'Charity Porn' Controversy... Elite UK University Students Taking Nude Photos at Year-End

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Nude calendar photographed by Cambridge University athletes / Photo by Cambridge University website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Students from the University of Cambridge's sports teams, one of the UK's most prestigious universities, have voluntarily taken part in producing a 'nude calendar,' drawing significant attention. Although it may seem like a spontaneous and unusual event, this nude calendar is actually a tradition that has continued for several years as a charity fundraising activity. Every year at the end of the year, students from prestigious universities in English-speaking countries, including the UK, sell nude calendars to raise money to help the homeless, children with cancer, and others in need.

According to British local media such as the Daily Mail on the 7th (local time), the University of Cambridge's fundraising and donation organization plans to start selling the nude calendar featuring athletes from the end of this month.

Called the 'Cambridge Blues Naked Calendar,' this calendar was produced with the voluntary participation of 78 students belonging to the University of Cambridge's sports teams. In the photos, students pose with only their essential parts barely covered against the backdrop of the university's historic buildings. The sports teams participating in this calendar production include 12 teams such as gymnastics, equestrian, American football, and lacrosse.

The proceeds from the calendar sales will be donated to charity organizations. Last year, donations were made to Doctors Without Borders, and this year, donations will be made to a total of four organizations, including those supporting homeless children with cancer.

The 'nude calendar donation event' has a long tradition in the UK. At the University of Cambridge alone, nude calendars have been regularly produced since at least 2017.

Students from the University of Oxford, who compete with Cambridge for the position of the UK's top prestigious university, also hold similar charity events. In 2018, students gained attention by taking nude photos in the library of Exeter College, which has a history of about 160 years.

In addition, nude calendar charity events are held at various institutions such as University College London, the University of Bristol in the UK, and the University of Queensland in Australia.

Not only university students but also various sectors of society have attempted nude calendar events. Since the first nude calendar was released by a British women's organization in 1999, nude calendar charity events have been held in the sports world, breast cancer research organizations, hairdresser associations, air ambulance services, and more. According to a survey by an Australian media researcher, from 1996 to 2007, a total of 556 nude calendar donation events were held worldwide.

However, there is ongoing controversy over the significance of nude calendar charity events.

Alice Nicholson, the organizer of the nude calendar event, wrote in a past media article that "nude calendars can improve body awareness and increase the visibility of charity events."

She emphasized, "Participants feel a sense of liberation and gain more confidence in their bodies," adding, "This event is about confidence and donation, not about others' gazes."

On the other hand, there are criticisms that charity organizations are opportunistically exploiting nude events. The American media outlet The Vox strongly criticized last year’s sale of nude photos of young women under the pretext of raising funds for the large Australian wildfires, stating, "This blatantly shows an example of 'charity porn.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.