My son Mark is the Internet sensation The Naked Swimmer. I'm sure by now you already know of his story and of his past . . . um . . . exposuresâI guess we're calling them.
I say Mark's a sensation because his nude photos, which are on a perfectly respectable photographer's website, have received an unbelievable amount of views.
Amy, the photographer that took the photos, has seen her website crash several times due to too much traffic and she has had to overhaul her site in order to handle the extra viewers! My daughter and I have sort of chided Mark relentlessly about his public displays of nudity. It isn't fair to him, and as his mother I should be ashamed of myself, but we just can't help it. He is so adorable when he is embarrassed and he looks better naked than I could ever have imagined!
Over the past summer Mark has been publicly naked on several occasions, sometimes on purpose sometimes by accident. But once Amy photographed him in the raw and posted the images on her site it seems his nude experiences have come to a halt.
I have to say I am relieved and a little disappointed. I'm relieved that my son hasn't been put through anymore humiliating encounters, but I also have to admit seeing him bare his nakedness in front of a bunch of women has been something that I have been secretly aroused by. Not that I am attracted to my son, but that I imagine what a thrill it must be for him. I know boys are horny all the time and to see him standing up naked and erect revealing his entire bare body in front of so many sexually aggressive ladies like that . . . wowâI'm flushing!
As for Mark he has been doing nothing but working lately, it seems like that's all he does anymore is work and try to save money. My daughter has moved in with her friendâa girl, and I have a feeling they are more than just friends, but that's her business. So it's just been Mark and me in the house and he has been helping to pay the mortgage. I hate taking money from him, but we need every penny we can get. I want him to save his money for college, but he insists on paying his fair share.
He is a wonderful son.
Anyway, here is where this story really picks up. One day the phone rang and a woman asked if this was Mark's number and I said yes, she asked if he was the Naked Swimmer and I hesitated. We have had a few calls from weirdos and I wasn't sure if I should hang up or not, but for some reason I didn't. I called Mark and told him what she was askingâhis face immediately turned red. He picked up the phone and began talking. I tried to listen in while telling myself I wasn't being nosyâjust motherly. I couldn't really understand what was being said, but Mark talked to her for a long time. When he hung up I was hoping he would come right over and tell me what she said, but in typical teenager fashion, he told me he was off to work and would be home for dinner.
It was driving me crazy to know what the story was but I had to wait all day, and all through dinner before he told me.
"So I got that call earlier and I was wanting your input," he said.
"Okay."
"That woman said she was from some Women's magazine and she wanted to interview me about all the stuff that happened over the summer."
"What stuff?" I couldn't resist the chance to tease him.
"About the photos . . . on Amy's site. And all the other stuff."
I smiled and just replied, "Oh."
He sat there thinkingâabout what I have no idea, but he seemed nervous.
"What does she want to know exactly?"
"I guess she heard about all the reasons I did itâthe swim meet, and all that and she wants to just have an interview with, you know . . . The Naked Swimmer."
He blushed a little but there was the hint of a smile.
"She offered me $500 for the interview. I'm thinking of doing it."
My "Mom alarm" went off at that. "Well, what exactly is this magazine? It's not pornographic or anything, is it?"
"No, she said it wasn't. It's "VFM", I think Cindy reads it, you know, it's just one of those magazines about women issues and stuff. The way she explained it, it sounds like the kind of stories you read in the grocery store line. You know all that crap they write, lose 10 pounds in 10 minutes, how to know if he's really interested . . . "
"How to be better in bed?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess that too. It's kind of like Maxim, of FHM for women. She said what they all say, that my sacrifice for Jill is what women want to read about because they like that I did it for a girl, and all that."
We remained quiet for a moment.
"I would tell her to take a hike, but 500 dollars is a lot and I could really use it."
I wasn't sure I liked this. I am very concerned that at some point Mark will wind up using his body to make money and become some pervert or porn star or something. I do not want that life for my son. Catching him naked in the pool or on Youtube is one thing, but exploiting himself for money is different. In a way I suppose he already has, but that was to raise money for a good cause and then again for college.
"I told her I would think about it, and if I agree she can't give out my real name or personal informationâincluding where we live."
That was smart, I thought. He really is an intelligent person.