# Is it really Cambodian custom for a father to mouth his one-year-old boy's genitals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356 "2006-10-29T20:39:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/1 "2006-10-29T20:39:51Z")
This thread title probably inspires a WTF??? reaction even by Dope standards, but I’m serious, and the question has actual political relevance. This is a spinoff from [here,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7912508&postcount=50) in a GD thread on the Virginia Senate race. Nobody in that thread seems to be able to confirm or deny this, yet, so I’m presenting it for separate GQ treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/2 "2006-10-29T22:05:29Z")
Unfortunately, it’s not particularly easy to search for “Cambodian penis in mouth” on the internet and get relevant results. We need someone that actually has cultural knowledge or has access to a library. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/3 "2006-10-29T22:30:16Z")
Isn’t a related phenomenon (or myth?) for mothers or wet nurses to quieten noisy male children by doing something similar? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/4 "2006-10-29T22:31:50Z")
Good luck with this one… BTW, I’d like to nominate “Cambodian gential customs” as the most ridiculous issue ever raised in a US Senate campaign (or any other campaign, for that matter). Can grown men actually talk about that with a straight face? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/5 "2006-10-29T22:32:14Z")
This has been in the news not only because of Webb’s book, but also because a woman originally from Cambodia was recently arrested for doing this in Nevada. Apparently it’s not really common in Cambodia, but not unknown in rural areas [Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines | Las Vegas Review-Journal](http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Oct-14-Sat-2006/news/10225038.html) Nonsexual mouth-to-penis contact with infants is not limited to Cambodians. Following Jewish circumcision, the mohel traditionally sucked the blood with his mouth, but more hygienic alternatives are more common today. [Brit milah - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit_milah#Metzitzah) ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/6 "2006-10-29T22:37:59Z")
I tried googling “wet nurse child penis stimulation myth”, and there were no relevant to my supposition links in the first few pages (and no prurient ones either). I do realise that I’m probably on a list at Google HQ now though, so I’m not inclined to refine the search. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/7 "2006-10-29T22:46:29Z")
I searched for – Cambodiam custom father son penis – and got [this,](http://www.rojo.com/story/2yS_uHta6zgyo7lp), which I can’t otherwise vouch for: > [@](#): > > Thira Srey, office manager for the Southern California-based Cambodian Association of America, said it is acceptable for a mother or caretaker in Cambodia, especially those from rural areas, to kiss the penis of an infant or put it in her mouth as a sign of respect or love. > > The child is usually 1 year old or younger, “but no more than 2 years old,” he said. > > The act has nothing to do with sexual feelings, he said, noting that it can be viewed as a sign of high respect by a caretaker for a future “master.” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/8 "2006-10-29T22:52:45Z")
I see **biblihage** and I ended up with the same quote through different links, and I have seen this one quote and only this one quote a number of times. T will look for another. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/9 "2006-10-29T23:30:20Z")
Different country, different custom, but the [Elian Gonzalez case reveals](http://immigration.about.com/od/ussocialeconomicissues/a/Eliansummary_2.htm) what sort of strangeness can be considered culturally normal behavior towards young boys: > [@](#): > > One of the grandmothers publicly announced that she had asked Elian about his penis size and bitten his tongue, two culturally normal things for a grandmother to do in Cuba, but obviously outrageous to Americans. The Miami family and Cuban exiles attacked the grandmother as a child abuser. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-cambodian-custom-for-a-father-to-mouth-his-one-year-old-boys-genitals/378356/10 "2006-10-29T23:46:04Z")
I’ve heard of a similar practice in Pakistan, where the father kisses his infant son’s genitals as some sort of “Thank God I have a son!” gesture, leading to some culture clashes between Family Services and the immigrant community. I’m sure this odd practice is no respecter of national borders.