Me and My Penis was a British television first tonight as it aired the first-ever erect penises on our screens.
We followed the artist Ajamu, who organised a series of portraits exploring the power of the penis and its attachment to forms of masculinity and power.
‘Channel 4 produced a serious open conversation to remove many stigmas, stereotypes and taboos and to tackle body dysmorphia many men face with their penises and to tackle toxic masculinity in society,’ one viewer wrote, before quipping that most social media users’ reaction to this was to treat it as a joke.
Watching #meandmypenis on channel 4.
#meandmypenis on @Channel4 I applaud you ððð Such an important message.
Time and again the damage that the men have suffered was caused by sheer ignorance and bad sources of information. #MeAndMyPenis — Duncan Hothersall August 31, 2020
Artist and photographer Ajamu, who heads up the doc, told Metro.co.uk: ‘Lots of countries actually celebrate the penis in terms of its fertility, its aliveness and energy.
Me and My Penis aired on Channel 4.
Me And My Penis was a self-indulgent mess of a documentary
A warning, as it transpired, of what was to follow on a self-indulgent mess of a documentary called Me And My Penis, which proceeded like a bad trip in Valvona’s delicatessen.
The even worse news, though, was that Me And My Penis had artistic pretensions as well.
Absolutely the worst thing about Me And My Penis, however, was an Emperor’s New Clothes character called Ajamu, who rejoices in the description «photographer/activist», a combination almost as bad as actor/politician.
He thought this symbolised «fertility and the idea the penis is an essential part of nature».
Justification for the rest? Well, Me And My Penis was, of course, about «breaking taboos».
Me And My Penis/30 Inches Tall And Turning 18.
Great TV lies and delusions of the week The Director-General of the BBC, Lord Tony Hall: «Number one, we’re not the Woke Corporation.» Sunday Best, Roman Kemp: «Rolling In It is a must-see already.» Me And My Penis, Ajamu: «I take portraits of d***s ’cos they have their own stories to tell but are still censored.» Says a man who clearly didn’t watch Gordon, Gino And Fred’s Road Trip.
Off on holiday AS you’ve probably noticed, when you’re having to fill the otherwise blank spaces in your column with a Channel 4 documentary called Me And My Penis, it’s time to take a holiday.
A former police officer is confessing to being unable to drive without his penis becoming aroused.
Channel 4’s one-off show Me and My Penis aims to break the taboo around the male sex organ and start a frank conversation about masculinity.
In among the penis chat, we hear from a man in his 40s called Jason who breaks down sobbing while confronting his infertility.
At the heart of Me and My Penis is the artist and «sex activist» Ajamu, who is filmed taking intimate photographs of several of the documentary’s subjects.
«It’s also rare to see penises on TV.
Other cultures, in Asia and parts of Africa, have celebrated the penis historically, but there’s something about this country that is still kind of backwards».
His shoots often involve juxtapositions: for the portraits in the show, Sam, an erotic performer, drapes his erect penis with flora and fauna.
«If the penis was at more than 45 degrees,» he explains, «it was considered to be pornographic.
What, I wonder, is the key to taking an artful penis image? «I don’t know,» he chuckles.
«That’s why I’m still taking pictures of penises! But I do like seeing men own their penises.
Given all the ideas we hear about penises being angry and violent or whatever, I’m trying to move away from that and create something more intimate and gentle.
But if you go back to Greek statues, those penises are extremely small.
So I try to unpack whose penises are seen as more desirable and whose aren’t».
We always have to come back to those individual men and their relationship to their penis.» His images can be thoughtful, confounding and beautiful.
«But the show is about trying to move the penis away from pornography».
A dick pic is a dick pic.» Does it not suggest that we are becoming more comfortable with the penis, though? «I think that sending images via social media is still very different to dick images in popular culture, because the spaces dictate what is acceptable and what is not».
Me and My Penis, of course, also provides men with such a space.
The aforementioned trans man talks about how hormone treatment saved him, transforming his clitoris into what is «effectively a micropenis» with 50 times more nerves and sensitivity than a normal penis.
