BME: Body Modification Ezine

A tattooed person suspends from hooks, laying flat, one leg higher than the other. Their head is back, and they seem to be smiling, dark hair dangling like an anime character.

Celebrating body modification culture since 1994.

Author: Rob

  • Everyone makes mistakes, right?

    Written by

    Rob

    ModBlog reader Brendan sent me this link of a news story NBC posted recently.  It seems that a plastic surgeon has invented a “new surgery” that can reverse the process of stretched ears.

    When Daniel Bocchino was 16, he started stretching his ear lobes, expanding them until he had an inch-wide hole in each lobe. But by the time he was 19, he was so over the piercing trend known as ear gauging.  He removed the thick plugs from his lobes and slathered the holes with all kinds of weird ointments and creams, hoping the stretched-out skin would just shrink back up. But that’s not how it works — once that hole is stretched any wider than 6 millimeters, there’s no going back.

    Glatt, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Morristown, N.J., says he’s seeing more people — mostly young people, and mostly men — who started gauging their ears as teenagers and are now joining the military, seeking a professional job or, like Bocchino, are simply over the fad, and are trying to figure out how to fill that hole back up.  The surgery takes about half an hour per ear, and costs anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000, which Bocchino paid for himself with the money he makes as a tattoo artist. He says he’s happy about the results — the worst part of it all was probably telling his parents he regretted gauging his ears in the first place.

    So it seems the good doctor, and the reporters at NBC have found a way to save all of the people with stretched lobes from the future embarrassment of facing the world when this silly fad is over.

    Excuse me while I slam the palm of my hand into my forehead.

    Color me shocked that a news outlet wouldn’t do research into a story before going to print with it.  Aside from the obviously degrading language being used towards those with stretched lobes, there’s also the fact that the article is claiming that this doctor is the first person to figure out how to “fix” the lobes, and charges quite a bit for the reconstruction.  It’s ok NBC.  Everyone makes mistakes.

    For those of you who don’t feel that your choice of modifications is part of a fad, then kindly enjoy this image of a woman who is obviously upset with her lobes and is regretting ever having stretched them.  You can see the sadness in her eyes that tell the story of how the only job she can get because of her lobes is that of a cutlery rack.

    forks

    Seriously.  That’s the saddest face I’ve ever seen.  There’s no way I could make a mistake about that.  Could I?

  • How can you mend a broken heart?

    Written by

    Rob

    First things first.  Take a minute to enjoy the Al Green.  Now think to yourself, how does one mend a broken heart.  The sarcastic ones out there will naturally say “bypass surgery”, but to anyone who has ever suffered having a broken heart, there is no one single answer.  Some people find solace in food.  Others in the company of friends and family.  A lot just need the passage of time to help heal their wounds.  But for a great many, music is the cure for their ails.  If you think about how many songs have been written about lost loves and heartbreak, you’ll spend months trying to finish the list.  I’m pretty sure the entire country music industry wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for heartbreak.

    So when I saw this tattoo in the galleries I thought to myself, what music do I turn to when I’m down?  I couldn’t really pinpoint a single song, but I’m pretty sure it’s something loud and obnoxious.  For others, it could be a soft pop song from the 80s that John Hughes used in one of his films.  I’m sure those who enjoy country music have an ample supply.  The point is, everyone deals with heartbreak differently.  To mtpchick18, music is what helps her through a breakup.

    music

    What about you?  What music do you listen to when your heart is lying shattered on the floor?

  • Shazam!

    Written by

    Rob

    I need to say something first before the die-hard comic fans storm my place with torches and pitchforks.  I know that the character’s name is Captain Marvel, but dagnabbit, “Shazam!” makes for such a better headline!

