While there are plenty episodes of MTV's True Life that are more entertaining than educational, from time to time there are a few that really give the viewer a glimpse of the struggles that some people go through.
The following three episodes are ones that I felt reflected various forms of body modification. Whether one hates the ink scribed in their skin for life, the surgical alterations to their body or the image that greets them in the mirror on a daily basis, these are all results of a personal choice. Many are made on a whim or without taking into consideration the long-term effects.
I Hate My Tattoos
To be honest, I had a hard time getting through this whole episode. Larry obviously had issues to deal with, including getting wasting and thinking that is a prime opportunity to get some new ink. There are a number of reasons that this is a bad idea, and judging by the few pieces he was sporting, it should have served as evidence of such.
Ali made the unfortunate mistake of getting her fiance's name inked into her skin. Listen, I have no problem with what people want to do with their bodies, but more likely than not, the tattoo will outlast your current relationship. Yes, even I thought it would be cute to have someone's initial put on my finger [and thankfully it is covered up now], so I understand the mindset that a person could have in this kind of situation. The point is, if you are going to have a name scribed on you for the rest of your life, choose a relative or best buddy or child...or even your own. Anything is better than being angry at yourself and having to be forced to look at someone's name every day that you have only negative feelings towards.
Jayson was the biggest disappointment of the bunch. First of all, it was his girlfriend who wanted him to removed some of the more visible tattoos. Second, he already had a job, despite what it paid [money is money these days], so obviously they had no problem with his ink when they hired him. Finally, it should have been his choice as to whether or not he wanted to remove certain tattoos. Laser surgery is quite painful from what I hear, expensive [sometimes the cost can outweigh that of the tattoo being removed] and can leave nasty scars behind. Oh, and it seemed that Jayson's girlfriend was very concerned about him making more money. There is definitely other issues in the relationship than this. One should never feel they need to change to make someone else happy. True happiness begins with yourself.
Over one third of all Americans currently sport at least one tattoo. But what happens when you come to hate the markings you've permanently etched into your skin?
Larry is now sober after years of abusing drugs. He believes his ink will keep him from getting a decent job -- so Larry's mom has agreed to pay for their removal as long as he remains clean. Will Larry be able to fight his destructive urges -- or will his addictions prove too hard to overcome?
Ali was devastated when her fiance left her -- and now the sight of his name on her arm is making her skin crawl. Ali wants to get the tattoo covered up but is learning that the process isn't a simple one. Will Ali find a way to hide her ex's name -- or will she be forced to live with this painful reminder of her past?
Jayson's fiancee wants him to get his tattoos lasered off so he can land a higher paying job. But Jason is terrified of the pain involved and is having second thoughts. Can Jason endure this excruciating process so he can build a more solid future with his wife-to-be?
The mistakes of their past are indelibly inked on their bodies. Will they find a way to wipe the slate clean?
Watch this episode now: http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-hate-my-tattoos/1632057/playlist.jhtml
I Hate My Plastic Surgery
According to PlasticSurgery.org, 12.5 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2009, with about half of them being reconstructive. People age 13-19 had the least amount, while people age 40-54 make up the largest portion. Females receive 91% of all cosmetic procedures, and breast augmentation is still number one in the list of tip five procedures. Half of those are done with silicone implants.
With so many people going under the knife, eventually, something will go horrible wrong. In the case of Nikki and Amanda, they come to regret the choice of plastic surgery. In my opinion, neither of these women seemed to be overly flawed. However, I also understand that people often see something very different in the mirror than what an outside perspective can.
Nikki came across as one of those women who would never be satisfied, and the doctor even told her that there were pieces missing that had to be replaced. There is only a certain amount of times one can fix a body part before the risk grows to epic proportions.
On the other side was Amanda, who felt her breast implants were causing her to feel sick. While that has got to be quite aweful, I am glad she made the choice to take them out.
In the end, one must find beauty on the inside before that confidence can be carried on the outside. It is definitely not easy, and everyone will have an opinion of what they do or do not like. Some will even make a point of letting you know exactly what they think, and unfortunately this can be done in a very harsh, negative manner. Not everyone has a 'thick skin', and people do not stop to think that their words can have an impact on the psyche. Plastic surgery is also not the 'quick fix' to deeper problems, and should never be used as one, or surely the regrets will come quickly.
