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LINK Linking Evangelical Subculture and Phallically Insecure Masculinity Using Google Searches for Male Enhancement

Numerous studies document the connection between American evangelicalism and male insecurity stemming from essentialist, phallocentric conceptions of masculinity. Yet data have often been confined to individuals’ responses in surveys or qualitative interviews. This limits our understanding because individuals may lie about the most personal sources of insecurity (even to themselves) and such data are difficult to aggregate to broader subcultural influences. Building on a moral communities’ framework, in this research note we analyze Google Trends data and focus on the prevalence of explicit searches for “male enhancement” terms and phrases, simultaneously indicating (1) the internalization of a subculture that prioritizes essentialist, phallocentric standards of masculinity and (2) a privately felt failure to meet those standards. Even after accounting for a host of state‐level confounds, the preponderance of evangelicals in a state consistently predicts more Google searches for terms and phrases like “male enhancement,” “ExtenZe,” “penis pump,” “penis enlargement,” and others. We theorize that the largely patriarchal―and increasingly embattled and radicalized―evangelical subculture explicitly or implicitly promotes equating masculinity with physical strength and size, leaving men influenced by that subculture (whether evangelical or not) to seek solutions for their privately felt failure to measure up.

HippieChick58 9 Mar 16
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12 comments

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1

Utah is the largest consumer of pornography in the USA. " It ain't the meat it's the motion. It's the movement that gives it the sock." Did this obsession not begin with the porn industry? A big one is easier to film? Such nonsense.

1

I do feel for men about this. Must be worse than "Does my bum look big in this?"

1

I don't get it...are Christians obsessed with having a big dick? If one has a really big cock does one get to be a Cardinal?

2

Sadly the preoccupation with the size of the male penis is a huge drain on society. No matter where it comes from it is just another cudgel to keep control over people by using the fear factor.

It's not unfounded. I hear women at work talk positively about well endowed men and negatively about the poorly endowed. Considering our innate drive to find a mate and have sex (because as much as people don't want to admit it, enjoyment of your time is the only reason not to off yourself) the preoccupation with any "attractive qualities" is actually quite paramount until the human race can collectively, magically, transcend these seemingly petty emotions/desires.

@JeffMurray I've always wondered about women who say they want a big dick on a man. If one really knows their own body it really is about how it's used and little know fact most women organism more easily when on top. I get the visual thing but as a society you are correct transcending certain aspect of the mating ritual could be helpful.

@silverotter11 I doubt people who like dick who say they like them to be bigger than average are all saying it just because of aesthetics. Size queens become size queens for a reason.

@JeffMurray I suppose but I do have a girl friend who thought she was a size queen until she met her husband. She even admitted to me at first she was not impressed; then she took him for a ride and had orgasmisms like never before. Really found the sweet spot. To each his own.
The problem is religion more than the size and we wondered off from the topic of the post 🙂.

4

It’s all just marketing against vanities and personal insecurities.....

All that does is lead to women with unnatural looking bowling balls on their chests , and over stretched dicks and scrotums...

Wait, did I miss a desire from women for long balls? I thought that was generally considered a negative trait.

5

While not a fan of evangelicals, this really feels like a hit piece dressed up in pseudo scientific "detachment" and could be summed up," neener, neener look at your little weener"

4

Viagra and other such things, yes. Even so, I have never had any desire for enhancement of any kind. I don't need to be any larger. Those who think they do should read up on scam practices.

2

Or it could just be, that if you are gullible enough to buy into one stupid idea, then a whole lot more, come easy.

3

I wish I had a 10" dick...but I ain't chopping off two inches just because of you HippieChick58!

It can actually be a curse sometimes..

Another joke along those lines is, "The only way for me to have a 9 inch dick is to fold it in half."

@WilliamCharles who said it's a joke?

@WilliamCharles baby

2

Doesn't surprise me either.

8

Will look at the piece at length when I'm able, but as a related aside, I've never been comfortable with digs at the gun culture using tiny dick jokes. They can use the term "insecure" instead, which is also more accurate imho. People would be rightly offended by others disparaging a woman for her cup size. This should be in that category as well.

I feel it's on par with prison rape jokes, or using the term f4ggot or pvssy when they mean "coward" or "weak."

Very well said.

@Gwendolyn2018 - then there's that classic Betty White joke.

"Why is it that the phrase "having a set of balls" means strong and calling someone a pussy means weak? I mean, that thing can take a pounding!" 😄

@Gwendolyn2018 - yeah. I'm told by some it's like giving birth to a bowling ball.

Well, sad to say one pain I've learned we can share in a unisex fashion is kidney stones.

Those damn things hurt like crazy.

@WilliamCharles love betty she is so innocent looking and so nasty

@WilliamCharles, @Gwendolyn2018 Never had kids but they will give you morphine for a kidney stone. I ended up in the ER and was going into shock from the pain when they gave me morphine. As the pain eased my first thought was WOW, now I know why they get this stuff under lock and key.

@Gwendolyn2018 Just be glad you never have!!!!

5

That research finding does not surprise me.

I have never thought of phallocentricism as being a good idea.

I found it fascinating to learn that in classical Greek sculpture, a large penis was generally seen as vulgar with respect to the person possessing such attributes.

[artsy.net]

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