The Danish public broadcaster DR is facing criticism after opening a children’s animation program called “John Dillermand” about a man with an extraordinarily long penis.
In Denmark, “diller” is slang for penis, so the name of Dillermand is literally John Penis-man. The program is aimed at children aged 4 to 8, but is raising many questions from adults.
In the show’s first episode, which is only about five minutes long, viewers are introduced to Dillermand, a man in a red and white striped outfit whose inexplicably matching “diller” looks like a candy cane. He engages in all sorts of antics using his absurdly big idiot to break into a woman’s fridge, but he also uses it to save the day – it becomes a helicopter, a pogo stick and even a weapon to defend children afterwards that a lion attacks your ice cream cart.
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Although the member of Dillermand causes many malicious antics, DR defended its content and clarified that the program was not designed to be a comment on gender. The network said it could “easily have made a program about a woman without control over her vagina”, and that her main concern was if the children had fun with the program.
Danish family psychologist Erla Heinesen Højsted recently told The Guardian that it is possible that Dillermand could be a positive influence on children who watch.
“The series portrays an impulsive man who is not always in control, who makes mistakes – as children do, but, crucially, Dillermand always gets it right. He takes responsibility for his actions, ”said Højsted. “When a woman on the show tells him to keep his penis in his pants, for example, he listens, which is cool. He is responsible. “
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Still, some Danes criticized the program and argued that it is not only unsuitable for children, but also comes at a less than ideal time, as the #MeToo movement recently reached Denmark after TV presenter Sofie Linde organized an event to raise awareness about gender equality in entertainment.
Højsted agreed that the “John Dillermand” timing is not ideal, but argued that the show is not about sex, despite starring a man with a huge, flexible penis. “This is not categorically a program about sex [and] pretending it is projects adult ideas, ”she said.
Copies of the pilot episode of “John Dillermand” were removed from YouTube for violating the site’s community guidelines, but you can find the pilot on the DR website.