What if you underwent surgery to fix a part of your body that you didn't like and woke up with even bigger problems?
Nikki thought having a nose job would land her bigger jobs in her modeling career. But, when the surgery didn't turn out the way she wanted it to, Nikki had no where to turn than back to the drawing board -- another surgery.
For the past year, Amanda has been seriously ill. What may be the cause of her illness? Amanda thinks it all boils down to her breast implants and she plans to have them removed. Will she return to her old self after the removal?
Will Nikki and Amanda be able to feel secure, inside and out?
Watch this espisode now: http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-hate-my-plastic-surgery/1638794/playlist.jhtml
I Hate My Face
This final episode is slightly different than the first two, as it deals with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. However, I felt it was important to include, as the two individuals featured were considering plastic surgery to 'fix the flaws'.
As you watch the stories unfold, it becomes apparent that the girls really hate what they see in the mirror, and cannot understand why others see something different. One girl obsesses over every minor flaw in her face and uses a giant gem to distract people from looking at her nose. The other chooses to flaunt her body in order to keep the attention away from her face.
Surgery is definitely one of those permanent modifications to the body that carries with it numerous risks [including death] as well as a high cost, physically, mentally and emotionally speaking. What if the very sight of your own face made you disgusted every time you looked at it? That's the case for many people who suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a mental illness that causes individuals to obsess endlessly over perceived defects in their physical features.
Watch this episode now:http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-i-hate-my-face/1637321/playlist.jhtml
My very lovely and talented artist friend just sent me a link on the Offering's site that is promoting her interview for Issue 1. The two collaborated on a DVD featuring some of Lauren's work set to the music of the Offering.
Check out the article on their page: http://theoffering.co.uk/slider/links.html
Be sure to browse the website as well.
This is was one of the more unique interviews, as Lauren's modification has been her commitment to growing her nails. While it was not something really planned, she views them as "living sculptures" and obviously has no problem performing regular tasks, or making art for that matter.
The spark that ignited my urge to post this interview was spurred by this article posted on ModBlog back in March. For the most part, I keep my comments there limited to praise of body modifications that I personally find to be aesthetically pleasing. After all, everyone has their opinion of what they do and do not like, and obviously this will vary from person to person, so disagreements tend to rise up. There are plenty of far more entertaining things that I can waste my time on than arguing with anonymous people on the Internet, particularly in public space, so usually just laugh when less than intelligent comments are posted and move on.
However, it really irked me that someone would comment on this particular post with the 'better-than-thou' and 'I-know-more-than-you' attitude. While I know nothing about the girl in the photo, my decade of experience in the sideshow world and generally being a Carny bestows particular knowledge that most of society is not privy to. For someone to say that "the risks are in no way greater than the benefit", it literally made me laugh heartily. That would be like saying being able to shove a sharp object into your body to make a piercing is better than having to pay for the same at a reputable shop.
The bit about how this commenter was not allowed to give out certain details due to the risk of being "blackballed from the Magician's Association Guild" was definitely the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back and initiated my response. First of all, there is a clear separation between magic and sideshow, that being magic is completely an illusion and all about presentation, where as sideshow is definitely real people doing real things. Second, speaking candidly about an act that people obviously misunderstand is not giving away any type of closely guarded secrets.
My reply was posted under the guise of GWBFC to attain anonymity and certainly not shy to keep things blunt. For the record, I have not checked to see if there was any response; that is not the reason I posted. However, I will reiterate that I feel suggesting the risks of performing such an act are outweighed by the monetary reward [which seems to be prime motivation for any kind of sideshow performer, but I digress] is entirely irresponsible.
While one would hope that performers take into consideration the risks that come along with certain things, all too often people act first and deal with consequences later. Currency is one of the dirtiest objects circulating through society, and I am willing to bet that the stapler and the staples have not been sterilized. Or even remotely sanitized. What if someone were to grab the staple gun and goes to town on themselves? Sure, let's just wipe that off on our jeans, because there is no possible chance that blood or another bodily fluid is now on the gun and can enter my own body once the skin has been punctured by a staple. Taking this scenerio one step further, what if this person has a potentially fatal disease?
