BOARD MEMBERS DEFEND ‘PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS (Freep Em!)

Arlington, VA Sun Gazette ^ | 7/22/03 | Arlington, Virginia Sun Gazette

[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.

[Lazamataz]

uhhhhhhhhh......

I gotta go.

[chambley1]

Arlington Virginia County Board

countyboard@co.arlington.va.us

[Enterprise]

There has to be a Clinton joke in here somewhere.

[Chad Fairbanks]

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?

[AD from SpringBay]

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.

[camle]

without lunatic boards like this, thes two perverts would be haunting subwsays in long trenchcoats exposing themselves to passersby.

[Tacis]

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.

[Enterprise]

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.

[TheCrusader]

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.

[Ditter]

Hummmmmmm This must explain the bizzaro picture I got via e-mail the other day. Disturbing to say the least.

[philosofy123]

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!

[Modernman]

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.

[robertpaulsen]

"“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.

[grobdriver]

And how do you get the puppet's arms to move?

WHAT ARMS!!???

[Chad Fairbanks]

The PUPPET has arms - it's the ummm 'thing' that's controlling the puppet that is armless...

[alisasny]

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.

[goodnesswins]

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.

[alisasny]

You have to buy a ticket.

[Enterprise]

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.

[whereasandsoforth]

"Vagina" and "Penis" are two toally different kinds of smut. The "Penis" performers are completely naked on stage. They handle and twist their genitals into "shapes" to entertain and amuse their audience. There is no value to it at all. It's the same stuff little boys have been doing in the bathtub (or wherever) since time began. But these are grown men. Nobody but their wifes are doctors need to see their damned penises.

[goodnesswins]

YES....I KNOW you have to buy a ticket....it's just that having it offered as LEGITIMATE entertainment is soooo...well....sooooo Roman Empire like.....I know I sound like a prude....but, I'm just tired of all the focus on SEX and genitals....and believe YOU get what YOU FOCUS on....in life. Society has become pretty F**ked up in some ways, and this, IMHO, only contributes to continuing that decline.

[robertpaulsen]

What passes for "art" or "talent" these days is actually embarrassing -- not prude-type embarrassing ... artistic embarrassing. Maplethorpe is but one example.

Others are movies that attract an audience not because of the brilliant plot or the professional acting, but because of the special effects, or the level of gratuitous violence, or because an actress shows her breasts (or an actor, his butt).

"Art" today relies on the shock value. The funny thing is, if these performers had their way and this became common, this type of activity would be no more interesting than watching a person twisting balloons into various shapes or creating origami.

[TontoKowalski]

Well, I guess I'm sort of joining you in defense of these "artists."

Frankly, we Freepers have been going on for some time (and rightly so) about public funding for bizzare art through the NEA and various publicly funded Arts Councils. We talk a good game about if they want to pursue their art, they need to do it on their own dime at their own risk.

As far as I can tell from the article, not one penny of public money is going to this "exhibit." If they can make a living at manipulating their manhood into hamburgers and Eiffel Towers, well so be it.

I'm not saying it's good art, but at least I'm not paying for it. I can live with that.

I certainly won't be attending, but I do admit to a being a little curious. The Eiffel Tower?

By the way, for a real artsy nude male theatrical extravaganza, I used to do my original Dance of the Flying Wanker for my wife when we were first married. It got rave reviews.

[goodnesswins]

Oh....thanks for sharing....NOT.

[TontoKowalski]

I was expecting a bigger reaction, but I was just being provacative anyway... trying to stir up some fun on a dreary day.

BTW, I wonder how they stage this show. I mean, how can you tell from the back row that it's supposed to be a hamburger or whatever?

I can't imagine that they have a camera filming close-ups that's projected onto a large screen...

[LibertyGirl77]

"I can't imagine that they have a camera filming close-ups that's projected onto a large screen... "

Well, expand your imagination -- from what I've heard, that's EXACTLY what they do.

[Palladin]

You have a weird sense of humor. Bet you and the GF were the ones who told potty jokes in 3rd grade and pussy jokes in 7th grade.

[alisasny]

I have seen worse on Network TV namely SPpinger show and many soap operas.

