And I Quote...

“Yet she increased her whorings, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt and lusted after her paramours whose members were like those of donkeys and whose emissions was like that of stallions.” --The Bible

"Vice Pioneers" : Body Piercing

Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith's "Cryin'" video sparked the US masses


Doug Malloy: Spreader of false history, but stilled revered


Fakir Musafar: Modern Primitivism leader

Body piercing, like any artform, has an extensive history with several categories of interest. Below is an exploration of the rise in popularity of the medium. Remember Alicia Silverstone in Aerosmith's "Cryin" video? As for the statistics, they were rounded up 6 years ago so I bet the numbers and percentages have exploded.

From Wikipedia: Body adornment has only recently become a subject of serious scholarly research by archaeologists, who have been hampered in studying body piercing by a sparsity of primary sources. Early records rarely discussed the use of piercings or their meaning, and while jewellery is common among grave goods, the deterioration of the flesh that it once adorned makes it difficult to discern how the jewellery may have been used. Also, the modern record has been infiltrated with the 20th century inventions of piercing enthusiast Doug Malloy. In the 1960s and 1970s, Malloy marketed contemporary body piercing by giving it the patina of history. His pamphlet Body & Genital Piercing in Brief included such commonly reproduced urban legends as the notion that Prince Albert invented the piercing that shares his name in order to tame the appearance of his large penis in tight trousers and that Roman centurions attached their capes to nipple piercings. Some of Malloy's myths are reprinted as fact in subsequently published histories of piercing.

By the early part of the twentieth century, piercing of any body part had become uncommon in the West. After World War II, it began gathering steam among the gay male subculture. Even ear piercing for a time was culturally unacceptable for women, but that relatively common form of piercing began growing in popularity from the 1960s. In the 1970s, piercing began to expand, as the punk movement embraced it, featuring nontraditional adornment such as safety pins, and Fakir Musafar began popularizing it as a form of Modern Primitivism, which incorporated piercing elements from other cultures, such as stretching.

Body piercing was also heavily popularized in the United States by a group of Californians including Malloy and Ward, who is regarded as "the founding father of modern body piercing". In 1975, Ward opened a home-based piercing business in West Hollywood, which was followed in 1978 by the opening of Gauntlet Enterprises, "the first professional body piercing specialty studio in America." From it, Ward distributed the pamphlet which Malloy had written and Ward illustrated, disseminating much misinformation but stimulating interest in more exotic piercings. As word of body piercing spread to the wider community, Ward, Malloy and Musafar collaborated on launching the first publication dedicated to the subject, PFIQ.

A significant development in body piercing in England occurred in 1987, when during Operation Spanner, a group of homosexuals—including well known body piercer Alan Oversby—were convicted of assault for their involvement in consensual sadomasochism over a 10 year period, including acts of body piercing. The courts declared that decorative body piercing was not illegal, but that erotic body piercing was. Subsequently, the group Countdown on Spanner formed in 1992 in protest. The group appealed the decision before the High Court of Justice, the House of Lords and finally the European Commission of Human Rights, attempting to overturn the verdict which ruled consent immaterial in acts of sadomasochism, without success. In spite of their repeated failures, the situation publicized the issue, with The Times editorializing the court's decision as "illiberal nonsense" in 1993.

Body modification in general became more popular in the United States in the 1990s, as piercing also became more widespread, with growing availability and access to piercings of the navel, nose, eyebrows, lips, tongue, nipples and genitals. In 1993, a navel piercing was depicted in MTV Video Music Awards' "Music Video of the Year", "Cryin'," which inspired a plethora of young female fans to follow suit. According to 2009's The Piercing Bible, it was this consumer drive that "essentially inspired the creation of body-piercing as a full-fledged industry." Body piercing was given another media-related boost in 2004, when during a Half-time performance at Super Bowl XXXVIII singer Janet Jackson experienced a "wardrobe malfunction" that left exposed Jackson's pierced nipple. Some professional body piercers reported considerable increases in business following the heavily publicized event.

