Line #99 Main/SelfAbuse


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry6ShapeUpOrSlipOut https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/selfabuselarry6plus.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:That's what you get for not listening to your mother.]]
6
7	->''"Father O'Flanagan he was there\
8	And in the corner sat\
9	Amusing himself by abusing himself\
10	And catching it in his hat."''
11	-->-- ''Ball of Kirriemuir'', traditional
12
13	Masturbation portrayed as being bad for you, possibly making you go blind,[[note]]There is some ''slight'' truth to this, as both ocular humor and ejaculate contain zinc, thus chronic masturbation could, in extreme cases, lead to a zinc deficiency that could harm the eyes. Nobody's known to have actually gone blind from it, though. Alternative "scientific" explanation: Semen contains an enzyme called hyaluronidase, and certain cells in the eye contain hyaluronic acid, the chemical hyaluronidase catalyses. Sounds unhealthy when colliding. That and, you know, the possibility of accidentally [[{{Squick}} squirting jizz into your eye]].[[/note]] go deaf, or grow hair on your palms.
14
15	Another supposed result of masturbation was that it would make you go mad, though there was at least some reason for thinking this; asylum doctors would notice that many mentally disturbed people masturbated a lot, and reasonably ([[FalseCause though]] [[ScienceMarchesOn incorrectly]]), concluded that madness was caused by masturbation.
16
17	Mostly a DiscreditedTrope. While certain Jewish and Christian groups still do frown on male masturbation because of the story of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onan Onan]] in the Old Testament, [[note]]Which is actually a case of AlternateAesopInterpretation; Onan didn't actually masturbate with his own hands, but instead avoided ejaculating inside Tamar while they had sex to get around the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yibbum levirate marriage laws]] of the time, which was considered SeriousBusiness[[/note]] the idea that masturbation could cause actual, physical harm came from UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain and the Second Great Awakening in the US. These were the days of MoralGuardians like U.S. postmaster Anthony Comstock and Boy Scouts founder Lord Baden-Powell, who believed that children indulging in "Secret Practices" would waste away their youth and vigor, and scores of ministers whose most lasting innovations in hygiene turned out to be [[http://www.snopes.com/food/origins/grahamcrackers.asp Graham crackers]] and Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
18
19	All those old wives' tales and warnings have been turned on their ear in recent years. In fact, it has gone the other way to a certain degree. For men, medical studies suggest masturbation could lower risk for testicular cancer and help keep the prostate from becoming engorged; for women, masturbation can relieve premenstrual pain, strengthen muscles used in childbirth and treat vaginismus (a condition where the pelvic floor becomes tense, making sexual intercourse painful). Many countries' sexual education systems now recommend masturbation for young people in particular - statistics have shown that teenagers who masturbate are more likely to wait for the age of consent before they start to have sex, and also report better experiences once they do. However, masturbating too often or too much at once can cause genital pain, fatigue, and even penile fracture, so as with most things, it should be done in moderation.
20
21	One of the reasons [[UsefulNotes/{{Pornography}} pornography]] has such a bad stigma connected to it is because it "[[OneThingLedToAnother incenses the mind to masturbate]]". Ergo, this trope often overlaps with CorruptingPornography.
22
23	Not to be [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant confused with]] SelfHarm, which is about deliberately harming yourself in many ways (including this kind of masturbation).
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* It may have been unintentional, but Nina Einstein's storyline from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has echoes of this trope. Early in the first season, she's shown masturbating to a picture of [[spoiler: Princess Euphemia]] [[CargoShip using the edge of a table]]. Then [[spoiler:Euphemia dies]], starting Nina on a downward spiral in which she [[spoiler:threatens to blow up her school, pushes away her old friends, is manipulated into creating a FantasticNuke that kills 40 million people]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking makes some truly grotesque facial expressions]]. While Nina's masturbation isn't stated to have caused her SanitySlippage, it helped characterize her as a PsychoLesbian, as well as one of CG's many [[TheScrappy Scrappies]].
31	* ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The End of Evangelion]]'' (in)famously opens up with Shinji masturbating over [[DudeShesLikeInAComa a comatose Asuka]] in her hospital room as an indicator of how low he's sunk after [[spoiler:Kaworu's death]] in Episode 24 of the TV series. His own immediate response to it[[note]]"I'm the lowest" (JP) "I'm so fucked up" (ENG)[[/note]] is what ''really'' cements this incident under this trope. Even more, that moment's association with this trope is used as a plot point during [[spoiler:[[AssimilationPlot Instrumentality]]]].
