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This is not the most important thing about Polish men, nor the most striking. Yet when you socialise with the Poles or live in Poland, and you lead your normal life, this is something you sooner or later come across…
Poles are amazingly prudish – they are too shy to be naked! Whenever you go to a swimming pool, a fitness club, or anywhere with communal showers – you will most likely encounter the odd sight of men taking shower wearing underwear, doing all sorts of acrobatics with towel to hide their business, or panically reaching and grabbing any possible cover when they notice someone is entering… This is always very funny.
Women, on the other hand, aren’t prudish at all. For instance it’s common to see topless women sunbathing under the Baltic sun. Even elderly ladies, who did have a figure, well, someday.
Abroad, in Europe, it is something normal, for men as well, to get undressed and take a shower. Everyone has a body, everyone has to shower, no one is bothered with it. Poles somehow turn it into some big deal in their heads. Why? What’s beneath?
Are they afraid of other men? Of being looked at? Or is it instinct? Like displaying your delicate parts was a sign of aggression? (Similarly to looking other males in the eyes).
Anyhow, if you’re going to swimming pool in Poland be prepared to either make your carefree nudity a noticeable demonstration, or conform to the local unwritten rule and take one pair of underpants extra.
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POLANDiAN 
Could it be tinky-winky syndrome? ;)
I observed the phenomenon, so agree with the bull’s-eyeness of your description. I don’t agree, however, we have to take the (let’s call it) Foreign Way of Producing Exhibits as divinely manifest, forthwith to be followed. Westerners have PC, and Hollywood stars can discuss their enemas — and these are not the dumbest things they do. I’ll go back to meditating upon the subject when the English start calling their private parts “public parts”.
But on the other side polish men wear anooying (way to tight) speedos whereas the western men wear boxer shorts ,when they go swimming.
It reminds me of a discussion we had somewhere about advertising billboards. I’ve always been slightly astonished to see giant posters of scantily-clad or, in some cases, completely unclad, women advertising things in Poland. I don’t think I’ve even seen a similar image of a male on public display.
I guess it’s just a case of good old-fashioned patriarchal attitudes: ladies (as long as they are young) are fine and pretty things to look at, while the naked male form would likely cause the weaker sex to swoon and perspire. Ho hum.
Island, huh?
I can’t recall any poster starring a completely unclad female, let alone a giant one (poster or female) — does it mean that, fed up, my eyes grew indifferent — or that I (b)oldly grow where no sex has gone before, to adverts?
I can’t think of giant advertisements with naked ladies either. But I do remember nudity (always female) on the cover of wprost one (the story was about the Russian mafia in the early 90’s).
But while Polish people can be prudish in some ways, in others I’m kind of …
the dvd rental place I go to used to (back when it was more tapes than dvds) had the kiddie dvd shelf right below the porn dvd shelf and as one might imagine there was some mixing (they’ve long since been more properly separated). And of course I’ve been in more than one store where condoms were sold next to candy by the check out.
It depends what you mean by “naked”. If you do not think that a poster lady who is showing off her gorgeous body clothed only in a tiny set of bra and knickers (made by Triumph or Atlantic) is a naked one …
Another thing – are the ladies who feature on the Partia Kobiet poster naked?
Actually, there are almost-naked men on some Atlantic posters too.
J.
I’m sure I remember some topless ladies on posters; only because it struck me as highly unlikely in such a Catholic country. Quit often they had been vandalized (presumably by militant nuns) so that the nipples were obscured by blobs of paint. Somebody tell me I’m not completely insane. I’m thinking back a few years here.
The Partia Kobiet poster turns up all the time. My view is that yes, they were completely starkers for the photo shoot. Does that count.
Almost-naked men! Jolanta, cover your eyes – irreparable damage may be done to your moral standards!
I will not cover my eyes – no way!
Occasionally (ONLY occasionally) I want to cast a glance at a good set of muscles and a flat stomach. Then I can point to the not-so-good set and not-so-flat stomach that I have at home and say:Do something about it!
J.
Thanks Pawel for the nice comment over at Toruń Daily Photo! I have replied already to it! Come over and check the response if you wish!
[…] Polish men are prudish …the odd sight of men taking shower wearing underwear, doing all sorts of acrobatics with towel to hide their business. […]
Try North American swimming pools or beaches with local girls bathing quite often in t-shirts and guys sporting baggy shorts XIX century style.
Have you ever seen in Poland a public pool’s change room with little change rooms cabins inside of it, designated for guys who aren’t to comfy to undress in the front of other guys?
Or one sex saunas with its occupants wearing swimming attire and being additionally wrapped in towels?
For me it was actually a quite shocking experience considering how “unprudish” North America is advertised to be in Hollywood movies and media in general.
You should see surprise and shock on my girlfriends face every time when she exits woman’s public pool’s change room.
“Most of them take showers in they bathing suits!” she tells me.
Thats something I can’t evaluate myself.
Don’t idealize, be realistic.
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