No Penis Pictures, Please!

I just had to post a link to Bill Maher's column on our latest celebrity sex scandal--that is, Brett Favre's embarrassing attempts to woo a reluctant woman with photos of his private parts. Maher's observations are hilarious and true and in ways that go beyond Brett's equipment.

As much as I'd argue men and women share much more as fellow humans than a few overrated differences that have dominated the ongoing dialogue on gender, the truth is, if I were on the fence about a suitor, he'd pretty much blow it (not sure if that pun is intended or not) if he sent me a picture of his penis. Penises are like parents--you want to meet them after you decide you like the guy, and then, well, you're already disposed to like them no matter what. I can appreciate penises on an aesthetic level, say in a Robert Mapplethorpe photograph, but some random picture of some guy's ding-dong incites a sense of pathos rather than lust, with disgust a possibility if sent as an unwelcome advance. Men on the other hand, seem much more accepting of photographs of female body parts, even from strangers.

Can someone explain why this is? And thank you, Brett Favre, for bringing this issue to the nation's attention.

At any rate, I would add my voice to the chorus: gentlemen, it is unwise to send a picture of your penis to a woman who has not expressed her affection of said member in person first. I'm sure Miss Manners would agree!