Interview with Toph
By Shannon • Feb 11th, 2008 • Category: ModBlogI just posted an interview with Toph about his amazing stretched piercings, which include a nearly 2″ lip plate. Click through the picture rm bmeto read the interview now, and then come on back to comment or discuss it here.
Shannon is the founder and former Editor of BME.
Copyright © Shannon Larratt. Reproduced under license by BMEzine.com LLC
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some ought to point out that stretching that fast is very stupid… apparently it worked for him but fuck ” i got it pierced at a 16 then went home and put in a 12.” seriously sounds to me like someone is impatiant and cant wait to shock people …… i really needs to be said that stretching like this is dangerous and should not be done…. i know i know “everyoneis different, listen to your body” and all that shit but you cant listen to it if you scaple it, stretch it, scaple it, stretch it, scaple it three days in a row…..
to all the 12year olds reading this…please dont ever try this.. be patiant and take your time
pretty eyyyes :]
but really, how does he talk? :/
Nathan - Actually, he’s right in that if you keep up a consistency, that stretching can go very quickly and with little complication. I stretched both my septum and my labret at a similar speed back when I had them without any issues.
Many people’s bodies do permit rapid stretching, so I think it’s unfair to characterize it as “stupid”.
The key is not a specific speed, the key is being self-aware and understanding ones body. If one does, then one can set a speed that’s appropriate for ones physiology.
Wow, I actually find it a shame that someone so ‘modified’ is so ignorant towards their body; how could he stretch so fast?
Rory, obviously he’s not ignorant to his body since he’s had no problems with his stretching. If he had blowout, tearing, and scarring, fine, but he doesn’t.
Can we please drop the instant accusations and negativity? Are people really that desperate to say something unpleasant? It’s getting very tiresome.
Yes, but how was he to know that he would not suffer problems?
If he had stretched slowly, and safely, I’d have some respect for him and be happy.
Just my $0.02.
I agree with Shannon… if it works for him, it works for him. It’s his body, and we have no idea how fast it stretches; also, nowhere in the interview did it say he recommended it for anyone else.
Well, anyways! He’s really cute.
I like the interview, it was definitely interesting and I appreciate Toph’s reminder that being nice to people when they ask questions really can change minds.
But I wish there was at least some semblance of a reminder that stretching that quickly can result in some pretty nasty consequences. While “many” people’s bodies may permit rapid stretching, I think it’s fair to say that “many” don’t as well.
i could never do this to myself. i think thats why i feel so much respect for him. it is beautiful.
Rory - He’s had a ton of different piercings and stretched many of them. When you go through that, and you have some level of self awareness, you learn to listen to your body. When you’re able to listen to your body, you can stretch at your potential.
A person who can’t listen to their body should take it slow to be safe, but if a person is in touch, they can go quickly assuming their body permits it.
Either way, the key is self-awareness, which I think is a big part of the life journey of people who become seriously involved with body modification.
Smurf - For sure, but remember that this is an interview with Toph, not a general feature on the how-to of stretching so I didn’t really feel it was relevant to get into problems that other people might have.
Those warnings are in other places, and really, I would hope that someone interested in heavy-duty stretching would have the respect for their body to do research past a single interview… Someone who doesn’t have that respect for themselves isn’t going to listen to a warning anyway.
this is going to start a shit storm of piercers talking about how modblog makes kids like this (stretched piercings to the point of “deformity”) famous.. and how modblog is ruining the whole mod world, and how he is ruining his life, and how young people want to be like that so it must be really BAD and so fourth…
There are forums devoted to this on IAM.
I personally think people can make their own decisions about their life and what the do with their bodies, regardless of age. Personal responsibility is exactly that. I guess that’s just me…
I saw a video on his IAM page of him eating a hot dog through his labret, ’twas quite silly.