32	* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': Torso's psychotic nature is further emphasized when he reveals in his diary to have [[spoiler:masturbated while thinking about the scarred torso of Mutsuki. He gets off to the idea of cutting off Mutsuki's limbs and keeping him as a lover]].
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Fan Works]]
36	* In ''The Mate of the [=KuvaH'magh SoS=]'', B'Elanna accuses MsFanservice Seven of Nine of "stunting the character growth of masturbating Starfleet ensigns."
37	* From ''Fanfic/Plan7Of9FromOuterSpace''.
38	-->"They have a weapon that [[IHaveBoobsYouMustObey turns soldier's brains to mush]]," said Kotay. "An army of beautiful naked cyborg girls."\
39	"Well, tell your men to [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan pull themselves together!]]"\
40	"That's what they're doing. Half the division has already gone blind."
41	* A mock advertisement in ''[[Film/TheAdventuresOfCaptainProton Captain Proton]] and the Planet of Lesbians'' promotes Kellogg's Corn Flakes as stopping boys from masturbating so they'll grow up tall and handsome like Captain Proton.[[note]]It also serves as a HistoricalInJoke since that's what Kellogg's Corn Flakes were initially created for.[[/note]]
42	* In the ParodyFic ''Hardcore Entertainment presents "Seven Does Voyager"'', Seven of Nine records the sex between B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris and broadcasts it to stunt the growth of potential enemies of ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]''. This also explains why Captain Janeway is shorter than other starship captains, as being a {{Celibate Hero}}ine she has to masturbate a lot.
43	* Bakura in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' gets afflicted with "the deadliest of all British diseases": Wanker's Cramp. In the closing credits of that episode, we get the sage advice "Avoid Wanker's Cramp! Know your limits!"
44	* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13187937/6/A-Little-Moody A Little Moody]]'' Harry alters some stun balls so they cast cutting curses instead.
45	-->'''Moody:''' You been playing with your balls again junior?\
46	'''Harry:''' Every day.\
47	'''Moody:''' They say that'll make you go blind.\
48	'''Harry:''' Must be why I need glasses. Well if it gets any worse, I can always get one of those crazy eyes like you.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
52	* This is alluded to in ''[[WebAnimation/QueerDuck Queer Duck: The Movie]]'' during the musical number "Shamalama", where Regina sings about a boy named Jimmy who became addicted to masturbation until he became blind and crazy.
53	-->''I lost my man to his own right hand.\
54	He's blind, he's crazy and all day long\
55	He's rama-lama-slamming on his ding-dong!''
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
59	* In ''Film/PoliceAcademy2TheirFirstAssignment'', the disgruntled prankster recruit Mahoney swaps the overbearing [[DrillSergeantNasty man in charge of recruit training]]'s shampoo with fast-curing helmet repair epoxy. This has the desired effect of Supergluing the victim's hands to his head. When he finally manages to get his hands free, they are naturally covered with hair. When he asks a group of recruits if anyone can explain how this happened, Mahoney replies, "I can, sir. And if you don't stop, you'll go blind."
60	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' includes Dr. Augustine's blink-and-you'll-miss-it line as Jake is examining his new body's neural queue (in his hair, as a ponytail): "[[ParentalBonus Don't play with that, you'll go blind.]]"
61	* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'', when the other crew members see the hairy black spot on Jack's hand (the mark of a curse), he's quick to say that his eyesight's as good as ever.
62	* In ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', a story is told relating how one marine was going to be discharged on a Section 8 for his uncontrollable urge to masturbate, even in public. His nickname? [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Hand Job]].
63	* In ''Film/SaintRalph'', the characters literally refer to it as "self-abuse," a reflection of the 1950s Catholic school setting. However, since the title character is 14, the concept that it's bad for him does not stop him.
64	* Another Catholic school movie, ''Film/HeavenHelpUs'', features a compulsive masturbator who's also pallid, twitchy, and socially awkward.
65	* ''Film/JMenForever''. The Lightning Bug wants to know why the goon he sent to the college to sell drugs has come back early.
66	-->'''Goon:''' The cops were there and I had to beat it!
67	-->'''Lightning Bug:''' If you continue to beat it you'll go blind, goon!
