Should we be using the word "penis" in a community-based newspaper?

 As a man I feel I am well equipped to answer this question and I also believe I have a firm grasp on the issue.

 This topic recently came up when we were asked to do an article on the locally produced play "That Penis Thing" and while I believe it's a perfectly acceptable word, I also understand that others may not think it is appropriate for the local newspaper.

 As the editor of this fine publication I'm often faced with these types of questions regarding what we should or should not publish. Is the material offensive? Is it libelous? Is it factual? Does it serve a purpose? Does it affect the community as a whole? If so, how and why?

 All tough questions, to be sure, but all can be answered with a bit of legwork and research. However, we sometimes run into issues that also force me to make a judgment call based on nothing more than a gut reaction. This is one of those times that required some careful deliberation as it was felt by a few people that some of our readers might not like to see the word "penis" in their community paper. I understand that one time the usage of such words was considered offensive, but today this is nothing more than outdated, archaic thinking. However, I also understand and respect that we must be sensitive to everyone's feelings and so began a period of deliberation.

 "That Penis Thing" is described by the playwright as a hilarious, homegrown comedy that took the South Shore by storm last spring. It returns for an encore presentation with some new material later this month in various locations throughout the region.

 Written by noted Mahone Bay author and thespian Dave Brumwell, "That Penis Thing" is a series of comedic vignettes that, while adult in the nature of their content, are not designed to be pornographic nor embarrassing to anyone. Like the critically acclaimed and highly publicized "The Vagina Monologues" explore healthy sexual female issues, "That Penis Thing" delves into male issues.

 However, what I find mildly amusing are the double standards that exist here. Apparently, by some reasoning, it's okay to say "vagina" in the paper but not to say "penis." Considering that you can lookup "penis" in the Oxford dictionary and find a fully descriptive definition of the word that describes a part of the male anatomy, any suggestion that its usage is offensive is more than a little antiquated. Just like a vagina, a penis is a body part and half the world's population has one. They teach this stuff in schools nowadays and they use the word liberally on television so can it really offend anyone? Can it really, I wonder?

  We're not talking pornography here. In covering this play, we're doing a legitimate story so we have to accurately refer to it and by the standards of the 21st century the word "penis" is very tame. Just as it is imperative to discuss women's health issues, so too is it important to talk about men's issues. However, men are not prone to discussing these things either in public or amongst themselves so if this play brings these topics to the forefront, then it will have achieved an important objective.

 Men are inherently private creatures. We do have a tendency not to discuss our problems with anyone. Unlike women who will often talk about their problems with a friend or another female, men go to the doctor, maybe, when it gets really serious. So if this play helps men become more aware that there is help available to improve their situations should they need it or want it, then this play deserves to be discussed in our newspaper. And to do that then, we must use the oft-offensive word, "penis."

 I get that the word "penis" is still only whispered in some circles and that it still makes some people uncomfortable so in considering the subject matter for this column, I thought about some of the other words that I've heard used over the years in its place. In keeping it clean, here is but a short list of those monikers that some people seem to prefer in place of penis - wee-wee, weiner, Charlie, doodle, ducky, John Henry, horsey, winky, winker, pee-pee, thing, Peter, Johnson and the old standby, birdie.

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 But really, a penis by any other name is still … well, it's still a penis. And honestly, are any of these other tags less offensive than the word itself? I don't think so. Using the word "penis" may make some young schoolgirls blush and some immature boys snicker, but it is part of our vocabulary and as such it is perfectly legit, even in your community newspaper.

 Regrettably, though, I also understand that no matter how hard we try to rationalize these things, someone, somewhere will be offended by such word usage. However in this modern era where condoms, Viagra and erectile dysfunction are openly flogged on television, I fail to see how the word "penis" can be considered taboo by anyone.

 Last year, the presentation of "That Penis Thing" raised over $16,000 that was used to support a variety of community-based projects in the area. Crossing the line or not, that alone makes this a valid topic for our newspaper to cover.

 E-mail me: editorial@southshorenow.ca

posted on 03/23/10