spears humiliate herself. Quite honestly, I hate watching people be humiliated in public - whether they deserve it or not - which is one of the reasons I don't watch those reality/competition shows (especially the ones where people are set up to fail). Ms. Spears is, no doubt, cooperating in her own destruction but, as Craig Ferguson has pointed out, kicking someone when they are down is just bad form. Sarah Silverman should be ashamed of herself, though I expect that Ms. Silverman is not well-acquainted with the idea of shame.

All of this being said, I find very unsettling the attacks on Ms. Spears' physique. As you point out, she looked fine. Her body is certainly still fit, if not whipped into the ridiculous level of musculature that passes as "desirable" in today's North American culture. Given that America is the most obese country in the world, I suspect that there is a lot of self-hatred coming out of some of the people attacking Spears on this issue. We are presenting young women in Western society with a ludicrous and grossly unhealthy model of what constitutes "beauty" in our society. The odd thing about this is that I don't know many men who find rail-thin models to be attractive. I'm not sure who or what is shaping these expectations of beauty. I think that the efforts to get the fashion industry to use healthier, more realistic models needs another shot in the arm.

Sincerely,

Shaun Narine

Dear Stephanie,

I'm a bit puzzled by your concern about the movie "Juno" causing Sunday papers to publish articles that might promote a "right to life" agenda. Perhaps your comment is reflective of the culture wars in the US and the extent to which these issues evoke deep and hostile feelings, but it strikes me as odd - and maybe even a deficiency - that a movie about a young woman deciding to keep her fetus would not address the reason why she decides to make such a choice. "Sometimes," you say, " a choice is just a choice." But what does that mean? That the character in this movie, without any reflection, simply does something because it strikes her fancy? Is there no reasoning behind her action? Surely something as life-altering as having a child is an important decision that requires consideration? And if a woman decides to carry a fetus to term because she believes that terminating the pregnancy is, indeed, murder - well, isn't she entitled to that belief? Isn't that what having the right to make a choice is about -i.e., to act on the basis of one's personal values?

I am solidly pro-choice in my beliefs on this issue, but that does not mean that I can't respect that people have different views on the question of abortion. I find dogmatism on either side of this debate, however, to be very unproductive and distasteful.

Sincerely,

Shaun Narine