    Let me share a story with you.  A long long time ago, I had to do some form of assignment for my grade 4 class.  The details are exceedingly fuzzy, but I do know that Captain Marvel was the subject, and for some reason I recall hounding some guy at a local comic book shop for days, grilling him on everything Captain Marvel related.  In the end, I somehow convinced him to come to my class and do a talk on The Big Red Cheese.  Since then, I haven’t really given much thought to Billy Batson, other than seeing an image of him here or there in my travels.  So imagine my surprise when I saw this image of Captain Marvel in the cartoon tattoo galleries.

    shazam

    I think what I like most about the image is that it’s closer to Alex Ross’ take on Captain Marvel, as opposed to the traditional “cartoony” feel that is normally associated with him.

    It’s pretty interesting to think that there’s an entire generation’s worth of superheroes that never made the transition to modern popular culture.  Be it simply because the publisher shut down, or the rights were never picked up by Marvel or DC when they took to the forefront of the industry.  All the independent/small scale publishers fell by the wayside over 60 years ago, and anything that wasn’t bought up has slipped into obscurity.

    Do you have a tattoo or something else related to an obscure comic/cartoon/other?  Send it my way.

  • The mind can play strange tricks

    Written by

    Rob

    The first thing you’re going to notice about this post is that the image is behind the “read more” button.  There’s a reason for that, and I’ll get into it momentarily.

    ModBlog readers and BME members alike are very familiar with the human body.  Every day we see an image or hear a story about someone pushing their body to the extreme.  The surgical and hard galleries are a prime example of this.  It’s safe to say that the average ModBlog reader isn’t really the squeamish sort with it comes to modifications, which is why the majority of us have no problems looking at images of all sorts of mods.

    The image you’ll see below would hardly be classified as an extreme image.  In fact it’s pretty tame compared to most of the “Guess what?” images that get posted (especially today’s), but what the image lacks in it’s overt graphic content, it makes up for it the viewer’s mind.

    What I suppose I’m getting at here, is that no matter what images we see on a day to day basis, the mind can always come up with something that goes beyond the content of the image.  Often times the images on ModBlog are the “after” or “during” photos, where we get to see the process and the end result of the subject matter.  In the image below, we’re seeing what is potentially a “before” image.  It’s these images that the mind can have a field day with.  You can see the potential outcomes, and it is your mind that fills in the blanks.

    Like the image I posted last week of a girl moments away from suspending, this image has captured a moment in which the anticipation can be felt.  The moment where you know something is about to happen, where you hold your breath and the adrenaline begins to flow.  That is precisely what this image says to me.  And while I look at images daily that would make a surgeon cringe, this is probably the first image I’ve come across that really made me put my mind in the place of the person who took the picture.  I was right there, in the moment, and my mind went into overdrive producing exactly the type of reaction one would have in a moment such as this.  I held my breath, and braced myself for what was about to happen.  Of course it didn’t, but in my mind it sure did.  Which of course made me want to share this with you, the ModBlog reader.

    Now as you can probably assume by now, the image definitely has genitalia, so I’ve placed it behind a link so those of you browsing at work won’t get into too much trouble.  So without further ado, the image in question…

    scissors

    So as I said, the image itself is pretty tame compared to most ModBlog images, but the anonymous uploader has really captured a great moment in his frenum piercing play.  It’s interesting because I know in my mind that if it had been any other object placed in the piercing, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.  With the scissors though, you can guess where my head (ha!) went.

    What about you?  Does the image do for you what it did to me?  Or am I just a big wuss?

  • I wanna do bad things with you

    Written by

    Rob

    I’m 100% positive I’m not the only True Blood fan that reads ModBlog, as evidenced by the following photo uploaded by Gabriel Cece.  I just finished watching last Sunday’s episode when I saw this image had been uploaded to the fantasy tattoo galleries, and I immediately had the urge to re-watch the entire series from the beginning all over again.

    trueblood

    I have a feeling that the comments section will probably be filled with comments about the show, so while I can ask that nobody posts spoilers from the most recent episode, I can’t guarantee it won’t happen.  So consider yourself warned.

    To those of us who have also read the books, what are your thoughts on the differences between them and the TV series?

  • Who needs an iTouch when your body can do the same job?

