I’ve just posted another in my series of interviews on lip plates, a modification which I find absolutely fascinating because of how far it pushes facial aesthetics past our cultural norms. This time I talked to G.C. from the UK and Duff from Russia (both her and her husband have lip plates) for some additional viewpoints to the ones raised by Toph in the previous interview on the subject.
Click through to read the interview and then come on back here to comment!
Comments
152 responses to “Interview with GC and Duff Posted”
Awesome love the picture with the snake exploring.
words fail me now, specially because I missed the oportunity to meet G.C. in person when I went to Bournemouth and he seems to be one of the most selfconscious, mature and interesting person I’ve been in touch with…
and, well, Duff is just one awesome, beautiful girl, so is Pjevl, they make a gorgeous couple and one of my fav entertainment is to watch their videos on IAM (lol) I really think you guys should check them!
I’d like to point out that evolution is generally oriented towards an organism’s ability to thrive in an environment long enough to procreate successfully. Body modification, no matter how extreme, is merely a cosmetic change.
Another great interview. I love them just as much as I do my daily dose of Modblog 😛
I wonder if its awkward to kiss eachother? since the lip plates probably get in the way somehow.
I think I’ll always remember the look on my friends faces when Chris took the plate out and put his tongue through his lip… absolutely brilliant.
Really good interview, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Ford MF – Actually, evolution very often involves “cosmetic” changes, because cosmetics/attractiveness absolutely affect an organism’s ability to procreate. There are a zillion examples of this in nature.
That said, I think it should be obvious that this is not genetic evolution, but cultural evolution.
i love these two. i think they made a brave decision about their lives and the interviews were awesome, every question was interesting.
I’ve seen these two here for a while now and all of my questions has been answered.
🙂
I’m not sure how deliberately restricting oneself could realistically be considered “evolution”. And championing a sixteen year old with a lip plate just seems voyeuristic and creepy to me.
While people like to cheer from the sidelines, I imagine they are thinking “Rather them than me”.
Paleblue – This is a major aesthetic change that makes all of them much happier. To me that’s an evolution, even if only a personal one. I’m not sure that I’d class it as “deliberately restricting”, and in any case, GC addresses his feelings on that subject quite clearly. He even did the experiment of taking them out and going for a high paying job, and decided it was not the life path he wanted. It’s not as if he’s someone flying blind on idealistic assumptions.
I was quite surprised to find out Duff’s age by the way, and it didn’t make me feel voyeuristic or creepy. I think that this may be more a reflection on your own relationship with teenagers — plenty of people are able to have discussions that are not ageist.
In any case, I hope this doesn’t devolve into another forum on whining about how wrong something is by people who can’t relate to the aesthetic. That was boring when it was “normal” people complaining about pierced and tattooed people, and it’s even more boring when it’s pierced and tattooed people complaining about even more pierced and tattooed people.
the girl is only freaking 16 years old. what’s up there? how can she be married and how can she be pierced like that already? mind you, I don’t have a problem with the lip plates, in fact, they excite me and duff DOES look gorgeous, but when I was 16 I wanted an eyebrow piercing and a rose tattoed to my shoukderblade, which I would hate to have now. that girl might be very, very sorry about her decisions in only a couple of years.
Before we get too deep into an age debate — which I’m not convinced is relevant personally — it may be worth waiting for Duff’s feedback as that could be a translation error (ie. she may have written “I started at age 16″ or something).
But I know that at 16 I knew exactly who I was and who I wanted to be, and other than being fatter, grayer, and having a lot more life experience, I’m basically the same now as when I as 16.
For the love of god, please stop labelling criticism as “whining”. Seriously, stop it. It makes you look even more unconcerned with people’s wellbeing than you already do.
It has nothing to do with “ageism”. I like how you attempt to to deflect a genuine issue about the responsibility of young people and their ability to objectively judge the long term repercussions of a life-changing physical alteration by making reference to my relationship with teenagers. Stay classy, Shannon.
The fact that she is only 16 really concerns me for some reason… I mean, I’m only 19, but when I was “her age”, I was doing some stuff I would NEVERRR do now and I couldn’t possibly have made good decisions about altering my body for the rest of my life. I have a few “extreme” modifications now [scarification, large lobes, etc] but I can easily hide them when I need to, and I thought about them for years until I went through with it. The fact is, if I let my mods show, I might never be able to do what I truly love.. and that is working in an animal hospital. Until I find an employer that is extremely open-minded, I hide my mods. This girl is so young, she doesn’t even have a job yet.. does anyone else feel alarmed by this? Why are we encouraging her to keep going to the extreme when she has no idea what she is truly getting herself into? Ok, I’m prepared to get attacked by everyone.. but come on :/ I love lip plates as much as the next person, but on a 16 year old?
Paleblue – As far as I’m concerned, when GC has very clearly discussed the “life restrictive” issues, then you bringing it up is whining.
And as to the age issue, you didn’t frame is as a worry about whether she was ready to make such a decision. You used the word “creepy” and “voyeuristic” which has a distinctly disturbing air about it.
well, let’s hope for a translation error then.
