Cameltoe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cameltoe is a slang term that refers to the outline of a woman's vulva when seen through tight, form-fitting clothes. Usually, a cameltoe is visible from the front. Web sites exist that are dedicated to publishing photographs of cameltoes. The male version of this is referred to as a "moose knuckle."
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[edit] Cameltoe vs. bulge
The word cameltoe generally refers to a visible cleft between the labia, as between a real camel's toes. The size of a cameltoe is largely dependent on the size of the labia majora, not the labia minora, although the latter can contribute.
Uncleft "bulges" are more often visible. The degree to which a woman's mons pubis or 'Mound of Venus' protrudes depends on a number of factors, including weight and anatomical variation.[1]
[edit] Health
Tight fitting clothing around the vulva may cause 'feminine itching'.[2][3] Continuous contact between cloth and the inside of the labia may also cause irritation.
[edit] Common circumstances
The causes of cameltoe are not always obvious, especially to younger people.[4][5] Cameltoe is commonly understood to occur as a result of wearing clothing under the following conditions:
- Exercise shorts, stretch pants and leggings— including Lycra or spandex
- Very tight-fitting jeans, shorts, hotpants, underwear or swimwear
- Vigorous or repetitive exercise, including running, especially in tight clothing
- Wet clothing
- Wearing pants too high
However, some fashion analysts have identified the clothing design as the problem, rather than its size. Cameltoe may thus be exacerbated by:
[edit] Cameltoe in Popular Culture
The word "Cameltoe" has been popularized in America through its use in entertainment media.
- The cameltoe is a key plot element in the movie The Weather Man.
- In a scene of the Broadway musical Spamalot signs composed of individual letters held by the knights intended to spell "C-A-M-E-L-O-T" are misarranged temporarily to spell "C-A-M-L-T-O-E."
- American dancepop group FannyPack's first major single was entitled "Cameltoe".
- "Camel Toe" is one of the most popular songs performed by the Bob & Tom Orchestra, sung to the tune of The Beach Boys' "Kokomo". It was notably removed from air play under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission following the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.
- There is a recurring character on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien show called Cameltoe Annie, a middle-aged woman with a highly conspicuous cameltoe.
- In the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, there is a casino in Las Venturas named "The Camel's Toe".
- In Scary Movie 2 the main character, Cindy Campbell displays her spoofed "knowledge" of Kung Fu, one of which was the cameltoe where she pulls the top front of her pants up to reveal her cameltoe.
- In Serial Mom the band L7 plays a fictitious band called "The Camel Lips" in a club scene where the stage-front members sport distinct cameltoes.
- In the 2006 teen horror film Final Destination 3, the character Wendy refers to an up-skirt shot taken on her camera as a photo of a "camel toe".
- Ali G mentions Victoria Beckhams cameltoe in the Comic Relief interview.
[edit] References
- ^ Morris, Desmond (1999). The Naked Ape. New York: Dell, pp58. ISBN 0-385-33430-3.
- ^ http://www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/vaginitis.html
- ^ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003159.htm
- ^ Cameltoe Alert! Salon.com, May 23, 2003.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefah. "Fashion Tip in Rap for Brooklyn Girls". New York Times, May 23, 2003.
- ^ Anatomy of a Cameltoe, part 1. Fashion Incubator, April 21, 2006.
- ^ Anatomy of a Cameltoe, part 2. Fashion Incubator, April 21, 2006.
