American Politics Journal -- All the Nudes That's Fit to Print [R]

American Politics Journal

All the Nudes That's Fit to Print [R]
By Steve Young

Sept. 10, 2001 -- LOS ANGELES (APJP) -- Please ask the children to leave the room.

With all the hoopla the Canadian nakednews.com website has received, along with it’s move to the TV screen, I figured it’s time to make my move.

Please ask any adults with queasy stomachs to leave the room.

From now on I am writing my columns naked. Not just in my underwear, as I assume Jimmy Breslin and George Will do, but butt bare naked. Stripped of all clothes. Stripped of all decency. But with a firm hand on my future.

I do not make this literary shift indecisively. I also write for sitcoms and magazines. From this point on I will be writing everything naked.

Please ask any Nielson families to leave the room..

There will be only one departure from my new exposure edict. In tribute to Dav Pilkey and Captain Underpants, when writing my children’s books, I will be in my...underpants.

Whether I’m creating wry observations and exposing political dirty laundry (of which I will no longer have), revealing the underside of a new economical policy or unveiling my newest TGIF-friendly family characters to reap network gold, I will be sticking to my chair. Metal to the pedal. Shoulder to the wheel. Skin to the leather...er, um, Naugahyde. I will baring my soul as well as a number of other items.

Many people believe I’m doing this for shock value only. That I’m being dishonest to my craft. That no writer worth his words would use a seemingly sleazy gimmick to sell his words. And to those critics I say two words...Ashleigh Banfield! It’s not like I’m going to FOX News or UPN. I’m just taking off my clothes. It will not diminish the value of my crack work.

I promise this to you.. I will still keep you abreast of all that is hot. My finger on the pulse. No limp, back-hair shaving, pretty boy anchor reporting here. Just the same hard news and soft comedy you’ve come to expect from me. The only difference is, from now on, I won’t be doing as much writing on my porch.

Steve Young, Prism Award winner and Humanitas Prize nominee for his television writing, is contributing editor at the Writers Guild of America's "Written By" magazine and author of the forthcoming "Great Failures Of The Extremely Successful," Tallfellow Press, 2002. Steve can be read regularly in his column at
newsandopinion.com. Email Steve at theeothersteveyoung@juno.com