02.09 – comments are now closed on this one. i was deleting so much crap spouted by imbeciles that it started depressing me.
[update] cheers for all the comments, even though it’s a shame to see such a strong negative reaction by some. i’ve added website links to some of the people mentioned, if you know of any that i’ve missed give me a shout.
originally intended as a short post about one of the choices below, it quickly became clear that there are some extraordinary human beings intent on changing their appearance permanently for reasons that will forever baffle most people. whether you agree with it or not, you can’t deny the fact that it’s a fascinating way of life.
each to his own.
(click on photos for bigger)
10. leopard man
whether he’s mad or not, 67yr old tom leppard seems extremely happy living in a hand-built home on the isle of skye, 99% of his body tattooed with leopard print. he spends his days reading, scampering about the place on all fours like a leopard and staying away from the hustle and bustle of modern society. for a man who looks like john locke after an intense mud fight he actually seems pretty pleasant…
9. etienne dumont
etienne dumont is an art & culture critic for a newspaper in geneva who just happens to be covered head to toe in some of the most vibrant tattoos i’ve ever seen. he also has silicon implants under the skin which give the horned appearance, 2.7 inch rings in each earlobe and plexiglass piercings through the nose and under his bottom lip. the best part has to be the blue rimmed glasses though, a perfect addition to an incredible look.
8. rick genest
would you let your daughter marry rick genest? i’m sure he’s probably a lovely chap but that’s without doubt the scariest human head i will ever see in my lifetime. there isn’t much information about mr genest himself on the internet (would you approach him for an interview?) but we do know the tattoo was crafted by the chaps at ‘derm fx tattoo‘ in montreal. job well done guys.
7. the illustrated lady
julia gnuse (aka the illustrated lady) was born with a condition called porphyria which causes her skin to blister regularly and ultimately scar. in order to cover this up she started getting tattoos applied over the affected areas – after 10 years she was covered in the bastards and is now the most tattooed woman in the world.
6. elaine davidson
in total, brazilian elaine davidson has a number of tattoos and over 2500 piercings on her body, both internally and externally, approximately 500 just around the genitals. the total extra weight she carries due to this obsession comes to around 3kg and she is thankfully the most pierced person in the world. now living in edinburgh she claims to be too scared to go home to brazil due to the attention she’d attract possibly resulting in some kind of attack.
5. kala kaiwi
kala kawai has 67 piercings and 75 % of his body is tattooed so it’s a good job he chose a career in body modification, running his own studio in hawaii. he has stretched the holes in his earlobes to 4 inches, inserted various silicon implants on his head, can screw metal spikes into the top of his skull, has a split tongue and generally looks extremely frightening. also worth bearing in mind is that he split his own tongue using dental floss and did all his own piercings.
holy shit.
4. pauly unstoppable (bme page)
with a name like ‘unstoppable’ you’d be stupid to give up on the modifications after a couple of earrings. this guy has surely the largest nostrils in the western world (if you look closely i’m almost certain you can see his brain) plus a huge array of other ‘body mods’ to his name including scars cut into his cheeks and forehead, a split tongue, domes implanted under the skin of his forehead and many many more. to see the complete list go here. to see a harrowing, nsfw photo of mr unstoppable’s private parts, click here.
3. the lizardman (website)
born eric sprague in 1972, the lizardman was one of the first people to have a split tongue and in some circles is seen to be wholly responsible for the recent popularity of this particular modification. pretty much all of his body is covered in green scale tattoos, his teeth have been filed down to sharp points and he has numerous silicon teflon implants in his head.
below is an interview with the lizardman – check out the forked tongue action.
2. lucky diamond rich (website)
it goes without saying that this guy is officially the most tattooed person in the world – he swiped the record from our friend tom leppard at #10 in 2006. he has tattoos everywhere, some of the stranger places including his eyelids, inside his ears and even on his gums. it’s apparently a work in progress and has so far included the efforts of hundreds of tattoo artists and over 1,000 hrs of pain.
obviously, he can also swallow swords.
interview…
1. stalking cat (website)
first place was always gonna go to 44 yr old dennis avner, aka stalking cat. i remember a few years ago watching a documentary about him and nearly crying when his face appeared for the first time, my brain simply wasn’t able to process the sight. he looks like a cross between jocelyn wildenstein and the beast from the old beauty & the beast tv programme.
and he’s gone the whole hog in terms of body modification: tattoos, silicon implants on his face, pointed teeth, surgically pointed ears, piercings, attachable whiskers, claws, a bifurcated top lip and even an animatronic tiger’s tail. he says he’s been going through these procedures for the past 20 years because he grew up in a native american tribe and his belief in their customs drove him to transform into his totem animal – the tiger.
here’s a video of stalking cat picking up his new animatronic tail..
extras:
- a short documentary about ‘branding’, a process that involves using extremely hot metal to scar the skin
- a clip of someone having his tongue split (DO NOT WATCH IF SQEUAMISH)
- a trailer for the body modification documentary ‘flesh and blood’
Filed under: art, bizarre, design, mental, photography, scary, surreal, wow | 194 Comments
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dimwits
OMG, I can’t stop laughing!!!
These people deserve the looks they get!
What a waste!
How much attention do you need….you might as well go around town with a bullhorn shouting ‘everybody look at me! LOOK AT ME!!’
I saw some of these before. It makes me wonder what is the thought process behind it. Attention seeking? I think not, or maybe in the beginning. I think eventually or maybe from the start they are obsessed. I can sense obsessive-compulsive here. Then again I could be wrong, been before.
They could use these guys on shows like Star Trek. Cut makeup costs and all.
crazy mofos
lolll Wouter Lievens.
I think OCD is as good an explaination as any.
skull face is another matter entirely. this is deep rooted issues. poor guy. (I understand the whole “art” thing. yes, it is a work of art regardless)
I like #2.
