April 23, 2008

"It's real. Just yesterday here, there was a man who was a victim. We saw. What was left was tiny."

There is some mass hysteria in Congo, as men believe that sorcerers are stealing or shrinking their penises.

19 comments:

KCFleming said...

This is such a weird belief for the modern world; paranoid, primitive, magical.

This is a good review of past Penis shrinking panics. "Belief in fatally retracting genitals, or a belief in genital theft, is usually known by the name 'Koro'. The word is of uncertain origin but is thought to derive from the Malaysian word for tortoise".

I have seen only one case myself, although he wasn't blaming anyone. Suprapubic fat accounted for the relative shrinkage. In a different culture he may have accused a sorcerer or witch.

Maybe I should cry Koro! should Hillary be nominated.

Mortimer Brezny said...

This was a funny story I noticed yesternight, too. I am so glad it is on Althouse.

bearbee said...

Hope

rhhardin said...

Hysteria comes from uterus.

Ann Althouse said...

It's girly to worry about your penis.

knox said...

I blame Hillary

who, me? said...

"What was left was tiny."

You should'a seen it before!

George M. Spencer said...

The child soldiers there actually do take trophies. Not witchcraft, for real, just as American Indians scalped people to ensure their souls would have an unhappy afterlife.

It happened to this guy in the Congo back in 2006.

Ron said...

...and they voted for Obama, too? Oh.My.God.

They must not read PowerLine...

Hoosier Daddy said...

Its not just in the Congo. It happened to me after I shook hands with Hillary.

I was able to reverse the effect when I then shook hands with Obama.

dbp said...

I believe the sorcerers are just playing an endless recording of Sen. Clinton's cackle.

Trooper York said...

Who knew there was so many Irish guys in the Congo.

Trooper York said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ak said...

Maybe it's because I was just on the Tribune website, but I first read "Congo" as "Chicago." Now that would be weird.

Tibore said...

Are you... just... trying to provide fodder for Titus to comment on?

:D

vbspurs said...

Reports of so-called penis snatching are not uncommon in West Africa,

Cancel my honeymoon in Nairobi.

Cheers,
Victoria

AllenS said...



Can you see my penis?

Freeman Hunt said...

"Baby, it's not small--a sorcerer hexed it."

Gahrie said...

OMG, you mean Dworkin was reincarnated as a witch doctor in Africa?