Me and My Penis is on Channel 4 on 31 August.
Ajamu wants to break the taboos around penises
WARNING: This article contains a picture of a penis.
The same production company has now commissioned a film called Me and My Penis, that will do the same for masculinity.
Penises will be seen in all their glory on the documentary – including a fully erect member – with Ajamu looking to change the narrative that penises are somehow comical or pornographic.
Me and My Penis focuses on a cast of men talking about their own experiences
The subject matter in Me and My Penis may be the genitalia themselves, but – like The Vagina Monologues – they’re more a tool to show what it’s like to be a man in this day and age.
Shaminder Nahal, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, said: ‘The penis becomes a gateway through which to explore all sorts of aspects of masculinity.
‘While we get to see a range of penises and erections – we also see the men explore deep, often hidden, feelings in their photography sessions – and start a conversation about our bodies and ourselves.
Whether it’s the assumption that men constantly want to have sex, the degrading conversations in many a TV show or film about penis size, or the lack of awareness around male infertility, there is a lack of openness and vulnerability .
‘Lots of countries actually celebrate the penis in terms of it’s fertility, it’s aliveness and energy,’ says Ajamu.
And that’s just what Me and My Penis will do.
Watch Me and My Penis on Channel 4 on Monday 31 August at 10pm.
Sex Clinic patient get told he has to ‘wash his penis‘ after shock confession
‘It’s sending a panic alarm to your penis‘
There’s probably been a time when you’ve had a pint and you’ve tried to have sex with somebody and it hasn’t worked and what you’ve done is made a causal relationship between the two.»You’re pre-empting it and it’s sending a panic alarm to your penis that’s just like ‘red alert’. » «6 Sexpert Jess provided advice for both Iszy and Jason, pictured
Vivek , a 40-year-old-IT guy wasted two years of his life trying and experimenting with home remedies, Vivek , a 40-year-old IT professional was nowhere close to finding a cure for his flaccid penis. » It was not only pushing him towards depression and anxiety but also, shattering the physical intimacy he had with his wife. »
Because most men consider concealing ED due to the associated stigma, the lack of awareness around the possible treatment options is keeping them away from seeking timely clinical intervention. » There are penile implants and penis pumps can help address your problem. »
«As the neurovascular structure of the penis is smaller and far more sensitive than the rest of the body, a man’s sexual health is often the first to show signs of damage. » Take for example Atherosclerosis, a condition in which the arterial walls harden because of a build-up of plaque.
Due to the smaller network of blood vessels in the penis, they are more likely to get blocked first, leading to erectile dysfunction», says Dr Vasan S S, Uro-Andrologist, Chairman at Manipal Fertility, Bengaluru. »
Did you know that long working hours, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of physical activity can be precursors to ED? How? For instance, working professionals like Vivek develop symptoms of high cholesterol, type-2 diabetes and hypertension due to hectic routines. » And the patients with such aforementioned co-morbidities are more prone to progress towards an increased risk of ED than a normal person. » Furthermore, physiological factors like obesity and injury to the urinary system, spinal cord or penis can also lead to erectile dysfunction. »
With advancement in the field of andrology, patients with ED now have a better chance of enjoying personal moments. » Take, for instance, Penis pumps. » «A penis pump is a hollow tube with a hand-powered or battery-powered pump. » The tube is placed over your penis, and then the pump is used to suck out the air inside the tube.
This creates a vacuum that increases the flow of blood in the veins of your penis, helping you to achieve and sustain a firm erection», says Dr Vasan. »
Furthermore, there are patients who require deeper clinical assistance from surgical procedures to help recover from ED. » A case in point, Penile implants . » This treatment involves surgically placing the devices into both sides of the penis. » While the inflatable devices allow you to control the timing of maintaining an erection, the semi-rigid rods keep your penis firm but bendable. »
The text of this article was generated by the Breaking The Silence system that collected 7 news articles posted on the web from January 2019 to September 2020 and clustered for the taboo subjects related to the penis