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

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

[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.

[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.