68	* From ''Film/KentuckyFriedMovie'', the ''Catholic High School Girls in Trouble'' XXX-rated film trailer parody has a scene showing "the truth about masturbation". In the film's closing credits, the character is listed as "Boy Going Blind".
69	* Referenced in ''Film/AmericanWedding''.
70	-->'''Jim:''' Maybe Stifler can be nice, and nothing will go wrong.\
71	'''Michelle:''' ...aw, sweetie. You've gotta stop masturbating. It's melting your brain.
72	* In ''Film/TheLoveGuru'', the protagonist is told by his severely cross-eyed teacher that if he masturbates, it will make him cross-eyed.
73	* Referenced in the titles of two R-rated sketch comedy films (basically ''Series/LoveAmericanStyle'' with naked chicks): ''If You Don't Stop It You'll Go Blind'' and its sequel ''Can I Do It 'til I Need Glasses?''. The latter is famous for [[OldShame being the much-regretted first movie]] of Creator/RobinWilliams.
74	* In the 1980 sci-fi comedy ''Film/{{Galaxina}}'', TheCaptain of the space cruiser on which the eponymous RobotGirl serves strongly discourages [[RoboSexual having sex with a robot]] because you could go blind. They shouldn't have built Galaxina to resemble the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Stratten 1980 Playmate of the Year]] then, because as she's the only female on the ship the crew would go blind either way.
75	* In the 1982 satire ''Film/WrongIsRight'', a CIA analysis of the Middle Eastern dictator lists "chronic masturbator" [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking among his many evils]].
76	* A school psychologist in the 1960s film ''Literature/UpTheDownStaircase'' has a troubled male student written down as having "latent homosexuality" caused by this and an overbearing mother.
77	* Inevitable in ''Film/GingerSnaps2Unleashed'' given that lycanthropy serves as a metaphor for female puberty. During a relaxation exercise, Brigette starts to daydream that their teacher is instructing them on how to masturbate, but her fantasies become increasingly violent until she screams on finding the hand she was using to masturbate has become a werewolf claw.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Jokes]]
81	* There are plenty of jokes about how parents will lecture their children about masturbation and its negative consequences. One gem we heard a lot in school was about a dad who tells his son to stop masturbating or he will go blind... and his son then tells him that he is looking in the wrong direction and that he is standing over here.
82	* Creator/BillCosby used the above gag in his "For Adults" album, with this exchange:
83	-->'''Father:''' Son, that'll cause blindness.\
84	'''Son:''' Dad? ''[{{Beat}}]'' I'm over ''here''.
85	* Variations on the theme of "Masturbating'll make you go blind, you know!" "Who said that?" and "Masturbation'll go make you go deaf!" "What? Speak up!" are always popular in junior high.
86	* Comedian Adam Ferrara claims to have renounced his Catholic faith at 14 years old for this reason.
87	-->(as priest) "Masturbation is a sin!"\
88	([[BeatPanel beat]])\
89	(as himself) "See ya!"\
90	(as a priest) "No, my child! You must repent!"\
91	(as himself) "I'll apologize all you want, but... I'm doing it again!"\
92	(as a priest) "If you keep doing it you'll go blind!"\
93	(as himself) "S'All right, I can still find it!"
94	* This point of view is hilariously mocked by Creator/MarkTwain in an 1879 speech he gave to a private club called [[http://www.textfiles.com/etext/AUTHORS/TWAIN/onanism.txt "On the Science of Onanism."]]
95	* Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger stars in...''[[Film/TheTerminator The]] [[ParallelPornTitles Masturbator]]''. [[HollywoodCyborg Half man]]... half blind!
96	* Italian comedian Giobbe Covatta explains how he knows that masturbation doesn't make you blind or give you hairy palms: if it was true, he and all his middle-school friends would be blind as bats and hairier than werewolves.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Literature]]
100	* Doctor Crombie, the eponymous character in Creator/GrahamGreeneAuthor's short story, expounds that cancer is a result of masturbation... More accurately, he claims it is a cause of "playing with oneself", the euphemism giving rise to humour. The central theme of the story is to demonstrate the folly of conflating correlation and causation: "Almost one hundred per cent of those who died of cancer had practised sex".
101	* This is discussed in the memoirs of the real-life Casanova when he makes friends with a Turkish Muslim and they compare attitudes toward sex in their respective religions/cultures. Casanova subscribes to the view that too much masturbation will make you sickly and weak (of course, his solution is to deal with horniness by sleeping with everything that moves and relying on the sacrament of confession to keep you out of hell) while Yusuf says that obviously "too much" of anything is bad by definition, but there's nothing wrong with masturbation per se, and that anyway it's a completely unenforceable rule. They also talk about male vs. female masturbation, with Casanova saying that girls don't run the same risk as boys because they're not losing a bodily fluid every time they do it.
