THE ART EXHIBITION

A COUPLE ATTENDING AN

ART EXHIBITION AT THE

NATIONAL GALLERY WERE STARING

AT A PORTRAIT THAT HAD

THEM COMPLETELY CONFUSED.

THE PAINTING DEPICTED

THREE VERY BLACK AND

TOTALLY NAKED MEN SITTING

ON A PARK BENCH.

TWO OF THE FIGURES

HAD BLACK WILLIES,

BUT THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE

HAD A PINK WILLY.

THE CURATOR OF THE GALLERY

REALIZED THAT THEY WERE HAVING

TROUBLE INTERPRETING THE

PAINTING AND OFFERED

HIS ASSESSMENT. 

HE WENT ON FOR NEARLY

HALF AN HOUR EXPLAINING HOW

IT DEPICTED THE

SEXUAL EMASCULATION

OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN A

PREDOMINATELY WHITE,

PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY.

"IN FACT,"

HE POINTED OUT,

"SOME SERIOUS CRITICS BELIEVE

THAT THE PINK WILLY

ALSO REFLECTS THE CULTURAL AND

SOCIOLOGICAL OPPRESSION

EXPERIENCED BY GAY MEN

IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY."

AFTER THE CURATOR LEFT,

A YOUNG MAN IN A

FOREST FOOTBALL SHIRT

APPROACHED THE COUPLE AND SAID,

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHAT

THE PAINTING IS REALLY ABOUT?"

"NOW WHY WOULD YOU CLAIM

TO BE MORE OF AN EXPERT

THAN THE CURATOR

OF THE GALLERY?"

ASKED THE COUPLE.

"BECAUSE I'M THE

GUY WHO PAINTED IT,"

HE REPLIED.

"IN FACT, THERE ARE NO

AFRICAN-AMERICANS

DEPICTED AT ALL.

THEY'RE JUST THREE

NOTTINGHAM COAL MINERS

AND THE GUY IN THE MIDDLE

WENT HOME FOR LUNCH."