Microphone as penis

I’ve mentioned before Joseph Sobol’s description of the microphone as a “rod of power.” A penis can also be described as a rod of power. And like a penis, the microphone’s power can either be good or not-so-good. Theresa suggested, at the August Carapace, that holding the microphone was undesirable:

She insisted that the mic go back in the mic stand because she doesn’t like holding penises and the mic is shaped like a penis. The mic doesn’t fit in the stand well, which, I think is why it is so rarely in. She said, “oh and it don’t fit!” Cris helped her get the mic in the stand.

The mic allows the storyteller to be heard, but it also forces the storyteller to do certain things with her body and to perform in a certain way. It is not neutral. And like a penis, it must be kept in line.