Nudie boards....

[Lostone]

The way I see this is Burton has gotten a ton of free publicity from this, with no negative side. The people who object wouldn't be buying boards, anyway. Banning the boards will make them more popular. I don't see a downside, for Burton unless shops/areas decide to boycott all of their boards. More, I expect to see other manufacturers making more "expressive" boards, because of the free publicity Burton got.

As to the free speech issue, a friend once gave me a great line. "After "but" comes the truth." "I like free speech, but..." "I'm not a racist, but..." Following that but, comes the reason the speaker doesn't like free speech / is a racist.

Art is always a subjective thing. Which art should be allowed? Where should it be allowed? There are reasons these things keep coming up. No art is good to all people. Where do we draw the line? That question has been fought for centuries, and will for centuries more.

Interesting topic.

[summitchallenger]

I think Win's problem is probably First Amendment issues since the resort is on National Forest Land.

Possibly....the legal analysis would get pretty complicated and long....

[BushMogulMaster]

You could ban them at Mt. Ellen, since the only way (aside from Long Trail) to access the USFS land at ME is through private property.

[Hawk]

Now that the images are posted for everybody we can talk. I don't know about you but I have seen similar images on TV. If the FCC allows this then it can't be obscene. Right? I'm sure you would disagree.

My point is that you are going to take your conservative view, make a huge scene in the lift line and ruin the vibe at a place that is fun. There going to be this kid standing there being lambasted and not understanding what is going on. Over what, some almost obsene graphics. Sounds harsh.

I don't know, it's been my experience that kids brought up to think that the human body is beautiful usually come out ok and well adjusted.

This is just getting out of hand over nothing.

Hawk out!

[Tin Woodsman]

I'm a blazer parent and I agree that it is inappropriate and shouldn't be allowed at the mountain. However, I don't know that the govt. would be able to censor it. I don't think it would be considered obscene. They definitely cut it close but I think we see similar things on TV now.

Maybe, but the difference is I can always change the channel, turn off the TV, or tell my kid to get out of the room so Mommy and Daddy can "have some quiet time". What do I do if some jamoke is in front of me and my kid in the liftline with this thing on?

What don't you get? this is great marketing for Burton. They're not looking to score points with the likes of us (parents, older folk).

Obviously. It's a cynical ploy designed solely to generate publicity.

[HowieT2]

I'm a blazer parent and I agree that it is inappropriate and shouldn't be allowed at the mountain. However, I don't know that the govt. would be able to censor it. I don't think it would be considered obscene. They definitely cut it close but I think we see similar things on TV now.

Maybe, but the difference is I can always change the channel, turn off the TV, or tell my kid to get out of the room so Mommy and Daddy can "have some quiet time". What do I do if some jamoke is in front of me and my kid in the liftline with this thing on?

What don't you get? this is great marketing for Burton. They're not looking to score points with the likes of us (parents, older folk).

Obviously. It's a cynical ploy designed solely to generate publicity.

LOL- what's a "jamoke"

I was only using television as an example of a medium where the government censors content within the US constitutions freedom of speech. As previously indicated, I don't think SB operates under the same restrictions as the government.
While you do have the choice of turning the tv off etc., you could also choose not to patronize SB.

[smootharc]

....on the censorship and "what is & what isn't prurient/appropriate issue". No easy answers.

I'm a parent. Where do the lines get drawn in the sand ? If I had a nickel for every f-bomb I've heard dropped by a gaggle of 14 year olds in Gatehouse at lunch time....then I'd be taking 8 hour privates with Egan Brutha.....daily !

What does having one of those boards visible in the window of an SUV driving down the road consist of ? How about some of the bumper stickers I've seen (blatantly obscene ones) ? Where's highway patrol when you need 'em ?

How to protect your kid vs. allowing them to be "exposed" to the world around us and then inviting them to think and decide things on their own terms ? And at what age ? Tough for parents. And tough spot for resort management to be in when the first angry parent shows up at the service desk. We're at the pizza parlor the other night and the news playing has car bombings, a hijack attempt, and some dude arrested in a sting for.....you can imagine.

I don't have any answers here. And since I always need to end on a flip and funny note....personally I think they ain't half-bad looking boards....from a purely artistic/aesthetic standpoint. But I guess their bikinis must have fallen off....because they don't appear to have clothes on ! Ah....my formative years.....they've left me warped !

[castlerock]

Now that the images are posted for everybody we can talk. I don't know about you but I have seen similar images on TV. If the FCC allows this then it can't be obscene. Right? I'm sure you would disagree.

No it isn't obscene, not even close. However, it is not appropriate in an "all-ages" public setting. It never has been. You can't display the cover of Playboy in a store.

My point is that you are going to take your conservative view, make a huge scene in the lift line and ruin the vibe at a place that is fun. There going to be this kid standing there being lambasted and not understanding what is going on. Over what, some almost obsene graphics. Sounds harsh.

Sorry, I'm far from a conservative, I'm called a flaming Liberal by all who know me, and as a true liberal, I'm actually for family values, fostering family and community (as opposed to faking it). The culprit ruining the vibe would be the ignorant owner of the board, who is trying to make a "look at me" statement, at the expense of my kids.

