Episode 217: A Cultural History of the Dick Pic

One of the most popular posts I’ve ever written on the Sex and Psychology blog was about why so many men send unsolicited dick pics to women. At the time, there wasn’t much research on the subject, but the data suggested that guys who do this are either clueless or narcissistic (or worse). This has fed a growing (and extreme) online narrative that all dick pics are bad, even when they’re sent consensually. So let’s take a closer look at the dick pic.

I have a two-part series for you about the science of dick picks. In this show, we’re going to focus on the cultural history of the dick pic and the four most common narratives we hear about dick pics in the media. Next time, we’re going to talk about a new way of thinking about dick pics, as well as their positive side when shared consensually.

My guest is Dr. Andrea Waling, a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society at La Trobe University. Her current research project, Men, Sex and Intimacy, explores how young, heterosexual men in Australia are navigating and negotiating intimacy, sex, sexual health and consent in wake of #MeToo politics. Her latest book is titled Exploring the Cultural Phenomenon of the Dick Pic.

Some of the questions we discuss in this episode include:

• Why write a whole book all about dick pics?
• How do you secure government funding for research when you’re doing the “dirty work” of studying sex?
• How has the cultural history of the penis shaped modern attitudes towards it?
• What are the four themes about why men send dick pics that dominate academic work and public discourse?
• Are dick pics always a form of harassment? Are men who send dick pics narcissists?

To learn more, check out Andrea’s website and stay connected on Twitter and Linkedin. You can also read our review of her most recent book here.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest and by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash.