Exploring the Cultural Phenomenon of the Dick Pic

Description

This book explores the dick pic in popular culture. Drawing from a range of disciplines, cultural analyses, lived experiences and theoretical approaches, this book explores the polysemous nature of dick pics. It looks at historical and contemporary theorisations of the penis/phallus, sexualisation and sexual objectification of the male body arguments, contemporary public discourses concerning the dick pic, and men’s lived experiences of sexting and dick pic sending. Made possible by advances in mobile and digital technologies, the dick pic is often regarded as a harmful endemic, particularly in the wake of increased recognitions of sexual violence against women. However, very little has been done to explore dick pics outside of violence, pathological, and moral panic framings, such as the erotic possibilities and understandings of the dick pic, and the way certain discourses continue to work to shape and frame how we engage and understand the dick pic in contemporary culture. This will be key reading for scholars and students in Women’s and Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, Masculinity and Sociology. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Preface Sex and Sexuality Research as “Dirty Work” Erotic Subjectivity and Researching Dick Pics Notes References Introduction Theorising the Penis/Phallus The Theoretical Frameworks That Inform This Book Heterodoxy Reparative Readings and Emotional Reflexivity Balancing Sex-Negative and Sex-Positive Feminism; Play Studying Dick Pics: My Approach A Collaborative Effort The Dick Pic Project Social Media Research: Some Ethical Considerations M3: Media, Masculinities, and Mental Health Interviews Terminology “Dick Pics” “The Male Body” and “Cisgender” Lack of Images Book Overview Notes References Chapter 1: Locating the Erotic (Heterosexual) Man: Sexualisation and Objectification Debates Objectification and Sexualisation Debates Objectification and Sexualisation of (Assumed) Heterosexual, Cisgender Men Women’s Sexual Subjectivities Women Looking at Cisgender Men Conclusion Notes References Chapter 2: “A Disturbing and Perplexing Phenomenon”: Popular Discourses of Dick Pics Dick Pics as Sexual Violence Dick Pics as Pathology Dick Pics as Harmless Dick Pics as Failed Seduction and Romance Conclusion Notes Materials Cited References Chapter 3: “Critiquing Your Dick Pics with Love”: Reading Dick Pics Reparatively The Penis as Grotesque The Penis as Vulnerable The Penis as Erotic Conclusion Notes References Chapter 4: “That Feeling of to Be Wanted”: Process, Relationality, and Desire Sexting Research: An Overview of Key Themes and Gaps Men’s (Sexual) Bodies Men Who Sext: Interview Findings The Relational Process of Creating and Sharing Erotic Images Affective Experiences: Affirmation and Vulnerability Relationality and Affirming Desirability Conclusion Notes Reference Chapter 5: “You Get What You Deserve”: Managing Risk and Backlash When Sending Dick Pics Leaks of Nudes Featuring High-Status Men Men Who Sext: Interview Findings Mitigating the Risk of Nudes Being Leaked Views on Women Shaming Men Who Send Unsolicited Dick Pics Conclusion Notes References Conclusion My Dick Pic Research as “Dirty Work” Separating and Coming Together Again Notes References Index