21st Century statistics:
A 2005 survey of 10,503 people in England over the age of 16 found that approximately 10% (1,049) had body piercings in sites other than the earlobe, with a heavy representation of women aged 16–24 (46.2% piercing in that demographic). Among the most common body sites, the navel was top at 33%, with the nose and ear (other than lobe) following at 19% and 13%. The tongue and nipple tied at 9%. The eyebrow, lip and genitals were 8%, 4% and 2%, respectively. Preference among women followed closely on that ranking, though eyebrow piercings were more common than nipple piercings. Among male responders, the order was significantly different, descending in popularity from nipple, eyebrow, ear, tongue, nose, lip and genitals.

News Spotlight: Political Cartoonist Paul Conrad Dies

Conrad at work


The blame game


Doggystyle minus said animal

It is both true and unfortunate that no one misses you until you're gone. Or that an artist is more famous when they're dead. Paul Conrad was probably the most celebrated political cartoonists, but I never knew who he was until I found out he died. After I looked at his cartoons, I realized I liked his stuff a lot. The envelope. He pushed it.

"Paul Conrad, 86, a political cartoonist who won three Pulitzer Prizes by turning his outrage into journalistic art but who was even more proud of being named to the Nixon administration's enemies list during the Watergate era, died Sept. 4 at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. His family did not provide a cause of death.

Mr. Conrad spent most of his career at the Los Angeles Times, where he demanded and received the freedom to draw cartoons about any subjects he chose. Two of his favorite subjects were Californians who moved east to take up residence in the White House: Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Armed with superb drawing skills and a finely honed sense of moral indignation, Mr. Conrad took aim at pomposity, injustice and corruption. He had been merciless to President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Vietnam War in the 1960s, but after Nixon's election in 1968, Mr. Conrad became utterly scathing. " Read more here.

Metal Taboo New Item Scramble

Here are some of the new items added to our online shop. Go to our online store to see more.

Lady Gaga Throwback (Well Kinda)

Time for a Lady Gaga fix. Here's "Beautiful Dirty Rich,"one of my favorite Gaga songs. For some reason this video never got that much airplay. Probably because it came out before she exploded on the scene. Two years ago doesn't really count as a throwback, but seeing how far she has come in this little bit of time, we'll make an exception.

And I Quote...

“Murder is always a mistake - one should never do anything one cannot talk about after dinner.” --Oscar Wilde

"Sexpot of the Week" : Kelly Osbourne

While a couple of years ago this would go past being a stretch and enter into joke mode realm, it seems naming Kelly Osbourne as a sexpot is not so disturning these days. She's apparently all grown up. And thinned out. Last night, she performaned as a Pussycat Doll. That is almost a stamp of sex appeal approval in itself. Being that she is the offspring of rock-n-roll royalty and already has a wildchild history on her resume, she already had some elements needed for the sexy bad girl category. Now she just has the body and recognition to go with it. This fall, she will be hosting "Fashion Police" with Joan Rivers so we will be able to see on a regular basis if she's sexpot label worthy. Stay tuned.

News Spotlight: Another Tatted Up Brunette for Jesse James

Kat Von D and Jesse James made their relationship public last night at the opening of her Wonderland Gallery opening. Rumors have been circulationg for weeks now that the two are together so it's not a surprise--moreso a confirmation.

Kat just broke up with Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe two seconds ago and she is already hinting she is in love with Jesse. I'm starting to wonder if she's one of those chicks that doesn't feel whole unless she is in a relationship. As for Jesse, he's the real winner here. He has definitely made an upgrade from Michelle "Bombshell" McGee, the other tatted up chick he cheated on Sandra Bullock with. And since a tatted up, rock-n-roll chick is probably who he was meant to be with in the first place, Kat Von D is the most famous and coveted from this prototype. For a minute, it looked like Jesse's infidelity was gonna cost him getting panties to drop, but this just goes to show everyone gets a pass in Hollywood.