They must hate themselves very much. They’re even denying their humanity by turning themselves into animals. How sad.
I am APPALLED that these fine young chaps — http://www.bmezine.com/news/people/A10101/addsub/ — did not make the list.
This list should be called “Top 10 most attention starved fuckbags.” or “10 people that prove the human race is doomed.”
Master techniques for hiding the unsightly erection
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/Erection.html
Stalking cat? His totem animal is the tiger?
Hate to bust yer bubble Jr. but there ain’t no tigers in the Western Hemisphere.
The list is clearly missing pioneering modern tattooed man The Enigma.
http://www.theenigmalive.com/
Wouter: Excellent point there. I wonder if at least it is paying off somehow after going to such lengths to look the way they do.
Swan: Thank you for backing me up some there. I can’t think of anything else but OCD. It’s like the women who cross a line with cosmetic surgery and become obsessed with it. Starts with wanting to change what they perceive to be imperfect or whatever, and then… sucked in! Thousands of dollars later, voila La Freak!
I am also wondering about the pain factor when undergoing all the extensive tattooing, planting organic material inside skin, the surgical procedures. *shiver*
The thought processes behind these acts of desecration are those of the Dark Beast of Demonic Thoughts
I don’t know why this isn’t obvious to some of you.
I think Josh(see link) is worthy of a mention
http://www.bmezine.com/news/pubring/20030401.html
That’s some crazy-ass shit!
I’m saddened to see so many people going the route of either making fun of or attributing various derogatory traits to these people. I can understand it, it’s easier to dismiss people by acting like that, but that reflects more on to you than it does on to the people you comment about.
Further, there are indeed many other people that could fit onto the list, Bruce Potts and Matt Gone for instance. Hor how about Michael Jackson and Jocelyne Wildenstein for instance? Plastic surgery is also body modification, even though it’s more socially acceptable.
guess the Indians were right white man does speak with forked tongue
Maybe through the 80s and 90s this type of home made shock was cool.
Its too bad they cant just clean themselves off, because this isnt cute anymore.
Most of the comments posted so far seem to show either pity or revulsion towards these ‘freaks’ and ‘attention seekers’ – ‘I think OCD is as good an explaination as any.’
I think it’s worth remembering a couple of point:
1) They’re all individuals, why lay down one ‘explanation’ and dismiss them all?
2) Maybe they just enjoy pushing the limits of their appearance. Skydivers do dangerous things, this doesn’t make them suicidal. Body modders do things which may be percieved as detrimental to their appearance, doesn’t mean they hated how they looked before.
Tom
Why?
I don’t know, this seems crazy but the people that do it do not seem so crazy if you see and interview with them. I think that almost no one is interested in this kind of body modification but if they are then it is a lifestyle decision.
whenever i see someone with a lot of tattoos or piercings, I just assume they’re fools. generally, if i end up meeting them, i find out i’m totally right. maybe I’m prejudiced, maybe all this is just really a symptom of a very empty life. LAME.
>I am APPALLED that these fine young chaps — http://www.bmezine.com/news/people/A10101/addsub/ — did not make the list.
>I think Josh(see link) is worthy of a mention
http://www.bmezine.com/news/pubring/20030401.html
Brian and mal, those are actually april fool’s jokes.
Gaye: cosmetic surgery is exactly what I was thinking of. Pain is also addictive. and part of the pleasure for some fans of EBM’s is the experience of pain. think implants, stretching, branding… yet very few opt for anasthesia…
Dude this is the weirdest group of people ever. Imagine if they ever team up. They could be the ultimate fighting force of either superheroes or supervillains!
What saddens me is to see all this intolerance, hatred and prejudiceness. Brings to mind the old axoim, “people fear what they don’t understand”.
These people have been brave enough to do these things and are, for the most part, happy with themselves.
BIID is far stranger in my mind.
http://www.biid.org/
I’m convinced the last one’s actually a woman.
Brian:
Maybe I’m missing the sarcasm in your comment, but you do know that article is an old April Fool’s joke, right? (Check the date on the bottom of the page.) They ususally do this every year on BME… at least, they used to.
To everyone bashing these guys as attention hogs, you’re not seeing body mod through their eyes. Sure, they get a kick out of the novelty, but it really comes down to control. They want to be masters of their own bodies, and to submit the body to the purpose of art is a sensual and uplifting experience. I have no mods of my own, but I know people who love having tatoos and piercings, so I’m not just spouting speculation.
Those are amazing … I don’t care if “The Dark Beast of Demonic Thoughts” did inspire them, it’s still pretty incredible.
those are the 10 coolest guys in the entire world
“Hipple, Rev. Paul T. // Aug 24, 2007 at 7:14 pm
The thought processes behind these acts of desecration are those of the Dark Beast of Demonic Thoughts
I don’t know why this isn’t obvious to some of you.”
Thanks, there, Rev. I was wondering why I had 4 holes in my left ear. Now I know it was Satan.
For crying out loud, get over yourself. Sometimes people do things just because they want to. And as far as being attention hogs…? Um…read about Leppard Man again, would you? Why would a dude living in self-imposed isolation want ATTENTION?
It could be, just might be, that these folks enjoy being different…and I don’t know why THAT isn’t obvious.
And, yes, I can really have the title “Reverend”. So there!
Brian: The add/sub twins are a hoax. Sorry to burst the bubble, but it was an April Fool’s story from a few years back.
don’t worry…in colombia the plastic surgeons are so good you’d be amazed at the master pieces you see walking around…they call Cali silicon valley for the narco-style molls with their inflated bosoms, then there’s the n-architecture but don’t get me started
It’s not OCD. There is BDD (body dismorphic disorder), but that usually applies to cosmetic surgery. Michael Jackson probably has BDD. These people probably have something unclassified, related to the ‘furry’ culture. Transspecies or something. My dad thinks tatoos show a sign of a character defect.
I keep wondering if these people go home to grandma’s for the holidays.
Very, very needy people indeed.
I wonder what life for them will be like in old age.
Fun isn’t the word for it.
Can you imagine the social standing of the people who are able to afford to do this and still exist without being homeless? Not a whole lot of working class dads making themselves unemployable with a spike through the face. Must be nice not to have hold down a real job like the rest of us.
ugghh bluggha uggha blugghh
I wouldn’t presume any armchair psychology as to each of these peoples motivation. Because they are human AND individuals, each unique and no two the same. Isn’t my cup of tea, but i try not to push my tastes or my observations about human kind on others. Give it a name if qualifying everything is your gig in life. J.Walker
I live in Montreal, and I’ve seen Rick Genest a few times on the street ; the first time I saw him was actually the day after his picture was first posted on BoingBoing about 6 months ago.
And as much as this picture is scary, I have to say, it looks totally awesome in person, and not that “carnival freak”-y. It suits his face perfectly, and while it’s still a bit unsettling, I actually think it wasn’t that bad of a decision after all, because it looks *very* cool, and certainly unique.
Chris, let’s get real. This is OCD mixed with a healthy dose of S&M combined with Attention (Look at me type) Deficit. What a frightening combo!
My mother chastised my sister for wanting second and third piercings in her ears, and me for getting a tattoo.
I said, “Your ears are pierced. That’s body mutilation and modification right there. How is what we want any different except perhaps in terms of degree?”
Of course, she had no good answer. She agreed it was all a matter of tradition and social mores than any real complaint about body modification itself.
So unless you outright disagree with piercing or tattooing of any sort, I hope the authors of the more negative comments here will at least acknowledge that they are speaking from the point of view of their indoctrinated traditional views rather than an objective to-each-his-own mentality.
The result of a society without rites of passage. It’s the same as inner city kids joining gangs and being beaten up by fellow members, or joining a fraternity and getting paddled next to a greased sheep….Rites of passage….Without them, some of us, correction, MOST of us never grow past being a kid. Anyone here go through basic training? Whether youre aware of it or not, youve gone through some rite of passage, all of which leave thier mark, obvious or not. Fact is, western culture is either deeming rites of passage barbaric or outdated, when in fact they tend to be developmentally necessary for most of us to grow.
I don’t think it’s a case of OCD exactly.
Perhaps a type of body dysmorphia. They are living their vision of how they should be, something not human.
They’re not hurting anyone, so why be mean?
Amazing post. It is great to see this collection of photos and clips at the same place. I, too, think adiction to pain is the main reason most of these people are atracted to body modification.
I hope you don’t mind if I borrow some of these photos for my Farsi blog to explain it to my Farsi language readers with links and credits given to this blog.
the chick with the pierced privates must be like making love to a pile of scrap iron
Hmm…. Some of these folks may just be attention seekers, but I know that at least a couple of then are professional carnies and entertainers, the make their *living* by looking unusual. ( I know Lizardman and Lucky Diamond fall in this category.)
Also for Stalking Cat (I’ve actually sat down and talked with him, so I know a bit more about him than the others), he basically just dosen’t give a fig what other people think about how he looks. He likes it (it’s partially religious, and yes, someone asked him about a tiger being somewhat unlikely for a Native American totem creature, apparently his totem is ‘a cat’ and as far as his tribal traditions go, tiger, puma, common meow, a cat is a cat. ), and he dosen’t need to worry about what an employer would think as he runs his own business (he had a computer repair biz, and was doing home renovations last I heard).
Why didn’t Barry Bonds make the list?
Wow! Like they weren’t already ugly enough?
wow amazing
http://www.kidsolo.com
only what is visibly modified has been featured in this article. if you want an interesting story…
check out some of the “smoothies” on BME.
“Can you imagine the social standing of the people who are able to afford to do this and still exist without being homeless?”
Maybe if there were less people in the world that thought like you, getting a job wouldn’t depend on what a person looks like.
That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Along with all of the other incredibly close-minded comments, this is ridiculous. You people call them fools, and “attention-starved.” You claim they have BIID and BDD, or even OCD.
Really, you have no idea. Nor will you ever understand why they do what they do. And really, they don’t care if you know or not. They know, and that is all that matters. And it makes them happy.
I don’t really understand the compulsion most of you people have to read this article, jump on the comment box, and instantly assess why these people did what they did and how they feel about it. How can you even be pretentious enough to think that for a second? You people who judge must be the ones with the sad lives. After all, you are the ones downgrading others to artificially elevate yourselves, or at least you think you are.
I can’t believe you have to keep warning people to be careful before clicking on something, even genitals. This is the very thing these people are fighting against by moding themselves like this! Life is not offensive and this is someone’s life! Open your mind and you won’t be offended and therefore violent.
I can’t believe some of you spill crap like “cool people”. I can see maybe 3 of them that look semi-cool and that’s because their body looks like a canvas, a full canvas. None of the freaks that have bejillion piercings and bumps and feking stuff protruding out of their foreheads look cool. If anything it looks painful. Mind over body or pain control is bollocks, too. It’s not qualifying, quantifying, labeling, it’s mostly a freak show and most of these people have nothing better to do with their lives.
There is nothing cool either, about self-mutilation or any kind of mutilation. FFS.
The Satan shite is just as stupid. Again, I can maybe imagine 3 of them that can articulate any desire to sell their soul to the devil, and that’s that.
That’s my 0.05 Turkish lira’s worth. Love to you all.
