Comment on Is there as much enthusiasm for Trump online today as eight years ago?

• RangerJosie@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  This is your periodic reminder that “White Jesus” was modeled on Caesar Borgia, Michaelangelo’s “very close friend” as historians like to put it.

  Also xmas trees are giant cocks. Yep. Huge phallic symbols.

  Happy Saturnalia.

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  • MajorHavoc@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Also xmas trees are giant cocks. Yep. Huge phallic symbols.

    Today I learned!

    I’m going to enjoy Christmas trees even more with this knowledge. Thank you.

    Though, when looking for a source for others to enjoy, it also turns out it’s complicated.

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  • Buffalox@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    Xmas trees are originally a northern European solstice or Yule tradition. Because there was very little green in the winter.
    Probably it was to celebrate the end of the days getting shorter, and a sort of marking of a new year, and to be reminded of the greener more pleasant seasons.

    I have no idea where you have the idea from, that it should be a Phallus symbol?

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    • 0ops@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      I’ve been hearing a lot about this “everything that’s manmade, tall, and narrow is a phallus” theory the last few years, online and even in some college courses. Frankly, I don’t really buy it. Disclosure, this is totally out of my field, so feel free to set my take on fire if I’m wrong. I don’t doubt that the phallus explanation is true in a few cases, but for most towers, spires, steeples, and other pointy monuments, there’s a couple of other possible inspirations that seem more likely to me. The first would be the upright and narrow stance of humans as opposed to animals standing on four legs close to the ground, like a monument to human exceptionalism. Another theory that I would buy is that tall things just look cool to us on an instinctual level. Trees, mountains, and cliffs are beautiful and are more easily personified than other natural features (relating back to the first point). They have this dignity and magesty about them, it makes sense that our architecture and art would attempt to convey that.

      I don’t know, I guess I’m just projecting when I say this, but I just can’t imagine designing a building with cool spikes and thinking “these represent my dick”.

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      • Buffalox@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        IMO 99% of Phallus claims are infantile amateur psychology. To call something that grows naturally, and isn’t even man made a Phallus symbol is particularly weird.

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