From The Insider: "Some fall in love at first sight, but for Kat Von D it took a bit longer to realize that Jesse James was "the one" for her. She arrived hand-in-hand with the newly single bachelor to her Wonderland gallery opening on Thursday in West Hollywood.

She told People how they evolved into more than just friends, saying, "It was just like, 'Wow, I can't believe I haven't spent this much time with you the entire time I've known you.' Now I'm just embracing it and enjoying it."

Kat sees a future with Jesse, sharing, "I believe he is" [my] soul mate. "Jesse is only my ninth boyfriend. I don't hang out with anybody unless I am in love." They have found common ground in playing games like Scrabble and relishing in one another's "nerdy" sides.

The motorcycle guru was a bit more coy about their romance, simply replying, "yes" he's happy and he likes "everything" about Kat. In the aftermath of a cheating scandal, Jesse and Sandra Bullock's divorce was finalized in June."

"Bad (Not Bad Ass) Tattoo" : Reptile Fingers?

http://gradeatattoos.com/

I'm not even sure what the hell this is a tattoo of, but it looks like it involves fingers and scales in some way. Who gets this and who is the tattoo artist (used lightly here) that actually does it?!

"Dirty Comic" : A Mother's Love

"The Hard Sell" : Taboo In Advertising

One facet of media we have pretty much left out in this blog is the world of advertising. No more. There are ads that insinuate sex, violence, sin, and other vices put out by companies and groups on a regular basis. Every week we will spotlight an ad that pushes the envelope and takes the extra step to really drive the point home.

First up is an ad campaign from the French anti-smoking organization Droits des Non Fumeurs. The ads compare teenage smoking to forced oral sex. It's a play on the submissive nature of both acts. This ad certainly pushes the envelope and is pretty genius.

"Sex in Art" Weekly Picks

Painter and illustrator Monica Cook

Artist Jana Schirmer

And I Quote...

“The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.” --Sigmund Freud

News Spotlight: Paris Hilton Adds Coke Whore to Resume

Paris Hilton has done a good job staying out of the spotlight lately so of course her reappearance had to be what fame whores dream of. Although there's nothing really surprising about her getting busted with cocaine and lying about it belonging to her, the story is tempting solely in the fact she has been laying low. Usually, it seems Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton pass the torch back and forth on who can have the most fucked up news coverage, but with them both currently being in the spotlight at the same time, we're in fame whore overload.

"Paris Hilton was arrested with .8 grams of cocaine in Las Vegas on Friday evening and charged with felony possession on Monday.

While the hotel heiress has since claimed that the purse in which the drug was found was not hers, she could face time behind bars if found guilty of felony possession of the controlled substance.

If convicted of a low-grade felony, under Nevada law, Hilton could be punished with a maximum of four years in jail. However, such a sentence is not likely, says a former D.A.

"Although the law in Nevada does tend to be more stringent than in California, in reality it is not likely Paris will receive such a harsh sentence," former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, Robin Sax told Pop Tarts. “Usually 18 months after one conviction, it gets dismissed. It is more likely that, if convicted, Paris will be given probation which could involve substance abuse class and treatment, and a $5000 fine. She may also still get probation with a small amount of jail time, [like] 30 days.” Read entire article here.

"Lyric Raid" : "One Night Stand" by Jazmine Sullivan

One night stands are called "one night stands" for a reason, but what happens when you get hooked? Well, that's when it all goes downhill. Here are the lyrics to Jazmine Sullivan's "One Night Stand" from her 2008 "Fearless" album.

"Usually I'm the one that's in control.
I meet em', freak em', leave em',
Move on to the next man,
He ain't my man.