Shannon – I get tired of repeating this, but my issue is not with the people themselves. It’s with you and how you portray these things. As long is it’s interesting, who cares about their wellbeing, right?
“You used the word “creepy” and “voyeuristic” which has a distinctly disturbing air about it.”
Read into that what you will. Like I said, stay classy.
Paleblue – Again, we discussed this issue in the interview. What do you want, a warning on BME that says “hey, not only will the mainstream take issue with you, but plenty of pierced and tattooed people like paleblue will also take issue with you, and their prejudices may work against you!”
This complete obsession with protecting people with themselves is really tiresome. I’m not going to apologize for the fact that I enjoy celebrating people’s lives, rather than berating them because they live in a world full of aesthetic bigots and may suffer because of other people’s issues.
So your issue is with “how I portray these things”… Hmm… I portray them POSITIVELY. Wow. You’re pissed that BME supports the things it covers. Sorry, but that’s not going to change.
What part of “I have no problem with these people” don’t you understand?
“but plenty of pierced and tattooed people like paleblue will also take issue with you, and their prejudices may work against you!”
Fuck you, Shannon. If that’s the best you can come up with, you already failed.
So you’re saying that you have no problem with these people, but you think their actions have a negative life impact, and you don’t think that they should be supported or held up as positive examples of lives, or that others should be told that it’s a valid way to live. Seems like a pretty shallow incarnation of “no problem”.
I smell fail in the air…
Shannon, I admire your talent to read what you want in people’s posts, while completely missing what they really said. I wish I could do that.
But yeah, I’m staying out of this one for now. Fail in the air and all that…
RustY – Feel free to illuminate exactly what Paleblue’s problem with this interview is, or the rest of his consistent negativity about the way I present people in the interviews.
duff is a very pretty girl…it doesn’t say on her page what her age is-so debating her age is something i wont bother with…
i will ask this though…shannon, you said it was boring “when it was “normal” people complaining about pierced and tattooed people, and it’s even more boring when it’s pierced and tattooed people complaining about even more pierced and tattooed people.”
-but tell the truth…these dabates that transpire under your entries that rise to over 400 comments at time-its not atleast a tiny bit exciting? to spark such a reaction? i mean, under most posts you get the ‘oh pretty’ or ‘that’s cool’…but under ones like these you get such heated debates-not by just the unmoddified, but modified adults as well-all wanting to discuss the various aspects of the modification (viability, asthetics, practical considerations)…
its not just a little bit exciting? yes, the opinions are conflicting and sometimes critical-but these images have stirred a reaction-and those reactions seem interesting to me…i might now agree with half the opinions that come to fruitation under these posts, but conflicting view points tend to help you see past your own nose…if everyone saw things exactly the same way as you, and only rallied behind you, mimicing your words-instead of finding their own…wouldn’t the world be terribly boring?
come on shannon, fess up-these debates are crass at times, even offensive to the thinned skin…but boring??? i don’t believe your bored-i wouldn’t be surprised if this all gave you a woody… 😉
I would say that Scientology has a negative life impact. That doesn’t mean that I hate people who are Scientologists.
Of course they should be supported. There is however a significant difference between supporting something and selling it to people. When you completely separate the aesthetic from the social or ethical implications, you are selling it to people.
Laura – If it was a diverse group of people making insightful commentary, negative or positive, that would be interesting, but I think it’s extremely tiresome to hear the same two or three people make the same negative comments over and over and over.
paleblue – We discussed the social implications in the interview. It’s ALWAYS addressed, and you can read their feelings about it for yourself.
So unless you’re saying that I need to inject some kind of negative editorial spin on it, or post a lengthy introduction warning people of all sorts of obvious stuff like “this might make it harder to get a job”, I’m not sure exactly what your point is, other than the desperate need to write something negative.
What exactly do you feel is missing from this interview, and what do you feel is irresponsible about it?
Note: If the issue is Duff’s age, which I feel might be the only thing one could raise, I was unaware of her age until the interview, so I was left with the decision of either publishing it, or censoring it on the basis of her age, which I don’t feel is ethical.
Yeah but Shannon, wouldn’t you agree that even though it might be tedious or frustrating to you, their freedom to speak is part of what makes this a community? The reason that they keep making the same comments means that there are some deep-seated differences in viewpoint. But the fact that they come back to write those comments does indicate that they identify themselves as members of this community. Therefore, perhaps your expression of your own annoyance with the comments is less than relevant (maybe even destructive) to your wish to build this into a strong community for modified people.
Is it just me or are there an increasing number of people daring to make “negative” (aka not shannon’s opinion) comments? most which i find interesting, there is nothing more boring that scrolling through the comments and seeing “omg shes sooo hot” etc repeated again and again.
by the way, i LOVE the photo of G.C. holding the fish, he looks so happy!
Lip plates are something I find interesting bt are definately something I wouldn’t do to myself. Not because I think it’s “Disgusting” (I don’t), I just couldn’t go through with it.
