And now, for something completely different: HISTORY!

Today we have a very special feature - a post about crotches from a historical perspective. Here we sample crotches that paved the way for crotch analysis, important crotches across the grid, as analyzed by Historian and Cultural Anthropologist, Ms. Lette Ponnier.

When I heard of this new Second Life blog, easily the most intriguing and important new resource on virtual anthropology, demography, and numerous other fields of study, I knew it could benefit from an historical perspective as well. Crotches of the present-day Second Life owe a debt to the crotches that made this world and its pants possible. I wish to contribute to this endeavor by paying respects to two of the most important crotches of SL.

Firstly, there is the powerful crotch of Philip Linden. This is the crotch that spawned our world, and placing it under close examination reveals much about SL at its core. This crotch's practical foundation, embellished with colorful detail evoking a celebratory, carefree emotional tone, appropriately reflects Philip's goals for this virtual environment.

Secondly, I submit Anshe Chung, SL's first millionaire (calculated in first life currency), and her tastefully understated crotch. Ms Chung's 2006 appearance on the cover of BusinessWeek, in a jeongsam dress that modestly obscured any groinal delineation, is replaced in-world with a comfortable look that allows crotch admiration without drawing undue attention. Undoubtedly, this is a model to which aspiring SL capitalists can look to in balancing the conflicting ideals of "business casual" crotchwear.

*Photo credits: Phillip Linden's Crotch is from Feline Slade's stream, and Anshe Chung's Crotch from  Ruby Sinreich/RubyJi:

**Please note, we do not generally divulge the identities of the crotches we analyze on Crotches of Second Life, but for the sake of history, we make a small exception.