More stars going nude for publicity

If you've got it, or even if you really don't, why not flaunt it, right?

Lots of celebs — including a raven-haired Britney Spears, tanned and gloriously pregnant on the August cover of Harper's Bazaar — have apparently reached that conclusion.

Demi Moore, Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley have all stripped down to their bare nothings to make a point and make a splash.

Ever since Marilyn Monroe was featured on the cover of Playboy in December 1953 the idea that appearing in the buff would ruin a career was proven wrong.

Marilyn admitted that she posed for the pics when she was a struggling actress though, and despite the pictorial, she remained an A-lister.

A star's readiness to strip may be as old as when the first human drew a naked cave painting and then grunted to get everyone to come see.

“I think the recent spate of star skin is just another attempt to cut through the clutter and get noticed,” said Michael Lever, Access' Director of Marketing. “It's the latest marketing tool. Actors most often have to ‘sell themselves’ to get a job, with headshots, resumes, reels of past work, etc. This gives them an edge over the competition, especially if they are a bit long in the tooth. It shows a daring, outrageous, artsy and gutsy side that might not be as evident in their work. Many in the acting profession crave attention.”

But public nudity doesn't seem to go over as well for the men.

Burt Reynolds' nearly nude centerfold in the April 1972 edition of Cosmopolitan magazine did wonders for his sex appeal but damaged his reputation as a serious actor.

As for posing naked while pregnant, the idea may have backfired for Britney, Lever said.

“I think it really worked for Demi [Moore] … it showed that she could still be hot at her age…” Michael explained. "[Brit's] gonna need to do a whole lot more then flash some flesh to return to her glory days as a sexy, sultry siren. How about putting out a decent CD? Clothing optional.”

In other nudity news, things aren't looking so good for the regular joe who just wants to feel the fresh air in front of his or her neighbors.

Nudist beaches are disappearing faster than you can say, “Oh, no, did I forget the sunscreen?”

And from the recent arrest of a topless woman in Lincoln, Neb., to the arrest of a guy working nude on his car in Oklahoma, public nudity arrests are still going strong.

Scotland may be the last bastion of the bare-assed. According to The Herald newspaper, a Scottish photographer was recently advertising for nude models for a public art project. Brit?

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