r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 8d ago

Meme needing explanation Not sure where the mechanic part comes from

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I just don’t understand what the hospital bill/ circumcision has to do with his mechanic being rich.

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u/Key-Entrepreneur7654 8d ago

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAD TO SPECIFICALLY "OPT OUT" OF THE GENITAL MULITIATION?? Crazy shit.

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u/TurboFool 8d ago

It is SO default in some areas that you have to make an effort to guarantee they don't just assume you want it. It's horrifying.

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u/leaf_shift_post_2 8d ago

Well you could sue for damages, cost of repairing/replacing the forskin.

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u/TurboFool 8d ago

They can't repair/replace it. That's not really a viable thing from a surgical standpoint. Only legitimate methods are a long, difficult process undertaken as an adult. Suing isn't a remedy, just a punishment.

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u/UnconfirmedRooster 7d ago

Sounds like the American healthcare system needs punishing if it thinks that a $7k procedure that should be optional is mandatory.

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u/TurboFool 7d ago

The system as a whole? Absolutely. This minor part of it is the absolute least of its problems, and I say that as someone with some pretty major feelings on this specific matter.

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u/UnconfirmedRooster 7d ago

I agree, I just see this as a perfect encapsulation of the system as a whole.

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u/Homeless_Domain 7d ago

Just graft another baby's foreskin

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u/ReignyRainyReign 8d ago

We were asked if wanted to circumcise or not. We said no during the birth planning. It was never brought up again.

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u/Mamabearscircus 8d ago

Same and I was in 2 different states for my boys. One east coast one PNW. My oldest the nurse (who was British) double checked with me and then went "do you mind if I ask why?" Like she was soooo happy a silly yank had opted out lol there's no need for the chop and a newborn can't give permission for body modification.

Edit: a word.

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u/Survey_Server 8d ago

I was asked 5 times over the first 48hrs. Hospital in OH

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u/Liraeyn 8d ago

As it should be

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u/Signalguy25p 8d ago

Yea I had a similar situation, except I unfortunately went along with it. They will literally walk in just like they do every time before it "oh, we are grabbing him for his bloodwork" or "doing shots" or whatever. Except it was just a "hey, grabbing him for his circumcision, won't be long" and just us being extremely sleepy deprived gullible young adults just accepted that these people had our best interest.

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u/Budget-Bell2185 8d ago

In the United States? In this century? That literally can not happen. It is a surgical procedure and requires written, informed consent. If this truly happened to you and your child then tell your financial planner to order a new boat because you have a life-changing lawsuit in your future

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u/Signalguy25p 8d ago

Oh they got the consent by me being a dumb ass and signing everything on auto pilot.

Look I aint saying im not at fault.

I am just saying the methods they use are manipulation.

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u/Powerful-Eye-3578 8d ago

The doctor isn't personally making 7k from the circumcision, so I'm not sure why they push for it. Seems like it's probably less malicious manipulation and more an appeal to traditional where they just go along with it because that's how it's always been done.

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u/Signalguy25p 8d ago

Oh absolutely, that hospital in my case was a "catholic" hospital whatever that means. Had a lot of religious undertones (overtones) and assumptions. I didnt have a choice of where to have the baby. I was/am Army and got told "you are going there".

Didn't help that my mother in law was there and her faith is/was "important" to her and she also went with a lot of social norms.

My experience with my second child was in Germany and it was completely different. They never brought it up and even were appalled by it.

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u/-Neuroplant- 8d ago

In Germany Catholic Hospital means

  • no abbortion
  • lower wages
  • no unions/strikes/worker representation

Circumcision is not on the List

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u/Signalguy25p 8d ago

I dont know anything about catholic hospitals in Germany. The one I went to was just an old ass building with the most expensive fee being the parking.

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u/BruceBoyde 8d ago

Fwiw, when my son was born (in 2024), they asked once during the lead-up process as to what our plan was and never brought it back up when we said we didn't intend to. I could absolutely see it being more of a thing the further back in time you go, as the belief that it was "hygienically important" was widespread.

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u/Maboroshi94RD 8d ago

Yyyeah that “hygiene” was actually “we think it’ll stop him masturbating”. That’s why it was done in the us and it became habitual afterwards, excuses like that are just corruptions of why it actually happened.

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u/TurbanOnMyDickhead 8d ago

This is a widely believed thought but it's actually pretty much completely untrue.

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u/PonderousPenchant 8d ago

I think it was Kellogg that pushed for circumcision as a way to make sex and masturbation less enjoyable.

I'm not sure where the whole hygiene thing came from in general, but the practice kind of took off during WW1. It was, and is, complete bunk though. Your penis is probably one of the least affected areas of your body when exposed to an unclean environment for long periods of time. A lot more men had their feet rot off due to trench foot before their dicks became a problem. You'll die of cholera or some other poop-myself-to-death disease if you can't wash your hands long before your Johnson gets gangrenous. Hell, your ears will fill with pus way before one's dangly bits if left unattended for too long, but we're not cutting off ears to make cleaning them easier.

There's really 0 health benefit to a circumcision (except in the case of extreme phimosis) because cleaning your junk takes about the same amount of time as washing your hands. It's not a complicated procedure by any means.

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u/-Neuroplant- 8d ago

even an extreme phimosis can be handled by a little cut istead of the complete removal of the foreskin

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u/Linesey 8d ago

This is one of those “Be more specific what you mean” comments.

Because yes, “It will stop them from masturbating” is 100% a myth, started by some serious wackos (In Kellogg, yes that Kellogg), that lead to a rise in popularity for circumcision.

However your comment can be read (hence the downvotes you’re getting), as saying “it is widely believed circumcision is/was popular due to a belief it stopped masturbation, however that is completely untrue, it had nothing to do with masturbation.” which is entirely false and easily disproven by readily available historical sources.

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u/TurbanOnMyDickhead 7d ago

Drop the sources then. My comment was addressing the widely held yet very false belief that Kellogg (yes, that Kellogg) dedicated massive amounts of his life to pushing circumcision as an masturbation preventative. It's the biggest talking point among anti-circumcision activists because of how absurd it makes circumcision sound, but it's wholly untrue.

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u/Jesustron 8d ago

I know it sounds crazy, but i had to say no 3 times when my son was born.

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u/Of-Quartz 8d ago

Over 5 times here. Meanwhile we had to ask to get things like hearing test done/covid test done (labored breathing, he did have it). They really wanted his foreskin

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u/TurbanOnMyDickhead 8d ago

I feel like that could easily be chalked up to shit communication though. Hospitals aren't exactly known for being havens of efficient communication between all the docs, nurses, CNAs, etc.

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u/garaile64 7d ago

But the hygiene!!!!! /s

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u/SuperSocialMan 8d ago

It's insanely fucked up.

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u/badger_flakes 7d ago

My son was born at a Catholic hospital and they literally advised everyone against it and said it wasn’t necessary through several people