Going against the grain
Japan is known to be progressive in the realm of social trends. Once again, they have created an attention grabbing phenomena. Japanese artist and big name in the “modcon” body art world, Keroppy, has topped some of his past innovations with an act called “bagelheading”. In this temporary body modification, about 400cc of saline is dripped slowly into the forehead for a span of 2 hours, creating a large bubble beneath the skin. The modifier then presses their thumb into the bulge, creating a bagel-esque shape, hence the phrase “bagelheading”. Despite the slight stinging sensation that occurs during the process, and the fact that the saline solution gets absorbed into the body within 24 hours of injection, it is becoming a fad. Taboo recently recorded an episode following three people during this time period.
We recently learned that the population tends to follow the actions of those that acted before them. This may be because they believe those who already acted may have exclusive information that caused them to choose in such a way. They may also choose to follow the majority due to the direct-benefit effect, in which something is enjoyed because it is enjoyable due to the large amount of people participating in it, such as Facebook and YouTube. However, there is a unique sub-culture in which enjoyment is found in going against the crowd. Once a trend goes from generally unknown to fairly mainstream, it is often discarded to be replaced with a new, usually more extreme one. The article even states that “The more progressive the scene gets, the more these people have to experiment and go their own way.” Odds are that once this catches on, the cyclic hunt for the next way to shock fellow citizens will continue. As opposed to wanting to fit in with everyone else, following the trends set forth by Hollywood and celebrities, these groups, and occasionally individuals, decide to pave their own path. Some of the fads of today were created by “outcasts” that have become integrated into today’s society, such as certain music genres. However, others die out, some without even getting any attention that they desired, or deserved.
. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/bagel-head-forehead-injections-japan-saline_n_1916188.html
-avs47