October 25, 2007: Pikachu private parts

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

You were told up front it was amiss, so you were looking for something naughty. Porn is in the mind of the beholder.

Well the first part was true, that I was expecting something dodgy. But even if I hadn't been, I'm sure I would still have made the connection. C'mon, I note you've dodged answering the question - are you really saying you wouldn't have noticed anything odd if you hadn't read the introduction? Really? (If you say yes I'm immediately posting it in the "I can't believe they said this with a straight face" thread )

Porn is in the eye of the beholder? I never argued that this was porn as such (hell I am not turned on by it ... anything you feel like sharing with us? ). Just asking if you thought it was, or could reasonably be viewed as, offensive.
As for being in the eye of the beholder, this is sometimes true and sometimes not. In this case, the resemblance to a vagina I think is not "just" in the mind of the beholder. The reason being that there are some facts which are true for all humans, such as the fact that most vaginas look pretty similar, and this Pikachu fun-house in shape and placement is a pretty close match. Maybe kids wouldn't notice it ... but the vast majority of adults would.
Likewise sexual violence against women is a widespread reality, and can't be dismissed this easily, as being "in the eye/mind of the beholder". It is a fair question if this violence has any connection with this photo.

Dana, good points, although my friend was not "upset" but just found it objectionable. But she is fairly sensitive to things like this, for reasons I won't share here.

On a lighter note, I wonder if "Pikachu fun-house" will soon become a euphemism for vagina. I think it should .