More Urinals

I found this one here. Are those supposed to be nuns? If so...why?



This mural is from the Sofitel Hotel in New Zealand:



The photo was sent to me; you can find it here. I was initially a bit suspicious, but Snopes says it's true, so I decided to post it. I assume I don't really need to explain that they're making fun of both the idea that you're not supposed to look at anyone while using a urinal and men's fears that women really do care about penis size.

And I found more pictures of nun (or maybe the Virgin Mary?) urinals here.



I don't know what to make of them.

Thanks to Pitseleh S. for introducing me to even more urinal images to add to these!

.

Posted by Gwen Monday, April 21, 2008 at 10:23 AM Labels: , , ,  

2 comments:

  VP

April 21, 2008 at 9:49 PM

I am always surprised when I see other sociologists easily able to recognize anti-woman images or objects, but brought to a standstill by images like this one - which, given their shape, seem to suggest pregnancy as well as the image of Mary (or perhaps a nun).

American culture has become very comfortable with a variety of images that mock Catholicism. If you can imagine a urinal that somehow incorporated the Star of David, you can imagine the outrage it would (rightly) evoke. But, somehow, anti-Catholic images are "just a joke" that Catholics are expected to shrug off. The images are found in toys, greeting cards, and all over the place. There are enough of them that they could easily be a category of sociological images themselves. But most people don't notice.

Of course, I do, because I'm a member of the target group. And - as sociological theory would predict - I don't usually speak up for fear of being considered odd, or told that I lack a sense of humor. All arguments that are so obvious to everyone when made about images that demean women.

Thanks for at least letting me post these thoughts.

  Anonymous

April 22, 2008 at 10:25 AM

The nuns represent ultimate virginity and unattainability. Urinating on/in a woman, especially if pregnant, is on the other end of the spectrum in "depravity". To have such control over something where one can piss on it is the antithesis of the pedestal that many hold nuns/pregnant women/women to.

If the richest (and for many purposes, most populous) nation in the world consisted of Protestant Jews or Muslims analogous images would be seen. However there has been no Jewish or Muslim Luther.

Part of the fun of such "blasphemies" is how offended people get. Something so innocuous causing such trouble in the minds of some is humorous.

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)