Interview 4

The Friends

I strike up a conversation with a woman who's there with two men. As a snap judgement, I'd guess that they were three students who had been friends for several months. They seemed to be more the type to have a deep discussion than to act jock-y and out of control. I had trouble distinguishing the men's voices, so remember that any given answer might have been given by a different guy from the one who gave the previous answer.

So how was it to run?

Man: It was easy!

Woman: It was fun!

I did it last year and before -- and I'm too tired this year to do it.

Woman: Two years ago it was a lot colder!

Yes it was. You remember that?

Yeah, yeah, that was my first one.

So this is your third?

My second; I went out of the country last year.

How about you? First time for you?

Man: First time! What's your web site about?

Here's a card: I printed it up especially for this.

Man: Do you do other naked events?

I try to. I figure wherever there's naked people in public...!

How far did you come?

San Diego.

Man: All right! California, baby!

Woman: Don't other colleges do something like this? [She saw the back of my t-shirt, which is from the Princeton "Nude Olympics."] I think Princeton had some naked games, or something...

Yeah, Princeton students are having trouble with that, too. Princeton wants to shut it down also. You know, the [man who was] president of U of M is now president of Princeton.

Man: Shapiro. [Harold Shapiro, Ph.D.]

Shapiro, exactly. So I think he thinks he knows how to stop things, but you guys proved he can't.

What about the cops? Did they hassle you?

Man: I asked a cop earlier, before everything started, what would happen. He said we'd get arrested. We ran it, and, you know, they've just been keeping people out of the way. They've been good. I don't see what the big deal is; I mean, we should just be able to get naked.

The big deal is that some 80 year-old voters wrote in, saying "We don't like our taxes used for this." Frankly, I don't like my taxes being used to walk people naked down the street in handcuffs.

Man: Yeah, seriously!

That's a waste of money!

The cops need to be here because the perverts on the side are out of control, not because the runners are out of control.

Tell me more about the perverts.

[They laugh.]

Man #1 [pointing to Man #2]: He doesn't mind the cameras. I don't really mind the cameras, but I don't like the objective behind the cameras -- some of the cameras. I don't see why some of these people have to be taking pictures of you. Why can't they just come out and appreciate the event and take part?

Man #2: If nobody cared about being naked in front of a camera, there probably wouldn't even be any cameras. That's the way ought to be.

That's a good point. I have to confess that I have photographed in previous years. OK?

Man #1: [He laughs.] I mean, I'm not saying that everyone with a camera is bad...

I like to consider myself to be a good pervert, not a bad pervert!

[They laugh.]

Man: Yeah, you know, there are some people out there with cameras... you know, whatever. But they definitely do go out there with bad intentions. That doesn't need to be here.

Well, thanks again!

Man: Hey, no problem!