The hole in the thinking of the latest craze
By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer
I don’t understand some Japanese fads. Now, I’m not talking about the simple and innocent crazes such as Pokémon or Tamagotchi because, let’s face it, everyone was into that. And even the more bizarre ones like butler/maid bars or ramen noodle baths, while exceptionally odd, are at least amusing. However, the latest trend falls into the category of body modification. Take a deep breath, dear reader.
The last time Japanese were changing their physical appearance, LED teeth were the thing. It was insanely weird, but, as with other fads, it was worth a laugh. The jokes one can come up with in relation to it are endless. But the current rage is just flat out disturbing.
Bagel heads. Now, I wish this simply meant people were spreading cream cheese on their head in a circular pattern, but unfortunately it doesn’t. The procedure to become a bagel head involves a needle, approximately 400ml of saline, and a ready and willing forehead. After the injection, which takes about two hours, a thumb is pressed into the middle of the blob. The bagel-like shape that is formed lasts for 16-24 hours. Speaking of bagels, if you don’t want to keep your lunch down, feel free to check out a video.
My sole question here is “why?” You can’t possibly convince me that this is in any way attractive—at least to inhabitants of this planet. And if something isn’t easy on the eyes, it should at least be practical. Nope, nothing there either. Much like male nipples, bagel heads seem to be completely and utterly useless. Having said that, I’m not a fan of excessive body piercings either, yet other people are. Perhaps I just haven’t considered the issue with an open enough mind to truly appreciate it.
But I doubt it.
Of course, as with all body modifications, there is an eventual (if not immediate) downside. The one that pops to mind here is what the effect of continuous bagel heading will do. It’s not too far-fetched to imagine, if one bagel heads consistently, this segment of the population will develop saggy foreheads. Another bit to note is the possibility of the saline being unsterile. Unsterile water is generally the culprit behind that lovely green pus oozing out when someone gets a tattoo, and saline works the same way. However, in this case, it would be clearly in everyone, and anyone’s line of vision. Fun!
With the downsides of bagel heading, and the fact that it doesn’t look good anyway, I just can’t comprehend the obsession with it. Absolutely mind-bageling.