    Written by

    Rob

    I think it’s safe to say the following story can be filed under the “That’s so freaking cool” category.

    It seems a design firm has started to make headway into what can best be described as interactive tattoos.  The theory behind the tech is that the electronics are printed onto a person’s skin (in the form of a tattoo design) and the body’s energy fuels the devices so that you can essentially turn your body into an interactive computer.  No need for a cell phone when you can tap your arm and it will make the phone call for you.

    frog-dattoos1

    The DNA Tattoo, or Dattoo, could include printable input/output tools such as a camera, microphone, or laser-loudspeaker – it would be up to the user, as would the Dattoo’s aesthetics. Most intriguingly, it would capture its wearer’s DNA, to ensure an intimate user/machine relationship.  This meant that the body itself would need to become the interface, and would supply the required energy. Because Dattoos would largely replace three-dimensional tools such as smart phones or laptops, the environment would be spared the costs of producing, transporting and disposing of those items.

    Despite evoking creepy Matrix-like images of permanent implants, Dattoos would actually be temporary and minimally-invasive. They could even be applied to clothing or other objects, instead of the skin. At the end of the day, they would simply be washed off. The next day, depending on what the user planned to do, they could order up and apply a new one.

    The long term goal of the project is to be able to incorporate LED screens into the designs so that your body will completely replace your cell phone and laptop.

    I have a bit of mixed feelings on this one.  While on one hand this looks really cool in theory, in practice, I’d be a little scared to be linked to a computer through my DNA when SkyNet goes live and judgement day hits.

    What about you?  Would you be willing to use a stick-on tattoo design computer if it meant you could replace all your portable technology?

  • The more you know

    Written by

    Rob

    We spend a lot of time on ModBlog talking about the image galleries, and the wide variety of images contained within them.  In addition to the galleries, the stories, and ModBlog, BMEzine is host to it’s own Wiki.  It’s a great resource to get information regarding all sorts of topics that cover the entire spectrum of the body modification world.

    Today I wanted to share with you an article about an unusual form of scar that at one point was extremely popular in certain parts of the world.

    dueling_scar-11

    What you’re seeing here is what is known as a dueling scar or Renommierschmiss.  I’ll let the Wiki explain.

    At the turn of the 20th century, the dueling scar (or bragging scar, or Renommierschmiss) was popularized by upper-class Austrians and Germans who saw it as a mark of their class and honor, due to the social importance of dueling societies at Austrian universities at the time. If you were a doctor, lawyer, or professor, the dueling scar was a tattoo that signified your inclusion in an elite social rank, and visitors to university cafes would expect to see young men with bandaged faces.

    The sport at the time was very different from modern fencing. The men used heavy sabers, and took turns chopping at each other five times apiece repeatedly. While padding was worn, the goal was to be injured. Kevin McAleer (author of Dueling: The Cult of Honor in Fin-de-Siecle Germany) writes,

    The idea was to stand your man and show courage—not to inflict a wound, but to be wounded. That’s the very strange part of it—the true winner was he who walked away with a nice juicy scar, to show that he’d stood the test. The point was not to get the other guy, but to show that you could take it. You’d get these guys who looked like they’d walked into a propeller. It was pretty gnarly, but the guys were damn proud to look that way.

    The scars showed you had courage and education, and were good husband material. A lot of these kids were rather good-looking, and you didn’t have to ruin your whole face in dueling. The scars usually accumulated on the left side of the face, so from the right profile, he still looked good. And even if it was an ugly, knotted scar, women were attracted by everything it implied, and the pride with which the wearer bore it.

    The main thing we’ve learned from this, is that no matter the culture or the era, chicks dig scars.

    But seriously, it seems that while the practice of dueling for scars seems to have faded over time, the practice of intentional scarification has definitely carried on.  Now I haven’t had the pleasure of getting a gnarly, unintentional scar, but I’m sure some of you have.  Anyone have a “I got this scar when…” story to share?

