alright, dude, i can see your penis... (butler pl!)

spinningpinwheel

mypasswordwontwork wrote: [quote=cbukster]

Have you all lost your minds?

Personally, I never had a mind to lose.

A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste.

caaahyoko

doctorj wrote: [quote=ProspectPlaceGirl]
whoa! i just read this after i just posted! so maybe it's a suburban michigan thing!!!!

Completely anecdotally, it seems to me that people from the Northern Midwest are more than averagely concerned with modesty. I wonder if there's a connection with colonization by Lutherans in the 19th century: all the modest Germans and Scandinavians moved to the Midwest in search of a more private, better draped life, leaving those countries in the godless, modesty-depleted, uncurtained condition for which they're now renowned.

As a child of Finnish and German parents, having grown up in the midwest, and in spite of being raised rather liberally, we STILL had multi-layered curtains on all windows at all times.

Myth confirmed!

(Sorry, I'm watching Mythbusters right now.)

laura

It's a decorating style for heavens sake. Hey, maybe we can come up with some strained theories explaining a fondness for wall-to-wall carpeting or the number of throw pillows people have on their sofa, while we're at it.

caaahyoko

laura wrote: It's a decorating style for heavens sake. Hey, maybe we can come up with some strained theories explaining a fondness for wall-to-wall carpeting or the number of throw pillows people have on their sofa, while we're at it.

Like people with lots of throw pillows are secretly obsessed with auto-erotic asphyxiation? hehe.

laura

I'm not sure you can do that with a pillow ... I think we need to go back to the curtains. Or at least tie-backs.

mypasswordwontwork

These people exposing their body parts to all and sundry are clearly getting hard/wet doing so and it's unecessary and really sleazy. They're like toned down versions of those people who fuck in semi public places because the risk of being seen by others turns them on.

anotherdayinbkln

so i just read thru like 40 posts of racism debate from a topic that originated about a guy's penis.

That was a waste of time.
where are the pictures?

theoryofpractice

caaahyoko wrote: [quote=doctorj][quote=ProspectPlaceGirl]
whoa! i just read this after i just posted! so maybe it's a suburban michigan thing!!!!

Completely anecdotally, it seems to me that people from the Northern Midwest are more than averagely concerned with modesty. I wonder if there's a connection with colonization by Lutherans in the 19th century: all the modest Germans and Scandinavians moved to the Midwest in search of a more private, better draped life, leaving those countries in the godless, modesty-depleted, uncurtained condition for which they're now renowned.

As a child of Finnish and German parents, having grown up in the midwest, and in spite of being raised rather liberally, we STILL had multi-layered curtains on all windows at all times.

Myth confirmed!

(Sorry, I'm watching Mythbusters right now.)

Child of Finnish parents here, grew up in the upper Midwest. We walked around nekkid in the sauna only. However, no multi-layered curtains for us -- couldn't be bothered.

prospectplacegirl

Jack Krohn wrote: ProspectPlaceGirl,

How about posting some photos of your neighbor's "great New York boobs"?

you know, she hasn't been home all week! her lights havent been on in a few days. i'll have to get back to you on that.

doctorj

theoryofpractice wrote:
Child of Finnish parents here, grew up in the upper Midwest. We walked around nekkid in the sauna only. However, no multi-layered curtains for us -- couldn't be bothered.

Did your ancestors migrate before or after the 1917 declaration of independence?

mypasswordwontwork

ProspectPlaceGirl wrote: [quote=Jack Krohn]ProspectPlaceGirl,

How about posting some photos of your neighbor's "great New York boobs"?

you know, she hasn't been home all week! her lights havent been on in a few days. i'll have to get back to you on that.


She probably read your post and has decided to put her New York jugs away for a bit. Maybe hide them underneath a sweater and quit the exhibitionism.

mypasswordwontwork

As for the curtains stuff. The boyfirend and I were in a hotel in California. We were, of course, fucking and we were quite close to a window. The curtains were open. I did not notice that the curtains were open until I looked sideways and saw a middle-aged man outside the window watching intently as I was being done doggystyle. I was really horrified. Both the man outside and my boyfriend seemed extremely turned on by the exhbitionism, as are many of these Prospect Heights and Park Slope curtain-less flashers.

theoryofpractice

doctorj wrote: [quote=theoryofpractice]
Child of Finnish parents here, grew up in the upper Midwest. We walked around nekkid in the sauna only. However, no multi-layered curtains for us -- couldn't be bothered.

Did your ancestors migrate before or after the 1917 declaration of independence?

