Movie reference

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Dear wife and I went to see Angels & Demons this weekend. Early in the film to there was a reference to something about papal castration. I saw wife get a wicked smile and heard two ladies in the seats behind us snicker. Turns out it was a pope that thought male genitals incited lust (in women?), and so ordered them chideled off. Later plaster figleafs were added.

Can anybody else give me some film names where castration is not a strong theme, but there is passing reference?

[kristoff]

Dear wife and I went to see Angels & Demons this weekend. Early in the film to there was a reference to something about papal castration. I saw wife get a wicked smile and heard two ladies in the seats behind us snicker. Turns out it was a pope that thought male genitals incited lust (in women?), and so ordered them chideled off. Later plaster figleafs were added.

Can anybody else give me some film names where castration is not a strong theme, but there is passing reference?

Use the search function. Over the past several years there have been some pretty extensive threads on the very topic. Saw Angels last night. There were a few gasps and laughs in the theatre.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

Ahem.... well, now that you asked...

One movie that I absolutely loved was "Little Children," and NO! it is NOT about child molesting. The title does (intentionally I think) mislead you into thinking to yourself... "Is this movie some sort of sicko child porn?" Let me assure you, it is in NO WAY any sort of porn.

(Here is the link to the "IMDB" page for "Little Children")

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404203/

In the movie, several characters are shown, each with wonderful strengths and horrible weaknesses. I really like movies that show people in that way, NOBODY is perfectly good or perfectly evil, even the worst among us has some good, even the best among us has some evil. I like it when a movie or book reminds us of that.

OK, OK, I know, you want me to simply answer your question. Where is the "passing theme of castration?" In the movie "Little Children," there is one character, a convicted sex offender with a penchant for "Little Children." I do not want to spoil the movie for any readers here, suffice to say that even this sex offender has very stong desire to be a good person, and he ends up cutting all of his male organs off in a fit of depression.

I strongly urge any ADULT to watch the movie "Little Children." It truly is a good movie, and it is NOT predominantly about castration, or even the litteral "Little Children" that you might be thinking of. To me, it is about how we are all of us in some way, a child inside, the metaphorical "child" that is told of in Socrates'... or was it Plato's story of "Those who walked away from Omalos." Well, the movie is good, the central story is of two married people who have an affair, but there are other side stories, of a police officer who wrestles with his inner demons after accidentally shooting a child, or the convicted sex offender who also wrestles with his inner demons. I like that sort of story, the sort that shows how we all of us have our inner demons and the different ways we cope with them.

HEY! ANYONE OUT THERE READING THIS! I could use some help here! I KNOW someone here knows their philosphy classics much better than I do, so, help me out... Who was it that first told that story about the metaphorical inner child in the tale "Those who walked away from Omalos?" I know, it was one of the original Greek philosophers... I think (not at all sure) that it was Plato... might have been Socrates or possibly Aristotle... Anyone know for sure?

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Use the search function. Over the past several years there have been some pretty extensive threads on the very topic.

Thanks. I would have used the search function for movies where it was a central feature of the plot, but never thought of it for movies with just a passing reference.

[transward (imported)]

Ahem.... well, now that you asked...

HEY! ANYONE OUT THERE READING THIS! I could use some help here! I KNOW someone here knows their philosphy classics much better than I do, so, help me out... Who was it that first told that story about the metaphorical inner child in the tale "Those who walked away from Omalos?" I know, it was one of the original Greek philosophers... I think (not at all sure) that it was Plato... might have been Socrates or possibly Aristotle... Anyone know for sure?

The only reference close to your request that I can find was a short story by Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ones_W ... rom_Omelas). Theme sounds like it could be what you are looking for but she is not a classic Greek philosopher. Hope this helps.

Transward

[devi (imported)]

Actually I have heard another explanation why those old statues either have small penises or fig leafs on them. There use to be (and maybe there still is) a certain tradititon among women that in order to be more fertile and to have more kids one of the things they would do is to kiss the penis of a revered god. (Those statues had represented gods in the past and when the Roman Catholic church came into existence the statues were simply renamed.) Anyway after being kissed often time and again over the centuries and having to be reshaped every so often their penises had shrunken over time.

[The Lurker (imported)]

When touring many of the museums in Italy, you will find hundreds of male statues. Almost all of them have had the genitals removed. It is a horrible affront to the artist and the artwork, as well as the sensibilities of rational people.

The statue of David (in Florence) is a notable exception (thankfully).

The irony for me, is that while there are hundreds of statutes of men, there are paltry few of women. In later years they were depicted with togas or sarongs to conceal the groin area.

Palazzo Pitti, a museum in Florence, has several statues with the genitals glued back on, or laying at the base of the statue. I even saw a little pile of penises in one corridor...

[stinger503 (imported)]

Year One definitely has a reference (spoilers: the Palace Eunuch keeps his balls in a bag)

[bobover3 (imported)]

Many ancient statues are missing penises, noses, arms, and sometimes even heads, because these pieces stick out and break off easily. Over the centuries, statues can suffer many mishaps - they weren't always lovingly preserved in museums. In NYC's Metropolitan Museum, there's a large collection of ancient Roman portrait busts. About half of them are missing noses. Penises are lost for the same reason.

[A-1 (imported)]

When touring many of the museums in Italy, you will find hundreds of male statues. Almost all of them have had the genitals removed. It is a horrible affront to the artist and the artwork, as well as the sensibilities of rational people.

The statue of David (in Florence) is a notable exception (thankfully).

The irony for me, is that while there are hundreds of statutes of men, there are paltry few of women. In later years they were depicted with togas or sarongs to conceal the groin area.

Palazzo Pitti, a museum in Florence, has several statues with the genitals glued back on, or laying at the base of the statue. I even saw a little pile of penises in one corridor...

Thecia works in STONE?