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Streaking

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A participant of the Bay to Breakers.

Streaking is the non-sexual act of taking off one's clothes and running naked through a public place.

Definitions and etymology

The word is recorded in its modern sense only since 1973. Before, to streak in English since 1768 meant "to go quickly, to rush, to run at full speed," and was a re-spelling of streek: "to go quickly" (c.1380); this in turn was originally a northern Middle English variant of stretch (c. 1250).[citation needed]

Streaking is distinct from naturism or nudism in that streakers usually intend to be noticed and may choose a place with a large audience for their act, regardless of the risk of arrest (sometimes even intending to be remanded into police custody), whereas naturists and nudists generally prefer to be left in peace. It is also distinct from "flashing," in that the intent is generally not to shock or traumatize a victim.

Streakers may streak only once or a few times, possibly as a result of a dare, or may streak so often it can be considered a hobby.

Some males tend to enjoy streaking in front of girls, because they want to "show off their stuff."

The most public form of streaking is running naked before huge crowds at sporting events. However, many streakers seek quieter venues, such as a neighborhood at night after most people have gone to bed. Some have even found it especially satisfying to streak on rural highways in the very early hours of the morning, when there are not many commuters on the road. A number of streakers do not intend to expose themselves to others, but find it thrilling to do it in places that often have people present, but do not at the time of their streak. Streaking may be an individual or a group activity. It is not uncommon for videos of some of the more daring streaks to find popularity on the internet.

Streaking on college campuses

The first recorded incident of streaking by a college student in the United States occurred in 1804 at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University), when senior George William Crump was arrested for running nude through Lexington, Virginia, where the university is located.[citation needed] Robert E. Lee later sanctioned streaking as a rite of passage for young Washington and Lee gentlemen.[citation needed] Crump was suspended for the academic session, and would later go on to become a U.S. Congressman and Ambassador to Chile.[citation needed]

When and where streaking on campus started is unknown. Streaking seems to have been well-established on some college campuses by the mid-1960s.[1]

Time magazine, in December 1973, called streaking "a growing Los Angeles-area fad" that was "catching on among college students and other groups."[2] A letter writer responded, "Let it be known that streakers have plagued the campus police at Notre Dame for the past decade," pointing out that a group of University of Notre Dame students sponsored a "Streakers' Olympics" in 1972.[3]

The record for the most streakers at one time is held by the University of Georgia, with 1,549 simultaneous streakers on March 7, 1974.[citation needed] The University of Colorado comes in second with 1,200 streakers, and the University of Maryland ranking third, with 553 naked students streaking three miles in March 1974.[citation needed] The previous record was held by the University of South Carolina, with 508 streakers.[citation needed] Erskine College claimed the highest "per-capita streak," when 25% of its 600 students participated in a streaking party in 1974.[citation needed]

The last night before final exams at Harvard University sees undergraduates participating in a Primal Scream. Students disrobe and make two laps around Harvard Yard. This is done in both semesters, even during New England winters. Some of the streakers will "dress up" in capes and masks, or top hat and tails, but their genitalia are still exposed. The walkways through which the streakers run are lined with spectators and the school's marching band plays beforehand to excite the crowd.

Princeton University has had a long tradition of streaking. The first streaking incident in 1970 was meant as a one-time prank, but in time, streaking became a tradition of the sophomore class, and rules were drafted for the event. The tradition declined in the 1990s and the administration chose not to tolerate the event anymore; the Board of Trustees voted to ban the practice in 1999, because it was becoming dangerous and attracting too many outsiders.

Students of Lewis & Clark College began their naked mile tradition as a response to the arrest of some of its students at a downtown protest.[citation needed] Since then the mile has remained as a celebration of body image, encouraging students to come either naked or wearing underwear/bra/whatever they feel comfortable in without question or judgment. Students continue to honor the legacy each year by coming out on prospective student weekend and running in solidarity through the school.

Streaking became an annual campus tradition at The University of Chicago in 1983, during their Kuviasungnerk winter festival, to help students kick the winter blues.[citation needed] There are often more spectators than actual participants. In winter quarter, on the Sunday night before finals week, The University of Chicago cross-country team streaks through the campus's main library at 10:00 PM. This creates a stir among students, as a large portion of the population is in the library at the time.

In 1986, the University of Michigan's "Naked Mile" celebrated the last day of class with a group streak across campus along an approximate one-mile path. At the height of its popularity in the late 1990s, between 500 and 800 students would participate. However, due to recent enforcement of public indecency laws and increasing spectator crowds and videotaping, participation has declined, and in 2001, a mere 24 students participated. [1] Students were warned by college administrators that streakers would be declared sex offenders for life under Megan's Law. [2]

The University of California, Santa Cruz has an annual fall tradition known as First Rain, where students in Porter College run naked through campus during the first rainfall of the fall season, usually in October.

