Primitive urges cling to modern society
hamngs, bodybuilding
rituals of modification
By Brian Zikmund
Diversions Contributor
Modern Primitive: A non-tribal per
son who responds to primal urges
and does something with the body.
— Fakir Musafar
We’re not as modern as we like
to think, and more primitive than
we like to admit.
All over the place these days it’s
Modern Primitives this, Modern
Primitivism that. But just what —
and who — the hell does it mean?
Huh? Is it just tattoos, nose rings
and pierced penises? Is it just them,
you know, those people over there,
the ones who aren’t like you?
No. It’s anyone who shapes or
modifies their bodies according to
certain rituals, visions, or just be
cause they want to.
I guess that covers just about
everybody, doesn’t it?Not just
people with tattoos and nose rings
and pierced penises.
Under the above definition, we’re
all modern primitives. F.vcrybody
with earrings, bodybuilders, any
one who has plastic surgery — you
name it.
Anyone who adorns or shapes
their body according to an aes
thetic vision — regardless of the
origin of that vision and whether
they are conscious of it — is prac
ticing body modification, a practice
thathasbecn part ofhuman culture
since what passes for humanity
evolved an attention span long
enough to facilitate tinkering.
So every time you hit the gym or
the Fake-and-Bake salon, put on
makeup, get that nose job you’ve
always wanted or^have your what
ever,you are modifying your body,
and with it your reality.
Which is exactly the point.
1 hink about all the time people
spend modifying their bodies in
“socially acceptable" ways—things
like short hair for males, leg shav
ing for females — and realize that
body manipulation is an integral
part of our fine and dandy,
See PRIMITIVE on 11
Julia Mikolajcik/DN
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