Where Have All the Streakers Gone?

Back in the day – let’s call it 1974 – streaking was all the rage. Ray Stevens hit it big with his song about streaking. It’s like everyone could just enjoy life a little bit more. No one was taking themselves very seriously. Well, maybe Richard Nixon was, but we won’t count him. Everyone else just seemed to be having a good time. To be fair, I was 4, so I can’t really say for sure. I imagine that I was having a nice time.

Then, for a while, it seemed like streaking was everywhere. I even went to summer camp – with the Boy Scouts, no less (insert your own joke, either about the Boy Scouts letting me in or about the Boy Scouts and their practices) – and while I was in the showers, there was allegedly a streaker who ran by outside. I only saw his feet, so I can’t say if he was naked or not. Now I’m not sure, but streaking through a camp of boys just seems a little off. Safe, probably. Odd, definitely.

It certainly shows that males are more likely to streak, if nothing else presents itself to do – even among a camp full of other males, we found something to liven things up. But what has happened to all the streakers lately? Have they jut died down? Or has the pastime gone underground? That seems somehow to be against the very concept of streaking.

I really can’t say. Every once in a while it seems that there might be a whisper of a streaker that comes through, or maybe there will be a video (feel free to search, you can find some) or something. Then you may get something like this video, which shows that even corporate giant Nike can have some fun with streakers. Don’t worry, it’s safe to watch, all the potentially dangerous parts are edited out, and it’s quite well done.

But what about real streakers? Where are they? It’s like they just up and disappeared. Or have they? In reality, I don’t think that they have. When the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants played in Wembley Stadium back in October, there was an unexpected halftime show. You wouldn’t see it on broadcast television, and in fact it wasn’t even mentioned but it happened.

It’s not just a British phenomenon either, though you might think that it is. When the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots played in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, the second half was delayed by a streaker. I watched this game, as I do most Super Bowls (and Panthers games), but there was little to no mention of him. Take a look at his chest and you can see writing. Here’s a better picture that shows what it said, so maybe streaking has just moved to the sponsored arena, where it’s trying to become a sport.

Though streaking is definitely a male-dominated activity, there are women too. There was a female streaker at Wimbledon back in 1996. So again, we’re on the other side of the Atlantic, but at least it’s not all about men. It’s just appears that the media doesn’t want us to know that there are naked people in our midst. Sounds like a conspiracy.

Update: Check out this guy who seems to be an Amish Streaker. Everyone can get in on the fun!