Today's news.

[Cordy]

This article was in today's news....Melbourne, Au.

Yes I know it might conflict with the standard North American ideal that speedos are a sexual thing only....but here is a group of dedicated older males who swim daily in (at times very chilly) waters off Melbourne's bay beaches.
Note: men of other than young, fit bodies are happily wearing speedos to swim in.

A pic like this doesn't raise an eyebrow here. Phew...

Btw - We regularly get pics of footballers, rugby players etc training in speedos too in newspapers. Sorry can't post as isn't in online press.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/an-iceberger-with-the-lot-from-red-faces-to-cold-feet-20130827-2sod7.html

[Byron]

Interesting article and the activity familiar to me as a female cousin (herself of Iceberger age ) still takes her daily dip in St Phillip's Bay.
I didn't know ex footballer David Brooks of the Music Men but I do now (born
1953 in Bury Lancashire ):
http://www.goalweekly.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=207:the-music-man&Itemid=141

Attitude to speedos quite ridiculous in some places - a Sydney rugby team trains regularly on the beach in speedos and a pic is long standing on Google Images - do you wish me to locate?
(also wish to retrace story of Leader of the Opposition out in speedos for a charity swim and derided for an electioneering publicity stunt I believe).

[Swimmboy]

I don't think it is fair to say that it is a 'standard' North American belief that Speedos are only a sexual thing - there are thousands of swimmers - from what we call "Polar Bear" clubs (similar to "Icebergers") to adult swim teams (such as Masters swimming) where Speedos are the norm, and nobody thinks anything of it. As I've posted before, I have worn Speedos from beaches along Lake Erie, the California coast, pools from New Hampshire to New Mexico, even the U.S. "Bible Belt" south, and nobody ever gave a rat's ass, never harassed me, attacked me, etc. I have received a few second glances, and once a little kid at my city pool asked his Mom why that man was in his underwear, lol, but she told him it was another kind of swimsuit! Speedos rule!

[louis]

Lots of polar bear clubs here in Canada, and no kidding they rteally swim in icy waters. brrrr......

[Byron]

How are the actual animals faring these days with the increased melting of the Polar Ice Cap ? (we were hearing stories of death by exhaustion because the ice floes they must have are so far apart now that they are beyond their usually achievable swimming distances and drowning results for many in the Arctic waters).

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Cordy, blanket bashing statements about any nation or region are just crap. There are plenty of events in North America where you see guys just like in the picture. And there are plenty of beaches where brief suits are relatively common. There are also plenty of beaches in Australia where you can look for hours and won't see a brief suit on a single guy and I have read plenty of blog posts from Europe and Australia that have nothing good to say about guys in "speedos." To think many of you call us arrogant Americans, but I really find the arrogance more often comes the other way. And certainly it does not belong on this board. Get over yourself.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Blanket bashing statements about any nation or region are just crap. There are plenty of events in North America where you see guys just like in the picture. And there are plenty of beaches where brief suits are relatively common. There are also plenty of beaches in Australia where you can look for hours and won't see a brief suit on a single guy and I have read plenty of blog posts from Europe and Australia that have nothing good to say about guys in "speedos." To think many of you call us arrogant Americans, but I really find the arrogance more often comes the other way. And certainly it does not belong on this board. Get over yourself.

[Byron]

:confused: Why two posts two minutes apart and identical except for a couple of words?

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

Clearly a computer error in the edit function... not hard to figure out.

[shaulis]

I agree with STS just as no two people are exactly the same, no two nations or regions are the same. I think it depends on the day you go to a beach as to what you see on people.

[Byron]

Thanks for explanation - I think I can get my brain around that one now but still prefer the reasoned reply in post#3 as against an aggressive header for a "naive individual"
(interestingly changed to a more polite address by name second time - so does all this pent-up paranoia lead to some reassessments?)

Btw, you've missed one in the forum - poster says all men in the US are
shamed on their anatomy - but is this OK as he's from socal?

[Byron]

Re. post#2 Tony Abbott is the Aussie politician (NSW Liberal) I could not recall.

He is here in red speedos about to do his pier-to-pier charity race at Hervey Bay: http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2013/07/22/1226683/056768-35ec4632-f266-11e2-86b2-db7941f3673f.jpg

He is here told to put some clothes on: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/put-some-clothes-on-mr-abbott/story-e6freuzi-1225805230578#

As for the sports guys some of the Sydney Roosters (RFC) are here for training on the beach in their speedos: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWfZcyLQ_6I/TehJVbdQFRI/AAAAAAAAANI/5pooOCAnBgg/s1600/Rugby+Sydney+Roosters.jpg

[knikon]

While a blanket statement is usually only a half truth it does get a point across. Few american men I know take the speedo seriously. It is either disgusting, a joke/gag, or "my girlfriend thinks they look like bikini bottoms". Sure there must be tens of thousands of speedo friendly Americans but it pales in comparison to the female bikini friendly crowd. Iv'e even met women out here who hate the speedos merely because it takes attention away from them when they are in a bikini. Men out here are shamed for their anatomy. Some like me don't buy into the message but many if not most do. This trend of excessively baggy clothing is a complete farce. Look at the styles men are "told" to wear.

My solution is that I choose who I want to be. Some do, many don't.

[Torchwatch]

The joke/gag used to be boxer shorts, white with big red spots, worn by comedians on TV and in stage farces (re Brian Rix) when their trousers had to fall down. The objective was to create a titter from the audience without any sexual excitement or sensual satisfaction. Pity they became fashionable for young men in the mid 1980's.

[kumu]

That gang look looks so uncomfortable. I saw a kid maxed out in the gang look yesterday, a hot, muggy, uncomfortable day even in shorts and a t, but he was wearing black hoodie with hood up, long sleeves of course, long baggy jeans with the underwear showing of course. I don't understand, it does not compute.

[Torchwatch]

They spend a lot of money to get their clothes to fit so badly.

[Byron]

Perhaps a lot of money spent to look like this?
http://www.thisisyourconscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/baggy-pants.jpg

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/aug/12/uk-riots-gangster-chic-brands
This is both funny and sad (London summer riots 2011). The guy may be looting but better check first that it's his size before running off.
One sentence of the article is profound: "...pissing off a lot of older people will actually increase the brands' appeal to the young".

PS: You probably know NSFW on some blogs so I shall label this as NSFS
(S=Swimming): http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4f87257169beddff4d000002/4-tips-for-guys-to-look-their-best-on-the-beach-this-summer.jpg

[Torchwatch]

If you are going to stock gangster chic then expect to be robbed during a riot.
The book shops never got touched during the last lot of UK riots.

[Byron]

I had better add a note of congratulation to that - the guy so often ridiculed has just become the new Australian PM with a good majority!