Dartmouth College has two streaking-related challenges: The Ledyard Challenge, in which students swim naked across the Connecticut River and run nude back across the bridge,[3] and the Blue Light Challenge, in which streaking students attempt to press the alarm on every one of the campus's blue light emergency phones. [4] Currently, a "Thursday Night Streaking Club" exists that regularly streaks various events and public places.[5]

At the University of Virginia, tradition holds that prior to graduating, students must run naked from the steps of the Rotunda and down the 740 foot Lawn to kiss the buttocks of a statue of Homer, before running back up the Lawn to the peer through the keyhole of the Rotunda, which affords a view of the marble statue of the school's founder, Thomas Jefferson, before they retrieve their clothes. In 1995, a "mass streak" was organized to protest a police crackdown on the practice.[citation needed]

At the University of the Philippines, members of Alpha Phi Omega fraternity ran around the whole campus naked in an annual event known as the Oblation Run.[citation needed] (refer to U.P. Oblation)

Hamilton College of New York has a Varsity Streaking Team, which, until recently, boasted an undefeated record. The team received positive coverage in the New York Times in 2004 after streaking twelve private colleges in the New England region. Other victories include Colgate University and Princeton University, the latter sparked by a challenge from that school's now-defunct streaking squad. The Williams College "Springstreakers" defeated Hamilton in spring 2005: fifteen members of the Williams team made a full circuit of the Hamilton library the night before their final exams began, streaking about 200 people and giving the Hamilton team their first loss.[citation needed]

The men's and women's rugby teams at Swarthmore College engage in a streaking fundraiser each semester known as the "Dash for Cash", in which the team members run naked through Parrish Hall, the main administration building. Spectators are expected to bring money, which the streakers grab from their hands as they run by.[citation needed] The activity has been known to catch bystanders unawares, despite heavy publicity featuring the slogan, "Bring money, or you're a pervert."[citation needed]

The student body of Willamette University of Salem, Oregon has recently developed a tradition of streaking on "Prospy Day", the student nickname for the Spring Preview day in May in which prospective students and their families visit campus. The group of streakers jogs through the major areas of campus at a speed intended to shock and amuse the potential future students, while still finishing their run in time to scatter and avoid campus police, often wearing running shoes and amusing hats, but nothing else.[citation needed]

Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania has a longstanding tradition of streaking on the last Sunday night before finals of the Spring semester. Students gather Sunday night around Mifflin Hall in Pollock Commons before midnight in anticipation of the streaking to ensue. The streakers run down a corridor in front of thousands of students. A recent increase of arrests has resulted in fewer streakers the past two years.[citation needed]

Streaking in Sports

Rugby Union

Twenty-five-year-old Australian Michael O'Brien was the first known streaker at a major sporting event when on April 20, 1974, he ran out naked onto the ground of an England vs. France Rugby Union match at Twickenham. Erica Roe, a bookshop assistant, also streaked during a rugby union Test at Twickenham in 1982.[4] Recently, in New Zealand, there have been incidents of streaking at rugby union matches.[citation needed]

Cricket

In the sport of cricket, it is not uncommon for a streaker to run out to the field purely for shock and entertainment value, or occasionally for political purposes.[citation needed] The most recent streaking was in the first test of the Australia versus I.C.C. World XI, when a rather drunken man darted out toward the field naked, shocking the Australian and World XI players, causing play to stop. He was spear tackled to the ground by field personnel, after trying to evade their trap. He was apprehended. This is the usual method to capture unruly streakers at sporting events. In one notable incident in 1975, Australian test cricketer Greg Chappell "spanked" an invading streaker named Bruce McCauley with his cricket bat.[5] Former cricket streaker Sheila Nicholls went on to have a successful career in the American music business.

Australian rules football

Streaking became popular at Australian rules football matches in the 1980s, particularly Victorian Football League Grand Finals, with a trend started by Adelaide stripper Helen D'Amico in the 1982 Grand Final between Carlton and Richmond, wearing only a Carlton scarf [6].

There were also incidents in 2004 at Launceston (St. Kilda v Port Adelaide) where a streaker was tackled, while another streaker who evaded security in 2007 at Darwin (Western Bulldogs v Fremantle) turned himself in to police the next morning.

Another incident occurred in 2007 when two girls streaked onto the Gabba pitch at a match between Brisbane and eventual premiers Geelong. The girls were taken off by security and were fined for their actions.

Association football

In 2005, German football club, FC Hansa Rostock, successfully sued three streakers who disrupted their 2003 match against Hertha Berlin, to recoup the €20,000 they were fined by the German Football Association for failing to maintain adequate security at their ground.[citation needed]

Olympic games

In the 2006 Winter Olympics, streaker Mark Roberts interrupted the men's bronze medal curling match between the U.S. team and the UK team, wearing nothing but a strategically placed rubber chicken. He was intending to advertise a well known gambling website, which was written across his back and breast, but in the United States, cameras cut away before viewers could see him. A Polish female streaker showed up at the closing ceremony, but was not on the telecast either.[citation needed]

Professional wrestling

In an episode of "SmackDown!" in 2002, Sean O'Haire convinced Brian Kendrick that he would get attention for himself if he streaked through the arena. He made the run, wearing only a long knitted scarf.[citation needed] One has to remember that this was indeed under kayfabe.