Why you guys all got too hate on them? theres nothing wrong with being freaky. its there choice what they do with there life. so fuck all you conformist
Cat (Dennis) is a really nice guy – I’ve met him a few times at conventions, and made a custom necklace for him. My eldest son hangs out with him sometimes. I think he’s got a lot of guts to remake himself like that. And yeah, there’s no tiger in American Indian beliefs, but a totem is a personal thing, and if he says his totem is Tiger, that’s between him and the spirits and not for us to talk about. As far as the rest of these people, maybe there’s some shock value or attention craving involved, but I’m not one of them so I’m not going to go making judgments.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I see a revival of circus side shows looming on the horizon.
I can’t imagine being that starved for attention. It’s gotta be a rough day when you eventually look in the mirror and think “oops”.
These people are clearly mentally deranged. They have a “body image” psychosis. I guess they are not dangerous though.
I have to add, I am loving all sorts of different views, the debate, the silliness and the seriousness co-existing. Big kudoz to the blogger and the commentors. Too much fun!
Chachachaciao!
I’m not surprised by the general tenor of the comments here at all – its typical of the shallow and uninformed mouthing off that most of us have seen over the years.
All of us have vastly different stories and motivations behind our modifications but the fact that we have chosen a route that involves body based expression of ideas makes for a convenient hook in most people’s minds to lump us together – despite how different we look I can tell you that many of us are often mistaken by people one another just by virtue of being heavily modified.
It is unfortunate that this list does not include links to the websites and blogs of each individual since most of us do have them and they are a wealth of information for those who are interested or just need to be shown their assumptions are misguided. These sights also contain many basic facts which are incorrectly listed here (eg my name is Erik not eric and my implants are Teflon not silicon) along with more up to date images.
And for the person commenting on Cat’s gender, I have worked with him many times and he often has to explain that he has hormone issues resulting from testicular cancer which have resulted in the ‘breasts’ you see. So, please enjoy mocking a person who has the strength to be themself and perservere through a horrific condition like cancer.
Hope you all someday learn the joy of being and doing what you truly want.
Mea culpa – I just noticed the sources links at the end but still they really should be with each entry and should have been used to avoid basic errors
2 points:
cro-magnons differed from neanderthals in that they adorned their bodies with more ornate jewelry and paints.
The book “Singularity” mentions that in the not so distant future, science may be able to modify humans into other forms. To me, these people are simply taking steps in that direction before advanced in biotechnology makes it easier.
I don’t even like the feeling of a wedding band. I must be cro-magnon or something.
Fine. Whatever. But here’s a question for Rick Genest: you’ve got several thousand years, probably, to be a skeleton. Why not be a human for a little while?
Disappointing to see people dismissing these peoples choices as disease. I admire their ability to break out and do something different with their lives and bodies.
It won’t be long before them and everybody reading this post will be dead, gone, and forgotten.
Thanks for making it interesting until then!
I think there are a few people posting comments here who could use some brain modifications.
It’s easy. Just slip the end of the screwdriver under your eyelid and keep pushing until you’re not an asshole.
It makes me sad that so many of you react so negatively to these people. You only get one shot at life, and if this is how they choose to enjoy it, I say more power to them. They are all artists, willing to endure an awful lot of pain & risk for their “final project.”
Life is short.
And also a bit stupid.
it’s kinda sad that people talk like this still. most posting prolly have the worst tribal armbands and stupid tattoos above your ass cracks.
at least these people are original. and are proud of who they are.
Yeah, great article.
Stop judging people assholes, you know who you are.
Demons whispering in peoples ears indeed; they may look a little scary but you, he-heh, your flipp’in crazy if you take myth for reality.
my question is, what the hell do these people do for a living? especially the cat guy, I know I wouldn’t hire any of them
Chloe: “My dad thinks tatoos show a sign of a character defect.”
Fine, but what do YOU think about tattoos? I am a heavily tattooed woman. I am also a hard-working small business owner. I am married and both my husband and I are close to our families. I pay my taxes and my credit rating is good. I don’t have a criminal record – I don’t even jay-walk. What is my character defect?
This is indeed a rite of passage. Further, it is a way to look your own mortality in the eye; tattoos are only as permanent as your body, which isn’t. It has nothing to do with an addiction to pain; there are cheaper and less permanent ways to indulge that. The fact that it hurts is part of it- just like it is to run a marathon. It requires some courage and self control. That is a part of the rite of passage.
I highly recommend it.
As far as the extreme to which these folks have taken it, they had the desire and the courage to do so. How many of you, if you had the desire, would have the sheer balls required?
Finally, a note about the tiger guy- the hemisphere doesn’t matter. Totemism has nothing to do with an animal in a literal way. It is a symbolic thing; the animal’s perceived qualities are what is important. Snake, for example, is a healer totem (both in North America and Greece.) But it is also, at the very same time, a totem denoting viciousness and deception. In North America, to other North Americans.
See? Dude could have a totemic relationship with anything; doesn’t even have to be an animal. Inuit totems were often lovecraftian acid trip things that defy easy description.
Idk why everyone seems to think they’re crazy. Sure, they’re a lil’ extreme (especially the ones who did stuff to their genitals, that’s not right), but I find I can relate.
See, I’m planning on getting a tattoo sometime in the future, nothing gigantic, jus’ a something on my shoulder. But the reason why I’d want to is the same reason why I’d like to decal my car, or why I drew all over my ipod cover (quite proud o’ me work , I might add), or why I’d want to paint skulls all over my bedroom wall. So far as I know, I definitely don’t have OCD or any other mental disorder.
So, I guess, the reason why they would want to tattoo themselves is generally the same. They started out small, saw that it was pleasing to look at, and it didn’t wash off. So they kept at it until finally, wa la, they got a full body tattoo.
And as for the pain, people can get used to anything, especially if they had to endure it for hours on end. So far as I know, and this is only conjecture, but tattooing is the equivalent of many thousands of very little pricks all going off in a short amount of them.
