Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Why, oh, why??

Although I have come upon a number of fascinating blogs that address the various aspects of tattoo culture, other forms of body modification seem to lack attention. This seems quite backwards to me, as a plethora of information regarding tattoos can be found by simply "Googling" pertinent terms, but it is substantially more difficult to encounter websites devoted to informing and stimulating the minds of those interested in such less mainstream forms of body modification as scarification and suspension. In response to my rather fruitless quest (BMEzine notwithstanding) for an informational resource that encompasses all forms of body modification, not just tattoos, I have decided to start my own. In creating this blog I hope to educate myself as much as possible on the many aspects of body modification, share the information that I acquire to educate others (both modifiers themselves and the lay public), and have an open space in which I can develop my skills as an aspiring journalist. In addition, I blog in the hope that I can change some beliefs regarding the “type of people” who undergo the various forms of body modification. Our culture seems to me to be focused on the idea that pristine skin and a put-together appearance represent beauty, intelligence, and kindness. In response to this all-too-common view, I present myself as proof that it is possible to be pierced, tattooed, branded, and clad in unconventional clothing, and still be just as beautiful, intelligent, and kind as any smartly dressed, flawlessly-skinned individual. If you are one of the open-minded individuals who have already realized that cultural assumptions do not always hold true, kudos. If not, I hope you will take some time to explore my blog and see that there is more to body modification than shock-value and rebellion. Modified people have families, friends, and feelings just like everyone else. The only difference is that our hobbies involve needles and blood rather than balls and cleats. Well, on second thought, having balls is rather essential...

1 comment:

celeste said...

you are smart.sharp.
very smart and very sharp.
inside that environment and background you seem to have the answer to a couple of things.
but your point of view has expiration date.
there are points of view of the extremely young
you should preserve yourself from a change of mind.
scarification has no return.
(here Im talking body, again, it's obvious that you have a very clear mind)
considering your mother some kind of another age dinosaur is a big prejudice too.
specially because you had not been there.never wore those shoes.
(I already wrote to you.apologizing for my english, telling you I'm an art historian, and a mother of a girl (extremely beautiful, too)who used to cut and that's why a blog took me to another and ended up reading yours. It helped me heal, by the way. I started to understand other points of view. don't worry, I know they are different things)
but i thing my comment get lost in the process(which I didn't domesticate yet because of dinousaurism).the subjects you are investigating are fascinating. You have an evident easyness communicating and you are twice as brave because you experiment the things you research in your own body. That gives you credibility and respect. I really wish you get the grant you need to keep on going with research.
mama celeste