Body Modification

I just watched a documentary on Netflix called Modify. It's all about body modifications and the issues surrounding it. As a movie, it was good. It got me thinking and I learned some crazy things people do to their bodies. For those considering watching it, it's not for the squeamish. They show graphic operations on different body parts, including genitalia.

The documentary covered all kinds of issues surrounding body modification. It discussed the legality of it, the ethics of it, how it is perceived in religions, and the judgement and discrimination that comes with major modifications. As far as my opinion, I think it should be legal. Why not? If someone has the money and lack of social inhibition to make them look like a cat or a lizard then go for it. It's not imposing on my rights. Is it ethical? Well, seeing as it is not being pushed, sure. It can lead to addiction, but so can gambling and caffeine. I don't think doctors should push a penis split or a boob job, but beyond that I don't think it's wrong to allow. But what I don't understand is how people can be mad about the job discrimination. If you are putting that much work into looking different from the world, don't be angry when the world rejects you. I mean as a person, yes, you shouldn't treat someone like dirt for making themselves look different. I don't think I should be required to wear clothes when I go out in public, I think human bodies should not be seen as taboo, but I'm not going to go outside completely naked and expect people to be okay with it. If that's a stance I want to take someday, good for me. But if you are going to do that kind of stuff have common sense. I mean I wouldn't hire the cat man as a customer service worker. I might think he looks stunning, but I know he will make people uncomfortable. Whether that should be the way it is or not is irrelevant, it is what it is right now.

But I do sympathize with people who do feel judged. We all need a little rebellion from society, I think it's healthy. For some it's smoking the occasional cigarette, for some it's having eight-inch gauges. It's really not that big of a deal. We all modify our bodies to some extent. People pierce their ears, get their bodies waxed, get tattoos, etc. Even working out is a body modification. While I find radical body modifications unattractive, it doesn't really matter. It might look weird to most, but it's their body, not mine.

While I would never do this to myself, I still geeked out when  I saw it.

Social aspect aside, I would never go as far as most these people have gone. While I am not all about being completely natural (yes, I manscape some body hair), there is a big part of me that wants to look human. Putting implants on my arms or having my penis split just looks unattractive to me, it looks alien. I am more comfortable slightly modifying the body I have, like trimming some body hair, and who knows? Maybe one day I'll even get a discrete tattoo.