Prompt 7

When looking at any form of body modification there will always be a group of people who view it as normal, while others see it as something radical. In class we have been looking at modifications that, to society ‘the norm’, seem radical. But when the roles are reversed, this so called ‘radical’ crowd of modifiers is the norm, and those who partake in modification such as being young, thin and fit are those being radical. As we saw in the first unit, it’s all a matter of perspective.
In today’s society people will take extreme measures to obtain these characteristics of a normative body. Over the past decade we have seen a boom in the cosmetic industry. Everything from plastic surgery, cosmetics and beauty shows on television such as The Swan etc… We see girls as young as 10 years old worrying about their weight and struggling with eating disorders and self esteem issues. Teenagers and adults will spend hours upon hours at the gym trying to maintain a fit figure.
All of these acts that people partake in to fit the normative body standard could seem just as radical to those who cover themselves in tattoos and piercings. Just as we have trouble understanding why someone would want to abuse their bodies in this way, they may be asking society the same exact question. Why do people go through all of this? What is it for? But because popular culture has made young, thin, and fit the standard for today’s society, this is what the normal community strives for.

Prompt 6

For me formal writing has always been two words that I’ve dreaded hearing. The idea of a 5 page paper where I’m racking my brain for 2 more pages of information has never been my idea of the ideal assignment. Over my college career, my experiences with formal writing have helped me construct a definition for what I find it to be. To me I find college writing to have a thesis statement followed by multiple paragraphs consisting of transition and topic sentences, a quote of some sort and information to back it up. These papers are to be concise and clear, while still being elaborate. You are expected to support your thesis throughout your paper and not stray from making that point.

Other acts of inscriptions that all bodies take part in are things such as hairstyles. The way we keep our hair, from cleanliness to style, can make a statement about our body. Those who have dirty and un-brushed hair may be seen as not conforming to the standards of society. The norm is to have clean, well kept and brushed hair. Other things that could fall into this category are plucking the eyebrows and of course shaving the legs or face for men.

I believe that there are certain limits to authorship of the body. As much freedom as we do have as individuals (and especially as citizens of the United States), there are always limits. There are both physical limits and in some ways social limits to authorship. The physical limits, as pointed out in Pitts book, are that at some point modifying the body will be limited by physical harm to the body. And in a social context, when authorship reaches a certain point, society and government will stop a person from acting any further by classifying it as self mutilation or classifying the person as mentally ill.

Prompt 5

The National Geographic Society views these foreign bodies or communities as unique and intriguing. They approach these cultures and their body modifications with respect. In so many of the portraits we have analyzed and websites we have looked at show these exotic bodies as strange and freakish because they are unlike those of Western society. I think National Geographic does a good job of observing these bodies’ differences and treating them as something different but GOOD.
The Marketplace’s “Inc.’s a bit more at ease with ink,” approaches tattoos and other body modifications as a growing norm in today’s society. It’s something they say is becoming more and more popular in the younger generations. It is slowly being accepted by older and younger crowds alike and unlike National Geographic’s view, something common and normal.
I think body piercing can be considered both exotic and a social norm. I think you have to look at the context of the piercing and body modifications to determine whether it is to be considered exotic. A tribal tattoo covering an entire arm on a foreign body can be seen as something exotic because of its differences from Western tattoos. But the same tattoo on a white body of someone who just thought it looked ‘cool’ and doesn’t have any meaning or significance behind it to me is not seen exotic. But with this it can be hard to determine who actually follows this lifestyle based on appearances. And a tribal tattoo versus a Texas star tattoo clearly shows how one can be seen as exotic and the other not.