(no subject)

[cblj_backup]

The alteration to this print is not initially evident, but closer inspection reveals that this predominantly naked Apollo is missing his genitalia. A viewer deliberately scraped away the ink at the god's crotch in a campaign of extremely localized censorship. Given how modestly Apollo was originally endowed, this change does not significantly alter the image overall. Rather, the god's sizable arrow quiver dangles more provocatively between his legs than his own penis ever did. The objecting viewer, apparently lacking a grasp of age-old visual puns, may not have realized that, with his alteration, the visual emphasis merely shifted to this larger and more obvious phallus substitute.

THIS IS THE FINEST MUSEUM INFORMATIONAL PLACARD I HAVE EVER READ.

I nipped down to the Art Institute this evening, because it's open late on Thursdays, and went to re-explore the "Altered And Adorned: Renaissance Prints In Daily Life" exhibit, which is closing July 10th. The text above is on a placard next to the work "Apollo Slays Python", which is tucked WAY IN THE BACK CORNER of the back room of the exhibit. Just for you guys, I dug up a copy of the image. That one has the penis intact, but you can see what they mean about Apollo's giant swingin' quiver.

I want to find the person who wrote that placard and buy them a drink. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in a museum in my life.

Comments

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

i don 't know if u were kidding or not so e-mail me and i 'll pray for u ...

WHAT? I DON'T EVEN... Why would anyone like that a) expect a stranger they've just berated (using ALL the crazy) to hand over their email address and b) expect a random stranger to be grateful for their patronising praying? IT HURTS MY BRAIN.

Also, what is so offensive about pubic hair? Is hair in general bad? Is god naked like a mole rat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_mole_rat)?

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

The original post that started the wank was something like "That is too much to pay for yarn, I don't care if it's spun from God's own magical pubic hair."

Someone took offence to the idea that God might have pubic hair, and from there it just...took off. Like a rocket. Full of nitro.

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

Now I really want to know what magical attributes god-pubic-hair yarn has. I imagine it would be silvery, slippery to knit with, and probably a bouclé, since pubic hair tends to be curly. (If you wanted a smooth yarn, you'd go for the unicorn tail hair instead.)

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

That was, if I'm remembering, one of the themes of the wank. If you haven't read it, you really should, it's howlingly funny.

http://wiki.fandomwank.com/index.php/God%27s_Magical_Pubic_Hairs should have all the info & links you require.

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

I tend to steer clear of wank, but this does sound too funny to miss. There goes my morning. *clicks*

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

LOL, no wonder I missed this. It happened in 2003. I had literally only just created my LJ then.

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Yeah, most people who have read it have only read the aftermath :D

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Well, there went a bunch of wasted time I don't actually regret losing. That was priceless.

[aunty_marion]

I refuse to click through for something that happened before I was on LJ or knew about such things as fandomwank. And I can guess, anyway. *iz old*

[aunty_marion]

Unicorn tail hair is the core of my wand (so say I, and I made it, so who's going to contradict me?). They're rarer than unicorn mane hair ... because unicorns *kick*.