18 October 2021

A merkin salesman


Merkins are wigs for the pubic area, with origins dating back at least to the 15th century, when pubic hair was sometimes shaved to combat pubic lice; merkins were also worn to cover dermatologic evidence of syphilis.  Via.

Modern-day merkins can be viewed in a Google Image search (mostly safe for work, depending on where you work), with subsections for Hollywood, burlesque, etc (even a face-hugger variant).

And for completeness of "things you wouldn't know," here are instructions on how to attach (and remove) a merkin.

Addendum:  A tip of the hat to reader Drabkikker, who tracked down the fact that this photo is a bit of art that is the creation of a modern photographer.  Merkins, however, were real, so I'll leave the post up for the educational value of the links.

14 comments:

  1. Oh, my! These are glorious!
    What are they made of?
    Do they make them for women?
    My bush has disappeared with older age.
    Thanks, this was a treat.

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  2. "Rare photograph of Frank Zappa's grandfather, taken at the exact moment he started questioning his life choices (and beard shape)"

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  3. I didn't know they used to sell beaver pelts door to door!

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  4. My favorite related trivia is the (censored on TV) President of these United States (In the film Dr. Strangelove) Merkin Muffley

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  5. One of the comments in the reddit thread you linked mentioned that the photo is from the weirdly absurd works of 19th-century photographer Shimmel Zohar: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/09/uncanny-tale-shimmel-zohar/616060/ I haven't read the whole longread yet, but it sounds like an intriguing story (and a photo album that's going to be on top of my wish list this Christmas).

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  6. Ok, lol, scrap most of my latest comment. Turns out the photo's were made by a contemporary artist called Stephen Berkman using old photo techniques, and sort-of-attributing them to a half-made-up 19th-century photographer. At least, that's what I've been able to gather (see this article, for instance). It's all very confusing and intriguing. Still want that photo album.

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    1. That actually makes sense. And all the more embarrassing because the Sept 2020 Atlantic is on a stack on unread magazines here at home. I"ll insert the link. Thanx, Drabkikker.

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  7. I like the slogan on the case: Serving the discerning pudendum since 1827. I learned a new word: pudendum

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    1. And an interesting word, too, because it's Latin origins may (or may not) imply a sense of "shame," so some people want the word pudendum erased from common usage as an abusive term. Full story here -

      https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/science/pudendum-women-anatomy.html

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    2. Haha, wait till they learn what the Dutch call (male or female) pubic hair. Schaamhaar. Literally "shame hair".

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  8. When the comedian Robert Schimmel was getting chemo for non-Hodgkins lymphoma he was visited by a merkin salesman. It was pretty funny, but I see how a small thing can boost someone's confidence.
    Well, they're not that small, are they?

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  9. The President in Doctor Strangelove was Merkin Muffley

    Best line:"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room."

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  10. It looks like the merkins might be made from his hair, which is presumably part of the joke.

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  11. That's a dedicated salesman, going to the length of wearing one on his own face!

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