In 2013, Wrecking Ball took Youtube by a storm with over 800 million views. Much of the chatter focused not on the music or cinematography, but on the fact that Miley Cyrus swung on a wrecking ball without clothes. The shock factor was a combination of "What happened to sweet little Hannah Montana?" and "Ew, did she really just strip down for a recorded music video?" Fast forward three years and there is new look at people sans clothes.
Nudity always garnishes attention and money in society. The frontrunners are probably Playboy, Playgirl, and other venues for pornography. Yet, nudity is also used as a selling feature in music videos, movies, and off screen promotions. In most cases nudity is used to objectify people or their individual body parts. Recall the David Beckham H&M ad or PETA's numerous works showcasing stars' desire to go naked rather than harm animals. The Women's Media Center recorded that in 2012’s 100 top films, women were more than four times more likely than men to wear hypersexual clothing and roughly three times more likely than men to be partially naked.
The true irony is that everyone was born naked and underneath clothes is still a person. From an early age people are raised to respect themselves and their bodies— they are encouraged to wear modest clothing. The flip side is that when "going out," it becomes acceptable/expected for women to wear less. The media highlights "ideal" beautiful people who can be naked while also slut-shaming. The result is a twisted form of body shaming and lower self-esteem. 
Much of this destructive view of nudity still exists but this year captures a challenger voice. herself.com was launched this past January to support women of all different looks. Later this year, Miley Cyrus again challenged culture's expectations of nudity with Jimmy Kimmel. Thus, a discussion has begun. Other voices have used Youtube to talk about self-esteem and nudity, including video-blogger and feminist Laci Green in Rule 1: Get Naked.
Two female artists have also taken nudity to a new level. Demi Lovato took the reigns with a makeup free, non-retouched, nude photo shoot. She has discussed her personal struggles and sense of pride to be comfortable with her body. Regardless of the photos, it was a pretty badass move. Also on the music screen, Selena Gomez poses nude on the cover of Revival, her new album. When asked about her decision, she cites media criticism of weight gain and her wish to show she doesn't really care. Are they both using nudity to sell their new albums or shed their child acting pasts? Once again, there are probably many factors that played into the decision.
Ultimately, what to wear should come down to how people feel comfortable. Women continue to be more sexualized when nude than men. Today people are using nudity as a means to display confidence and vulnerability... or as a conversation starter. As people talk about nudity less like a monster and more like a matter of personal choice, society's twisted view can begin to change.