Needles are one-time-use for a purpose; it cuts out the risk of cross-contamination and the risk of passing on diseases from one person to the next. This is the whole reason piercing guns are bad [and should be illegal], and applies to sharing a staple gun as well. In all honesty, I have seen people use their staple guns for other purpose [i.e. putting up fliers on telephone poles] and then later on handed it to a stranger to have money stapled to their body. There was also an instance during a live show, where another performer grabbed the staple gun and shot a couple of rounds into themselves; the same gun was used by another performer minutes later without being cleaned off in any way.
The main reason I have never elected to do this myself, is because I understand that all three objects involved are dirty. While the stapler and staples could be sterilized or sanitized, money cannot be. Swallowing swords carries the risk of death, and I would much rather do that any day of the week. At least I know where they go and what they have come in contact with, not to mention the fact that I can clean them before and after every use. In the end, this is my personal choice, and if people are happy having money stapled to their body, more power to you. However, treating the act like it's no big deal only further fuels people's carelessness and disregard of the risks involved.
Having said all this, I felt compelled to share an interview that I conducted with Barry Silver a couple of years ago, which appeared in Issue 2 of Alive On the Inside, in the hope to bring understanding to why people choose to inflict pain upon themselves, and most importantly, how to do it properly.
The current issue of James Taylor’s Shocked and Amazed features one of the most well-known Human Pincushions, the Torture King himself, Tim Cridland. On the cover is a picture of the Tim piercing his mandible (lower jar). To Barry Silver, the artist’s rendering of Mr. Cridland bears striking similarities to his own mandible piercing photo taken the first time he performed the routine on stage. The cover of Shocked and Amazed, however, was published before the photo of Barry’s performance was taken. It is merely a weird coincidence that Barry’s photo, taken by David Schmidt at the Palace of Wonders looks freakishly similar to Tim’s portrait. Or is it?
Taking several steps back to how this photograph even came into existence, we must travel down to the Palace of Wonders in D.C. During one of Barry Silver’s performances there, he impressed Kathleen Kotcher, co-writer of Shocked & Amazed, by piercing through his fore-arm at the end of his pin cushion act. Kathleen convinced James Taylor to attend his next show, where Barry duplicated the effort and also pierced his mandible on stage for the first time.To Barry’s surprise, after the show, Kathleen informed him that Tim Cridland would be on the cover of Shocked and Amazed performing the piercing. One month later, Barry posted the photo of the mandible piercing he performed at the Palace on myspace.com. About two weeks after that, the Shocked and Amazed cover was revealed for the first time.
Barry Silver’s inspiration to perform the piercing was derived from Tim Cridland and Red Stuart, photos from Shocked and Amazed, and a collection of intense live performances. Barry first learned about non-permanent mandible piercing by looking photos of Tim Cridland when at one point Tim was the only American performer actively doing the piercing in his pincushion routine. Barry learned play surface piercing from his best friend at the time Alex Hillman [online friend to Shannon Larrett of BME fame], and over the years he continued to educate himself, moving on to permanent piercing and then approaching Red Stuart to learn the tricks of a “stick man” aka human pincushion.
Initiation with Fakir John “Red” Stuart.
Barry’s pincushion initiation came in the form of being ‘stabbed’ with pins in a South Street coffee shop. That night, he practiced with corsage pins at every free moment. More research opened up the world of deep muscle piercings to Barry. It seemed that Tim was not the only person to enter that territory in terms of modern American sideshow fame. Barry continued his studies, finding that people were experimenting with permanent piercings in sensitive areas such as the neck and bicep. It was around this time a friend introduced him to Jon Cobb, who appreciated the act as a means of modification.Using the left forearm for “practice” [which Barry admitted could take more punishment as the left hand was unskilled to begin with] Barry pushed pins deep into his bodily tissue. After multiple surface piercings and permanent/non-pierced weightlifting Barry learned to stick pins into the legs and stomach. Advice came from Red Stuart, examining numerous books, and on-line sources when Barry started doing the deep muscle piercings such as the bicep, pectoral muscles etc… Barry sometimes still wonders how permanent a piercing in some of these spots can be, but after much research has decided against them for him for the most part.The small collection of Barry’s piercings [which right now include a septum, nipples, and genital] are meant to be personal, and the modifications of his non-permanent piercings are no different. Barry asked Red to teach him how to pierce the mandible, but was refused. Jon Cobb also turned down the request, citing that one had to have extensive knowledge of the mouth's anatomy.