But I wouldn’t say me wanting a tattoo was because I wanted other people to see, just for me to see.
and hmm … I wrote a lot didn’t I?
re: Dan B // Aug 24, 2007 at 11:59 pm
YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, DAN!!!
body modifcation as a rite of passage slash entering into adulthood thing has existed in EVERY SINGLE CULTURE through human history, EXCEPT for our current culture. our current culture/society is on the decline, the lack and fear of these traditions is a major tell-tale sign.
before anyone argues this point, let me ask you how much you have studied human culture and anthropology. just because you are a sheep and believe whatever society tells you to believe does not make it true. eduacate yourselves.
i really wish people would learn tolerance…
sure you may not know, or understand WHY any of these people did these things to their bodies. but the key word is THEIR bodies. its their life, their happiness, or misery, and choice to live with. not yours.
if you pull back in disgust at these pictures, perhaps you need to take a closer look at yourself.
I truly do not understand people–why the derision? What are you scared of? You only live once. Most people spend their lives in the realm of the socially acceptable and never question their received version of reality. These people all choose to make their bodies their media for expressing a hell of a lot of creativity. Makes a lot more sense to me than hanging a painting on a wall, or buying a painting hung in a tasteful gallery.
I don’t have any body mods at all. Seems like a frivolous use of money I ain’t got. But if these folks have the money and the mid to re-shape themselves and this is what they wanna do to jolt themselves and those around them out of their stupor, more power to them, I say. We’re all gonna friggin’ die. What we do until then is up to us.
Kay “I Done Got Lurnin’!” Gordon sez: “Chris, let’s get real. This is OCD mixed with a healthy dose of S&M combined with Attention (Look at me type) Deficit. What a frightening combo!”
Wow, thanks Kay! It is time to get real, so it’s good that you popped my wacky fantasy bubble that I built from the flimsy opinions of people who actually do things to their bodies for art’s sake; and for replacing it with the solid foundation of your well researched, documented, and peer-reviewed ideas.
Or…
You have no idea what OCD and ADD are. Could be that.
People with OCD have a lingering sense of not having completed something either completely or properly, and then get plagued with anxiety over the consequences. They form habitual repetitive patterns, often repeating a task to the point of self harm. They are slowly driven into isolation and, if left untreated, can spiral into insanity. This condition is caused by an inability of the body to deal with a certain protein, and is linked to a very specific gene. Researchers recently stumbled upon the gene purely by accident while studying mice (check Yahoo! science news) and are working toward a human application.
ADD involved the inability of the brain to focus on a subject for any substantial amount of time, but is unlike ADHD in that it doesn’t involve the non-stop need for physical activity. ADD kids get bored easily, usually daydreaming while doing any lengthy, routine task.
So, in essence, you’re a retard and know nothing about body modification. Best wishes, you brainless turd!
Quick Edit:
As for the S&M bit, consult genital modders.
OCD is a possibility, but frankly, I doubt it. Body mods *could* be a compulsive behavior, but there are a lot of other explanations, especially since I’ve *never* known of anyone with true OCD actually having them. The closest thing would be hair-pulling (trichotillomania,) but that’s considered an OCD spectrum disorder rather than OCD itself. Basically, let’s just say that I’ve had just about EVERY OCD compulsion at one time or another, and I’ve never had this one, nor have I heard of anyone who does.
Yes, it’s Body Integrity Identity Disorder. It’s basically a mental illness. But leave it to the Leftards on the thread to gush how lovely it is to be a sick freak. Mainstreaming dysfunction is their motto.
Humans are animals. True, the guys trying to be like cats certainly seem to celebrate the idea of a partial de-evolution for themselves, but it’s worthwhile in any case to remind people that the current state of our species is not so special and is subject to change.
>>They must hate themselves very much. They’re even denying their humanity by turning themselves into animals. How sad.
Why are 99% of the people who commented thing
idiots?
as quick as some people are at bashing modders, some modders and people who admire them but don’t have the courage to go through it are quick to bash others that question or don’t understand the reasons and motivations for people to radiacally modify their appearance and body. it is a show of ignorance, as much as anything.
and don’t go all spiritual and philosophical on us, or pull anthropological facts and historical references like we are stupid morons. I don’t think that people sporting dozens of piercings or stretched earlobes are freaks or deranged either. but I do think that some do it for shock value, and that others have become addicted to it, and the pain, just like cosmetic surgery addiction.
to deny that some modders have issues is just not realistic.
although I am ambivalent about a lot of the mods seen here and on BME, I can recognize the artistic value of a lot of the work I’ve seen. even the implants and the brandings.
“to deny that some modders have issues is just not realistic.”
Indeed, but assume it straigt off the bat, like quite a few people here are doing, is far from realistic either. Likely, there are just as many modders with issues per capita as there are non-modders with issues per capita, making comments about mental health (i.e. “crazy idiots”) rather moot.
these guys all look pretty happy to me –whatever floats yer boat …
How do they find a job after that. I mean How could you accept any of those fools in your company?
Personally, I think that they are awesome in their own way. Yes, body modders may look different, but they’re usually perfectly sane people who have their own reasons. I know of one who lives in my neighborhood and he doesn’t have serious issues in the sense that we are talking about them. It is the assumption that seems to have put him out of quite a few jobs before he got a masters in criminal psychology (or whatever it’s technically called).
Now that I think of it, he’s the most realistic person I know. As far as appearence, the tattoos down one arm and silicon head implants are out of the comfort zone for most people, but screw that.
I just don’t get the prejudice people have towards body modders.
And that whole thing about OCD + Attention thing is complete crap.
Every person on this earth has a right to do to their bodies whatever they see fit. How dare anyone tell another they’re freaky, stupid, etc. for doing what they want to do, regardless of the reason, as long as it doesn’t hurt others?
Are you nay-sayers perfect? NO! I wonder what skeletons are in your closet. None of us are perfect, and deserve to live our lives as we want, as long as we’re not physically hurting others. If people are mentally harmed by body modders, that’s their own issue, not the modder’s.
I have 5 ear piercings and one 15 year old tattoo. Very little compared to many dedicated modders. You bet your butt I’d do a lot more if I could stand the pain, ROFL! I’m a wimp, I guess. I’ve had plenty of other pain in my life and for me, I do not deal with it by experiencing physical pain as others might. But that’s just me.
Live and let live, and get off your high horses.
Stephy
“How do they find a job after that. I mean How could you accept any of those fools in your company?”
Leopard Man lives (I’d assume) off his pension, Etienne Dumont is an accomplished art and culture critic for a magazine in Geneva, Elaine Davidson is self employed fortune teller, Kala Kawai is a self employed piercer, The Lizardman (Eric Sprague) is a self employed performance artist. As for people not listed Bruce Potts worked as a high-school teacher for many years until he retired, The Enigma also works as a performance artist.
Those were the ones I could find information about, so even though I may not know exactly “how” they found the jobs they’re in they no doubt did. If you wish to throw away the knowledge that these people may have simply because they have visible modifications then you’re a rather irresponsible boss. Being a fool or not is not dictated by what you wear on the outside (regardless if it’s body mods or clothes) but rather who you are on the inside. Does a tattoo or a piercing suddenly make your IQ drop ten points?
Beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful.
Though I have neither the desire nor nerves to undertake bodymods myself I admire those that do for their vision, knowledge of self and, quite frankly, balls of steel!
Long Live Individuality.
that’s one of the best lists i saw in a while. very cool.
Want to have “individuality” or to “show a message to the world”?
Just make a custom shirt or print out a piece of paper, or even show it to the world with your behavior.. there’s no need (or even benefit) to harm the body you’ve been given and/or make any permanent changes to it.
Just my thoughts, you don’t have to be convinced or convince me.
Let’s face it, these people are just plain old dumbasses, and what they need isn’t a tattoo but a good swift kick in the ass!
I can’t help but laugh at the comments people are leaving.It goes to show how little they know about the body mod community and why people do what they do.It’s no differnt than someone going and getting plastic surgery to inhance themselfs,all the same.It more about making your self feel better in your skin than standing out,though don’t get me wrong people do do it for that reason.Though people will pass judgement on what they don’t know regardless of what anyone esle says,so congrats on sounding like some of most ignorent people out there.
#5, kala kaiwi runs his tattoo parlour right around the corner from my work. What a treat it is to see him on a website. He actually is a nice fellow, I’m guessing just a little tired of all the sensationalist attention he gets.
great post
Wow, thier parents must be so proud. Must be hard to get a job looking like that. would you like Paper or plastic leopard man? Or would you like fried with that cat woman!
Being quite modified myself, I can say that myself and many others do not like the attention we get from it. I don’t ever wish for looks for it, and I really dislike when people ask me questions about it. I went to school at St Olaf for psych and sociology, worked for a while, and am now back in school again for digital art and animation. Why not working with what I studied before? Because I don’t enjoy it as much as a more artistic field.
I have a great relationship with my girlfriend, I have loving parents, get cards in the mail weekly from my grandmother… (who sees me as her favorite grandchild)… and no one in my family has even a tattoo besides me.
I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, I exercise, eat healthy, drive safely, and do what I can to make society a little bit better place for everyone… what I look like has absolutely nothing to do with my character, nor does it with the folks in this list. I know Pauly for one will agree with me— what is more damaging to your body more— being extremely over weight, giving your self lung cancer and destroying your liver— or modification in a professional atmosphere. Look at how many have died from lung cancer, heart failure, left families behind… hurt loved ones from simple things like that. To me, things like that are a much more destructive choice then alteration of your body.
The people on this list have made decisions for themselves, and if we like or hate it is OUR choice, and should not be broadcast onto them. Live and let live, we should all do our part to make society better as a whole, including tolerance of others.
For the people the article was written about, who like people to look at them and react, congrats. Look at all the people who decided to write pro’s and con’s about these people. Speculation about whether or not they have issues, problems, employment troubles, social economic issues, self esteem issues, mental health labels.
Here’s a thought. I know people who have all of these issues and have no mod’s, ink, or piercings. Hell I have a few issues. I think they are a bit silly, cool looking, brave, sure somewhat bizarre, artistic, fearless, and I commend them for daring to be different. I am surely not brave enough to endure what they have and I am not sure I would feel comfortable in their skin. The good news…….it is THEIR SKIN and they have the freedom to do with it what they like. Just like we have the freedom of speech to write what we like about them and each other. Kudos
WOW. To each their own, but…… WOW. My only concern is that Pauly Unstoppable would get very sick, with all the particles that will travel up his nose so much more easily.
I seriously dont get these people….either A) They love and want attention, (B) Have some sort of weird fetish(es), (C) Are literally crazy and need psychiatric help, and (D) Were even uglier before so they consider this an upgrade?
And to the people supporting these “body modders” aka freaks, what the hell kind of respectable jobs to they have? Are they millionaires? Are they successful? I bet not…but i also am willing to bet they dont care about that type of stuff either…..and as far as the gentleman who said its the same as someone getting cosmetic or plastic surgery? NO ITS NOT, cosmetic or plastic surgery makes you looks better and appealing (ENHANCING) not DESTROYING and perfect human body that God created..that is if you believe in God. No one is going to respect this $hit. Sorry, that’s life. Grow up.
mr. pumpernickel, ALL of these so called people are certifiably INSANE and you moreso for defending them.
