FOOD or FRUIT as Male GENITALIA

 In this post I will be presenting why certain food items are compared to the penis.


I looked at Cruising (2006), by Desiree Day, which follows the life of four young women. In an early chapter, the friends are in a diner having dessert when one of them proclaims: ' "Nu-uh. Take a close look at your sundae, what does it remind you of? And be honest." '(68). Another friend responds: ' "Well, the split banana reminds me of two penises" ', to which her friend agrees: ' "they did remind me of little dicks" '.

This is what in our society is referred to as the "dirty mind". People associate food with the penis, due to its appearance. In the quotation above the adjective "little" comments on the size, so links to the shape of a penis.

We see this with various foods, such as the banana, cucumber and sausage.

With all these food items, they have a similar phallic shape. The cucumber is solid and thick, which contrasts to the soft, easily squashed fruit that is compared to the vagina. This may relate to the patriarchal ideology of men to be strong, however, may also be a mirroring of male erections. The sausage is very long, and very unrealistic in terms of the size of a natural penis, which represents the fantasies and ambitions of having a "large package downstairs."

Additionally the process of consuming these foods likens them to the penis. This links to Freud's explanation of the mouth as a sexual organ. Suzi Godson, The Times Sex Expert advises in Sex Counsel that the 'banana [can be used for]... practice sessions' (Chapter 4), to enhance your skills of fellatio.

Overall, foods that are compared to the penis have a physical resemblance to it. The use of the mouth to eat also encourages a sexual viewing of food, as certain foods, like bananas and sausages are eaten whole. Therefore, this is a mirroring of oral sex. 

Works Cited:

• Day, Desiree. Cruising. New York: Pocket Books, 2006. Print.
• Godson, Suzi. Sex Counsel. London: Hachette Uk Company, 2011. Print.