Now, World Naked Gardening Day isn't the kind of thing I'm really going to get behind with anything remotely resembling gusto. It's not the being naked part that irks me, it's the gardening.
When one typically putters in the garden, there is usually sunlight involved, and as a dedicated goth, I barely let the Yellow Hurty Thing touch my public bits, let alone my pale penis. So know from the outset that this is all theoretical for me.
That being said, some of you may enjoy nudity and botany in tandem, and every May there is a holiday just for you. World Naked Gardening Day was founded in 2005 by Mark Storey and Daniel Johnson. Sponsored by a popular nudist group, WNGD aims to celebrate weed control, flower planting and hedge-trimming (Ed. Note: Don't even think about it, One F), all while proudly displaying the body God gave you and Ronald McDonald ruined.
According to the Hamilton Spectator, gardening is one of the activities, like swimming, that come fairly easily and naturally nude. I would've gone with reading myself, but hey, I didn't found a holiday, so what do I know?
This week's playlist is dedicated to being naked, though I unfortunately could not find you songs about naked gardening. You'll just have to find something else to do in the buff.
Adam Ant, "Strip": In a just world Stuart Goddard, better known as Adam Ant, would be a Bowie-esque icon with a library of innovative and influential albums behind him as well as a chain of highly profitable used-panty stores (ask about the Jamie Lee Curtis and Heather Graham specials). Unfortunately, severe bipolar disorder and a crippling sex addiction often cause problems for the talented singer and songwriter, and he would disappear from the music scene for years at a time while he combated personal demons.
Luckily, the 57-year-old Goddard has reportedly regained his mental health, and a U.S. tour is expected soon along with new music. Here's hoping, because he was always one of my favorite pop stars. A song like "Strip" off of his 1983 second solo album of the same name shows just how catchy Adam Ant could be. If we're going to talk about being naked, I might as well open with the best song about taking off your clothes I know.
Barenaked Ladies, "King of Bedside Manor": In 1992, the Barenaked Ladies were in the studio laying down their debut album, Gordon. The process was going well, but suddenly one song, "King of Bedside Manor," just wouldn't come. It was decided that the band would try and record the track in the nude, an idea that also included producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda and engineer Jean Diamont doing their thing with their prides swinging in the breeze.
The result is an energetic, frantic track that is a perfect example of the Barenaked Ladies style. The band would repeat the stunt on problem acts in the future, such as "Alcohol" on their 1998 multi-platinum album Stunt. Proof positive that some things are just better done naked.