Father's side, yes. Mother came over on a DC-3.

prospectplacegirl

She probably read your post and has decided to put her New York jugs away for a bit. Maybe hide them underneath a sweater and quit the exhibitionism.

youre probably right. i have to admit though, i'm fully aware of my kitchen window. it's the one window in my apartment that doesn't have a curtain. and my bathroom is right off of the kitchen. so every morning, i streak in and out of the shower, and my neighbors window can totally see in to my kitchen, so i'm sure that he's seen me naked a few times. i realize this, but haven't done anything to render the situation. there aren't any buildings behind me, so i guess i don't mind it so much, knowing he's the only one that would most likely see me.

has anyone here ever seen your neighbor catching you look at them? the girl across the street from me with the nice boobaluh's, has to know that i see her on a regular basis. but i'm pretty sure that we've caught one another peeping one another, which is what makes me chicken out and close my curtains. i've seen her turn her head in the direction of my apartment. shes one floor above me, and can totally see IN to my apartment. and i'm sure shes seen me sprawled out on my couch at night. but i can only see her from the chest up.

it's also funny, because you can't really make out what these people in the windows look like.... the boobs, or naked bodies always seem to be crystal clear, but the facial features are always blurry, which in turn would make someone hard to identify on the street....that is, unless you wanna go all out and be peeping tom like, in getting binoculars, or something... hmmmmm :roll:

breatheeasy

This seems crazy to me -- I mean, of course, besides the really absurd 'black people like curtains and white people don't' issues, but - aren't you people AFRAID of people looking in your windows??

Haha I don't know, I grew up in a suburb too (Long Island) and I would always - allllways- change in my room, my curtains wide open, night or day, whatever. my mother would always freak and tell me i needed to close the blinds at night (just night, though). I used to ask why & she'd say, "what if there's someone watching you" - my response was always, "well if there's someone watching me that means theres someone in our backyard, and i think we've got bigger problems." the reality is, no one can see you on long island with your trees and yards and fences and space...

Here, I live on the first floor in a building right next to a bodega, so we get lots of people walking past & standing in front of our gigantic living room window. The lighting in my living room sucks - and by that I mean there is none - because our curtains are preeeetty much closed 24 hours a day. Where as on long island, no one was watching you, here, everyone is! I would rather turn the light on than have people on the street staring at me, watching me! doesn't that creep you out?? It's not even about being naked, I don't want them watching me cook dinner, watching TV, dancing around my kitchen, nothing!
It's happened many times when I've forgotten to close them when I get up or before we bought curtains when we had a sheet hanging for like a month, and I look up and men are just WATCHING me. It's WEIRD. I can't believe nobody feels the same way, hah.

But I admit.......... I envy non-1st floor apartments often, thinking man, I could leave my curtains open all day long if I lived up there....

About seeing anyone else, i could care less -- never really looked into people's windows, so I've never seen anything I didn't want to.

laura

I am totally conscious of what people can see ... proximity, angles, indoor/outdoor light levels, etc. So if my curtains are open, no way am I not wearing a robe at least.

As for looking in other people's windows, I have to say I'm a total fiend for looking in ground floor brownstone windows as I walk past, because I'm always fascinated to see how people decorate and always looking for new ideas!

bobbybrummel

ProspectPlaceGirl wrote: has anyone here ever seen your neighbor catching you look at them?

this falls more in the realm of exhibitionism, but i knew this apartment in morningside heights where their neighbor across a shaft used to sit naked in her apartment, smoking a cigarette, staring at the folks i knew as they sat in their living room. she was probably thinking "what are with these weirdo clothed people?! shouldn't they close their shades?"

laura

My boyfriend lives in Manhattan on the UES and has several times noticed people across the way being all nekkid. And then there was the time a woman and her daughter were gardening topless in their backyard. I mean, wha?? The UES isn't exactly the Michigan Womyn's Festival ...

breatheeasy

laura wrote: I am totally conscious of what people can see ... proximity, angles, indoor/outdoor light levels, etc. So if my curtains are open, no way am I not wearing a robe at least.

As for looking in other people's windows, I have to say I'm a total fiend for looking in ground floor brownstone windows as I walk past, because I'm always fascinated to see how people decorate and always looking for new ideas!

right right, I have started to open my curtains if i am laying on the couch, i know no one can see me

ahh, I admit to doing that too - not even just brownstones, but any place where i can see the decor i usually peer in! but if i'm peering at like a family sitting down to dinner or a guy on the couch, i'll probably look away.

rockhound

Subject: FREE SHOW AT FREAK CENTRAL

I live across the street from FREAK CENTRAL where there's always a FREE SHOW going on.

I have seen EVERYT'ING.

A hint for whoever it is with a large frosted bathroom window, NO CURTAINS, and the toilet right next to the street facing window:

PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU PULLING DOWN YOUR PANTS and diddling around with your JUNK, especially at night when your 150 Watt Bathroom light is Blazing Away.

Sitting in MY window for a quiet smoke I can't help but notice these very obvious sights. Oy

I have many tales to tell of Freak Central, but the very best one is this.

Late one night, a couple years ago, some local youths were standing in front of my building, regarding an amazing sight in a second floor window across the street at Freak Central. According to what they told my son, they had been making regular pilgrimages to this site to admire the miracle in the window at the same time every night for weeks. It had become a regular habit for them.

