Do political activists really need to be naked to make their point?

When did political campaigns become so vain? The latest instance involves a bunch of clowns from Spain (they’re literally clowns, I mean) protesting against the Israeli security barrier by standing in front of the wall, naked.

A statement on their Facebook page said:

‘When you stand before this shameful fence, all of humanity is naked. The decision to be photographed as naked clowns was meant to remind us that all of humanity has lost its respect by allowing such barriers to exist.’

The Palestinians, unsurprisingly, called this ‘disgusting’. Personally I find it hilarious; the funniest thing involving white people abroad since Andrew Hawkins’s African apology tour.

But does any cause these days not involve people parading half-naked in front of a camera? Earlier this year protesters stripped off in protest at that Protein World advert. There have also been a whole host of ‘Slutwalk’ events which involved people wearing very little. This is definitely a new thing. My recollection of the event is vague but I seem to remember that Martin Luther King managed to make his historic march to Selma without getting his todger out.

Social media, smartphones and selfies have vastly increased the amount of vanity involved in political campaigning. Add to that the fact that more people in the west are now richer, and have moved through the hierarchy of needs, leaving them more time to focus on political debate, and you have a potent mix.

A lot of first-world concerns, especially the sort of sexual politics one sees coming from American academia, focus on esteem and self-actualisation. Yet in the Middle East, many people are still at the level of securing safety, and have very different attitudes to the world. Despite this, many westerners seem unable to grasp the all-important fact that many people do not have the same needs as them. Little thought is actually put into what they might feel. ‘I’m on the side of justice, and so are the Palestinians, therefore they must share my worldview’ is the attitude.

Put your trousers back on, people.