The Nude Woman’s Body is Parrhesia

Asserting the reality of the naked female body as a form of free speech that reclaims the autonomy of the feminine physique and challenges the beauty standards dictated by society.

What is Parrhesia?

Parrhesia is a word that represents free speech, however it contains certain traits that qualify this speech as a powerful truth. This kind of expression has been debated since Greek and Roman culture and has continually evolved throughout history in order to recognize social hierarchies. Parrhesia is specifically defined by 5 key elements and all of these elements must apply in order for a speech to be considered true parrhesia. These 5 qualities are: frankness, truth, criticism, danger and duty.

The “Ideal” Female Body

Similarly, Greek and Roman culture produced a clear image of the ideal body type for women and the qualities of this body have since evolved. Whether it is the historical statues of Aphrodite or the media’s current obsession with body types like Kim Kardashian’s, the idea of female perfection still exists. Not only does it exist, but it imposes unrealistic expectations on today’s women. The mere idealization of the woman body demonstrates that there is a social hierarchy dictating the standards. Because there is an entity setting these standards, that means there is someone to stand up to and blatantly express the basic truth that women’s bodies are not meant to be perfect or objectified; they are just a biological stature that encompasses a very real person, who is more than a thin waist and big boobs. Thus, movements that reveal the female body in its natural glory embody the 5 traits of parrhesia and speak an undeniable truth.

Frankness

The first trait of parrhesia is frankness, meaning that the statement being made must be blunt and outspoken. Because of all of the effort to cover the female body throughout history, most notably in the Victorian period, female nudity is in itself a bold yet simple statement. Female nudity has become a taboo thing because it has become so sexualized. Therefore, presenting such stark nakedness in any forum, whether it is in a protest or on a social media post becomes hyper-sensitized and criticized. In reality, it is just flaunting what God gave us. Everyone has a body and it is no surprise that a woman has boobs and a vagina while a man has a penis. Ultimately nudity is simple, relatable, and hard to confuse its message in the public sphere when protesters explicitly state that their nudity is their way of reclaiming their body.

Truth

The second necessary trait is that the statement be truthful. Though the real meaning and biases of the concept of truth can be discussed and debated in philosophical circles for centuries, the fact that the human body is created and developed by biology is essential in qualifying nudity as parrhesia. The genes that dictate our being are unbiased; they are simply following the instructions of our DNA. Though the resulting traits come in all sizes, the fact is that all body parts, including primary and secondary sexual characteristics, exist and are necessary for the continuation of the human race. By displaying the female body, stripped down to its biology, it reminds us of this necessary fact of life and survival. Consequently, women can assert that the size of their waist, boobs, and butt really do not matter because functional parts are functional parts, and there is no reason why one body should be deemed better than another.

Criticism

Not only does the statement have to be frank and truthful, but it needs to offer critical incite that challenges an entity of power. The expression of real, unaltered female nudity fits this description because it criticizes social standards and stigma put forth by society that trivialize health. As mentioned before, the fact that there are standards means that there is someone or something setting these standards. It was men who carved the Aphrodite statues back in Greek times, it was men who chose which sister they wanted to marry in the Victorian Era, but today it is the media who decides who and what needs photo-shop. Therefore, the power being challenged by this natural presentation is major media and all of the industries that have such a strong grip on modern culture and that are heavily invested in berating the everyday woman. The average woman does not have plastic surgery and liposuction like the celebrities who are spread all over magazine covers; so instead, they defer to anorexia or bulimia. Both these cosmetic procedures and extreme body dysmorphic disorders are infectious and completely unnecessary. However, because women do rely on these things they only reinforce the idea of unachievable perfection and create an unhealthy competition among all feminine figures. By critiquing the issue of ideal beauty from a physical and mental health stand point, woman can reclaim the autonomy of their body and assert that health is beauty. If every women would just accept themselves as they are and be empowered by their body, then the girls on their way to women-hood could accept their own bodies and put an end to the pointless war that is currently perpetuated by society’s ever intrusive media and exploitative capitalist system.

Danger

The person placing themselves in a dangerous position through their speech is yet another vital component to parrhesia because it demonstrates just how meaningful the statement being made is. Because of the nature of nudity and the society we live in, being naked is such a vulnerable state. Not only are you physically unprotected because you have no clothes on, but you are entirely exposed, becoming a giant red target for very pointed insult and consequences. While a naked protestor is at physical risk, a person who posts on social media is subject to verbal abuse and if an employer sees or a family member disapproves, as consequence, they may get fired and lose significant relationships. In either case, the danger is very real, thus the free speech is that much realer.

Duty

Finally, parrhesia is encompassed by duty, meaning that the person making the statement feels it is their duty to do so. This sense of duty however cannot be one out of obligation; it needs to be a strong calling that the person cannot ignore. Because our society has been dominated by the patriarchy and women are not equal to men, women owe it to other women to work together and rise up. Body image is a specific area where women may be the most compelled to make achievements because as before mentioned, the unrealistic standards are so prevalent and only get passed down generation to generation, never eliminating the problem. With such dangers that can occur from supporting the expression of natural and unedited nudity, the person who is using this form of parrhesia to reclaim the female body must truly believe in the cause and undeniably exhibits an unwavering commitment to her feminine duty.

Aphrodite and Amy Schumer

To bring this argument full circle, in the picture Amy Schumer should not even be compared to Aphrodite. There should simply not be and should never have been the concept of an Aphrodite figure. Nevertheless, because ideal figures are a reality, we can legitimately use the naked female form, not as a measure of beauty or comparison, even if it supports body positivity, but as its truthful purpose as a biological equator. By recognizing the naturalness and healthiness of our bodies through expressions that follow Amy Schumer’s lead, we can eliminate the duality of body positivity and negativity. Because the nude women’s body is parrhesia, its frankness, truth, criticism, danger, and duty could best deconstruct social standards and redefine the sovereignty a women has over her body.