How does an individual even come to the conclusion that they desire to pierce themselves? Even more so, to do it on a consistent basis as a form of entertainment? For Barry Silver, it began with the magic trick of putting a needle through a balloon. This sparked his interest in piercing. Hist first experience piercing another person was using a piercing gun on a young girl's ears during the time he worked at Spencer's Gifts. [Noted here that he did not want to use a piercing gun ever again.Red Stuart was the main visual reference for the pincushion act, as Barry had never seen anyone push a pin through the skin before for performance before meeting Red.
Using a syringe filled with liquid Barry would duplicate the act of piercing his cheek like he had seen Red do with a hat pin. Later, Barry was advised never to aim at the liquid crowd because of spreading germs, something brought to his attention by Jon Cobb.
Some of Barry’s magician friends used latex, glue, or other arm coverings to push pin thru to duplicate the old pincushion routine. Barry equated this to using a collapsing sword and saying you swallowed it. He was determined to seek out all the possible ways to do things.
Stick Man
There is a distinct difference between a “stick man” and Human Pincushion, though both perform the same type of act. The old stereotypical carnival “stick man” has no care for the consequences of his act; he willingly stabs himself with pins having little knowledge of the damage he can cause. Barry admittedly began this way - having friends play a form of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, where a body part would be named and then pierced. Hanging objects from surface piercings followed, and his scars serve as reminder of taking advantage of the act.
Barry feels that teaching others pincushion knowledge opens their minds. It shows the human bodies potential and that is not something easily taken in. Few people have the privilege of this knowledge. Putting a foreign object in the body can be disturbing to an audience, but it expresses the severity of the act. Even the medical community could benefit from observing the way a sharpened skewer easily slices through the skin, leaving behind no blood or marks. Nevertheless Barry shares his knowledge about the act with very few and select individuals.
Audience Participation
Including the audience in a pincushion demonstration can really open their mind to new possibilities which they did not know existed.
Having someone else push a pin through you adds a new level of safety and can result in pain, damage, or unnecessary risk. However, it proves the reality of what’s being done. Barry has found that people are often faint upon the request of participation.
Modification
There is much more to the Human Pincushion than simply jamming needles into flesh. After ‘the show’, the physical body has been altered. Though the pin may only be in place for a short period of time, there is a great deal of care and cleaning that must take place. Even still, weeks later there can be a sore reminder of a poorly done piercing, and as with all piercing there is a risk of damaging the body including but not limited to creating scar tissue.
Is the Pincushion act over after the show?
While the piercings may look temporary, this is not entirely true. Memories of past experiencesremain due to the expansion of the mind. Once pain is realized, it is no longer unknown, but it can still be felt.Repeating certain piercings certain ways can leave small marks that can become visible over time and never quite go away. Diving in before testing the waters may lead to emotional reactions from friends and family, or even perhaps a significant other.
Other Pincushion Acts
Additional pincushion acts that Barry began performing include the staple gun, which he had seen Red Stuart perform first. He tried it on himself at home [something we do not encourage readers to do!] on the arm. A few years later he was stapling most of his body parts, including the top of the head. Some things are not such good ideas and accidents have occurred. During one occasion where he received monetary compensation for allowing a staple to the forehead, Barry’s skull slightly cracked.
Extreme Acts
A year into the Human Pincushion routine, Barry realized he could include “Genital Geeking” as a ding, with weights and surface piercings being a part of that act. Then the Human Dartboard was added, which he figured out by himself after seeing Disgraceland Family Freakshow perform it at Whiskey Dix. He confirmed his ideas about the act with Red Stuart. Barry purchase darts and practiced having a friend throw the darts at him outside while the two were at Applebee’s for dinner.
Photos of Gangeesh [of Disgraceland] with his eyes sewn shut led to Barry and Jon teaming up to do hardcore surface piercings on Barry’s face [which have landed in The Unholy Sideshow Movie].