102	* Used sarcastically in ''Literature/AuntieMame'' when Patrick's roommate gets suspicious (what he's really doing at night is sneaking out to help Mame with a ZanyScheme she's suckered him into):
103	-->"...Say, what's the matter with you lately, anyways? You're always tired and I never see you at gym and you've got terrible circles under your eyes. You're not ''doing'' anything at night are you?"\
104	I gulped. "Well, gosh, Junior..." Then I saw what he meant. "Yeah, sure I am, Junior. Six or seven times a night. It'll drive me crazy and no nice girl will marry me and all my kids will be idiots. Be sure to tell your old man that for me next time you write." I snatched up my towel and stalked off to the showers.
105	* Discussed in Creator/NealStephenson's ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}''. Avi's of the opinion that masturbation takes the passion out of life.
106	* Unhappily married Samad in ''Literature/WhiteTeeth'' tries to cherry-pick the ambiguities in Islamic writings as to whether masturbation is okay or not. The imam tells him that he knows the answer -- to 'stay away from his right hand!' That's fine with Samad: [[ExactWords his right hand is paralysed anyway]].
107	* The early-Victorian BoardingSchool novel ''Literature/EricOrLittleByLittle'', has a notorious passage warning boys in hysterical terms against masturbation, referred to obscurely as "Kibroth-Hattaavah", a place from the Book of Numbers in the Bible which translates from Hebrew as "grave of lust" (although the "lust" punished by God in the biblical story was actually lust for food, or gluttony, rather than sexual lust).
108	* In ''Literature/ChristianNation'', the male rebels who were captured by the theocratic American government and put into a re-education camp are given special monitor bands that would prevent them from engaging in masturbation.
109	* Downplayed in ''Literature/BlackHeart1983'' by Creator/EricVanLustbader. One character used to indulge in masturbation every night (while [[IncestSubtext perving on his sister]], no less). As an adult he's seduced by a beautiful woman, but finds he's just not experiencing as much pleasure as she is until the moment of orgasm.
110	* ''Literature/OurDumbCentury'' includes an advertisement for an "anti-masturbation harness and genital pouch" not only designed to securely lock the naughty bits away to prevent this, but contains a blade [[GroinAttack to prevent arousal]].
111	* In ''Literature/MoreThanHuman'', the tyrannical, sex-hating Mr. Kew doesn't want his daughters to even look at their bodies, let alone masturbate, and shows Alicia pictures of people with cataracts to show what will happen to her if she takes baths with the lights on.
112	* ''Literature/PortnoysComplaint'' by Creator/PhilipRoth is framed as the ramblings of the titular Portnoy to his psychoanalyst, detailing his own neuroses around masturbation and sexuality that he feels he needs to escalate over time.
113	* Duncan Thaw's doctor in ''Lanark'' by Creator/AlisdairGray has him convinced that masturbation, asthma, and madness are all linked, much to the anger of Thaw's friend Coulter, who points out the madness connection is FalseCause, and if Thaw ''has'' started getting worse asthma attacks when he masturbates, that's because the doctor's put it in his head.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
117	* PlayedWith in an episode of ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. Sam and Dean wind up in a town where all the old wives tales -- like "your face will stick that way" -- actually come true, and Dean realizes it's affecting them when he ends up with hairy palms. Sam is not amused.
118	* In a surprisingly mundane example, there is an episode in the first season of ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'' where Ben cries while masturbating to the memory of young Moira touching herself.
119	* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', "Body Care and Grooming": "And remember, when you touch yourself, the saints cry. Good night."
120	* On ''Series/MadMen'', a ten- or eleven-year-old Sally experimentally masturbates to ''Series/TheManFromUncle'' while staying over at a friend's house. The friend's mother catches her, freaks out, takes her home, and tells her mother, who threatens to cut off her fingers if she ever does that again.
121	* In an episode of ''Series/TheGoodies'', Graeme is training rabbits in preparation for sending them into space.
122	-->'''Graeme:''' Now, I've left this one alone for six months to prepare him for the isolation. Let's see what he's -- don't do that!\
123	'''Tim:''' ''[laughing]'' He probably can't hear you.\
124	'''Graeme:''' ...Pardon?\
125	'''Tim:''' ...Oh, I'm so sorry.
