The penises in The Big Penis Book may be of all colors and creeds, attached to owners of varying attractiveness and sometimes questionable costume choices, but they have one thing in common: they are all enormous. Lesser endowments need not apply. Through a dizzying selection of essays and well-chosen photographs (of all vintages, although overwhelming of the 1970s handlebar-mustached variety), this handsome volume seeks to have the last word on our societal obsession with the giant dong. Whole sections are devoted to phallic heroes like John C. Holmes and the photographer Bob Mizer, who took pictures of a parade of naked studs against backdrops of artificial grapes and aqua lace in the basement of his childhood home, much to the disapproval of his doting mother. The mind occasionally wanders throughout this collection (“Nice watch,” “What did he get that trophy for?” and “I love the Southwestern tile in that bathroom!”), there is an oddly innocent charm in the men’s obvious pride in their gargantuan genitalia that leaves the viewer feeling warm, slightly damp and aglow with the simple joy of being human. (ADDED BONUS: A surprisingly large proportion of the members pictured here are circumcised.)
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