Nailing Tongue to a Wooden Board
Having his tongue pierced gave Barry the advantage of hammering it to a board. He would also put safety pins through healed permanent piercings as an extra at the end of the routine [taking care to ensure he explained how that was possible].
Mandible
The first photo Barry had seen of a mandible piercing had been done by Tim Cridland, but out of respect, he could not ask him how the piercing had been achieved, knowing Tim was the only one (main sideshow figure) still doing the act in the United States, as Red stopped doing the act a long time ago. Later Barry learned of another pincushion by the name of Murrugun, who bills himself as the “Prince of Pain” who also does the act.
Red refused to teach Barry how to pierce his mandible for his own safety.
The lack of people performing the mandible piercing in their pincushion act is due to the secrecy and danger of the piercing.
Collaborating with a friend, Barry ventured on a quest to attain all the data he would need to attempt it himself. In the past, Jon Cobb was making his pins. When Jon moved to Hawaii, Barry learned to make his own pins, unconsciously setting one aside for the purpose of the mandible piercing.
There was a day where Barry was secured in a regulation straitjacket, and after hours of being held captive inside it, having the cops called and generating curiosity, finally getting out of it, he realized once again, that things which may have seemed impossible where actually within grasp.
While having lunch with a friend one afternoon, Barry decided that would be the moment in time when he would first attempt the mandible piercing. The two went in the bathroom and found a suitable spot. The pin was held at the proper angle. Breathe. Pushing the pin, it glided through without hesitation, which opened the floodgates on endorphins that had been built up for three years [the length of time Barry had been considering this particular piercing]. The pin pulsed while inside, and then it was removed. There was no blood, mark or swelling, and the only pain was a small pinch from the withdraw.
Which brings me back to the beginning of this article, and the whole purpose of it being written.
The turn of events concerning the Shocked and Amazed cover prompted early release of information to dispel any notion that Barry Silver is attempting to copy Tim Cridland in any way shape or form. It is quite eerie in coincidence that a month after Barry posts a photo of himself with the mandible piercing, that a similar drawing of the Torture King exhibiting the same piercing appears on a notable sideshow publication. However, that’s all it is, and the facts presented here are for the purpose of ensuring no one else thinks or believes otherwise.
In closing, Barry would like to thank Red Stuart for teaching him the act, as well as Jon Cobb for his knowledge and support. All other knowledge for Barry’s pincushion act has been self-attained from numerous photos of other pincushions, pierced individuals in tribes, magazines, books, videos, and internet, and other media.
An opportunity for body modification artists and shops, body jewelry manufactures, bands, music labels, clothing labels, clothing shops, etc. to have a free ad placed in Issue 2 of Aesthetic Evolution. CURRENT SPACE AVAILABLE
Full Spread - 16" x 11" Full Page - 8" x 11" Quarter Page - 4" x 5"
Example of Full Spread [two page] ad Design: Lenore Lovelace
Example of Full Page ad. Design: Lenore Lovelace
Please note that there are a limited quantity of available slots for the above mentioned ad specs, which are filled on a first come, first serve basis.
Ads must be submitted in JPEG format and should be of high quality.
Further questions and submissions can be directed to: philthyangel@gmail.com
Currently collecting information for the second issue of Aesthetic Evolution. There is currently no set release date, but the sooner I can get this done, the better.
WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR
Anyone with a moderate amount of modifications. The more, the better.
Individual interviews are arranged into articles that use your own words, not just shout outs to the shops and penned by some person with a silly nick name.
Artist and shop interviews are pretty much the same, and all articles are accompanied by photographs.
Particularly interested in persons with heavy mods, i.e. large portions of the body covered in tattoos, large gauge piercings, etc.
In addition to that, the mods are not restricted to what most people are familiar with. Would love to find people that practice other forms of body modifications, such as serious waist training or having extremely long hair or nails.
COVER MODEL
Perhaps the most important part of the 'zine is the first image people are greeted with. The cover model also receives an extensive profile and feature article, as well as a full page pin-up. This individual must embody the overall message of the 'zine and will also act as a promoter for their issue.
CONTRIBUTORS
While I take great pride in the fact that that Aesthetic Evolution is a DIY venture, it would be nice to have a couple of other voices alongside my own.
