# Why are the penises of men in Playgirl flacid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 18, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472 "2002-12-18T02:42:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/1 "2002-12-18T02:42:41Z")
Is there something offensive about showing a erect penis as opposed to a flacid one? ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/2 "2002-12-18T02:56:48Z")
I believe erect penises are officially considered “obscene” and portrayal of such would therefore disqualify the magazine from sales in regular retail channels. ---
**Author:** ![jenex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@jenex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jenex)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/3 "2002-12-18T03:01:13Z")
Maybe some women don’t want to see the men as “ready to go” right off the bat. Some people might be offended by it but it could also be that the whole atmosphere of a photo shoot isn’t very, you know, inspiring for the model. I don’t think the motion picture ratings association (or whatever it’s called) would allow full frontal erect male nudity to earn an “R” rating; they’d give it an “X.” Maybe they’re afraid us god fearing ladies would suffer fainting spells and get…OH DEAR…hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/4 "2002-12-18T03:02:51Z")
Must be a while since you’ve seen _Playgirl_. Every layout has at least one hardon these days. ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/5 "2002-12-18T03:11:15Z")
Hardons for all! Hurrah! ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/6 "2002-12-18T03:24:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jenex \* > \*\* I don’t think the motion picture ratings association (or whatever it’s called) would allow full frontal erect male nudity to earn an “R” rating; they’d give it an “X.” Maybe they’re afraid us god fearing ladies would suffer fainting spells and get…OH DEAR…hysterical. \*\* Actually, I saw an art movie with Minnie Driver a year or two back that had not one, but two full frontal shots of naked men, and it was an R. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/7 "2002-12-18T03:39:40Z")
Wonder if they have a fluffer come in to get the model all hot and bothered. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/8 "2002-12-18T03:51:22Z")
Could be wrong, but I was led to believe that one of the states (supposedly New York, I think…) had censorship laws that specifically forbade the display of erect penises. Flaccid penises could be shown for educational purposes, but erect ones were considered proof of prurient intent, and were therefore obscene and without moral or redeeming value. Major publications therefore avoided display of erect penises for fear of sales trouble and/or legal hassles in that one state. At least, that’s how it was explained to me. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/9 "2002-12-18T04:21:08Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126588&highlight=porn\*](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126588&highlight=porn%2A) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/10 "2002-12-18T04:28:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wang-Ka \* > \*\*Could be wrong, but I was led to believe that one of the states (supposedly New York, I think…) had censorship laws that specifically forbade the display of erect penises. > > Flaccid penises could be shown for educational purposes, but erect ones were considered proof of prurient intent, and were therefore obscene and without moral or redeeming value. > > Major publications therefore avoided display of erect penises for fear of sales trouble and/or legal hassles in that one state. > > At least, that’s how it was explained to me. \*\* Doesn’t seem to have stopped _Penthouse_. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/11 "2002-12-18T06:58:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CrazyCatLady \* > \*\*Actually, I saw an art movie with Minnie Driver a year or two back that had not one, but two full frontal shots of naked men, and it was an R. \*\* There’s nothing extraordinary about seeing male frontal nudity in an R-rated movie. It’s the erect kind of male frontal nudity that we’re talking about here – that’s when the rating either goes up to NC-17, or gets released without a rating. Even some Oscar-nominated performances had frontal nudity: Peter Firth in _Equus_; Robin Williams in _The Fisher King_; and Jaye Davidson in _The Crying Game_. All were rated “R”. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/12 "2002-12-18T07:01:07Z")
There’s also another factor to consider: shooting models with erect penises is simply more difficult. Most wannabe porn stars fail due to temporary impotence. Getting it up under pressure just isn’t easy, period. I know I couldn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/13 "2002-12-18T07:15:42Z")
I have found this thread about penises to be very interesting. I also think that there should be more thread titles containing the word “penises”. I wondered about it, and decided that the reason I find “penises” a more enticing word than “penis”, is that “penises” always promises more happy outcomes and interesting possibilities that the simple word “penis” itself. Not that I don’t like the word “penis” - don’t get me wrong. It’s just that the word “penises” has a much stronger psychological impact. For example, the word “penises” can be used in sentences such as these: “Everywhere I looked were penises, bobbing and smiling at me” or “They had all pressed their penises up against the glass and were gyrating their hips in time with the harpsichord music” or “Although I was blindfolded I was sure, from the general laughter and comments, that the little poking sensations I was feeling all over my body were from the penises of the sixty sailors” I am sure other readers could imagine further sentences in which the word “penises” can be used. Thank you for the opportunity to use the word “penises” so often. I feel much better now. Redpenises ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/14 "2002-12-18T09:11:36Z")
😃 eventually we could introduce the word penii 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/15 "2002-12-18T09:18:12Z")
Erect is porn; flaccid is _erotica_. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/16 "2002-12-18T10:45:43Z")
A complete highjack… but the plural of “hard on” is “hards on”. Like Courts Martial innit ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/17 "2002-12-18T13:22:33Z")
Frankly, floppy wrinkled penii are far more obscene than a nice big erect one standing upright to attention. ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/18 "2002-12-18T13:25:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > \*\*Frankly, floppy wrinkled penii are far more obscene than a nice big erect one standing upright to attention. \*\* YUM! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/19 "2002-12-18T16:27:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mrcrow \* > \*\*😃 > eventually we could introduce the word penii 🆒 \*\* We could introduce the word penii, but according to [Websters](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=penis) **penises** or **penes** are the plural of penis. There is hope however for you **penii** lovers though, you can add your names to [this pettition](http://www.petitiononline.com/penii/petition.html) so that your beloved word can be added to the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472/20 "2002-12-18T16:41:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Priceguy \* > \*\*There’s also another factor to consider: shooting models with erect penises is simply more difficult. Most wannabe porn stars fail due to temporary impotence. Getting it up under pressure just isn’t easy, period. I know I couldn’t do it. \*\* Yep. There’s a reason why Ron Jeremy gets work. He’s up for it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-penises-of-men-in-playgirl-flacid/143472.md?page=2)