It was good to read some interviews with those ho have the plates and how affective it is to daily life.
Bob – I’m not convinced that a community attacking itself from within is what makes it strong, let along what makes it a community.
I’d suggest that them coming back to write these things over and over is more a reflection on issues that they have with their own life decisions that they are as of yet unable to address in themselves, so they address them in others.
Firstly, anyone who looks to Shannon Larratt to tell them how to live their lives not only has bigger problems than being flamed on modblog, but also probably deserves whatever they get…heh heh.
Does Shannon like stirring up shit? My guess is yes. And I can’t express how much I missed it, because at least he makes people think, and starts discussions about these issues. And of course some of his opinions are asinine…that’s true for just about anyone.
That being said, I have to express my opinion that this interview with Duff and G.C was one of the much more unbaised ones, and just stands on its own as an interview about body modification. Concerns about social implications were mentioned, and I feel, addressed.
I’m certainly not ‘sold’ on a lip plate. And I don’t think it’s Shannon’s job to protect the weak-minded. when was it ever?
So what you’re saying is that it’s a community, as long as everyone thinks the same way and says the same things? Nice.
So what you’re saying is that it’s a community, as long as everyone thinks the same way and says the same things?
paleblue: it sounds like you’rte starting to get it! (lol)
paleblue – No, I’m saying that that people should have some fundamental level of respect and support for each other, and realize that the fact that we face serious criticism from outside is a cause to unite, not to warn each other not to do it.
Even if I don’t often find myself agreeing with the traditional dissenters, it seems more than a little unfair to dismiss their comments as based in personal emotional problems.
That is a strictly ad hominem answer, and therefore not very convincing. A sincere question, then: where do you draw the line between constructive and destructive critique?
The subject of labret stretching is so interesting that, to me, age is a sidenote. It looks like all people with large stretched lips are at comparable sizes at the moment (and they all seem to stretch very easily).
I’m very curious what the future will bring: will western people walk around with stretches the size of the famous african tribes?
Sorry Shannon, I’ll leave my insights for some other time. Right now there are still 5 books waiting to be read, an essay to be written, and a girl to be taken out… No time for special olympics today.
That’s a shame. I would quite like someone to “illuminate exactly what Paleblue’s problem with this interview is, or the rest of his consistent negativity about the way I present people in the interviews.” It would be kind of sexy.
I did not yet mention that I really liked the interview. Cheers!
I am undecided about this one, not merely for the fact that you cannot eat,drink,talk or kiss with the lipplate out but i also question the mentality of someone who thinks “yeah, lip plate”
duff is still a child, far too undeveloped mentally to be making such decisions, and they guy is an idiot for taking such risks with his body; did anyone even read the part where he stretched his lobe 5mm in a month and wrecked it?eugh. 2mm every other month in my mind is healthy. I bet his lipplate looks like a cats ass when he takes it out.
Interesting, not for me, but interesting none the less.
41: He said himself that his torn lobe came from stretching too fast. He realized his “mistake” and didn’t do it again stretching his lobes the second time. Just because your body heals the 2mm every other month, doesn’t mean everyone’s body heals that way.
if duff really is 16, i totally admire her.
and that one snake picture made me scream, but out of pure amusement? haha.
& come on kids, play nice.
I think it’s nice to see another woman (girl?) with a large lip plug. Gets lonely over here sometimes.
I’ve never regretted anything I’ve done. She seems to be doing this on her own terms so i doubt she will either.
I certainly would have done this at 16, if I’d had the choice available to me.
wow she’s only 16, things change alot from when your 16. i wanted so many so many things when i was 16 that i’m super happy i never got them. i was admiring her for everything she was doing until i read she was only 16.. sorry but that is way too young, after reading she was sixteen admiration was gone and i just felt sorry for her because she’s rushing way too fast into all that heavy modification.
I have always found lip plates fascinating. Not sure if I would ever stretch my lip though. Im quite happy with my 14g gold CBR in my lip and it doesnt rub against my gums thank god. Thats my biggest fear if I were to stretch my lip. Im scared of damaging my teeth or gums. Same reason why I wont stretch my tongue past an 8g. Im afraid I might be pushing it already with two tongue piercings and a lip ring. Im afraid that if I have any more oral piercings or stretch the ones I have then I will do some serious damage to my teeth and gums.
BTW G.C and Duff have amazing looking lip plates. I think they look great and very unique.
Yea some people can stretch things so fast that its unbelievable. My body has never been stretchy at all. I always had to do my stretchings way slower than anyone I know. With my ears I always had to wait 3 months between each 1mm or 1\2mm. My skin just isnt that stretchy.
“if I’m going down on a girl I turn my head sideways and stick the plate right up there (oh no he ditant!!!).”
hahaha
how odd
Regarding damage it really does depend on the shape of your mouth and who pierced you. I know a girl who got a labret piercing and within two months it made her gums receed a lot. But then I know people who have had labret piercings for many years with absolutely no problem.
I thank G-d everyday that we are all different. Otherwise, the world would be so boring.