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Debutantes and Dildos: Penis Envy as Empowerment-- © Ellis Ogburn
Most feminists cringe at the thought of penis envy as a reality. They hate the idea of their sisters or even themselves desiring on their own bodies what they consider to be the physical symbol of male dominance and of the legacy of patriarchal power. Though I hate to, I have to agree with Freud: penis envy is a reality. But I wholeheartedly disagree with his theories that our lacking a penis makes us inadequate or that our desire for one should make us ashamed. I think that penis envy is a way to attain power. To acknowledge my desire for a penis is to subvert male dominance. It challenges the accepted norm, shocking and perhaps even horrifying both men and women, thereby combating patriarchy head on, so to speak.Most men would never approve of our strapping one on. It would be a threat, the most frightening threat imaginable because it would be physically real. Husbands would forbid their wives to leave the house, check for the bulge in their pants or the extra weight in their purse. Laws would be drawn up immediately. All those male legislators would never stand for it. Could you imagine their wives at political functions, their cocks making an indentation in those cashmere luncheon suits? Would all the men stare, intrigued, or would their reaction be one of pure disgust? Would the women compare sizes and shapes? Would they have parties at which to show them off and trade them like Tupperware? I am not suggesting that entertaining the idea of having a penis is the only, or even the best, way to challenge patriarchy. That is not the purpose of this essay. I wish simply to learn how to accept what most would identify in me as perversions and to use these "perversions" to challenge the norm, to lift taboos. I know that I am not alone in my penile fantasies. Books have been written on the subject by women who share my secret, anthologies compiled to entertain the notion. If there are that many women who share my fantasy, it seems that it should no longer be taboo. Previous | Next |