WTF. I don’t even know what was going on with that guys genitals!
ok now i have ten piercings and im getting ready to go get 3 more tattoos, are all of u idiots gonna call me a dumbass or a freak or an idiot? probably but thats fine that just shows how fucking retarded u people are to judge people that express themselves in ways that they are comfortable with. yah some of them might look kinda weird to u idiots but they feel comfortable with the way they look. they are probably some of the nicest people u could ever meet and i guarantee that if u were to sit down and talk to them u would understand why they do what they do and u haters would stop being ignorant assholes. all in all dont judge a book by its fucking cover
Some cultures believe that a tat is the only thing that will remain with your when your soul goes into the after life(hence why their is alot of native tribes with tribal tats) If thats the case(which I like to believe… because thats why I got one) There is going to be a shit load of butterfies,cute dragons and barb wire tats floating around the afterlife… LOL. Even in the afterlife these dudes are going to be notice. Some of us wear different styles of clothing…some people dye their hair….how is this different????? Am I missing something because I dont find this offensive… a little out of the norm….but arent we all????? How do you know if You are Normal????
Very cool.
Hey if these people want to do this to their bodies, more power to them. You only life live once, do what makes you happy.
I know it’s called a flesh tunnel but you can actually SEE THE INSIDE OF HIS NOSE… ew.
I say go hard or go home, and those guys are going hard!
Its called FREEDOM people!
Its funny reading the posts above, you know who you would much rather hang out with just by their reactions to some unusual individuals. I go for tolerance anyday.
Do you really want all 7 billion of us looking the same? Come on…
wow, that freakin’ blows my mind!
Tattooing has become so “hip” that I now refer to them as “me-toos”… there’s precious little originality or individuality to be associated with them anymore. How BORING. Same goes for piercings… silly little girls trying to fit into the crowd. And there is always a lunatic fringe to any group, and here we see the absolute edge of that fringe. A little too hokey for my tastes but let’s not come down on freedom of expression.
These things seem to fall into two distinct categories; some of these people have managed to convert their appearance in accordance with a well-planned theme, e.g. Lizardman, Leopard man, and the Stalking cat… and Etienne and Rick fall under the category of art on a human canvas… but most of the rest are just freaks, vandalizing their faces/bodies in a completely random manner with no artistic merit whatsoever – Guinness book sports. Even in this case, it’s your body to do with as you please, but what’s the point? Perhaps their money would have been better spent on a shrink.
WTF. Although it is pretty much a forgon conclusion that none of these people will breed and their genes will be permantly removed from the gene pool.
This goes out to everyone who judges and labels people who have expressed their individuality in a negative way…
There are things we all go through as a rite of passage. Birthdays, bachelor(ette) parties, weddings, funerals and depending on your faith and customs other celebrations. Body modification is just another door many of us step through… our rites of passage… some for personal reasons others for spiritual or ritualistic reason…
For me every tattoo portrays a period or chapter in my life… some are closed and forever gone and others are patiently waiting for me to turn back the pages and bring that part of my life back into reality… Also as a tattoo artist I couldn’t see myself receiving a tattoo from someone without some kind of ink on them… I don’t understand how someone else would…
I’m not doubting anyone’s work but if you’re in the business show your love for it as well… that’s all i’m saying…
These are modern day practices but many people fail to think back to when their children were born… especially their boys… are you or your sons circumsized??? I would consider this a form of body modification. Maybe not as extreme as implants or tongue spliting but did you not opt to have part of your son’s penis cut off… whether for religious purposes or for hygene purposes… or because the doctor recommended it?
Look around at the world and judge everyone else but fail to look at yourselves sometimes… it’s a great way to live…. fear yourself and you will fear everything that crosses your path for the rest of your life…
http://www.theenigmalive.com/
what about this guy? he is a fun act to watch.
Those people have one thing in common a clearly disturbed personality, but i think as long as there are wasting there own body’s and as long i will have the change to avoid those people i can live with it.
You can totally see up that dudes nasal passage…it just seems like all that extra hardware in your body would require so much maintenance and care that it would be a 24/7 job.
you pathetic, judgemental assholes. I can tell you ‘the guy with the gross nasal passages’ read your narrow minded and ignorant rants and had a good laugh at the lot of you.
Get a grip you losers. Ooh, quick, hadn’t you better go and check in the mirror in case you aren’t conforming in some tiny way and start to look like an individual instead of a sheep?
Baaaa
This isn’t anything new or daring or a right of passage thing.
It is just that we no longer lock up our mentally defective people like we use to a few years back. And now they can actually fulfill their psychosis thanks to medical advancements. And a dearth of doctors just as mentally defective.
All through history there have been people that thought they were possessed by other beings, or that they were cats or snakes or wolves. But they were either burned at the stake or locked away forever. Now they are allowed to roam free and breed.
I personally think they transform themselves into shocking creatures to feel, in some way, stronger. For people to be scared when they see them. And I suppose this may have something to do with the fact of actually NEEDING that type of strenght… and not being able to find it the depth of their being. This is just a theory of mine, I may be wrong, but I think that the ultimate thing they seek by doing what they do, after making people look at them and go away, is respect.
I am a nurse, and coming from a medical perspective, these people have a death wish. Yes, there is the obvious desire for pain and cosmetic changes, but anyone implanting foreign objects or branding their skin are at a high risk for infection. Any unneccessary surgery/cosmetic should be avoided. These people may feel better about themselves by being satisfied with their appearance, but their common sense is definately lacking….
oh my,oh my…this really exists? Pauly unstoppable? what did he do to himself…why?? he will finally kill himself! and the rest of the highly mod people…
obviously there are many strange and sick things in this world… and obviously these people have some kind of desorder!
I support the desire to be different, but on this way? By destroying your own body,making holes and sticking metal in it ? …?
They must hate themselfs to be able to do this… it`s just amazing…. you cannot stay indifferent on this!
