Pornosophy: Life in a Phallocentric Culture

The swastika may have been the symbol of Nazi Germany as the hammer and sickle was of Russia, but in the Himalayan country of Bhutan, the phallus has deep symbolic significance ("Phallus Art Brings Luck in Bhutan—and Tourists, Too," NYT,  8/24/17). The Bhutanese display phalluses publically and in domestic situations much the way Jews place mezuzahs on their doorposts. Who knows some citizens even may wear a phallus around their neck! It's unlikely that California is going to send too many exchange students to Bhutan considering their policy of affirmative consent, which is aimed at keeping certain kinds of missiles in their silos. The Times piece quotes Karma Choden the author of Phallus: Crazy Wisdom From Bhutan thusly: “Stories of Bhutan’s engagement with the phallus shed light on traditions and lifestyle that make Bhutan one of the happiest places on earth.” Is the subtext that everyone gets laid in Bhutan or that the growth of tourism in Bhutan means that Club Hedonism, the famed Negril resort, will be opening a branch there? According The Times piece the importance of the phallus in Bhutanese culture may relate to someone called Drukpa Kunley, a randy lama known as the "Divine Madman” whose feats of prowess are reminiscent of another monk named Rasputin. Pompeii is famous for its mummified stiffs and its phalluses caught in flagrante, but it’s no match for Bhutan which is the only country in the world which may deserve an X rating.