You know that saying that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction? Well, what about bizarre fiction based on fiction?
Case in point is a recent report from Decider.com on a Danish television network which launched a new children’s series about a man with a penis so enormous, he can barely control it.
Shocking, we know.
The series, called John Dillermand, follows a man who puts his rather large appendage to good use in rescue operations, money-making schemes, and cooking demonstrations in order to “teach children the importance of overcoming hardship and celebrating diverse bodies”.
As soon as the New York Post tweeted the story, it provoked some fierce debate, which was expected.
“Dane and parent here. Had this been a kid show about a guy with a giant glock pistol, im sure americans would not even have blinked..,” responded one online user.
Another asked “What are they smoking in Denmark”?
Once British publication The Guardian got wind of the story, it provoked a series of comments from gender equality experts.
“It’s perpetuating the standard idea of a patriarchal society and normalizing ‘locker room culture’ … that’s been used to excuse a lot of bad behaviour from men,” Christian Groes, a gender researcher, told the publication.
“It’s meant to be funny – so it’s seen as harmless. But it’s not. And we’re teaching this to our kids,” Groes added.
In response to the backlash, DR, the network behind the series, issued a statement: “Our content is based on a long tradition of being true to the target group.
“With the series, we acknowledge the budding curiosity about the body and genitals, and also the embarrassing and funny thing about the body - it is something that is exciting for the exact age group that Ramasjang (DR’s network targeted to children aged 7-10) addresses,” it concluded.
The show may have proven controversial, but the Danes are known for their liberal attitudes towards sex and non-conforming relationships.
It’s probably why the nation was voted the “happiest country in the world” in 2012.