When you see something that's just GOT to be too good to be true!

I'm not telling you what I was doing when I found this... no... it's too embarrassing.

Oh, all right... I'll tell you. I was on facebook.

Google Images

Cue embarrassing link
BBC link

As I said... too good to be true?

Paid to masturbate? Seriously?

Wow...

Of course, since man (and woman) have had fingers, there's probably been masturbation but for such a long time, it's been something unspeakable. Even while I was back at school, to be called a 'wanker' was deeply offensive.

In the late 19th century, 'onanism' was linked with insanity and some doctors warned of dire consequences.

Disturbances of the stomach and digestion, loss of appetite or ravenous hunger, vomiting, nausea, weakening of the organs of breathing, coughing, hoarseness, paralysis, weakening of the organ of generation to the point of impotence, lack of libido, back pain, disorders of the eye and ear, total diminution of bodily powers, paleness, thinness, pimples on the face, decline of intellectual powers, loss of memory, attacks of rage, madness, idiocy, epilepsy, fever and finally suicide.

Impotency, paleness and thinness (the new weight-loss plan?) but to risk decline of intellectual powers, loss of memory? Is it worth it?

A few of the last symptoms seem to prove that a lot of facebook dwellers are over-indulging in the practice. There are a lot of angry idiots knocking about.

Doctor John Harvey Kellogg made such claims as:

"neither the plague, nor war, nor small-pox, nor similar diseases, have produced results so disastrous to humanity as the pernicious habit of onanism,"

and masturbation-related deaths where:

"such a victim literally dies by his own hand,"

Of course, David Carradine (Kung Fu and Kill Bill) allegedly died 'by his own hand' to quote Kellogg, as did Michael Hutchence (INXS) and Stephen Milligan (British politician)

Michael Hutchence - INXS - from Google Images

These days though, with lads walking around with their hands down their pants, it seems to have become - well, if not more acceptable, then at least, less taboo.

And after all, we all do it... ;)