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BOARD MEMBERS DEFEND ‘PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS (Freep Em!)
Arlington, VA Sun Gazette ^ | 7/22/03 | Arlington, Virginia Sun Gazette

Posted on 07/22/2003 6:40:00 AM PDT by chambley1

County Board members said Saturday they have neither the power nor the intention to stop a troupe called Puppetry of the Penis from performing at the county-operated Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre, despite complaints that the show’s content makes it inappropriate for a municipal venue.

Practicing what troupe members call the “ancient art of genital origami,” Puppetry of the Penis is slated to perform at the Spectrum from July 22 to Aug. 17. Performers manipulate their private parts into everything from a hamburger to their signature effort, the Eiffel Tower.

A few Arlingtonians are not amused.

“We should not be pandering to those who confuse artistic expression with boorish exhibitionism,” said Richard Kelsey, a local attorney who is the Republican nominee for County Board in the fall.

“I am embarrassed that our county is the first in the United States to allow this production in a publicly funded venue,” Kelsey said. “Its contents far exceed our community standards.”

Even one County Board member, Chris Zimmerman, seemed unsure that Rosslyn Spectrum was the appropriate setting for the show.

“The nature of this production makes a lot of people in this community uncomfortable,” he said.

But other board members said that they have no authority to censor Puppetry of the Penis, which is renting the Rosslyn Spectrum space and is not receiving any subsidy from the county.

“The public always has the right to choose what they see, what they don’t want to see,” said Vice Chairman Barbara Favola. “There are freedom-of-expression issues here . . . in this county, we’ve always valued freedom of speech.”

County Manager Ron Carlee said that the county could run into legal problems if it tried to restrict what performers can do on stage.

“We do not regulate legitimate art content,” Carlee said.

Carlee said the group would be paying $16,000 to rent the space, with the funds used to help support community-based arts groups.

Puppetry of the Penis also is playing venues in Philadelphia and Seattle this summer, with additional productions slated for the United Kingdom and Australia in the fall.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Announcements; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: arlingtonva; art; exhibitionists; homonazi; homosexualagenda; lavendermafia; masturbation; obscenity; performanceart; playingaround; pubicfoundationarts; publicsex; publicvenue; taxdollarsatwork
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1 posted on 07/22/2003 6:40:00 AM PDT by chambley1
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To: chambley1
uhhhhhhhhh......

I gotta go.

2 posted on 07/22/2003 6:40:56 AM PDT by Lazamataz (PROUDLY POSTING WITHOUT READING THE ARTICLE SINCE 1999!)
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To: chambley1
Arlington Virginia County Board

countyboard@co.arlington.va.us
3 posted on 07/22/2003 6:40:58 AM PDT by chambley1 (n)
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To: chambley1
There has to be a Clinton joke in here somewhere.
4 posted on 07/22/2003 6:42:45 AM PDT by Enterprise
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To: chambley1
I suppose the next question should be, how does one become a Penile Puppeteer? Is this something we could learn to do at home? And how do you get the puppet's arms to move?
5 posted on 07/22/2003 6:45:26 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (Giving Cathryn Crawford The Bird Since 2003)
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To: chambley1
Even one County Board member, Chris Zimmerman, seemed unsure that Rosslyn Spectrum was the appropriate setting for the show.

Even a county board member was unsure about it? Well, when even a low level functionary of the local community has doubts . . . What happened to decency? Why do public funds get spent on this crap? We have the government we deserve.
6 posted on 07/22/2003 6:47:29 AM PDT by AD from SpringBay
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To: chambley1
without lunatic boards like this, thes two perverts would be haunting subwsays in long trenchcoats exposing themselves to passersby.
7 posted on 07/22/2003 6:47:51 AM PDT by camle (this space for rent)
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To: chambley1
No problemo!!

It would be a very simple thing to force the democrats and other America-haters who support this show to back off and agree that it is not appropriate for a public venue. Simply require that they change the name of "Puppetry of the Penis" to include the word "Christian" and you can damn sure bet that the democrats will be quick to agree that it is not appropriate.

8 posted on 07/22/2003 6:52:07 AM PDT by Tacis
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To: chambley1
It's for the children.

