emmanuel reynaud holy virility the social construction of masculinity

proudly erect, huge truncheons, powerful dicks, magnificent
swords, splendid rods.
In reality, one of man's greatest misfortunes with his penis,
apart from the fact that he cannot maintain it in a state of
erection, is that he cannot enlarge it like other muscles. And so,
as he has not yet found an effective way of making it bigger
―the devices invented so far are more useful for masturbating
than as expanders ―he sometimes devotes himself to
experiments to improve his performance. Sometimes he goes to
great lengths. Doctor Reuben cites 'ampallang' practised in
South East Asia: [8]
[Man and his penis / 41]
«The sportier males of that area make several slits in the
loose skin on the underside of the penis near the tip. The
openings average about an eighth of an inch in diameter
and run at right angles to the shaft. Just before
intercourse, short rods are inserted into the slits
perpendicular to the penis. These are usually scraps of
copper wire, bits of ivory, or among the jet set, gold and
silver . . . For those willing to go one step further. there is a
somewhat more elegant refinement. Instead of simply
poking holes in the organ, a ring of small incisions is made
around the head of the penis. Little pebbles are placed into
the resulting pouches. and the skin is allowed to heal over
them. A month or so later, the result is a penis crowned
with a rocky wreath. Fully healed, the courageous gent
emerges to claim his reward; presumably the girls are
standing in line to get the benefit of this new equipment. A
plain old normal penis must look pretty tame by
comparison.»
Nowadays, thanks to the enormous progress of Western
civilisation, the catalogues of erotic accessories offer condoms
making it possible to avoid these painful mutilations. These
come in shapes which are sufficiently varied to satisfy the most
unusual tastes: these include not only the inevitable
doubleoverhead camshaft, but also a spiral staircase winding
round a gasometer, or a figurine resembling Napoleon at the top
of a column cast in gun-metal.
Man does not like his penis: he is not very interested in its
delights and pleasures; he wishes to dissociated himself from
it; and whether he hides it or whether he brandishes it, leaves it
as it is or improves it, he neglects its potential. He does not see
the softness of the glans, the fragility and extreme excitability of
the frenum, the sensitivity of the shaft along the urethra, the
rough tenderness of the scrotum. He tries, on the contrary, to
desensitise the whole organ as best he can to give it the
coldness and the hardness of metal. What he loses in
enjoyment he hopes to compensate for in power; but if he gains
an undeniable power symbol, what pleasure can he really feel
with a weapon between his legs?