[ An academic -type blog post - still in progress - more to be added later]
Clothed males who revel in the self-acclaiming, social-norm-defying nudity of one of their members may not be, necessarily, a universal male-oriented behavior among all cultures. However, it is a fairly common phenomenon. The photo above highlights the apparent delight that this group of Japanese men are experiencing by seeing one of their guys - get up and show his genitals. They are probably either regular businessmen or factory workers on a retreat or a set of club members or teammates who are relaxing after the day's events (moto-cross races, mountain biking or birdwatching.. whatever).
This is NOT sexually explicit behavior by any stretch of the imagination. But why do they have such glee in the eyes? It is my theory that the act of nudity itself is a self-affirming (virtually symbolic) act that all the men are enjoying vicariously. True, it may cause a few of the men to long for some deeper or intimate affection with this naked guy who is 'on display' or for other members of the gang, but it is not sexual in the raw and basic sense of the word. Therefore, the spector of homoerotic stimulation always lies at the edges of the barrier between acceptable and unacceptable behavior (or thoughts) when a group of men who relate well gets together -- without the social pressures that tend to suppress freedom of individual expression - especially of behaviors or thoughts that are sexually motivated or erotically appealing.
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