Voyeurism under attack
It was an extremely emotional Sunday because I lost a man who meant a lot to me. He did not die because of complications resulting from C-19, and the cause of death is not even relevant. My teen son, who has inherited my wacky sense of humor, decided to cheer me up. He came into my room and said, "Mother, listen to this. It will be good for you." Judging by the mischievous look on his face I knew he was not serious, so I said: "Fine." He played: L'Internationale by Eugène Pottier.
We laughed. The burden of losing someone dear did not magically disappear, but I was reminded that life is and will remain a mix between sorrow and absurd. And that, most likely, love is the real panacea.
This week I knew I would be extremely emotional. As a mother of one I need to navigate my very strong emotions I feel for my son who was born on the eve of the then Easter in a year when I lost my father on the eve of Christmas. As April ends and quarantine continues, I have to offer my son a special birthday this year. However, as I was starting my week, I was not ready to face anyone's nakedness.
I love the manifestations of the human body and I have studied uncountable photos of people's physicality. When I was a girl, I saw a naked man strolling on a beach and my father made a funny comment vis-à-vis my reaction. That man was a nudist, but I did not know that (then). More, I studied artworks about the difference between nude vs. naked body. In addition, I spent hours observing the transformations of a functional body that is altered by an illness or an accident. As a woman, my relationship with my naked body in front or not of a mirror is always a repeated (cleansing and self-empowering) ritual. Finally, I experienced the trauma of seeing my own mother's body not only mocked by breast cancer, but also slowly entering death. I published books and essays and book chapters about liminal physicality. I AM FINE SEEING THE HUMAN BODY WITHOUT CLOTHES.
However, this new "project" initiated by some French dentists is sick. Dentistes à poil is their version to strip naked protesting that their government does not offer them PPE so, in return, they do not want to return to perform their jobs. However, they did use their offices to have this photo shoot for (what I'd assume was meant as) an authentic ... touch. By the same logic, then, I propose to my colleagues to have a similar photo session where the faculty, admin, and students are photographed naked because we too teach & work in small and overpopulated spaces and thus expose our health to various pathogens. https://creapills.com/dentistes-a-poil-deconfinement-20200427
Without any mercy, Covid-19 has shown so many ugly truths so that we need to see what is strictly a medical crisis and what is a socio-economic one. I will start with the most obvious one: those in civilized countries think this virus is a direct attack to their personal freedoms and cannot adapt and educate themselves to stop touching their faces, use protective gear properly, and engage in social distancing. People used to freedom are losing their minds while they have what to eat and watch. Then, (partly) misinformed, when they cannot take it anymore, they lash out blaming the Chinese (yes, they did mishandle the crisis poorly) and WHO for fucking their lives up. Some take on the streets to protest with guns and stupid placards. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/social-distancing-communism-these-are-the-stupidest-protest-signs-from-rallies-to-reopen/
We look around and discover that in other countries the virus was contained better and now people return to work slowly, but surely. People in the U.S. have to check their pantries to see if they have what it takes to self-medicate since the disinfectants have been upgraded as treatment for C-19. The famous 18th c painting by Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat is now parodied to apply to our times.
And we need to laugh. We have to laugh. The side of me that contains the strongest dosages of my wackiest humor, the same one that helped me get over difficult moments in life, realizes that what the French dentists are doing is hilarious. évidemment, they lost it. So, when I realize that they lost it, they become laughable, and that's different. When people die in extreme isolation because of C-19, when there is still no cure for this pandemic, why make things worse? Buy the damn PPE! It is not ideal, but this where we are globally. It has to be a collective effort made by officials and civilians alike. There is not an ideal state that will protect all of us at once. COVID-19 acts differently for prisoners, homeless people, poor, and refugees than it does for billionaires. COVID-19 strips naked countries' infrastructures to show how ill prepared they are to face a crisis like this despite their claims at being "super powers" and "civilized."
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE MORAL DUTY TO KEEP OUR CLOTHES ON AND POSTPONE ENGAGING IN THIS ORGY ONCE WE HAVE MANAGED TO DECLARE THIS PANDEMIC OVER. Can you even imagine how unsanitary you, naked dentists, have made your own offices now? Do you feel like a revolutionary? Do you feel it was worth showing your body because you don't have PPE? No, thank you, I am good with my subscription to Porn Hub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNvw2uSA8eA