126	* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Ferengi ears are a source of FantasticArousal when touched (and thus, grabbing them when pissed is analogous to a GroinAttack). There's a form of ear massage called "oomox." Naturally, there's a reference to an old wives tale giving yourself oomox too much making you go deaf.
127	* In ''Series/FatherTed'', the abominable Father Jack Hackett really ''does'' have hair on the palms of his hands. Quite a lot of it.
128	* This trope is discussed (in so many words) in ''Series/AlienNation'', George and Susan ([[HumanAliens Newcomers]]) talk about the human hangups regarding male masturbation. In Tenctonese society, it's considered to be a healthy and normal activity for a male. However, when a teacher made a suggestion to teach proper techniques in sex ed, referencing Newcomer practices, he was immediately fired, resulting in a scandal. George, for his part, has absolutely no trouble having TheTalk with his son regarding this.
129	* Parodied on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' in "The Puffy Shirt"; George, an [[NewJobAsThePlotDemands aspiring hand model]], learns that one of the most famous models in the industry ruined his career with his masturbation habit; his hands became gnarled into ''claws''!
130	* On ''Series/AdamRuinsEverything'', Adam explains that this idea that masturbation is evil is what popularized the practice of (non-medical and non-religious) circumcision, mostly in the US. This was popularized back in the Victorian era by doctors and non-doctors, including the inventor of corn flakes: it was thought that by paring away the foreskin, it would reduce a boy's sex drive and urge to masturbate, or at the very least make it unpleasant. Oh, and it wasn't just done to ''boys'', either. Many girls were also given clitoridectomies or had their clitorises ''deliberately'' burned with acid for the same reason. (Sometimes under the guise of treatment for or prevention of [[HystericalWoman hysteria]].)
131	* In ''Series/{{Louie}}'', Louie appears in a news show to argue with Christians Against Masturbation leader Ellen Farber, who thinks that masturbation is a sin in the eyes of God.
132	* ''Series/{{Bottom}}'': Briefly hinted at in "Contest" when Richie pretends to be his aunt. Eddie then says "I warn you, that if your nephew reads any more art magazines, he may very well go blind."
133	* A sketch on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' ("The Bad News Bees," from 12/2/1978, with Walter Matthau as the coach) has the killer bee costumes recycled for a youth baseball team. And the whole sketch revolves around bee-porn and "buzzing off."
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Music]]
137	* ''Music/{{Divinyls}}'', "I Touch Myself"
138	-->I don't want anybody else\
139	When I think about you / I touch myself
140	** Parodied in ''Series/FastForward''
141	-->I wanted to inspire the nation / so I wrote this song about masturbation
142	* "I'm a Wanker" by Ivor Biggun:
143	-->"Oh Mrs. Palm and your five lovely daughters\
144	thank you for having me and being oh so kind!\
145	I've got pains in my arms and my dong is getting shorter\
146	my knees have turned to water and I think I'm going blind."
147	* Scottish comedy duo Hale&Pace have the "Wanker Song" (technically, "The Folk Singers").
148	* From Music/CyndiLauper's "She Bop", which is a song about masturbation:
149	-->''They say that a stitch in time saves nine.''
150	-->''They say I'd better stop, or I'll go blind.''
151	* "The Big 'M'" by Christian comedy-punk rockers Lust Control is this trope [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing and then some]].
152	* Occurs in "Shuckin' da Cob" by Music/DaYoopers. The male narrator says that his dad told him that he'd go blind and catches him with a porno mag. This leads to the son calling out the ParentalHypocrisy of said magazines coming from dad's dresser drawer, and finally claiming that masturbation is what "made [him] a man".
153	* [[Music/{{Eminem}} Slim Shady]], in "My Name Is":
154	-->All my life I was fairly deprived\
155	I ain't had a woman in years, and my palms are too hairy to hide
156	* "I Cut Myself" by Talkshow Boy includes lines about both masturbation ("Oh, my little pretty one, I touch myself, I touch myself", "You fuck yourself way too hard", "In my bathroom and in my bed, With Hustler magazine, IReadItForTheArticles") and literal SelfHarm ("I think I'm all together, But I tear myself apart; Because I cut myself (x4)").