OHNO - Like I said in the intro, in 1994, I had roughly 3/4″ lobes, which was extremely unusual to see at the time, even in a studio, and the average person felt that I was definitely “deforming” myself. These days it’s commonplace to see 2″ lobes and I doubt even most non-modified people would be too freaked out.
Big lips are certainly still unusual today, a la big ears in the early 90s, but they get more and more common every day, and I think it’s definitely conceivable that they’ll be an aesthetic that’s far less shocking a few years from now… The world changes quickly.
Frester - I can’t access IAM right now — if that’s a youtube link, please feel free to repost it here!
Im just curious since he is unemployed, how he is taken care of financially. Im not coming from a “he cant get a job” standpoint, but most of the more heavily tattooed people I know have careers that allow them to maintain a standard of living.
Does he live with family? Friends? Independently wealthy? Welfare?
cere - I think he’s just between jobs — he’s been regularly employed until now. So unless I’m reading it wrong, I think it’s just a quirk of the specific moment I did the interview.
“I’ve found that I get more attention from middle aged and older African Americans than I do from white teens and young adults… I don’t know why but I like it.”
Interesting observation on his part.
shannon… you must never sleep man haha… i feel bad every time i see you posting in defense of this site/community, which is all too often… i mean, c’mon you can’t teach every dog not to eat it’s own shit… some people are just ignorant and incapable of complex thoughts… some people can tie their shoes and some prefer velcro… some people use 15% of their brain, some use 10% and some still eat their own and everyone else’s shit… maybe we should just let them… ya know? well, i gotsta go eat, i’m starving, and as fate would have it i have to shit wicked bad… hmmm
SHANNON: your right it was unfair to jump and call it stupid…. my main concern was that people are going to read the interview, read the rate at which he stretched, and then think they can do it them selves…. i think you would probally have to agree with me that stretching that speed is not advisable in most instances…..
the first thing that came to mind was, “jeez he must go through a lot of blistex”
Nathan - Absolutely, many people could not stretch so fast — he’s very lucky to have a body that’s so accepting of stretching.
I go through a shit load of chapstick !
Those nostrils look rather unhappy…
It’s really funny, because when the people that supposedly support our industry and scene start calling these “kids” stupid for going too extreme it makes a very strange paradox. To prove exactly your point, I saw a young girl with (small but very noticeable) facial tattoo’s and 2 1/4 inch lobes working at a TARGET.
What’s wrong with CHANGING the social stigma to such extreme measures? Maybe the right of passage past my generation will no longer be navels, they will be tongue splits!
I see NOTHING wrong with that..
cold weather does that, less blood flow and snow do alot.
It looks pretty sick, but how well can h talk and be understood ?
It looks pretty sick, but ow well can he talk and be understood ? ahha
I can talk with ease, it all takes adjustment like getting your tongue pierced for the first time
Ha! you should try to get Chapstick to sponsor you for the Mod community
Did he mention what happened to his right cartilage piercing? I noticed in his older pictures he wore a big tunnel in it (not sure what size) but in his recent pictures he doesn’t wear anything in it…?
I agree with the commenters here who recommend adding some note to the effect that most people can’t stretch so fast. But I also agree with Shannon that, well, no harm no foul — this guy clearly is one of the lucky few who can stretch quite quickly. (Unlike me, for one…)
If it works for him great. But what works for him doesnt work for all. Heck im sure some of us who’ve commented may have experiences of stretching that didnt work out to our likings either ^-^ know i have but i learned from it.
Sure some may say ‘well if he can do it why cant I’ and hey maybe it will work for some and maybe not.
We all have experimented and learned what worked with our own bodys. ‘Everyones different’ Guess what it all comes down to is its all just an experiment and finding out what works for you.
we don’t need to worry about people reading this and deciding to stretch their piercings too fast…
those people would have tried it even if they had not seen the interview.