Seeking writers for the following:
+Beauty: Make-up tutorials, product reviews; anything goes so long as it can some how be related to the intended subject.
+Fashion: How what we wear on our skin goes with what we wear in it.
+Local Reports: A chance to interview your favorite shop/artist.
+Editorials: Opinionated and not afraid to show it? Your words belong here.
WHAT YOU GET
Digital copy of your article to display where you please.
Print copy of the issue your article/photos appear in.
2011 CALENDAR
As a bonus to Issue 2 of Aesthetic Evolution, I thought it would be fun to shoot a full-size calendar.
Currently, there are eight slots open, and I am offering the choice of month in a first come first serve fashion.
ISSUE 2 RELEASE
To bring attention to my humble publication, I would love to have a right and proper party of sorts for the next issue of Aesthetic Evolution. Anyone that wants to volunteer to make this happen would have my undying thanks. Seeking sponsors and any suggestions of how to pull this off.
Part of the release would entail a competition of sorts, which would not only judge a persons body art and their dedication to the culture, but also their knowledge of its history. In other words, it's not just about alt-scene-whores and how much skin they can show.
If you are interested in anything mentioned here, please contact me ASAP.
While it has been far too long since I last updated this blog, I have not had access to the internet until now. Rest assured that I will do my best to present quality articles for public discussion.
Right now I am currently working on Issue 2, and details about how one can participate will be posted shortly.
In the meantime, I have decided to share a few images from Issue 1 in the hopes it might generate some interest.
Aesthetic Evolution - Interactive Magazine For The Body Modification Community
This is it, the official release of the premiere issue!
Overcoming numerous obstacles and cancelled shows, come celebrate the new revolution of body modification in print form, a completely DIY project that is meant to incite reader participation and hopefully will shed light on the reason individuals choose to modify the body. The goal is to have people from various regions and walks of life come together and celebrate the unity of individuality.
OUTLAW CIRKUS - Appearing for the first time in nearly five years, resurrected from the ashes of the legendary New Jersey underground circus and featuring the most debaucherous and dangerous circus sideshow acts around.
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS AND MANY MORE SURPRISES!
Copies of Issue #1 will be available for purchase!
According to the author of this article, Courtney Dunlop, bleaching or waxing the eyebrows is becoming a new trend, the result of which is "a very bizarre, androgynous alien creature completely void of expression."
This look was featured on the Fall 2009 runways of Balenciaga and Prada, where beauty and fashion editors were apparently shocked that the top models had been convinced to bleach their brows. As Dunlop put it, "then came Brazillian bombshell Adriana Lima as a brow-free Marilyn Manson-lookalike for the latest Givenchy campaign." The August issue of Italian Vouge features model Kristen McMenamy, who also sports the browless look, and has apparently been doing so on and off since the late 90's.
"A great question was posed in this article from the Daily Mail about whether or not the non-conformist trend will trickle down to the masses, like punk did in the 1970s.
I'm sure a few lovers of the avant garde will give it a go, but I don't see how anyone else in their right mind would want to embrace the look," Dunlop says.
The Daily Mail article explains "how eyebrows are linked to sex appeal and pretty much every expression a human face can make, which is why people look so alien when brows are taken away."
First and foremost, I would like to address the quipping insults that I felt were not needed. Certainly there is going to be a shock when someone decides to remove eyebrows, and of course I can agree that the result is somewhat alien-like. However, I feel that the look suits some people, as they have other elements to the over all appearance where the lack of brows fit in. Mr. Manson is also definitely not the innovator of shaved eyebrows. Anyone remember when David Bowie rocked the whole Ziggy Stardust persona? In that sense, I can totally see the alien connection, but he just happened to be playing that type of character so it worked.
The first time I even touched my eyebrows with a pair of tweezers was possibly in eight grade. Being a student of a Catholic school, we were not allowed to wear make-up or what they deemed 'unacceptable' hair accessories [they did not like my single braid with plastic beads], but for some reason I felt compulsion to pluck a few hairs from my brows. That eventually led to more preening, to get them a bit thinner since I felt they sat too close for my eyes.
