Privacy for naked drunkards

[jspazzer.livejournal.com]

Following the discussion about Google Streetview vs. privacy, some may be interested in the haha brouing over at the Villeside Journal site.   One of the intrepid reporters took a video camera to the Tufts Naked Quad Run and posted it on Youtube.   Drunk streakers were not amused.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/fun/x805327507

Comments

[ron_newman]

A number of Somerville and Medford public streets run through the Tufts campus. As far as I know, it is perfectly legal to stand on such a street and take pictures of what is going on around you. Was the Naked Quad Run visible from public streets?

there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[spatch]

Hey, I'ma get drunk and take off my clothes and run around in public.

BUT DON'T NOBODY TAKE NO PITCHERS, GOLLY THAT'D BE EMBARRASSING.



Excellent defense, Tufts Nudists, and congratulations on scheduling your naked shenanigans on one of the icier nights we've had so far.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I actually agree with the students. The photos and video weren't meant as news coverage -- they were meant specifically to humiliate the participants. While that may be the bread and butter of publications like The Enquirer,/i> and other tabloid rags, it really is below a community newspaper.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I love all the unique and beautiful snowflakes screaming that a video of their naked, wobbling posteriors is "pornography." As if to say, how could anyone view us in our birthday suits and not derive SECKSHUL AROWZUL?

[ron_newman]

Isn't the residential quad in Medford, not Somerville? Perhaps the wrong city's newspaper covered this event.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

I want to do this out in the open, but I don't want to be seen. Right...

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I'd call it semi-public. As far as I can tell, the event takes place on University property, which, while open, is still private -- they could put up fences and locked gates everywhere if they wanted to, after all.

That said, if it was just a spectator video on YouTube, I'd shrug it off, but from an actual newspaper (or some approximation thereof), I think it's in pretty poor taste and violates their own terms of use. The fact that they seem to have plagiarized, fabricated, and/or make tons of mistakes in the article itself makes it even worse.

PASTY COLLEGE KIDS GONE IN A FASHION THAT MIGHT ALMOST BE CONSIDERED WILD!!

[spatch]

At the very least they should get a cut of the profits!

I also think it's totally naive to think that such an event wouldn't attract at least one pervo with a camera. Newspaper reporters, on the other hand... aw, to hell with journalistic integrity, the quality of the Somerville Journal article is piss-poor at best: the comments mention the writer A. lifted bits wholesale from Wikipedia, B. misquoted students and C. in at least one case got the gender of a student wrong. Of these offenses, you'd think C would've been the most difficult to do, considering the state of deshabille...

So, like, the Somerville Journal is lame for phoning in such a crummy article quickly just to capitalize on sensationalism, but the students are also lame for getting all huffy over something they should've considered before they started running around all naked-like. Is this where the brouhaha stands?

[dfischman.livejournal.com]

"The test of a first-class mind is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the head at the same time and still be able to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Naked Quad Run is sophomoric. The Journal was practicing poor journalism when it covered it. Both these statements are true.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Drunk streakers were not amused.

But I was, by their reaction. Aren't these are the generation which has grown up with Youtube and MySpace and whatnot? They (or at least their peers) post the most cringe-worthy stuff about themselves or their "friends", right there for future employers to google.

That said, I think that the newspaper should have shown better judgement. A bunch of drunk, naked people running around the streets is certainly a legit news story for a local paper. Video or identifiable pictures of naked people, on the other hand, while certainly legal, are in poor taste. Just let the students post it themselves :). The journal did, take down a non-revealing but clearly naked (and drunk) picture showing a couple of girls' faces, which was the right thing to do; the picture up now (guy wrapped in Israeli flag) is a good one.

On a related topic, has the enforcement underage drinking statutes against college-age kids gone completely out the window? I hope so.

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[ron_newman]

I know the Tufts campus is private. That's not what I asked above. Was this event visible from public streets of Somerville or Medford?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Yeah, going out naked, in public, in this day and age, and NOT expecting to get filmed/photographed is...an unrealistic expectation.

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Who cares? It doesn't matter what property it was on, you say the words "naked people" and don't expect SOMEBODY to show up with a camera, you're stupid. Especially an annual event as heavily discussed as this one.

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

sanctioned "barely" - their President still wasn't happy with in back in 2002, and the littered trash and after results aren't very lovely to witness.

google finds a number of hits from now to years past. people where there in droves, sutdents and not, and there were a LOT of cameras. i think someone forgot to tell them they couldn't be there. i think one of the runners had a camera. hah.

i imagine quite a few more videos and pictures, identifiable ones, will appear over time. i'm glad i stayed home sipping tea.

