so NatGeo -- or National Geographic, as not-quite-as-hip folks call it -- has this show called Taboo that pretty much rocks. it explores, for those of you who weren't tipped off by the title of the show, culturally taboo topics. in very typical NatGeo fashion. which i love.
body modifications is one of those topics. and of most specific interest to me is the oh so very taboo art of neck stretching.
now here is something that looks like fun.
according to trusty wikipedia:
The custom of wearing neck rings is related to an ideal of beauty: an elongated neck.
while we opt for fishnets and red lipstick, the fine women of a few African and Asian cultures prefer wrapping bands of metal around their necks, thus
twisting the collar bone and eventually the upper ribs at an angle 45 degrees lower than what is natural, causing the illusion of an elongated neck.
much like that of a giraffe.
and while you may oohhhh and ahhhh and the sight of shiny gold, i can assure you that the naked neck of these two gals is not necessarily a sight for sore eyes.
now before you bash me for my lacking appreciation of cultures outside of mine own, i must state that i fully support women and men around the world for their "taboo" practices and cultural expressions which i may or may not completely understand. (by the way, NatGeo called it taboo. i did not)
my only point is that if the sole purpose of this neck stretching phenomenon is to create an "ideal of beauty," someone might want to let these chicks know that fishnets and red lipstick can have a similar effect. and cause a significantly less amount of discomfort.
nevermind disfiguration.
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