TrinityVA — Re: Warnings
I understand the concern and it’s appreciated, but I really think we need to avoid getting too obsessed over BME becoming a nanny culture where every single little thing has a warning on it. There are plenty of well-defined areas of BME that cover these sorts of issues in depth, and I think that by keeping that segmentation we (a) make it easier to develop each to their potential, and (b) make it easier for people to find that information.
I don’t think that we need to build the site around the concept that there are readers with so little respect for themselves that they’ll only read a single article and then use that as inspiration to damage themselves. It’s been my experience that most people who get into serious changes to their bodies OBSESS over informing themselves and read everything they can get their hands on, and I’d like to think that they don’t have to be treated like babies.
Shannon, didn’t he say he had scarring he had to scalpel off on his lip, and minor scarring on his nostrils? … Doesn’t matter.
What does matter is that 2″ lobes are only commonplace here, on this site. Walking down the street, unless in Camden, and seeing someone with 2″ lobes is quite unlikely. Stretched ears might not be too uncommon in smaller sizes, and are much more common than they were 10 years ago, but they’re far from common in this day and age…
I hugely respect Toph for taking such a huge step in body modification. One thing i noticed, not to be mean and point anything out toph, but im rather curious why your right lobe always seems so inflamed, and im assuming that your right lobe split from stretching. Im not trying to point anything out, im just rather curious.
Rusty - You can see some of that in the pictures, but yes, you understand what I’m saying and I understand what you’re saying.
First off its his body, so its up to him on how fast he should strech. If his body can handle it then so be it. My body also heals fast to streaching and i dont see the problem with streching so fast. Awesome mods man keep it up.
that was a bad trip out to the moutnians, it was snowing at 13* outside. my ear got really pissed off and so did my nostrils and lip that day. i downsized my ear dramatically after that day, my right lobe is only 1 1/2 right now .. still recovering from two weeks ago. like i said before cold weather is a beast to large sized piercings, and i dont argue my piercings have been crusty or inflamed. climate change has kicked my ass this month. thank you for the concern though
Hey really does have stunning eyes, but talking to him with the flapping thing……
I dunno, it’d be hard to take him seriously I guess.
Incredible how his body took all the mods though, it looks like he used to have some major piercing numbers, so he’s held up well.
It’s sad that people attack his quick methods of stretching, as if there’s a rule book stating what needs to be done with set directions. Isn’t the whole idea to try to differentiate and do what your body and mind tell you to do?
My body and many peoples I know would never be able to take what he did. However, appearently he managed it with great success and the best to him for doing so.
First, I have to say it’s hilarious that his face would mess up your standard facial recognition SOFTWARE - given that surely any HUMAN that sees him once, is gonna remember him :) Sort of a weird irony, that!
About the piercing at 16 and going to 12 right that day - I’m honestly curious, but would that even be the same as a stretch? I mean, the moment it’s pierced it’s a given it’s bloody and unhealed, yes? No fistula to hurt? So wouldn’t it be more akin to perhaps having pierced with a regular pin (i.e. squeezing skin out of the way partly, to make up for the bigger size jewellery) rather than just a crazy stretch, and just heal like that okay anyhow? I honestly don’t know - I’ve not got anything pierced, and people I know who have all just had stuff pierced at bigger sizes to start with (usually 12 or 14).
I do wonder how such a lip piercing affects pronunciation, particularly sounds like m, b, p. I suppose the plate is a surface like your lip you’d get used to, but just curious.
I also wonder what such a big lip pierce looks like without the plate in, particularly what the side away from the natural “lip” is like. But, I suppose it’s a fistula, so sort of gets “lippy” (I’m thinking of ears, here) anyway?
And finally - I hear ya on 3/4″ ears being crazy in 1994. Around then, a friend of mine had little colored metal grommets (00 gauge) and it was quite radical. I liked that particular look then, and still do like that (now “small”) size. I must admit occasionally the idea to try it… is pulling me now :)
Toph - Definitely hearing you on the cold weather… I took out my stretched lobes when I was snomobiling a lot.
awsome toph congrats on the modblog :) and i too know the tortures of cold weather, scarfs for my plate and ears and nose works the best for me
“I go through a shit load of chapstick!”