[alisasny]

The filmed the whole think live and broadcast the "members" on the big screens behind the 2 "puppeteers." as the show was going on. You didn't miss a thing. May I add, they were flacid the entire show. Just an FYI LOL

[robertpaulsen]

"As far as I can tell from the article, not one penny of public money is going to this "exhibit."

The "exhibit" is to be held at the county-operated Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre. I think the county should have a say on what is to be held in their public theater built with public money.

I wonder it the county board would allow a religious service to be held there. I believe that's also covered by the First amendment.

[TontoKowalski]

You make a point about equal access... would the county permit a gospel concert, for example.

But my point concerned public funding. The penis people are paying the county what I'll assume to be a fair rate to use the facilities.

In a way, rather than the public having to pay for this nonsense, they're actually profiting (financially, anyway) from the rental of the theater... again, assuming that the theater would have gone unused during this time.

I'm a little uncomfortable defending this on any basis but principle, because I think the whole notion of grown men playing with their wieners as public entertainment is ridiculous.

[Gopher Broke]

Old crass jokes are one thing..but showing your shortcomings on stage is different. This is garbage.

Even though this is in the Peoples Republic of Northern Virginia, I am surprised that VA would support this garbage.

[Yehuda]

Plaster this over the posters advertising the event:

"See the ancient art of genital origami!
Free admission for men not wearing underwear!"

[Darksheare]

Sally Square Knot...

[dead]

I saw portions of this show on HBO.

It was juvenile and also pretty funny. Pretty harmless, considering that nobody sees it who doesn't pay to see it.

It's not like they're following you into your house to show you their version of "The Hamburger." (which was gross, btw)

[sfvgt]

troupe members call the “ancient art of genital origami,” ???????????

........oh, you mean guys have been jackin off since the missing link? I'm with you there, however I highly doubt that Alley Oop tried to stretch his penis into a rendition of the Eiffel Tower.......Stone Henge maybe.......naaaaah........

[gcruse]

This stuff is as sick as it gets. It shocks all moral
sensibilities and insults human dignity.

It's deja vu all over again.

The medical director of the Philadelphia High School for Girls claimed in the Twenties that "the consensus of opinion of leading medical and scientific authorities is that [jazz's] influence is as harmful and degrading as it has been all along among the savages from whom we borrowed it" and warned that if the disease continued to spread it "may tear to pieces the whole social fabric." Leonard, p. 11-2

Oh, wait. I know.  "This time, it's different."

[Cooter]

I saw it on HBO, too. They were featured on an episode of Real Sex. I agree, it was funny and harmless.

[jmc813]

Nobody but their wifes are doctors need to see their damned penises.

I think that would make a good FR tagline.

[shaggy eel]

You have to buy a ticket.

,,, Shakespeare, performed for hundreds of years, still draws full houses without the sort of hype this effort is so dependent on. I'm in New Zealand. Some months ago this show passed thru and there was significant controversy at the time, drawing the wrath of many - needless to say, the curiosity of enough to make the promoters richer as well. The Council of a town called Wanganui was first to state "enough", but I understand the show staged anyhow.

If I were to buy a ticket, I'm certain the value I would get would be considerably less than the common sense views displayed on this thread for free. Witness our collective slide down the ladder.

[whereasandsoforth]

OK! OK! I typed too fast...

Make that "wives or doctors".

[jmc813]

Honestrly, I didn't even notice the typo. It just struck me as something that would be a wierdly good tagline. Don't mind me, I have a twisted sense of humor.

[N. Theknow]

The theme music is "Yank My Doodle, It's A Dandy."

[Cachelot]

We have become a society of profane dogs.

Don't insult dogs. But come to think of it, my dogs have a good idea what to do when someone waves a wiener at them...

[Chancellor Palpatine]

And how do you get the puppet's arms to move?

Dude, if yours has arms, then you might want to see somebody about that.

[MistrX]

Think they'd feel the same if the show was called the Puppetry of Bill Clinton's Penis?

[N. Theknow]

There are several dozen emails in my "Deleted" folder that can help them get a bigger...um....part in the play.

[spokeshave]

I hope they have appropriate insurance in the unfortunate event that a member(s) becomes un-facid.

Is this covered under "on the job injury"

[Ditter]

I got a disgusting e-mail this week of a picture of a guy with his..... um..... thingies in a sort of a vice. It looked horribly painful, was there anything in the show like that?