Luckily, the casing is as good as the sausage

For the past month or so, Jeff and I have been Netflixing HBO's Rome, the two-season epic series that detailed the last years of Julius Caesar and the power struggle that occurs after his death. Or as I like to put it, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern end up in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar."

We've both been enjoying it greatly -- the acting is spot-on, the storylines are wonderful for both political intrigue and soapy elements and the sets and costumes are absolutely fantastic. So yes, I do highly recommend it for people.

However, there is a crass part to this -- I've never seen so much *ahem* male sausage on TV before, if you get my drift. There's more wieners here than at a Usinger factory. In fact, there's a lot of nudity for both sexes. Which does make for some eyebrow-raising viewing -- so much for the image of the stodgy Brit. Apparently they like getting naked more than my two-year-old nephew.

But it got me thinking back to an essay that Keidra once wrote (which had now sadly disappeared into the Internet ether -- why is that when you want stuff to vanish online, it doesn't, but when you need something, it's gone?) about how there's a type of man for every woman in Lord of the Rings. I figure that lesson applies to Rome also.

Looking for charismatic, slightly egotistical, cocky, brash and slutty? Then there's Mark Anthony. Happy-go-lucky, simple, lusty and direct? Titus Pullo's your man. Cosmopolitan, cunning, powerful, yet with a weakness for forgiving his enemies? Julius Caesar. Moody, temperamental, but always trying to do the right thing, despite his pessimistic streak? Lucius Vorenus is the one to glower at you. Strong ability to read people, but also kind of sociopathic and with the idea of legislating morality? Octavian's the one to legislate your morality! Kinda emo at times about his mother and friends, but also witty? Marcus Junius Brutus.

I could go on, but I have to single Brutus out for one thing (or maybe it's the actor Tobias Menzies) -- there's one scene in the series where you see Brutus *ahem* show his not so little Brutus. It's a bit disconcerting to watch a great emotional scene and then think: "Y HELLO THAR BRUTUS! AND NOT-SO-LITTLE-BRUTUS!"

But that goes back to think of not being used to seeing male nudity (especially full-frontal) on TV. In the past, that was reserved for well, Harvey Keitel. Which is not exactly the person you want to see fully naked at times. But this is a bounty of riches for both women and men scoping out some interesting male flesh.

I think that the best way to sum this is up in from a M. Giant's TWOP recap of the show:

Julii Cooper is thoughtfully inspecting something that's being presented to her. The angle shifts to a bald slave standing before her with downcast eyes. In his hands he hold a pillow upon which rests a gold, jewel-encrusted turtle. And below the pillow is a ribbon tied in a bow around his otherwise naked cock. Everyone on the boards was talking about how hugely endowed this guy was, but I don't see it. It's perfectly normal. If he were thirty feet tall, I mean.

So, to sum up: Rome is good. Fantastic acting, fantastic writing, beautiful costumes and sets and a lot of nekiddness. While the nekiddness and sex might attract some people to the show, the writing, acting and everything else should keep people there.

ETA: My only complaint is that it's only two seasons of Rome. The second season feels like a lot is being crammed into it and it's a bit messier than the first season. Three seasons would've been ideal in my view.