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
160	* In Literature/TheBible, Onan (in [[Literature/BookOfGenesis Genesis 38]]) was told to--in accordance with the duty of levirate marriage--have a child with Tamar, [[RomancingTheWidow the wife of his dead brother Er]]. He didn't want to give her a child that would not be considered truly his, so he practiced coitus interruptus (apparently without telling Tamar what he was planning). God was displeased and struck Onan down. While ostensibly only about Onan's refusal to get Tamar pregnant, traditionally this story has been interpreted about coitus interruptus in general and masturbation by extension (the idea that it's abhorrent to ejaculate anywhere but into your wife's body -- or, as the popular [[BeamMeUpScotty not-actually-in-the-Bible verse]] goes, it's "better to have your seed in the belly of a whore than to spill it on the ground").
161	** For what it's worth, one Jewish tradition, cited by Rashi, attributes Er's death to punishment for coitus interruptus as well (in this case, because he didn't want Tamar to get pregnant and lose her beauty).
162	* The Roman Catholic Church officially considers masturbation to be a grave sin. It's explicitly written in the Catechism (the big book of doctrine) that "deliberate stimulation of the genitals for sexual pleasure" is a grave matter that is capable of sending one directly to hell.
163	* Sylvester Graham (Presbyterian) and John Harvey Kellogg (Seventh-Day Adventist) both developed health foods - graham crackers and cornflakes respectively - that they believed suppressed 'carnal urges'. They also advocated male circumcision not to adhere to religious traditions but instead to, well, you know. And they even suggested ''chemically mutilating a woman's clitoris to achieve the same effect in women''. Thankfully, only the comparatively less destructive act of secular male circumcision survived their era, but now it's something fathers have continually had done to their newborn sons just because it's been done for generations and no one seems to remember why. And no, obviously it does nothing to stop masturbation.
164	* Unlike Christianity, Islam is somewhat divided on masturbation. Some scholars consider it disliked by God but not considered a sin. If someone avoids a disliked action they would be rewarded by God. The more fundamentalist scholars see it as forbidden. There is a middle ground that states you can masturbate without porn to avoid immoral sexual desires and adultery. It's been shown that the Prophet's companions had masturbated while traveling, and during wars when their wives weren't present to give them much-needed gratification.
165	[[/folder]]
166
167	[[folder:Radio]]
168	* In England, a common rumor is that it causes deafness. In a Christmas episode of ''Radio/HelloCheeky'', it's mentioned that Denis King and his trio spend the winter hibernating under the couch with a copy of ''Playboy''. Thus:
169	-->'''Denis:''' What is it? I was -- don't do that, Don, you'll go deaf!\
170	'''John:''' He can't hear you, Denis.\
171	'''Denis:''' ...What?\
172	'''John:''' ...Right.
173	* ''Radio/AlienWorlds'' alluded to this misconception in part one of "Adventure of the Egyptian Necklace". Maura Cassidy scolds Buddy Griff for watching a lot of television, asking him if his mother never told him that watching too much television would make his face break out and cause him to go blind. Jon Graydon informs Maura that she's confusing what she said with something else. Maura asks Jon what he's talking about and Jon answers that he'll explain it to her later.
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	[[folder:Theater]]
177	* In ''Theatre/TheBibleTheCompleteWordOfGodAbridged'', an Angel of the Lord is auctioning off God's favors to the greatest sufferer. The first bidder says, "I will suffer self-abuse and spill my seed on the ground." "Onan, that's not suffering," the angel tells him. "Well, it made me go blind," Onan says.
178	* Referenced in not one but two songs from ''Theatre/SpringAwakening'':
179	-->'''The Bitch of Living:''' Give me that hand please/ And the itch you can't control/ [...] Love may make you blind kid/ But I wouldn't mind at all.\
180	'''My Junk:''' They say you go blind/ But what can I do?/ We've all got our junk/ And my junk is you!
181	* Referenced by name in ''Theatre/TheHistoryBoys'':
182	-->'''Timms:''' You've got crap handwriting, sir!\
183	'''Irwin:''' It's your eyesight that's bad, and we know what that's caused by.\
184	'''Timms:''' Sir! Is that a coded reference to the mythical dangers of self-abuse?
185	* ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'': Jeremy's SQUIP electrocutes him for planning to masturbate, believing it to be an obstacle in Jeremy's path to being cool.
