Directed by Meema Spadola & Thom Powers • Documentary • 1999 • 55 minutes

Men spend a lot of time thinking about their penises, and even thinking with their penises. But rarely do we hear men talking honestly about their penises-until now.

Surveying young and old, gay and straight, large and small, virgin and porn star, from all walks of life, PRIVATE DICKS explores the naked truth about how men feel about their penises.

The men, many of whom appear nude, offer personal revelations that are honest, humorous and often poignant as they frankly discuss puberty, power, impotence, circumcision, sexuality, myths and perceptions, growing old, and, of course, size. Interspersed with clips from vintage sex education films and humorous cartoons, PRIVATE DICKS provides a rare opportunity for both interviewees and audience to begin an honest conversation about masculinity, power, vulnerability, sex and love-all seen through the lens of a man's relationship to his penis.

Among the 25 men interviewed for the documentary are:

Gordon, 73, a retired professor who tells of getting syphilis and gonorrhea as a sailor during WWII, and reflects on the decline in libido and prostate troubles that accompany aging
'Lexington Steele,' 28, an adult film actor who recalls how he first realized during his college years that his 11-1/2 inch erection 'might be of some interest,' and discusses the literal ups and downs of a porn star on set.
Boris, 57, an advertising director, paralyzed from the mid-torso down since age 17, who talks about sex as a paraplegic.
Jesse Sheidlower, slang dictionary editor at Random House, and editor of The F Word, explains the etymology of penis-related slang words and offers some rare historical slang.

"Sometimes humorous and never lecherous... A treasure-trove for sociologists." —USA Today