The Naked Truth: The Untold Story of Sex in Canada

The Naked Truth: The Untold Story of Sex in Canada is a curiously Canadian book. It is intended to be humorous, and often is, but in an understated and mostly inoffensive way. It is apparently intended for a Canadian audience, so it stands to reason that I, a non-Canadian, would not appreciate it as a Canadian would. Canada, I'm embarrassed to say, brings to my mind Rick Moranis in a parka and wool hat, Bullwinkle J. Moose (who, technically speaking, isn't Canadian), and Dudley Do-Right. I have visited Canada, so I know it's also great bookstores, low crime rates, and polite people. The politeness threw me off at first. Entering an indoor mall in Toronto, I thanked someone for holding the door for me and he said "You're welcome." For several minutes I wondered what he meant by that crack. After a few days, I got used to the politeness all around, and eventually came to like it. So, is there anything uniquely Canadian about sex in Canada? It seems there is. Author Chris Gudgeon goes on at length about Canadian pornography, Canadian swingers' clubs, Canadian nude beaches, and Canadian hookers. There is a fair amount of actual history here, but also plenty or wry remarks, asides, and footnotes. In fact, it is sometimes difficult to tell what is fact and what is Gudgeon's dry wit. There is a bit too much history and fact to make this strictly a light, humorous read, and too much snickering to make this a serious history. I ran into this problem when I read another book by Chris Gudgeon, Luck of the Draw. I wanted some historical information about lotteries and came across his book. Not familiar with Gudgeon's reputation as a wise guy, I started reading Luck of the Draw for information, but found the facts questionable and the tone too flippant. I expect Gudgeon is accurate when it comes to all things Canadian, but I found him unreliable on matters outside Canada. He tells of a lottery mishap south of the Canadian border in the state of New England, for instance. Possibly the most memorable thing about The Naked Truth is the book cover, which shows a naked man's torso, covered by a strategically placed maple leaf. Clever, attractive, and polite. So Canadian.