Do we really need the naked truth? (DOAC 4)

I was watching 'Dexter', (as I blogged about earlier in 'A Dead Debate') and the plethora of full frontal, uninhibited nudity scenes.  I couldn't help but wonder if the nudity was there for artistic reasons or simply because it was Showtime and the director was allowed to do it.  I understand the point of having Dexter smiling while splattered with blood and pushing a meat cleaver into the chest of one of his victims.  It shows the contrast in his "family man" persona and his "dark passenger." 

It got me thinking.  What is it with Americans and our love hate relationship with nudity.  Sex sells, everyone knows that.  On the other hand, we've got the crusaders against nudity shutting down the many "inappropriate" adds or TV shows in the public forum.

Calvin Klein, arguably the initiator of thee nudity in the media trend, has had a long and storied past with nudity and adds.  "Nothing gets between me and my Calvins," the 80's catch phrase was not exactly PG.  Nor were the picture of Brooke Shields in the eighties.

Calvin Klein knows that risque adds will get the media spotlight because people will talk about how "morally reprehensible" the ads are while getting an excuse to show nudity on their shows or newspaper, look at this article or this one or this one.  It is a symbiotic relationship.  Calvin gets free coverage in the news and the news gets to show nudity; everyone wins.  But at what cost to our society?

Am I being old fashioned or socially normal? I honestly have no idea.  I don't know what I think about nudity in the morality.  The one thing I do know is that no matter how much we gripe about it, it won't go away.  Everyone wins in the current climate of sexual awkwardness.  There is money to be made from nudity, it's like pimping but mildly socially acceptable.