Some years back, I had the job of entertaining a bunch of 20 something French girls as visitors; they were associates of a stunt man who did a stunt for a Radio 1 Road show. I ended up taking them back to my home town of Eastbourne mainly so that I could go to work whilst they did touristy things.
Over the weekend we went to the beach. As it was midsummer and very warm, the beach was crowded. When they went to change into their bikinis there was none of the embarrassed towel shuffle so beloved of the British (and I imagine the Americans likewise), they simply took off all their 'street' clothes until they were naked and put on their bikinis. They showed no bashfulness or embarrassment whatsoever about being, for a few moments, stark naked in front of 100s of people. That strikes me as thoroughly healthy and wholesome whereas the British & American attitude strikes me as extremely unhealthy!
Likewise, some years back (in about 1980) I stayed for a couple of nights in a hostel in Chamonix in France. There was one shower for the whole place with around 8 or 10 shower heads in a communal space. There were no separate showers for men and women. Whilst myself and my girlfriend were showering, three American girls walked in, saw me, freaked out, and went running to the lady who ran the place to complain about a man being in the women's shower. At first she couldn't understand what all the fuss was about but eventually the Americans dragged her to the shower where I was still taking my shower and insisted she look. She got a cheery "Bonjour Madame" from me and replied in French "Have you any idea why these American women are so hysterical?" to which I replied "I imagine they are unused to mixed sex communal showers and therefore they believe I shouldn't be here!". She then called them something very uncomplimentary indeed in French, gave an Oscar meriting Gallic shrug, asked me or my girlfriend to explain to them how things work in the hostel and stormed off!
My girlfriend explained to them pretty bluntly that the French don't do prudishness at all and that if the sight of a naked man in the shower freaks them out they had better go find somewhere else to stay!
@Paulos_the_fog @TomWellborn We were on a multi-day bicycle event. Rode 50 miles in hot weather. I went to get a shower. Line of women w/ shower bags that went forever. I walk to the front of the line to scope the situation. A US public high school, girls locker room: 2 private shower stalls, 1 empty, silent, large communal (standard gym) shower. I stripped and went in the communal shower. When I left, it was full of women showering. Apparently, they just needed someone to get naked "first."
I was talking about a mixed (males + females naked) type of communal shower. It was the idea of both men and women naked together in a communal shower that freaked them out not nakedness in the presence of other women so much!
@Paulos_the_fog @TomWellborn I get that. We have a long way to go. Lol