I must admit I like to have some fun.
I be in love for like a minute then I'm on the run.
(on the run, on the run for like a minute then I'm on the run)
Until the day that he caught my eyes,
I knew I didn't wanna play him like them other guys.
(other guys, other guys, didn't wanna play him like them other guys)

You are my kryptonite,
You take my powers away,
And if I spend the night,
You'll probably drive me insane.
(one night stand, one night stand, he was suppose to be a one night stand)
You are my kryptonite,
You take my powers away,
And if I spend the night you'll probably drive me insane,
(one night stand, one night stand he was suppose to be a one night stand)

...

So I decided I would try it,
Because I couldn't fight it.
I would do it so good I'd have him making me pancakes in the morning,
Making me pancakes in the morning.
And so I put it down, I mean I went to town.
He pulled the switch-around,
And it was me making pancakes in the morning,
Me making pancakes in the morning..."

"Vice Pioneers" : Vampires

The Slavs are noted as the originators of modern vampire belief.


John Polidori, arguably the creator of the vampire genre in fantasy fiction writing.


Bram Stoker, considered the grandaddy of vampire lore.

There's no explanation needed on how popular vampires are. They are the most intriguing mythological beings ever conjured up. They are overtly sexual, mysterious, and they live forever--everything appealing to human desire. The background on the vampire is extensive and I cannot cover it all, but I will give an overview.

From Wikipedia:

The word:
The Oxford English Dictionary dates the first appearance of the word vampire in English from 1734, in a travelogue titled Travels of Three English Gentlemen published in the Harleian Miscellany in 1745. Vampires had already been discussed in German literature. After Austria gained control of northern Serbia and Oltenia in 1718, officials noted the local practice of exhuming bodies and "killing vampires". These reports, prepared between 1725 and 1732, received widespread publicity.

Origin of Vampire Beliefs:
Although many cultures possess revenant superstitions comparable to the Eastern European vampire, the Slavic vampire is the revenant superstition that pervades popular culture's concept of vampire. The roots of vampire belief in Slavic culture are based to a large extent in the spiritual beliefs and practices of pre-Christianized Slavic peoples and their understanding of life after death. Despite a lack of pre-Christian Slavic writings describing the details of the "Old Religion", many pagan spiritual beliefs and rituals have been sustained by Slavic peoples even after their lands were Christianized. Examples of such beliefs and practices include ancestor worship, household spirits, and beliefs about the soul after death. The origins of vampire beliefs can in Slavic regions can be traced to the complex structure of Slavic spiritualism.

Literature:
While even folkloric vampires of the Balkans and Eastern Europe had a wide range of appearance ranging from nearly human to bloated rotting corpses, it was the success of John Polidori's 1819 The Vampyre that established the charismatic and sophisticated vampire of fiction as it is arguably the most influential vampire work of the early 19th century inspiring such works as Varney the Vampire and eventually Dracula.

However, it is Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula that is remembered as the quintessential vampire novel and which provided the basis of modern vampire fiction. Dracula drew on earlier mythologies of werewolves and similar imaginary demons and "was to voice the anxieties of an age", and the "fears of late Victorian patriarchy". The success of this book spawned a distinctive vampire genre, still popular in the 21st century, with books, films, video games, and television shows.

Learn more about vampires here.

Metal Taboo New Item Scramble

Here are some of the new items added to our online shop. Go to our online store to see more.

And I Quote...

“He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” --Winston Churchill

Semi Precious Weapons: Lady Gaga's Wingmen

If you've never heard of Semi Precious Weapons, you're most likely to hear about them sooner or later so I will give you the heads up. The band has been a NYC staple for years now. Right now, they are the opening act for Lady Gaga's "Monster Ball Tour." Justin Tranter, the band's glam, over-the-top, glitter heel wearing frontman, can also be found in the many plastered photos on the internet of him and Lady Gaga laying on top of their audience, french kissing, and getting licked by fans. The most interesting part of it all is that she opened up for them years ago when they were the bigger act. Gotta give her props for returning the love.

"Dirty Comic" : Early Session