They were enjoying the FREE SHOW when another kid comes up the street, glances up at the lighted window, and then points at it in disbelief.

"YO SON! THAT LADY DON'T HAVE ON NO F*CKING CLOTHES!"

The unclad white lady preening in the window turned round, and for the first time she noticed the loyal contingent of black kids staring up at her admiringly.

The loud mouth ruined it for everyone. No more free show for them. Curtains went up the next day.

I laugh every time I remember this story..and it's quite true.

doctorj

theoryofpractice wrote: [quote=doctorj][quote=theoryofpractice]
Child of Finnish parents here, grew up in the upper Midwest. We walked around nekkid in the sauna only. However, no multi-layered curtains for us -- couldn't be bothered.

Did your ancestors migrate before or after the 1917 declaration of independence?

Father's side, yes. Mother came over on a DC-3.

Now this is particularly interesting. Would you say that your mother wore the pants in your household, so-to-speak, as far as choice of window dressing went? You see where I'm going with this...

erikka

caaahyoko wrote: [quote=doctorj][quote=ProspectPlaceGirl]
whoa! i just read this after i just posted! so maybe it's a suburban michigan thing!!!!

Completely anecdotally, it seems to me that people from the Northern Midwest are more than averagely concerned with modesty. I wonder if there's a connection with colonization by Lutherans in the 19th century: all the modest Germans and Scandinavians moved to the Midwest in search of a more private, better draped life, leaving those countries in the godless, modesty-depleted, uncurtained condition for which they're now renowned.

As a child of Finnish and German parents, having grown up in the midwest, and in spite of being raised rather liberally, we STILL had multi-layered curtains on all windows at all times.

Myth confirmed!

(Sorry, I'm watching Mythbusters right now.)

All my Finnish relatives insisted on being naked 24/7---at the dinner table, out raking the lawn. Yeah, it was pretty uncomfortable. They told us we were just uptight Americans.

One of my favorite things about NYC is being able to see little slivers of people's lives that can be glimpsed when people have their curtains open--I don't stop and stare but it's very fascinating and, in a strange way, makes me feel more connected with my neighbors seeing them function in a domestic setting (disclaimer: I am not a peeping tom and would be horrified if I accidentally spotted something sexual in nature going on). There was an article in NY Magazine about what one man could see from his apt and what he thought was going on in those apartments across from his. Then NYM went and interviewed the people who lived in those apartments. The speculator was way off in all of his hypotheses but his stories were all better than what was the real deal.

Personally, I am indifferent and have curtains mostly to block out the light so I can sleep in late.

laura

erikka wrote: There was an article in NY Magazine about what one man could see from his apt and what he thought was going on in those apartments across from his. Then NYM went and interviewed the people who lived in those apartments. The speculator was way off in all of his hypotheses but his stories were all better than what was the real deal.

So Mrs. Thorwald really did just go on a trip?

erikka

laura wrote: [quote=erikka]There was an article in NY Magazine about what one man could see from his apt and what he thought was going on in those apartments across from his. Then NYM went and interviewed the people who lived in those apartments. The speculator was way off in all of his hypotheses but his stories were all better than what was the real deal.

So Mrs. Thorwald really did just go on a trip?

She went to live with a nice family with a farm out in the countryside...

apollonia666

Gawkered.

If you want to get really meta, go over there, read their comments about the comments here on this post, then come back here and comment on their comments about these comments.

I think my head just exploded.

doctorj

apollonia666 wrote:
If you want to get really meta, go over there, read their comments about the comments here on this post, then come back here and comment on their comments about these comments.

So it seems like we finally got the definitive and disappointing answer to Plato and Juvenal's riddle: "Who is watching the watchers?" -- it's Gawker.

prospectplacegirl

that article was really good. i especially loved how it was laid out, and the photography was so on point in showing little glimpses through the curtains, and slivers of people through the windows. i'm surprised no one mentioned this earlier! that article basically sums up what this entire thread is about.

for instance, maybe the guy whos wang is always out for everyone to see on butler place...maybe his apt is insanely hot, so he has no choice but to be naked at all times, and he's just by his window catching a cool breeze.

laura

ProspectPlaceGirl wrote: that article was really good. i especially loved how it was laid out, and the photography was so on point in showing little glimpses through the curtains, and slivers of people through the windows. i'm surprised no one mentioned this earlier!

I wish I'd seen it - how long ago was it?

doublediamond

Subject: Re: FREE SHOW AT FREAK CENTRAL

rockhound wrote:

"YO SON! THAT LADY DON'T HAVE ON NO F*CKING CLOTHES!"

This story made me laugh out loud! holy crap, that was good!

pensodyssey

doctorj wrote: So it seems like we finally got the definitive and disappointing answer to Plato and Juvenal's riddle: "Who is watching the watchers?" -- it's Gawker.

I thought it was the coast guard!