  • Dance your cares away

    Written by

    Rob

    Fragglegirl uploaded this image, and I just had to share it.  While I loved the Muppet Show growing up, I only really was able to watch re-runs.  Now Fraggle Rock?  I was five when it first hit the air, so I was pretty much the target audience.  I was also shocked to learn that Fraggle Rock only aired on HBO in the US.  So while we (Canucks) got the Fraggles every week courtesy the CBC, if you lived below the 49th parallel you needed your parents to shell out for cable in order to see it.

    fraggle

    If you head over to the cartoon tattoo galleries, you can see which Fraggle resides in her other armpit.

    So, who/what was your favorite Muppet?

  • ,

    El Arte de la Muerta

    Written by

    Rob

    As many ModBlog readers know, I like to showcase events that contribute to a charity in some form or another.  It also helps if they are related to the mod community in some fashion.  I received the following in my inbox over the weekend and I thought it would be good to share.

    artshowaddwithdate-copy

    We are excited to inform you of our upcoming art show, El Arte de la Muerta (Art of the Dead). Held in the growing community of midtown Toronto, this show will be a gathering of some of the most talented tattoo artists Canada wide and tattoo enthusiasts in the nation. While celebrating the rich culture and vibrancy of the Day of the Dead, we also challenge the tattoo community at large in an effort to raise money for Art City St. James, a program dedicated to bringing art into the lives of underprivileged and troubled youth.

    I know that when these guys host an art show, it’s not something to be missed.  As it stands, they’re still looking for donations of artworks, so if you’re a tattoo artist interested in creating something to help out a good cause, get in touch with George at Seven Crowns Tattoo in Toronto (416 – 322 – 7696).

  • In other news, water is wet

    Written by

    Rob

    Every day I get a large number of news stories in my inbox.  Some from ModBlog readers (Botexty, Quinnchick and Nexizydrate, I’m looking at you), but mostly from google news alerts.  The problem with google news alerts is sometimes I’ll get stories that are unrelated to mods completely.  To give a quick example, every day, for the past few months, I’ve gotten at least one story regarding the casting choices for the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  While the original films are fantastic, I just want the US ones made so I don’t have to hear the latest Hollywood casting gossip.

    While I do get unrelated stories all the time, I do get quite a few stories that are relevant, and some that are ModBlog worthy.  Then, every once in a while, I get a story that makes my eyes roll.  This is one of them.

    Tongue piercing was a ritual tradition of the Maya and the Aztecs, ancient and — apparently — gap-toothed peoples. Now the dental cause and effect has been established: Those who choose to pierce their tongues run the risk of developing a gap between their teeth, says a report from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine.

    Lets just stop right there for a moment.  A study was conducted to find out if someone put a piece of metal in their mouth, and over the course of several years of constantly pressing it against ones teeth, it would cause dental problems.

    The case study, led by Sawsan Tabbaa, an assistant professor of orthodontics at the UB School of Dental Medicine, involved a 26-year-old female patient who had developed a large space between her upper front teeth. She’d had a barbell-shaped tongue stud inserted seven years earlier.

    The patient reported “playing” on a daily basis with her stud  — a term commonly used by people with tongue piercings to describe the habit of pushing the metal stud up against and between their upper front teeth. Over time, the patient’s front teeth separated, creating a gap large enough to permit her stud to push through.

    The article basically goes on to pretty much state the obvious.  It’s almost as if these people had never thought that metal + pressure = tooth movement.  I wonder if they could invent something that could move the teeth to fix them.  Like a metal bracing or something to slowly adjust the teeth over time.

    Unfortunately this article will probably be cited repeatedly by people condemning oral piercings, not realizing that with proper care and awareness, the chance of a problem diminishes greatly.

    We here at ModBlog feel much differently about piercings.  Well, today is state the obvious day right?  Anyway, here’s an recent addition to the tongue piercing galleries.  The uploader is “9jlt-ajaaah”, and it was submitted to us from Tallinn, Estonia.  I think the image sums up how I feel about people who think reporting the obvious can count as news.

    tongue

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