Forget about dingle balls on the mirror, how about a set of cajones on the hitch?
Misty Harris
CanWest News Service
July 6, 2004
When gyrating, dashboard hula girls don't pack a big enough testosterone wallop, the makers of automotive accessories have an ornament with testicles. Two large polymer ones, to be precise.
Truck nuts, also known as low hangers or bull's balls, are the new hotness in automotive appendages for rednecks, cowboys and pop-culture enthusiasts alike. The artificial set of swingers, which attach to any vehicle hitch, are meant to send other drivers a message about the man behind the wheel -- namely, that he has a sense of humour.
"It's a fun product that's a statement in itself," says Cher Aker, general manger of BullsBalls.com. "Blue balls might insinuate someone isn't getting enough, red balls might mean they're way too used, while chrome and brass balls are used more as a status symbol."
Although truck nuts have been available since 1994, it wasn't until late last year that they began showing up on Canadian vehicles. This is likely due to the recent proliferation of U.S. companies that have opened their truck-nut sales to the international market via the Internet.
Hefty shipping costs can be a deterrent, Aker notes. But that isn't stopping Canadian buyers from ordering at BullsBalls.com, a website that includes everything from funny photos to "teste-monials" from satisfied customers.
"People think they're hysterical," Aker enthuses. "Which is a good thing, since we created them to get laughs."
Not everybody, however, is in on the joke. She recalls a letter from one woman in particular who wrote that it was her goal in life to "castrate" any truck nuts she came across.
Shari Graydon, a Canadian media analyst and pop culture expert, says she sympathizes with the letter writer's reaction.
The past president of MediaWatch, a national organization challenging gender inequalities in the media, says this kind of "overt, in-your-face machismo" can contribute to a hostile environment for women. Graydon observes that on BullsBalls.com, customers take "enormous glee" in the fact truck nuts can be both controversial and offensive.
"A penis really is THE symbol of masculinity and virility, but we haven't quite reached the stage where it's an acceptable thing to be sporting on your truck," she says, adding that truck nuts may be believed by men to be the next best thing.
A belief, Graydon notes, that's largely out of sync with reality.
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Misty Harris
CanWest News Service
July 6, 2004
When gyrating, dashboard hula girls don't pack a big enough testosterone wallop, the makers of automotive accessories have an ornament with testicles. Two large polymer ones, to be precise.
Truck nuts, also known as low hangers or bull's balls, are the new hotness in automotive appendages for rednecks, cowboys and pop-culture enthusiasts alike. The artificial set of swingers, which attach to any vehicle hitch, are meant to send other drivers a message about the man behind the wheel -- namely, that he has a sense of humour.
"It's a fun product that's a statement in itself," says Cher Aker, general manger of BullsBalls.com. "Blue balls might insinuate someone isn't getting enough, red balls might mean they're way too used, while chrome and brass balls are used more as a status symbol."
Although truck nuts have been available since 1994, it wasn't until late last year that they began showing up on Canadian vehicles. This is likely due to the recent proliferation of U.S. companies that have opened their truck-nut sales to the international market via the Internet.
Hefty shipping costs can be a deterrent, Aker notes. But that isn't stopping Canadian buyers from ordering at BullsBalls.com, a website that includes everything from funny photos to "teste-monials" from satisfied customers.
"People think they're hysterical," Aker enthuses. "Which is a good thing, since we created them to get laughs."
Not everybody, however, is in on the joke. She recalls a letter from one woman in particular who wrote that it was her goal in life to "castrate" any truck nuts she came across.
Shari Graydon, a Canadian media analyst and pop culture expert, says she sympathizes with the letter writer's reaction.
The past president of MediaWatch, a national organization challenging gender inequalities in the media, says this kind of "overt, in-your-face machismo" can contribute to a hostile environment for women. Graydon observes that on BullsBalls.com, customers take "enormous glee" in the fact truck nuts can be both controversial and offensive.
"A penis really is THE symbol of masculinity and virility, but we haven't quite reached the stage where it's an acceptable thing to be sporting on your truck," she says, adding that truck nuts may be believed by men to be the next best thing.
A belief, Graydon notes, that's largely out of sync with reality.