At 'WrestleMania 23 a streaker climbed over the fan barricade and climbed on the ring apron right at the start of the main event match between John Cena and Shawn Michaels. The fan was promptly removed by security while Michaels sat on the turnbuckle and mockingly waved good-bye to the crazed fan.

Tennis

The 1996 Wimbledon's Men's singles final between MaliVai Washington and Richard Krajicek was interrupted by a female streaker just before the toss. Melissa Johnson, a 23 year student thereby became Wimbledon's first streaker.

In 2006 a quarter-final match between Elena Dementieva and Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon was interrupted by a male streaker, who was escorted off court by police. He was later indentified as Dutch radio DJ Sander Lantinga, who was streaking for a TV show called 'Try Before You Die'.

Snooker

Despite the particularly "close up" nature of Snooker, there have been a number of streakers in snooker tournaments. The first was Lianne Crofts in the final of the 1997 Benson & Hedges Masters between Steve Davis and Ronnie O'Sullivan. Since then there have been two streakers at the World Snooker Championship. The first was Andrew Slater, who appeared in a Sven-Goran Eriksson mask and socks during a match between Paul Hunter and Quinten Hann in 2002. Then, during the final in 2004 between Ronnie O'Sullivan and Graeme Dott, Mark Roberts ran down the stairs and tried to claim asylum under the table.

NFL

In Super Bowl XXXVIII, streaker Mark Roberts disrupted the game by running on to the field.

CFL

During the 2007 Labour Day Classic match between the Calgary Stampeders and the Edmonton Eskimos, a total of four streakers and one partially clothed man disrupted the game.

Streaking in pop culture

Ray Stevens wrote "The Streak", a novelty hit about the guy who's "always making the news wearing just his tennis shoes". The song peaked at #1 on the sales charts in April 1974. The fad soon became a symbol of the decade. In response to streaking, some jurisdictions would charge streakers with indecent exposure, but one Maine town voted to pass a law specifically targeted at streaking.

Perhaps the most widely-seen streaker in history was 34-year-old Robert Opel, who streaked across the stage flashing the peace sign on national US television at the 46th Academy Awards in 1974. Recovering quickly, host David Niven quipped, "Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" Later, some evidence arose suggesting that Opel's appearance was facilitated as a stunt by the show's producer Jack Haley, Jr.[citation needed] Niven's brush with the streaker was voted the top Oscars "moment" by film fans in 2001.

Three's Company had an episode in which Larry (Richard Klein) streaked at a party in Jack's apartment.

Joey on Full House recalled streaking on the field at one of his high school's football games while wearing a Richard Nixon mask.

The band blink-182, in their 1999 music video for "What's My Age Again?", run across the pavement with their pubic region and buttocks digitally blurred out (they actually wore flesh-colored swimsuits during the filming).

In response to the resurgence of streaking starting in the 1990s, Blink-182, performance artist John Hassel (popularly known as Bunboy) and others argue that streaking should be considered an art form in and of itself.

In 2003, streaking came to the forefront in New Zealand when television presenter Mark Ellis offered a monetary reward for anyone who streaked in front of Prime Minister Helen Clark. This was part of Ellis' National Nude Day. A TV program he presented, Hyundai Sports Cafe, regularly promoted nudity and asked for people to send in nude exploits, including a The Lord of the Rings parody by nude actors, and 30 naked ballet dancers (both male and female) performing in front of the Otago University main building.

In 2004, a Nike advertisement for their "Shox" shoes centered around someone streaking at a soccer match wearing nothing but said shoes.

An episode of the sitcom That '70s Show had the main character, Eric Forman, streaking while the President of the United States was speaking to his town.

During the film Old School, Will Ferrell gets drunk and tries to get everybody at a party to streak, but it backfires and Ferrell ends up being the only person to do so.

In The Simpsons, Barney Gumble streaked across his high school prom.

During the second episode of the 2001 animated comedy Undergrads, the main character Nitz grapples with the tradition of the "Exposed Expo" at his college, State U. After the first snowfall at his college, it is tradition for the freshmen to run around the campus in the nude.

On Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Mac streaks through town after he consumes a considerable amount of sugar to affect his 'condition'.

List of people who have been known to streak

References

  1. ^ The Carletonian, Carleton College, January 26, 1967, "Crash Syndrome", by John Mollenkopf, who stated, "Examples of that problem [Carleton's social problem] are the large number of departing female students, the rise of "class spirit," low grades, "streaking," destruction, drinking, and the popularity of rock dances." At that time, streaking was a tradition on the Minnesota campus during January and February when temperatures hovered around zero degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. ^ "Takeoff," Time, Dec. 10, 1973.
  3. ^ "Letters," Time, Dec. 31, 1973.
  4. ^ Erica Roe Article
  5. ^ "Streakers and Streaking". BBC. 2006-04-05. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

See also

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