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.