Then the razor came out and my eyebrows were completely gone by the time I was a junior in high school. If memory serves me correct, I did it for Halloween to wear these stick-on rhinestone jewels that were meant for the eyes, but I felt they looked better as replacement brows. After that, there was much face doodling of different shapes, designs and colors. Make-up was definitely another art form to me then [as much as it is now], so I enjoyed experimenting with different things and making the administration uncomfortable.
Drawing on brows with eyeliner
With much practice and patience, the shape eventually became one I felt fit my face and did my best to replicate this when applying make-up. For special events or nites out at the club, I would get a bit more artistic and pretty much do whatever I felt like. Obviously there were many reactions by the public, with plenty of laughs and rude comments slung my way. However, there were also people who gave compliments, the best one being if my eyebrows were actually tattooed on. To me, that just meant I was doing such a good job that people could not tell if it was make-up or permanent ink.
Using make-up to give the effect of brows.
To be completely honest, it took some time for me to get used to seeing my reflection in the mirror and not have eyebrows. However, at some point, it no longer seemed like something out of the ordinary, and shaving them off became routine. There were a set of eyebrow and anti-eyebrow piercings I received in '02 I want to say, but not being happy with their symmetry, they were subsequently removed. While the scars are minimal, I still would like to have them done again in the future.
Subtle make-up and no brows.
My thoughts have turned to having permanent eyebrows, which is something I have been considering for about five or six years now. The first idea was to have cosmetic tattooing, so that the shape I wanted would always be there to serve as guide, and I could adjust color and shape as I desired. Then I met a few people who had what I like to call 'tribal dots', which are pretty much what they sound like; bold black circles that serve as replacement for the hairy eyebrows. Again I feel that this suits some people and not others, but of course it's all personal choice and do what makes you happy.
If curiosity leads one to wonder as to why I have not taken the plunge, I give you the honest truth. Tattooing my face is something I take very seriously. While I have facial piercings, they are usually kept at a small gague out of personal preference. My large ear lobes, neck tattoo and hand tattoo are most likely the things that get attention from the general public, and I cannot tell you how many times I hear whispers about how big the lobes are and other assorted nonsense. It's as tho I am somehow completely unaware of the things I have done to my body and people feel the need to point this out. Oddly enough, it is never to my face, but they sure talk loud enough for me to hear them. In any event, I have sat on the idea of facial tattoos for as long as I have to be absolutely sure it is what I want.
The trademark 'face dots'.
Memory fails as to the first time I ever made 'dots' on my face and looked in the mirror, wondering if they were something I wanted to see there on a daily basis. They started out small, more as accents to the blended colors of whatever make-up I had applied, and then evolved into more defined shapes as exampled by the image above. For the most part, the 'top dots' match whatever my hair color happens to be [it is currently black and will likely stay this way for a long time], while the 'bottom dots' either coordinated with the eyeshadow or color of whatever outfit I am wearing. Once again, I have had many people ask me if they are tattoos, and I have managed to even fool some of my friends.
Going back to Dunlop's article, I would like to say with much pride that I am in fact somone of sound mind who readily embraces being eyebrowless. There are plenty of women out there, mainly in subcutlures, who either tweeze thier brows or shave them off completely and draw them on in a variety of ways. As far as I know, this practice is not some widespread lunacy, but rather a concious choice made to please personal aesthetics. If people do not like it, they can simply direct their attention elsewhere and leave us expressionless aliens to be happy in our lack of brows.
Aesthetic Evolution: A New Revolution of Body Modification
For thousands of years, human kind has been altering the physical state of the body, utilizing tattoos, piercings, scarification and other means as marks of identification, be they for ritualistic, spiritual or beautification purposes. In an era where one can willingly lend the flesh to permanent change, there comes a single question that holds a plethora of answers.
Why do we modify?
Exploring all of the numerous reasons and responses, Aesthetic Evolution gets in the hearts and minds of individuals in order to share their personal journeys through words and photographs. The purpose is to educate and enlighten the public about all forms of body modification, showcasing people from all walks of life in an attempt to unify a community that still gets the ignorant stares and comments of the general public.
In the same vein as other efforts, Aesthetic Evolution strongly encourages participation, and all are treated as equally important. Let your voices be heard and your pride of modification be seen. Come join the new revolution of body modification, taking it out of the hands of mainstream society and giving it back to the tribal cultures from which they were born.
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