A euphemism by any other name would still be a dildo

During the German band Rammstein's 1998 American debut tour, the lead singer, Till Lindemann, whipped out a monstrous black appliance in his performance of "Bück Dich" ("Bend Over") and employed it to simulate sex with his keyboardist, who lay on the floor with a mask on his face, a chain around his neck and a gag in his mouth. When they tried this in Worcester, Mass., the two men spent the night in jail on obscenity charges.

I'd love to see the clerk's reaction at a sex shop if s/he were asked for a "monstrous black appliance." For shame, New York Times Arts section.

And for the record, I remain convinced that "Claire Berlinski" is a phony name for a reporter filing from Berlin.