Mike Reynolds considers the online gall and outrage surrounding the recent “Play-Doh penis” controversy and wonders what’s really getting parents so agitated.
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As you may have heard, Play-Doh made toys and, recently, as part of one of the package of toys, there was a piece that looked like a penis. Or kind of looked like a penis depending on what the penises in your house look like (because the internet tells me they all look a little different).
Around these parts, it’s known as the Play-Doh penis.
This ruined Christmas for people all over the world because if there’s one universal, absolute truth, it’s that kids don’t like penises in their Play-Doh sets.
Mind you, kids weren’t actually complaining about it anywhere because, to them, the penis part may have only seemed like a piece of their set that was designed to decorate a cake. Maybe to them it wasn’t a penis at all. But that part doesn’t matter so much because their outrage, the lack of their own admission that Christmas was ruined is likely only because they aren’t old enough to have social media accounts.
There’s no way it has anything to do with their parents taking away part of their Play-Doh set. Nope, not a chance. It’s the penis.
Parents have a hard enough time trying to keep their kids from using the proper words for their vulvas and their penises without extruder parts looking somewhat like one of those things.
How in the hell do we talk to our sons about penises before they’re 21 if they keep getting these?
“Dad, why did you take that from me, I was decorating the top of my cake. I was going to put a worm on the top.”
“Because son, it’s a penis. I mean a willy. We don’t play with our extruders at the table, that’s a family rule.”
“If it’s a willy then why isn’t it attached to a body? And what’s a penis?”
“It’s not attached to a body because it’s just a toy. And a penis is a fancy word for your groin worm.”
Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free“Oh, that makes total sense. Am I still allowed to play with baseball bats and baseballs?”
“Oh absolutely, those don’t have veins.”
“Can we still eat cucumbers?”
“Yes, those are green.”
“What about that star Wars robot with a dome head?”
“R2-D2?”
“Yeah.”
“Well he’s a robot, that’s fine.”
Stop making this so hard, Play-Doh!
Kids should be learning all they need to know about human anatomy through random Google searches or misunderstood kindergarten drawings. Parents should not be forced to teach their Play-Doh-aged children what is a penis and what is a Play-Doh extractor before they’re well and ready to do so.
Play-Doh needs to lean the hell off parental responsibilities and address this devastating situation. Stop expecting grown-ups to be grown-ups when they see something that mildly resembles a penis.
The miracle of Christmas is a hard one to maintain at the best of times. When penises start being inserted into gifts, we’re screwed.
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Originally appeared on PuzzlingPosts.com; Credit: Image—Dennis Brekke/Flickr
If a parent sees a penis on a child’s toy, that’s more indicative of the parent’s mind and line of thinking than the company producing the toy. Unless the kid says, “hey mommy, this looks like my penis!” there really should be no reason for such histrionics. However, I seem to be detecting sarcasm here, and I really, really hope that is the case.
I think they should because It’s unnecessary as evidenced by it having been changed. It might be different if the parents knew in advance and that would be the point right. Let’s say Play-Doh put includes penis shaped extractor on the box. How many people would feel that a parent buying that product for a child was acting responsibly?
It /is/ actually right on the front of the box… Don’t complain if you bought it seeing it on the package. Also the newest one looks like a butt plug, better change that as well.