There’s been a lot of talk in the last few years about subliminal advertising, sexual words and phalluses in Disney movies, etc. Another rumor I keep hearing is that a part of the male anatomy was pictured unintentionally in a Sears catalog underwear ad in 1975. Let me put it this way: a penis is peeking out under somebody’s boxers. Naysayers claim that advertising photographers scrutinize their work and would never let something like that get by, that it could be just a drawstring. But wouldn’t they have noticed something like a drawstring, too? Could it be an intentional joke on the part of a wacky or disgruntled photographer or editor, to make a job taking pictures of undies for Sears more interesting? More importantly, where can I get a copy of this picture?
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You think getting a picture of a penis is difficult? I get X-rated E-mail spam offering shots of just about every part of the human anatomy you’d care to see, and many you wouldn’t. (I haven’t actually seen a Web site for appendectomy scar fetishists, but I expect one any day.) Naturally, we at the Straight Dope feel we have to post saucy photos ourselves, just so we can . . . well, when I first started working on this I wrote, “hold our own.” But when the topic is the male organ you definitely have to watch what you say.
The object in question appeared in the Sears catalog for fall/winter 1975 in a photo of two guys modeling underwear. It’s extremely faint; Sears clearly had a lot of customers who scrutinized those underwear ads. (Probably the same people you’d see in the Craftsman section looking at the big tools. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) Once you do see it, you don’t have much trouble believing it’s a penis. A circumcised penis. This last detail is pointed out by Jill, with whom I’ve communicated via the magic of cyberspace. Jill obviously scrutinizes underwear ads too.
