Take that You...You, Bagel Head!

[Undertow]

Very cool.

This is the thing I love about Japan: Anything goes; it's brilliant.

I've noticed that with Japanese culture. I mean they take weird ideas to the extreme sometimes. I don't know what to say about it...

It's weird, yes, but is it creative? Can you call something like this creative? Or innovative? What do you call something like this? In all seriousness? Is this a sign of an unhealthy society; when kids are injecting their foreheads with saline solution and making "bagel" shapes? Or is this just something we don't appreciate on this side of the time zone divide?

 

[LizzieMaine]

All I know is the only time I've ever actually seen anything like this in real life, I had to buy a ticket.

 

[ButteMT61]

I've noticed that with Japanese culture. I mean they take weird ideas to the extreme sometimes. I don't know what to say about it...It's weird, yes, but is it creative? Can you call something like this creative? Or innovative? What do you call something like this? In all seriousness? Is this a sign of an unhealthy society; when kids are injecting their foreheads with saline solution and making "bagel" shapes? Or is this just something we don't appreciate on this side of the time zone divide?

I'm more than happy to be called any name in the book: It's stupid, looks asinine, and if that's "art" or whatever passes these days for being "creative", I'll pass. I see zero value in being such a freak unless you're towing a cage behind you with a two-headed cow...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Of course, in America we have our own saline-inflated self-made freaks. The only difference is the bulges are below the neck.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It's just people doing something relatively harmless that they think is fun. Is it really any weirder than Mr Grey Suit getting off work at 5, and cosplaying all night, literally becoming a Pokemon character? This scenario is very common in Japan, and no-one bats an eyelid at that, even from within the business Mr Grey Suit works at, in Japanese cities (at least they don't seem to). There seems to be a healthy acceptance that what happens in your free time has no bearing on your work.

Not saying I think that would be fun (the cosplay or the pastryface), but diversity is the spice of life. I thought I saw a lot of "different" looking people in London. Then I visited Japan.

Rather be and look interesting than a drone, is what I say.

 

[ButteMT61]

I'll take drone. Bzzzzz.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I think the difference between that and cosplay is that in the case of the latter you can take off the costume when you're done.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'll grant that the dough-head thing is at least more creative than the usual vampire/demon/monster/devil stuff that you see in some of the other photos. I know the intent of that stuff is to shock and disturb the viewer, but to me it just looks like the sort of thing kids used to doodle on their notebook covers in the seventh grade.

What I'd like to see is people making themselves look like comic strip characters. Let's have a few kids remake their faces to look like Popeye or Dick Tracy or Andy Gump. That'd be creative *and* on-topic for the Lounge.

 

[Paul Roerich]

What I'd like to see is people making themselves look like comic strip characters. Let's have a few kids remake their faces to look like ...Dick Tracy...

Yes.

 

[Flicka]

I always think about the medical implications when I see stuff like this. How much fun can it be to have a bag of empty skin on your forehead later in life? Will it necessitate a facelife? And crikey, it has to hurt something awful.

Then again, body modifications have existed for as long as the human race. It's an anthropological and historical fact. From a global perspective it really isn't all that special, although I would still call it innovative and creative. I also think it looks completely and utterly idiotic and see absolutely no point in it and wouldn't even do it myself for a million pounds and a chance to snog Ben Barnes.

But I do like Lizzie's idea. Somebody should go Popeye. It'd be completely awesome.

 

[Feraud]

Looks like those attention seeking Canadians are to blame..

The trend was initially sparked by the artist Ryoichi "Keroppy" Maeda, according to an interview in Vice last year. He told the magazine how he came across it in Toronto, Canada, at the extreme body modification convention Modcon in 1999.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I thought "extreme body modification" in Canada was the result of eating too much poutine.

 

[sheeplady]

It's just people doing something relatively harmless that they think is fun. Is it really any weirder than Mr Grey Suit getting off work at 5, and cosplaying all night, literally becoming a Pokemon character? This scenario is very common in Japan, and no-one bats an eyelid at that, even from within the business Mr Grey Suit works at, in Japanese cities (at least they don't seem to). There seems to be a healthy acceptance that what happens in your free time has no bearing on your work.

Not saying I think that would be fun (the cosplay or the pastryface), but diversity is the spice of life. I thought I saw a lot of "different" looking people in London. Then I visited Japan.

Rather be and look interesting than a drone, is what I say.

It doesn't seem to be permanent. Even if it was, I'd say I'm ok with it. Not my taste, but seriously, none of my business. Piercing your ears is a lot more permanent than this- and I did that as a child- in my doctor's office. Heck, people pierce their babies ears- some cultures do it right in the hospital after the baby is born.

At one time, my grandmother found her daughters' pierced ears horrific- I believe her words were "I don't know where I went wrong with my children that they turned into w***** and put holes in their ears" when my mom got her ears pierced in her 20s (this was the 1960s). When my grandmother died about 30 years later, she had 4 piercings in one ear and 3 in the other. I can remember her trying to convince my mother to pierce my ears so she could buy me earrings- when I was 8- my mom finally caved when I was 12. So... yeah, perceptions of body modification change. I just think that's a funny story.

 

[Paul Roerich]

...and a chance to snog Ben Barnes.

In case other Loungers were wondering ... https://www.google.com/search?q="be...4MIXB2QWC7IDADg&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=637

 

[Undertow]

Careful what you ask for...

 

[LizzieMaine]

That guy in the top picture is actually from my town, a lovable old coot who used to dress up as Popeye as part of King Neptune's Court at our annual Maine Lobster Festival. His job was to guard the Sea Princesses as they competed in the Maine Sea Goddess pageant, and by all accounts, all the girls were scared stiff.

Once some local hoods broke into his house and tried to rob him. Let's just say that was a very bad move.

 

[scottyrocks]

I'll attribute my view to advancing age, but the bagel head thing is a genuine WTF moment for me. That's all.

 

[Feraud]

I'd suggest it has nothing to do with age. The bagelhead look is disgusting and there's nothing cutting edge or hip or whatever about it.
I guess it's all harmless fun until the skin on your forehead droops from too much bageling..

 

[Paul Roerich]

Some enterprising baker in Japan should make bagels with the form of a human face popping out of them.

 

[dhermann1]

I just think self mutilation is sick sick sick. Period.