Giant snow penis sculpture at Harvard

On the evening of February 10, a group of Harvard students created a giant snow penis in Harvard Yard. Within hours, another group destroyed it. A Harvard Crimson photographer captured the sculpture for posterity, and the newspaper ran the photo the following day. The whole giant snow penis affair — creation, photo, destruction — has spawned weeks of debate in the student newspaper and beyond.

Photo of Snow Phallus Inappropriate. Angry letter to the editor complains about photo in the student newspaper, and wonders why the Crimson opted not to display the photo on its web edition.

The Broken Phallus of Harvard Yard. Editor criticizes "cowardly act of vandalism" and ruminates on phallus imagery in art history.

Destruction of Ice 'Sculpture' Warranted. One of the vandals defends her actions: "The unwanted image of an erect penis is an implied threat; it means that we, as women, must be subject to erect penises whether we like it or not."

Ruined Snow Penis Stimulates Debate. "Smart kids overanalyze things."

Women's Group Debates Snow Penis. Report on a public forum sponsored by the Radcliffe Union of Students.

Erin O'Connor reviews and comments on the Harvard giant snow penis affair on her blog, and more debate follows in the comments section.

Posted on Thu, Feb 27, 2003 at 12:48 PM

Build more!

Posted by: Dave on March 2, 2003 11:24 AM

This is awesome!!! LOL

Posted by: TheAssker on March 5, 2003 10:49 PM

You kidding me right? I mean paying this much for a college education and they can't talk about anything else but, a snow penis? Something that mother nature would have torn down anyhow? Oh come on grow up. Was boys in the snow having fun and two girls that thought lets mess with them and take it down. Nothing more nothing less. Unless "the boys" got angry as didn't get to try it out! Stupid arguement...can't believe people wasting time, energy, and money on this this topic.

Posted by: Gena on March 6, 2003 02:21 AM

Reminds me of City University, London, UK, years ago. The Dean objected strongly to male students "pissing their names in the snow". Not because it was unhygienic or because it would damage the reputation of the University (not possible whilst I was there ;) , but because it was in his daughters handwriting ;) Stu

Posted by: Stu Savory on March 6, 2003 08:18 AM

Grow up, girls. Being a female, I find it highly offensive that the feminist groups in our midst are making the world view women as a group "without a sense of humor." Sorry, but to get offended by somthing like this is truly feeble. Yes, mother nature would have torn it down. Why not let nature run it's course? Personally, i would have found it much more enticing to construct a snow vagina. Suddenly, women are represented, and we're not seen as man-hating. What's the point?

Posted by: dixie on March 6, 2003 03:28 PM

I've noticed this debacle for *days* and frankly, I find it comical that people can be so thin-skinned as to make a big to-do about a snow sculpture. So what it if happens to be in the likeness of a penis? Personally, I would have straddled the thing at the balls and hollered "Giddyap!"

Posted by: Rozzlyn on March 6, 2003 05:13 PM

i think it was great( great art) ment in fun. for adults. girls grow up! as the woman said, if women wonted to make a statement they could have built a vagina. this is all way too much work. way to much over thinking. not being a woman maybe i think about it differently. being black i don't think i would have liked a snow man hanging from a tree. well it being white maybe it would have been different. i leave it to you to think it through... you guyes are smart. maybe you can even start a course on all this. hey george

Posted by: heygeorge on March 8, 2003 10:39 AM

I think the sculpture is great..lmao. So much better than the usual boring snowman...Its almost like the saying" I am woman hear me roar" Instead its men saying" I am Man see me stand".. Plus it gives new meaning to "BLUE BALLS"

Posted by: roses on March 8, 2003 09:09 PM

i would like to congratulate "panther-man" for his exceptional job on the conception and construction of the snow penis...next time im up there, i want to see a giant snow vagina

Posted by: brendan on March 9, 2003 06:48 PM

Absolutely hilarious! Misogyny has a new face, the Abominable Snow Penis! (I think the radical feminists are projecting just a tad)

Posted by: Mike on March 10, 2003 11:40 PM

in all seriousness, i heard about some big deal being made about a penis in harvard yard. and i thought it was the one my friends and i had made over at the harvard medical school on longwood. haha. except ours was in the form of a giant snow angel...only a penis. So really guys, what the hell is the big deal? haha im SURE that these students were just like us and being stupid and having fun. It was in no way degrating to us females, and im pretty offended that girls would react to something like this the way they do? who the hell cares? just go out and..make a vagina or something. comeon people stop being so politically correct and lighten up.

Posted by: Jackie on March 12, 2003 12:51 AM

I thought it to be histerical. I also think that the feminazis tore it down because they didnt have the talent or creativity to construct the a seemingly more difficult snow vagina.

Posted by: Jon on March 12, 2003 12:29 PM

i love those comments that say how stupid it is that everyone is making a big deal out of this... ah ha ha. the irony. good job boys. you all make us proud.

Posted by: cecelia on March 12, 2003 11:14 PM

haha... i'd have to be with the one straddlin it at the balls and yellin "giddyap" haha would have been fun to watch it melt...a melting snow penis..priceless...just priceless...

Posted by: valerie on March 13, 2003 10:43 PM

sir i am so crazy about long penis . pls you are going and send me how much cost in this medicines. sincerly \mukesh

Posted by: mukesh on May 28, 2003 02:52 AM

Man this was funny as hell. It was art, like...Michangelo's David, it's like that except, that the rest of david seemed to have fell off, his only surriving *ahem body part / uh... organ seemed to have been hit with cosmic rays and grew many times, and it also seem to have gotten excited. Damn it's still funny. But it is art none the less. People have gotten too... dirty of a mind to understand the see pass the penis. It is a symbol of society, in which we are just pricks standing still in the hard reality that we will go limp and die. If we do not fight for what we believe in we will be wipeout, and we will be screwed over and over if we do not defend our beliefs. Aw, hell that speech was for those that see a deeper meaning, as for myself...I don't see anything that deep. Hell that snow penis is just funny. It might not be news but it left alot of people's jaws wide open. Now if there was something we can use to shut them up. 'Nuff Said. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Posted by: Doc on June 3, 2003 05:58 PM