Cultural views on the navel Early Japanese poems feature many references to the female navel. In some, the word "navel" actually refers to an indentation or hole instead of the belly button. The shape of the umbilicus of a newborn baby would be discussed at length. If a baby's navel points downward, the parents would brace themselves for a weakling child who will bring them woe. The thunder god Raijin, with his terrifying drums, great horns, and long tusks, was said to have an insatiable appetite for young navels, and mothers had to nag their youngsters constantly to keep themselves well covered up. Due to
Cultural views on the navel an advertisement in newspapers and magazines throughout America. It featured a bikini-clad blonde model exposing her bellybutton posing on a rock above the caption "What to show your wife in Scandinavia". The image that appeared in most publications had the belly button removed. The first exposure of a navel in a TV series occurred in 1961 on the "Dr. Kildare" series. Dawn Wells and Tina Louise were not allowed to expose their navels in "Gilligan's Island" (1964–67). Wells was required to wear high-waisted shorts that covered her navel. Wells stated in an interview, "Oh my goodness, I designed the shorts.