[After posting Part 1 and Part 2 of the endlessly fascinating topics of adult circumcision and foreskin restoration, I just had to e-mail questions to the two real men who know each of these subjects more intimately than I ever want to. They graciously agreed to let me post their answers here. First up is Jason Phoon, an uncircumcised man who hopped onto the surgeon's table at the age of 24. I equate this as an act of treason, but he attempts to explain himself below.]
PRINCE: Jason, you had foreskin all your life up until the age of 24, when you decided to get circumcised. So: my first question: WHAT THE FUCK?! Why why whyyyyyyyyyy?!
JASON: Well, I was tired of having to wipe every time I go to the loo. This saves me time. Oh, and my dad said it would be cleaner and I would last longer in bed. Based on experiments, yes, that is true.
PRINCE: You're the only person I know and probably one of the few in this entire world who has a true and deep understanding of what it's like to live life with foreskin and to live life without it. So what are some of the major and minor differences in being uncut and cut?
JASON: Well, like I said, it's cleaner. And sex is better.
PRINCE: If you could go back to being uncut again, would you? Do you have even a tinge of regret for what you've done?
JASON: Well, apart from a little scarring, nope, no regrets.
PRINCE: Will you describe your surgery in detail? I want my readers to visualize the horror.
JASON: I'll just copy and paste from my blog here: The operation went smoothly. The most painful part of the operation was when they administered local anesthetic by means of 3 injections to that area. Maybe it's because I forgot to take my painkillers the day before, but those injections sure hurt as hell! After the anesthetic kicked in, it was more of a psychological battle as two surgeons and two nurses were watching. I couldn't see what was going on, apart from a little reflection on the lights above. Man, they should really look into that 'cause I could see the blood! Oh , and I walked like a duck afterwards.
[TLC Tugger, now known to us as Ron, was circumcised as a baby, but decided that he wanted his dignity back as an adult.]
PRINCE: Ron, I visited your website, and it seems you're on some kind of foreskin crusade. Is that an accurate description of what you're doing?
RON: "Crusade" has religious connotations. I would never use it. My life's work is to help circumcised men get more pleasure from sex, and in the process I educate people so we can bring an end to infant circumcision. Already, about 3/4 of infants in the four Western states are being left intact. Globally, 95% of the non-Muslim world does not circumcise.
PRINCE: Are you trying to start a revolution?
RON: I'm just trying to spread rational respect for human rights and a little compassion. And it's not completely selfless; over 80 million U.S. men—and another 80 million outside the U.S.—have been circumcised for non-religious reasons, so my company will do just fine even if all infant circumcision ends today.
PRINCE: Shouldn't you have a distinguished title? What would your title be?
RON: The Chicago Tribune called me a "savior" last year. How does that sound? Seriously, just call me Ron.
PRINCE: How long have you been working at restoring your foreskin?
RON: I started restoring in 2001 with taping methods I found on an Australian website. It didn't take me long to get tired of daily taping and peeling the tape.
PRINCE: How much progress have you made? Did you create the device that you use, or where did you find out about it?
RON: The tapeless device I made and used (and now sell) was a refinement of homemade device concepts that were published online. I grew about an inch of new skin per year for four years, using comfortable tension as close to 24/7 as I could manage. Then I switched to a less intensive regimen.
PRINCE: Okay, so I watched the video on your website that demonstrates how the TLC Tugger works. I cringed while watching it and almost fell out of my chair. Do other people have that reaction?
RON: That footage is from a documentary: Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (now available on DVD). I've attended several screenings, and I always hear the people around me murmur, "Dear Lord, why?" as they watch me apply that device. (It's very comfortable even if it doesn't look it). I just have the same reaction to the non-therapeutic amputation of the best part of a baby's penis. Why?
PRINCE: Then, when I saw how elaborate the contraption was, I started laughing hysterically. Do other people have that reaction?
RON: They had a good laugh when I demonstrated it on the Howard Stern show, but the standard Tugger is very simple. You might have been looking at our new TLC-X. It's a bit more intricate, but it lets a man discreetly tension his skin 24/7 with no straps or weights, for fewer excuses to skip a day. Yes, restoring efforts can border on the absurd, but it's less crazy than chopping babies.
PRINCE: Foreskin restoration is a roller coaster of emotions!
RON: Truly! We grieve our loss and celebrate our progress every day.
PRINCE: What would you say to the guy who had foreskin, but then got circumcised when he was 24? Is he nuts?!
