Not Size Queens

[+ quoththeraven]

Why the ancient Greeks preferred smaller penises to larger ones. Fascinating discussion of penis size and masculinity in art.

 

https://howtotalkaboutarthistory.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/why-do-all-old-statues-have-such-small-penises/

 

Btw, the Romans' attitudes toward penis size and masculinity were more like our own. Interestingly, Rome's sexual culture was both more libidinous and what we would consider bisexual or queer as compared to Greece's homosocial culture.

[Kenny]

Read it, don't get it.

 

First she gives an obvious physical reason: "Firstly, they’re flaccid. If you compare their size to most flaccid male penises, they are actually not significantly smaller than real-life penises tend to be." Then she writes a whole post speculating on cultural rationales for why they are supposedly small?

 

If the size is physically ordinary, the penises are not small.

[+ quoththeraven]

Read it, don't get it.

 

First she gives an obvious physical reason: "Firstly, they’re flaccid. If you compare their size to most flaccid male penises, they are actually not significantly smaller than real-life penises tend to be." Then she writes a whole post speculating on cultural rationales for why they are supposedly small?

 

If the size is physically ordinary, the penises are not small.

 

We perceive them as small.

[+ poolboy48220]

"Interested in more genitalia in art history? Check out my post on hairless vaginas in art!"

 

Did anyone click through?

[jjkrkwood]

"Interested in more genitalia in art history? Check out my post on hairless vaginas in art!"

 

Did anyone click through?

 

 

 

Why would I ? It said NOT size queen, so obviously they didnt mean it for me !

[Kenny]

We perceive them as small.

I agree. But she didn't write about our perceptions of size. She analyzed supposed ancient and Renaissance conceptions of small penises.

 

For instance, she wrote: "The ancient Romans might have been more positive towards large penises, but their sculptures continue the trend of small penises."

 

Based on her first statement about flaccid dicks proving that those on the sculptures are "not significantly smaller than real-life penises tend to be," she should have written: "The ancient Romans might have been more positive towards large penises, but their sculptures continue the trend of rendering actual size penises." Her perception of them being small, when they aren't really, gets in the way -- and reproduces the stereotype.

[+ saminseattle]

This is not directly related, but there is a famous vase made in Athens circa 470 BC that is believed to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians in the battle of Eurymedon in rather graphic terms. According to one commentator, the Greek soldier runs towards the Persian and grabs his erect penis like a weapon. Instead of running away, the bearded Persian presents his buttocks to the Greek. Most scholars interpret the vase's meaning as "We've buggered the Persians" but I'm sure we could come up with other interpretations.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to post pictures, so hopefully this works:

 

[sincitymix]

hmm i read in my history classes that the penises.. peni? on the statues.. at least during the time when Christianity was rising in the roman empire, was to make them pure and innocent as little boys... which even later they were hacked off with a chisel and replaced with fig leaves in order to cover up the sin

[+ quoththeraven]

Some more evidence from my trip to the Met in NY on Friday:

It may not be clear here, but Hercules' penis is even smaller than it was originally because the tip broke off. Ouch! (I don't remember the sculptor's name, but the is Hercules; that's a lion's skin wrapped around his neck.)

 

I believe Kenny is being unduly nitpicky. As a glance at the Gallery demonstrates, we prefer to look at men whose penises are larger than the norm, flaccid or otherwise. That in turn influences our perceptions of large and small. That's what undergirds the whole article: that even though the penises that are depicted in ancient and Renaissance sculpture are more or less average sized penises, when it comes to penises, we're like the citizen of Woebegon, Minnesota: we believe above average is average. Therefore we perceive them to be small.

 

A preference for large penises is cultural. Ancient Greece was homosocial at the very least, and ancient Rome was what we'd consider bisexual (it's all okay as long as you're the top), but neither favored large penises in their art except as a figure of fun and lack of control.

 

To quote Kenny, sheesh.

[+ Truereview]

Large or small, give me flaccid any day...nothing like a challenge. Now, which David should I go for?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BYjIMN6GyzA/Te20yyAod8I/AAAAAAAAACk/nhyMzPRRxTY/s1600/donatello-david.jpghttp://norsk2012-2st3g.wikispaces.com/file/view/david_bernini.jpg/310588292/david_bernini.jpg

 

http://alljewishtravel.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/484723_147331565450894_1764061986_n.jpg