http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060331/ap_on_fe_st/sketch_pad_nudity_1

Christopher Teague, owner of titty bar “Erotic City,” thumbed his nose at Boise, Idaho’s restrictions against nude dancing last year by handing out sketch pads and pencils so the patrons could draw the dancers, who presumably had left off their usual required-by-law pasties and g-strings. Predictably, authorities aren’t buying the ploy and he now faces a minor fine and six months in jail.

He has a point though, when he says “What are they doing on stage? It’s dancing. Is it an art form? Of course it is.” Humans have made artistic expressions (including dances) to represent and provoke emotional responses throughout the history of the species. Some would say that it is the defining characteristic of our species. In the recent past however, we have allowed artists free reign to incite every emotion but one - sexual arousal. A work can be aimed at frightening us, enraging us, making us laugh…but if it’s aimed at arousing us, it’s considered “obscene” and unworthy of being called art.