RON: First, I'd say I'm delighted the choice was left to him, but yes, he's nuts.
[Jason blogs at The Life and Times of Jason Phoon. Ron leads hiscrusade revolution cause at TLC Tugger.]
PRINCE: Jason, you had foreskin all your life up until the age of 24, when you decided to get circumcised. So: my first question: WHAT THE FUCK?! Why why whyyyyyyyyyy?!
JASON: Well, I was tired of having to wipe every time I go to the loo. This saves me time. Oh, and my dad said it would be cleaner and I would last longer in bed. Based on experiments, yes, that is true.
PRINCE: You're the only person I know and probably one of the few in this entire world who has a true and deep understanding of what it's like to live life with foreskin and to live life without it. So what are some of the major and minor differences in being uncut and cut?
JASON: Well, like I said, it's cleaner. And sex is better.
PRINCE: If you could go back to being uncut again, would you? Do you have even a tinge of regret for what you've done?
JASON: Well, apart from a little scarring, nope, no regrets.
PRINCE: Will you describe your surgery in detail? I want my readers to visualize the horror.
JASON: I'll just copy and paste from my blog here: The operation went smoothly. The most painful part of the operation was when they administered local anesthetic by means of 3 injections to that area. Maybe it's because I forgot to take my painkillers the day before, but those injections sure hurt as hell! After the anesthetic kicked in, it was more of a psychological battle as two surgeons and two nurses were watching. I couldn't see what was going on, apart from a little reflection on the lights above. Man, they should really look into that 'cause I could see the blood! Oh , and I walked like a duck afterwards.
[TLC Tugger, now known to us as Ron, was circumcised as a baby, but decided that he wanted his dignity back as an adult.]
PRINCE: Ron, I visited your website, and it seems you're on some kind of foreskin crusade. Is that an accurate description of what you're doing?
RON: "Crusade" has religious connotations. I would never use it. My life's work is to help circumcised men get more pleasure from sex, and in the process I educate people so we can bring an end to infant circumcision. Already, about 3/4 of infants in the four Western states are being left intact. Globally, 95% of the non-Muslim world does not circumcise.
PRINCE: Are you trying to start a revolution?
RON: I'm just trying to spread rational respect for human rights and a little compassion. And it's not completely selfless; over 80 million U.S. men—and another 80 million outside the U.S.—have been circumcised for non-religious reasons, so my company will do just fine even if all infant circumcision ends today.
PRINCE: Shouldn't you have a distinguished title? What would your title be?
RON: The Chicago Tribune called me a "savior" last year. How does that sound? Seriously, just call me Ron.
PRINCE: How long have you been working at restoring your foreskin?
RON: I started restoring in 2001 with taping methods I found on an Australian website. It didn't take me long to get tired of daily taping and peeling the tape.
PRINCE: How much progress have you made? Did you create the device that you use, or where did you find out about it?
RON: The tapeless device I made and used (and now sell) was a refinement of homemade device concepts that were published online. I grew about an inch of new skin per year for four years, using comfortable tension as close to 24/7 as I could manage. Then I switched to a less intensive regimen.
PRINCE: Okay, so I watched the video on your website that demonstrates how the TLC Tugger works. I cringed while watching it and almost fell out of my chair. Do other people have that reaction?
RON: That footage is from a documentary: Cut: Slicing Through the Myths of Circumcision (now available on DVD). I've attended several screenings, and I always hear the people around me murmur, "Dear Lord, why?" as they watch me apply that device. (It's very comfortable even if it doesn't look it). I just have the same reaction to the non-therapeutic amputation of the best part of a baby's penis. Why?
PRINCE: Then, when I saw how elaborate the contraption was, I started laughing hysterically. Do other people have that reaction?
RON: They had a good laugh when I demonstrated it on the Howard Stern show, but the standard Tugger is very simple. You might have been looking at our new TLC-X. It's a bit more intricate, but it lets a man discreetly tension his skin 24/7 with no straps or weights, for fewer excuses to skip a day. Yes, restoring efforts can border on the absurd, but it's less crazy than chopping babies.
PRINCE: Foreskin restoration is a roller coaster of emotions!
RON: Truly! We grieve our loss and celebrate our progress every day.
PRINCE: What would you say to the guy who had foreskin, but then got circumcised when he was 24? Is he nuts?!
RON: First, I'd say I'm delighted the choice was left to him, but yes, he's nuts.
[Jason blogs at The Life and Times of Jason Phoon. Ron leads his