I don't know, it's been my experience that kids brought up to think that the human body is beautiful usually come out ok and well adjusted.

You are definitely correct about that, and I am bringing my kids up that way. The problem is that the presentation in this case is not one of beauty, it is of "sexy", and the sub 13 year-olds it is presented to have no context to understand the difference.

Look, I never put any real thought into these things, until I had the responsibility of bringing up children.

[ski_resort_observer]

More news
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9187142&nav=4QcS

[aejkb]

They arent that bad. Neverthless, I doubt very much that you will see one of these at Sugarbush--maybe out west, but not staid New England. The guy who is stupid enough to buy one of these is not going to like the attention he's going to get. I would be much more worried about my teenage daughter riding on the lift with a burned out boarder dude that she thinks is cute.

[gone.skiing]

I would not worry about having to explain too much to your 11 year olds. It is all being covered in schools by sex ed programs. If you think your kids are not exposed to this stuff, think again.

I am assuming everyone has traveled here. Are you not going to take your kids to the museums or will you cover their eyes if you come across nude picture? Are you not going to take them to the beach in Europe? Are you really policing them that closely? No video games with accurate graphics of brain matter flying around? No Hannah Montana or whatever the hell it is? It is just an image. Just like hundreds of images in fashion magazines. Unless you make a big deal out of it, I doubt your kids will notice it and if they do all that will come out of it is a chuckle.

Now, whoever brought f-bombs flying around, I would fully back up. Try riding through terrain park or stopping next to the group of teenagers with your kids.

[castlerock]

I would not worry about having to explain too much to your 11 year olds. It is all being covered in schools by sex ed programs. If you think your kids are not exposed to this stuff, think again.

I am assuming everyone has traveled here. Are you not going to take your kids to the museums or will you cover their eyes if you come across nude picture? Are you not going to take them to the beach in Europe? Are you really policing them that closely?

I think the subtlety of the point has gone missing. My 6 year old daughter doesn't imagine herself in the style of a Reubens painting. She does look at the icons of the "older" kids, and projects herself into that. I don't want her imagining herself as a "ho".

Nudity is fine, sexual imagery (notice I didn't say obscene) is not, in a public place. You can be nude on the beaches of the Mediterranean, you can't have sex on them. If you do you cross the cultural line. Those images cross the cultural line here, again in the public (as opposed to adult environment

[gone.skiing]

I did not see anyone having sex in board pictures. There is nothing on them that you won't see in SI swimsuit issue which is not in the same category as Playboy. Is it pushing it? Absolutely. Should Win and Co make lifties and Patrol pull tickets for these boards? That would be sad.

[Yard Sale]

I would not worry about having to explain too much to your 11 year olds. It is all being covered in schools by sex ed programs. If you think your kids are not exposed to this stuff, think again.

I am assuming everyone has traveled here. Are you not going to take your kids to the museums or will you cover their eyes if you come across nude picture? Are you not going to take them to the beach in Europe? Are you really policing them that closely? No video games with accurate graphics of brain matter flying around? No Hannah Montana or whatever the hell it is? It is just an image. Just like hundreds of images in fashion magazines. Unless you make a big deal out of it, I doubt your kids will notice it and if they do all that will come out of it is a chuckle.

Now, whoever brought f-bombs flying around, I would fully back up. Try riding through terrain park or stopping next to the group of teenagers with your kids.

For reasons that are obviuos to most, it's a more than a little bit presumptuous to say to someone don't worry about how to explain it to their kids. And comparing sexually erotic pictures to the cultural differences between beach attire in Europe or the US, or to artistic masterpieces is frankly, pretty ridiculous. Thes chicks are posing for a skin mag. And I have no problem with Playboy per se. It's fine if that is how you want to spend your time money, consenting adults etc. Just don't insist that my kids participate and enjoy it with you.

Sure there are plenty of things in this world that are far more important to discuss with your kids, but that doesn't mean that this is O.K. So why then should we be compelled to address these foolish boards when we're trying to enjoy the mountains and maybe learn a more valuable lesson. Ideally a family should not be confronted by something that is so unnecessary and so very demeaning to females at a family resort. It deminishes our experience and the riders of these boards do not have the right IMHO to do that.

But, if by some chance, we encouter one or more of these boards while at the 'Bush, we'll have a learning experience about what may or may not be appropriate behavior and attire for a family resort and a wonderful example of what a complete and total pathetic loser looks like, so be it. Yes, our society continues to become more and more exploitive, and that is something we just need to deal with, but that doesn't mean we have to like it. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take action to avoid or prevent it. It doesn't mean as paying customers that we shouldn't request some assistance from management.

To try to preserve and revel in your children's innocence for as long as reasonably possible, doesn't mean you're conservative or liberal it means you're normal and you love your childeren. So, to think that by simply identifying that policing the the content of the increasing on slaught of media on childeren is a parents responsibilty somehow means that we shouldn't worry about it and lighten up is short sighted Bu11 Sh1t! (Notice how I edited that "BS" word because swearing happens every where, but that doesn't mena that it is apropriate her at SkiMRV. Get it?)

I wonder why Burton does't do a Maplethorp board? Maplethorp's an artist.

[summitchallenger]

Looks like ski season can't get here soon enough!!!!!!