On the other hand it`s their life and their body, so they can do whatever they want! It`s just very disturbing…. I trully hope I do not see any of this strange,weird,mentally ill people…
You must have serious issues to do this…. i still can`t beleave…
something’s wrong with the world today
i don’t know what it is
something’s wrong with eyes
were seeing things in a different way
and god knows it aint his
living on the edge
wthell!
~
hfausdhfuadsfa
fucking crazy…
fashdufhasdufas
love this post
I think all of these people and their modifications are beautiful. It’s really disappointing to see how close-minded some people are, though.
bizar this! but they are different, they are not bad at all
I know Stalking Cat. For the record, he’s a really sweet guy.
this is the worse thing i saw today…
THESE PEOPLE HAVE DEEP PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS WHEN THEY WANT TO MARK THEMSELVES AND ALTER THEIR BODIES.
TATTOOES ARE ONE THING, IT’S IMPLANTS, SPLIT TONGUES, FILED TEETH, AND PUTTING HOLES IN A PERSON’S NOSE OR EAR LOBES THAT IS CROSSING THE LINE.
HOW DO THESE PEOPLE HOLD DOWN JOBS? NO ONE WOULD WANT TO HIRE THEM FOR ANY JOB WHERE MEETING THE PUBLIC IS CONCERNED.
THEY NEED TO FIND A GOOD SHRINK AND FIND OUT WHY THEY ARE SO UNHAPPY WITH THEMSELVES THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE PAIN INFLICKED ON THEIR BODY.
WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY’LL LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY ARE 70 YRS OLD? THEY ARE YOUNG NOW, BUT WHEN GRAVITY SETS IN, ALL THAT MONEY IS WASTED AS THEIR BODIES WON’T LOOK LIKE THEY DO NOW.
CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL OF THEM IN A NURSING HOME? LMAO THEY’LL BE WALKING THE HALLS AT NIGHT WHEN THEY CAN’T SLEEP AND SCARE EACH OTHER TO DEATH! LMAO
Matt #57, kudos to you – #57 is so far the only one on here that really gets it……..who cares why they did it! they actually had the guts to do what they wanted to whether society approved or not, whether it gave them attention or not, OCD, BId, what the hell ever their reason….seriously, deep down, ask yourself this WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU REALLY DIDN”T CARE AT ALL WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT???? what would you do to make yourself fulfill a part of yourself that needed to be expressed???
now ask yourself that question again, your closed little mind might not be able to open itself past a dim stream of clarity…try some deep self honesty, go on….maybe your answer is even more extreme?…and if it isn’t? – well, thats way sadder than how quickly you are judging people with expressive souls…or just souls at all.
I am genuinely having difficulty putting into words how sad it makes me that some people are labelling these individuals as ’sick’ or ‘insane’ or when all they have to go on is a couple of photo’s that don’t adhere to their own ideals of aesthetic beauty.
Body modifications are not ‘harming’ or ‘damaging’ the body, if it was genuinely detrimental to people’s health it wouldn’t be a) legal or b) quite so widespread. As a ‘modified’ individual I dont’ see the difference between dying my hair, putting on make-up or going to the gym and getting a tattoo or decorating my body with piercings.
I will admit that the individuals on this list are ‘extreme modders’ but shouldn’t Pete Burns or Michael Jackson be similiarly labelled? What about Cher? There’s virtually NOTHING natural about her these days!
It all comes down to choice really. I personally find tattoo’s/piercings/branding/implants to be attractive in a partner and in myself. I see them as adding to my beauty, not detracting from it. But not everyone sees it that way, and thank god they don’t! Variety is the spice of life and I’d say the people on this list live some pretty spicey lives
As for the employment/career questions, do you think extensive modding is cheap?! You’re damn right its not. I for one work very hard to afford my mods, whilst still studying for my masters (yeah, you can be intelligent and modded btw for all those who think we’re ’sick’) and find them to be an insentive for hard work or success.
Not liking the way someone looks is one thing, but resorting to name-calling and implying mental illness as a justification for other people’s actions just serves make you look bigoted and ill-informed.
Looking at these 10 people gives me the biggest smile on my face knowing how strong they are to go through getting ripped on by a majority of people for doing something which makes themselves happy. Then you have about 87% of the complete asshats that come and add to the people who rip on them. Honestly, self expression. If you want to do it by tattooing 90% of your body or stretching your nostrals big enough to fit your head in, then go ahead. But you don’t hear a word from them bashing anyone who doesn’t have a tattoo on their body, or not a hole in their skin. Honestly, if you don’t respect the life these people lead, keep it to yourselves. I for one, think it’s amazing. Perhaps some do it to entertain others or get attention, but big deal. Why die and not be known by anyone for anything versus die and be known for how fascinating your body was. Just please, before your fingers dance away on the keyboard to say something completely rude and unwanted, think about it.
Angela Morabito
treefingers@hotmail.com
So what? These people made choices to do something to themselves. Where do all of you fit in that equation? You’re no better for what you’ve shown.
Tattoos are great all over your body is strange. Getting a tattoo ads to the person, cooler the tattoo the more it adds. Then you have people that go over board like in are top 10. Those people are doing theses things cause they don’t know who they are, so by tatting themselves up they give themselves a label, if you will. A lot of people in are society don’t have a clue who they are or what kind of person they want to be. Then this joker cutting people up and calling himself an artist for it. “Hello” Artist create you are not creating anything your killing there flesh. Leaving scares is far from art just cause its in some pattern dose not make it art.
I have seven tattoos on my arms and feel okay with that, all over would be way too much for me. But they seem happy and obviously love the attention. Definitely extreme and it is intriguing what these people had to go through to get all this done. I had four tattoos done within months of each other because I guess I got sort of addicted to it.