Give me less of this

Some days it feels like the most common object that causes me trouble in Second Life is the penis. In that, I suppose, Second Life rhymes with Real Life, where the common penis has often been problematic in one way or another.

Give people the tools to create or draw what they want, and then apply the urge to offend or amuse (others, or only themselves) and it's the penis that keeps returning again and again.

A pity we can't all agree on some common, cross-cultural symbol that means "My intent is to offend you." We've got assorted hand gestures for that (though their meaning varies through different cultures); Another for "I'm using some offensive iconic in an ironic/sarcastic/amusing way."

Because, frankly, I'd love to write fewer news pieces involving a phallus in 2007. I'd like to see fewer people dressed as them. I'd like to see fewer jet-packs shaped like them. Fewer towering structures umm... erected in the shape of them. Fewer guns that look like them.

Less of that stuff, pretty please. Give me towers of ice and frozen flame, bridges of light and plasma, rings of sound. Be original. The basic penis image as 'funny' is a punchline that's about 65,000 years old. As a species, we need a new joke. Honestly.

They're certainly there. They're about as amusing as any other part of the body (being that like all comedy, the humour vests in other aspects) the phallus has a bit of a head start in a couple of elements.

I'm totally ready to move on. Elbow humour! Spleens! Gall bladders, even. Listen to Dave Allen talking about Adam and Eve and the nose, now there's a man that could make any body part funny, and on television.

Sad, perhaps, that most people are more offended by a phallus being boldly presented, than a gun.

"It's bad manners to wave either in one's face without consent." -- Ordinal Malaprop.