When people think of body modifictaion, tattoos and piercings easily come to mind. But what about scarification, suspension and sub-dermal implants? Squirming yet? I desperately try not to, but I do. Hell, I nearly passed out during a play-piercing display. Yes, I was wearing a corset at the time and it was terribly warm, but it was the discomfort on the womans’ face that got me.
So what is it about other types of body mods that make ‘regular’ modded folk so uncomfortable? I can only speak from my experience, but it’s generally acknowledged that there’s the usual stuff, then the extreme stuff. Just take a look at how BMEzine categorises the site.
I have tattoos (not small ones) and big operation scars that are pretty flinch-inducing. But I still get uncomfortable when looking at ritual scarification or split tongues. And my own reaction pisses me off; I have to force myself to look. Perhaps I balk because I’m unfamiliar with the process itself, or because it doesn’t appeal to me aesthetically. However, I’m very aware that tattoos and piercings once inspired the same reactions as these extreme mods not so long ago.
I do not know why I am squirmy, considering all the crap I’ve gone through medically. This bothers me.
May 1, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I am with you here. I adore and think scarification is SO beautiful but sometimes it’s still difficult to look at. Split tongues I can only look at if they are healed. I can handle female genitalia play but cannot handle seeing a penis pierced, poked, or anything else. I am also fascinated by amputation I STARE and can’t stop. I don’t have an issue with any mod, to each their own. With anything we all have our own individual taste and that’s ok too.
And I’ve worked in a hospital and have three kids, I have seen a lot of nasty shit but some things still make me squirm.
August 13, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I have no tattoos, however, I do have two somewhat large scarification pieces done, as well as heavily modded genitals; otherwise, I do not look like someone who is into the “mod scene” or community (although I do work at one of the premiere piercing studios in the country, the only visiable piercings I have are 5/8th lobes and a 0 gauge septum), so I feel I represent a dichotomy, the likes of which you are discussing here. It is very easy for me to watch someone else get intense work done (seen glansectomy performed, massive scar work and nostril punched at 4 gauge, et.al.), but it is very difficult for me to watch someone getting blood drawn or any sort of intravenious injections. I think that it could be an issue of aesthetics, however, I was talking to a friend the other day who could not watch his girlfriend get cut (scarification), and said something pertinent: “I watched her get her flats punched and watched her tattoos, but I can’t watch [the artist] cut her; I feel compelled to stop him from hurting her.” Some procedures evoke discomfort for deeply subconscious emotional reasons, while some just think its gross or fucked up, and some have an urge to prevent harm from being inflicted.
When I had my 1/2 chest piece cut, most of my friends thought it was beautiful and wanted to look at it all the time, on the other hand, the one on my thigh was much deeper and required skin removal, and as it scarred, it started to look really nasty, like rotting flesh. Although it was much more precise and has scarred very well, it is something people still have trouble looking at because of how deep and vast the scar is. Hell, I deal with people being grossed out by my ears every day. Sometimes it is what you are projecting onto the work done on someone else that makes it hard to watch.