#

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

they were meant specifically to humiliate the participants.

The only thing unique about this is the website where it's located. Hell, they probably got the video from some Tufts student's Myspace.

[clara-girl.livejournal.com]

just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[spatch]

Yeah, it's really lame if the newspaper photographer was the one taking footage and putting it up on YouTube. I'd expect a crank to do so, but not a reporter. But I guess we've established the Journal isn't exactly the paragon of journalistic excellence.

Now there are a few reasons why streaking and public nudity appeals to some -- there's the exhibitionist appeal (get a load of me!) and there's the aspect of feeling free and naughty enough to let it all hang out, as it were, and do so in a place you normally wouldn't (I'm misbehaving socially!)

Or then there's also like nights when it's really really hot and you go down to a local body of water with friends to have fun and cool off. But I digress.

I think what the students are all so upset about, whether they admit it or not, is the fact that they did this run in the company of like-minded folks. They're all in it together. Part of the naked collective, safety in numbers, all that. Photographs and video footage, however, single people out. Suddenly it's not You And The Group, it's a picture of You. It's a video of You running by the camera. And when the collective is removed and the focus turns to the individual, I can see how that individual could definitely feel a bit, well, violated.

However, while it's a viable worry, I don't think it was considered by many before the run, and the whole "Tuftie/Townie" argument is just blustery smoke over what's really upsetting the keeds here.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

A Tufts police officer said it's the one night a year you can run around naked and he won't arrest you. It's much the same on underaged drinking (though I'm sure Spring Fling and Homecoming also get a pass). Besides, where would you carry your ID?

[anjaliesque.livejournal.com]

I ran three laps on the Quad on Monday night, totally sober, just I did the two years before that. It's fantastic every time.

To clarify, we don't choose which night we run, no matter how icy it is. NQR always happens at 10pm on the last class day of the fall semester - and it's a great way to blow off steam before reading period, which is happening now (I write this from Tisch library, where I arrived at 8 AM this morning and couldn't even find an open table, it's that crowded).

It's respectful not to take photos or video at NQR, though of course I know it's going to happen anyway. If people are going to get that upset about being documented, then obviously they shouldn't be running the first place (though alcohol often clouds thoughtful decision-making...) Though in my opinion, this is pretty low for a newspaper to go.

[jspazzer.livejournal.com]

If only the Google Streetview car happened to be driving by at the same time...

paging Mr. Stevens, white courtesy phone please

[spatch]

Hello, this is your Action News Reporter live on the scene at the university. Pardon me, sir, did you see what happened?

"Yeah, I did. I was just takin a stroll round the quad with my wife when there they come, runnin around the alma mater in the altogether, not wearin nothin but their smiles.

I looked over t'Ethel and I hollered DON'T LOOK, ETHEL!

But it was too late. She'd been matriculated.

Summa cum laude."

LOOKIDAT LOOKIDAT

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Correct. I require filthy townie rabble to avert their eyes while I scamper nude with my Tufts brothers and sisters in a beer-soaked bonding ritual meant to build self-esteem and create cherished memories to be treasured forever. Sorry, but you'll need Tufts student ID to see my tits.

Re: paging Mr. Stevens, white courtesy phone please

[jspazzer.livejournal.com]

LOLZ! This is very appropriate, given the last line below from the Ray Stevens original. Invitin' public critique indeed.

Whoa, yes they call him The Streak
(Looka dat, looka dat)
Fastest thing on two feet
Looka dat, looka dat
He's just as proud as he can be of his anatomy
He gun give us a peek
Oh, yes they call him The Streak
(Looka dat, looka dat)
He likes to show off his physique
(Looka dat, looka dat)
If there's an audience to be found
He'll be streakin' A-round invitin' public critique

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[spatch]

I agree. The semantic "in public / private campus" argument is useless. The fact remains we had naked people out in the open who apparently didn't realize there may be people in this would who'd want photographic evidence.

What if it had been students with the cameras?

Re: there will come a time when you can even take your clothes off when you dance

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's going to come up, mark my words. I bet even as we speak a "OMG THIS STUDENT HAZ NEKKID PHOTOZ OF UZ ON FACEBOOK" post is brewing on whatever Tufts comm is popular.