186	[[/folder]]
187
188	[[folder:Video Games]]
189	* ''VideoGame/LunarSilverStarStoryComplete'' for the [=PS1=] had a part where the lights go out and leave the party blind. Kyle says "I can't see! I'm blind! But I thought that was only a myth!" to which Nall replies "What do you mean? The cave went dark!" Jessica says "Trust me, Nall, you DON'T want to know what he's talking about."
190	* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry6ShapeUpOrSlipOut'': Larry's attempt at beating off is this, as he possesses no self-control and goes blind from it, naturally resulting in a game over.
191	* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsColdWar'': During the mission “Fracture Jaw”, Adler sees Sims, casually sitting on the passenger side of his team’s helicopter, and he catches him reading a dirty magazine...and lo and behold, they have a colourful exchange.
192	-->'''Adler''': Hey Sims! You know reading that shit’s gonna make you go blind.
193	-->'''Sims''': Yup! That’s why I want it all up here. ''(Points into his head)''
194	* In ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', the fascist Measurehead recommends "semen retention" to the protagonist during the Fascist vision quest. Of course, it ''is'' a deranged literal fascist recommending this worldview.
195	* The EvilMentor in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper 2'' accused the player of this if they spend too long looking at a [[CombatSadomasochist Mistress]] in the [[TortureCellar Torture Chamber]], snarking "You'll go blind, y'know".
196	[[/folder]]
197
198	[[folder:Webcomics]]
199	* The "Mike's Left Hand" strips of ''Webcomic/SexyLosers'' are based on a RunningGag about a guy who's addicted to masturbation to the point of a {{Fetish}} -- he apparently can't get off any other way. He does it in all kinds of inappropriate situations and even passes up opportunities for actual sex in favour of it. A YetAnotherChristmasCarol parody strip has him warned that his death will be masturbation-related... somehow.
200	* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': Claire claims that her brother Clinton lost his hand (which was subsequently replaced with a robotic prosthesis) by masturbating so much it withered into a claw and fell off.
201	-->'''Marigold:''' That doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't that make it ''stronger?''\
202	'''Momo:''' At worst, it might lead to some kind of repetitive motion injury. I don't see how--\
203	'''Clinton:''' ''[indignant]'' ''It was a fireworks accident!''
204	[[/folder]]
205
206	[[folder:Web Original]]
207	* [[http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_177_if-old-wives-tales-turned-out-to-be-true_p19/#12 Parodied by]] Website/{{Cracked}}, as can be expected.
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Web Videos]]
211	* Website/CollegeHumor: One of the patients in the "UrbanLegend ER" video is a teenage boy who developed hair growth on his palms after masturbating.
212	[[/folder]]
213
214	[[folder:Western Animation]]
215	* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' features Stan showing his son, Steve, an [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments admittedly hilarious]] anti-masturbation propaganda film that ends with a boy screaming "[[BigNo NOOOOO!]]" as he's growing hair on his palms and his eyes melting out. The kid turns up (in a deleted scene) later in Stan's head and says something along the lines of "It was worth it."
216	* Inverted in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/MissionHill'', where Kevin gets caught masturbating and tries to destroy the evidence, resulting in the store burning down and the kids who caught him being charged with arson. At the last minute, Kevin comes forward and, when everyone else is mocking and taunting him, Andy steps forward and calls them all down for it because not only do they all do it too, but Kevin actually had the courage to come forward and admit it in front of an entire courtroom.
217	* ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'': A blind boy with hairy palms is used by Princess Clara in her crusade against masturbation, only for said blindness and hairy palms to be instantly cured by Wooldor's ejaculate. The boy promptly rushes to find an empty room and a bottle of hand lotion and is later seen with blurred vision and hairy palms once more during the killing spree.
218	* According to WordOfGod, the reason Filburt from ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' wears glasses is because he touched himself too much as a kid.
219	* {{Discussed}} briefly in ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}},'' during one of [[BumblingDad Jake]]'s rambling speeches about his HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood:
220	-->'''Jake:''' My teen years... a nightmare of shame and guilt. They didn't call it self-love then, Kevin. They called it self-''abuse.''
221	* In the ''WesternAnimation/MoralOrel'' episode "God's Chef" Orel is told that masturbation is one of the worst sins he could commit since he's wasting his sperm. This leads to the plot of the episode, in which Orel concludes the only way to masturbate and still go to heaven is to become God's chef. [[spoiler: He ends up impregnating the entire neighborhood with a pastry bag filled with his sperm.]]
222	[[/folder]]

Context Main / SelfAbuse