See Dick. Dick can run. Run Dick run.

Jump Dick. Jump jump jump. Dick can jump high.

Dick can boogie. Boogie Dick. Boogie boogie boogie.

9 posted on 07/22/2003 6:52:50 AM PDT by Enterprise
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To: chambley1
This troupe was in Boston earlier this year, and they got some very sick coverage by the Boston Herald, (a major family newspaper, which showed a photo of one of the performers from the back side). This stuff is as sick as it gets. It shocks all moral sensibilities and insults human dignity. We have become a society of profane dogs. When local politicians start defending this deranged "entertainment" as 'freedom of speech', you know it's time to start reading about the fall of the Roman Empire - so you'll get another view at what America has entered into.
10 posted on 07/22/2003 7:00:25 AM PDT by TheCrusader
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To: chambley1
Hummmmmmm This must explain the bizzaro picture I got via e-mail the other day. Disturbing to say the least.
11 posted on 07/22/2003 7:04:40 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: Enterprise
The Vagina Monologue has been running for a couple of years with lots audiences. I don't see anything wrong with such show. I would not pay to see it, however, I watched the vagina monologue on HBO a few months back, and think it was entertaining--granted very crude, but entertaining. The puritanical-type people who think it is the end of the world should admit to themselves HOW MANY TIMES DID THEY TELL A DIRTY JOKE? Sex jokes are funny. Lighten up!
12 posted on 07/22/2003 7:05:41 AM PDT by philosofy123
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To: AD from SpringBay
Even a county board member was unsure about it? Well, when even a low level functionary of the local community has doubts . . . What happened to decency? Why do public funds get spent on this crap? We have the government we deserve.

I know the general counsel for Arlington County and occasionally do work with him. We talked about this, jokingly, a few days ago. It seems that the County actually can't prevent these guys from performing even if they wanted to. Legally, the performance venue is open to any group that meets certain criteria (insurance, fire code etc.). The way the rules are written, they could only forbid someone from performing if they were violating laws, which these guys don't seem to be doing (at least, not according to the Arlington PD). Anyway, no public funds are being expended on this- the County is just leasing space to this group.

13 posted on 07/22/2003 7:12:24 AM PDT by Modernman
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To: chambley1
"“We do not regulate legitimate art content,” Carlee said."

I bet they would if the "Penis Puppet" wore a Confederate flag. Or carried a toy gun. Or recited the Ten Commandments.

14 posted on 07/22/2003 7:22:19 AM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: Chad Fairbanks
And how do you get the puppet's arms to move?

WHAT ARMS!!???

15 posted on 07/22/2003 7:44:30 AM PDT by grobdriver
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To: grobdriver
The PUPPET has arms - it's the ummm 'thing' that's controlling the puppet that is armless...
16 posted on 07/22/2003 7:47:43 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (Giving Cathryn Crawford The Bird Since 2003)
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To: chambley1
I have to admit I saw this show in NYC last summer, Girlfriends 35th mid life crisis birthday. We laughed so hard we cried. This is so far from porn. Basically the crowd was made up of bachelorette parties a few married couples and us. The comic who opened the show was a brit and she was hysterical and fully clothed. I dont recommend this show to any of you but it was funny and we all had a good time.
17 posted on 07/22/2003 7:52:06 AM PDT by alisasny
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To: philosofy123
Sex jokes are told between friends, acquaintenances, family....THIS and the Vagina M is PERFORMED in public and shows that this society has lowered itself to merely public pubic prancing ...... a sign of a society in decline, IMHO.
18 posted on 07/22/2003 8:00:13 AM PDT by goodnesswins (There's a WAR on in California....at least 5 people are killed everyday on average....hey..MEDIA)
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To: goodnesswins
You have to buy a ticket.
19 posted on 07/22/2003 8:02:46 AM PDT by alisasny
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To: philosofy123
I only saw a little bit of the monologues and I found it not entertaining. But you are correct, sex jokes can be very funny.

In the case of the Penis Puppets, I have absolutely no desire to attend. I won't be outside any given theatre with a protest sign however.

20 posted on 07/22/2003 8:08:12 AM PDT by Enterprise
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