Dr. Manhattan’s penis and the Media

As you know, repression leads to obsession, which leads to distraction, and in this case that’s distraction from the rest of the film, from other characters in a scene, or from any meaningful criticism, for that matter.

But this rather predictable response from the media is not shallow, but is actually the tip of very deep iceberg, one that reaches down into the dark depths of our shared homophobia, erotiphobia, genitalphobia, and the power-politics that go with them. (John Ince is the man)

Our culture’s general repression of the penis is evident in the lack of them in movies, on alians, but also in the social norm to not look down in a group shower, or not compare size at the urinal.

A 15-year-old student was standing next to me in the bathroom staring down at my peen and I said, “What are you doing?” He looked up and said “What, Is looking at other penises rude in America?”
“Yes, it is.’ I said, and laughed.

It shouldn't be, though. After all, we compare other body parts, other muscles, why not the penises? It’s because we have eroticized the penis. Therefore looking at one is considered “gay” or “peeping” or whatever. If it wasn't erotic, then it wouldn't be a big deal, and heterosexuals could give each other head like they can give each other massage. This is not the case in our culture. Not yet, anyway. Although some ramantics claime that times used to be like that…