Penis Panic

February 24, 2012 1:44 AM

The Great Singapore Penis Panic has been short-listed.
posted by Paul Slade (14 comments total)

I was actually hoping it'd be "Cooking With Pooh" because I think that silly old bear would be delicious.
posted by evilmidnightbomberwhatbombsatmidnight at 1:54 AM on February 24, 2012

When examined closer, most of those books turn out rather down to earth, or bottom in one case. But I'd like to know more about managing the dental practice the Genghis Khan way. Does it involve logistics?
posted by hat_eater at 2:06 AM on February 24, 2012

Previously on the interesting topic of Japanese chicken sexing, an example of a skill which can be taught but not explained. Practitioners cannot say what they look for in order to determine the sex correctly, but achieve high rates of accuracy and can teach others to do the same.
posted by Segundus at 2:23 AM on February 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

It also memorably played a central part in an episode of Usavich.
posted by Segundus at 2:39 AM on February 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

The author: "Forty-three years ago, a strange series of events unfolded on the island of Singapore. Hundreds of men rushed to the hospitals of the island with the terrifying belief that their penises were shrinking. Each feared that if his penis shrank away completely, he would die. Some came with lucky red strings tightly wrapped around their penises to prevent the lethal disappearance. Others had clamps holding their wayward organs in place. Most often it was a firm grasp of a hand, their own or a frightened family member's, that prevented the shrinking penis from slipping away and taking their life with it. "

It's actually very interesting (and worth reading through to the end). I sort of expected some self-fulfilling prophecies there, with all the tightly wrapped strings and all... but nothing is mentioned of self-Koro by string or clamp.
posted by taz at 4:28 AM on February 24, 2012

I was actually hoping it'd be "Cooking With Pooh" because I think that silly old bear would be delicious.

Hunny roasted with suckling Piglet.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:49 AM on February 24, 2012 [1 favorite]

I was actually hoping it'd be "Cooking With Pooh" because I think that silly old bear would be delicious.

Yeah, that would be fun, except that rascal Tigger refuses to take reservations or even tell you what he serves or really anything about your dining experience.

...oh sorry, just got my threads confused today.
posted by graphnerd at 4:58 AM on February 24, 2012

The first title in the subhead got an involuntary laugh out of me: A Century of Sand Dredging in the Bristol Channel: Volume Two

Volume Two. It was so fascinating, he couldn't stop at one!
posted by Malor at 5:00 AM on February 24, 2012 [2 favorites]

OK, I admit that this may be a librarian thing, but I imagine that A Taxonomy of Office Chairs could well be thrilling to read, although the description makes me wonder how much taxonomy is actually in it. On the other hand, an Amazon review says:

Though I would enjoy hearing more of the design stories I can appreciate the author's desire to stay focused on creating a taxonomy and not filling the book with personal anecdotes.

so I am led to believe there is some serious taxonomy in there! Hurrah!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:30 AM on February 24, 2012

A serious taxonomy of office chairs, with apologies to Borges:

- those that belong to the emperor
- lacquered ones
- those that are second-hand
- animal-shaped
- faaabulous ones, darling!
- nautical ones
- dumped on the street
- those that are included in this classification
- those that creak as if they were about to break
- innumerable ones
- those drawn with a very fine camel brush
- et cetera
- those that have just knocked off the cat
- those that, at a distance, resemble airplane seats
posted by Iosephus at 6:34 AM on February 24, 2012 [5 favorites]

I sort of expected some self-fulfilling prophecies there, with all the tightly wrapped strings and all... but nothing is mentioned of self-Koro by string or clamp.

It's a good thing nobody seemed to contract a case of dick-fell-off.
posted by Jon_Evil at 7:18 AM on February 24, 2012

That's no big deal, Jon_Evil. There are plenty of doctors around who can perform addadictomies.
posted by TheRedArmy at 8:08 AM on February 24, 2012

None of these are ever going to beat the 2009 winner. (Note: the title is one of the best yet, and still somehow manages to be merely the tip of the unimaginably huge and terrifying iceberg that is the book's oddness.)
posted by Acheman at 8:45 AM on February 24, 2012

I was actually hoping it'd be "Cooking With Pooh" because I think that silly old bear would be delicious.

Be my mercy angel, Piglet.
posted by maryr at 1:13 PM on February 24, 2012