So do I, Toph!!! Haha.
After reading the interview, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with this guy. Haha <3
I get excited when I see modified people in Oklahoma. I just moved here from DC and it’s been really hard to adjust to all the strange looks I get from people because of my mods. I don’t have many but I still receive dirty looks and nasty comments. It’s hard living in the “bible belt.” It’s nice to know I’m not alone.
Point taken, Shannon. I followed some bad stretching advice from an old girlfriend when first starting out and made my lobes pissy for a LOOOOOOOONG time. So I’m probably just projecting my own stupidity here. :) Ugh — if I had even bothered to look at anything rather than gone “she’s got a squillion medium-gauge piercings, she has to be right” it would have spared me a great deal of grief. Oh well, live and learn.
#29 - I just can just imagine the commercial. “If THIS guy can use ChapStick, just think what it’ll do for YOU!”
As for the warnings discussion - if there needs to be a warning, perhaps some sort of general little blurb to be put on all of the interview posts (or all posts, I guess) saying simply “This is an individual experience, nothing in this post should be taken as universal advice, for actual guidance, try [BME]” with a link, or some sort of thing. Or the usual tiny simple “Results not guaranteed.”
Must be the teenager in me, but I can’t help but wonder how he kisses..
Yes, I understand what you’re saying Shannon. Still… Not many people with 2″ lobes around, heh.
As a side note, what really bugs me about the “his body can handle it” argument is that while *his* body may handle it, far too often I hear from people how fast they heal while their ears are literally splitting apart. Some people heal fast, some don’t - I think the part that some don’t is understated way too often.
I personally give him a lot of respect, I only have had 3 facial mods, being some of the most commom (Eyebrow, monroe, and septum) all at “normal” sizes and you wouldn’t believe how many people I get who give me odd looks, or ask a million questions, especially about my septum, so I can only imagine what he goes through each day. Like I said I give him a lot of respect for being who he wants to be without letting others dictate his appearance. Although not sure how anyone could be too mean to him cause those eyes of his are a knock out. I also agree on being extremely kind and answering questions about mods, I work at a store in the mall, known for having “different” people working there, and even the customers that come in aren’t quite so understanding about any of my mods, espcially if I wear a low cut shirt and my microdermals show, I make sure I give them a nice polite answer on everything and try my best in explaining them without being an asshole, or if I’m somewhere else I always make sure I carry myself respectfully in hopes it’ll maybe change someone’s mind about modified people, besides how hard is it to hold doors open for people and say please and thank you, most of us should be doing this anyways. Well I’m rambling so I’ll just stop now.
<333
-Sarah
Wow, I was so excited when I saw Toph on the front page. I just found his profile on IAM really recently and I was hooked on reading his posts. Congrats Toph! I love what you’ve done with yourself. :)
haha ya toph i do agree, my lobes are only 3/4 but i live in Fargo, North Dakota, and its been down in the -40’s this winter and it does do a number on stretched piercings
I admire him for making the choices he has, but personally I don’t like his mods. I dislike the stretched lip and nostrils, aesthetically they do nothing for me.
If anyone wants to hear him talk with his plate in he has a bunch of videos on youtube.com I stumbled across them a few days ago.
heated plugs, the next big thing……:D
he obviously didnt listen to his body, his nostrils are blown out and his left ear is torn.
taydanges - How about reading the article and the comments before posting to prove that you didn’t?
amazing mods, its hard for me to accept that toph is the same age as me. i ummed and ahhhed for four years before i split my tongue and only did on the basis that i could easily hide it.
amusingly neither my mother or boss noticed it so all is well! its pretty impressive for a guy to make such a dramatic alteration to their image at 20 - i always think of such mods as a nailing your flag to your mast kind of gesture of solidarity for life with the counterculture.
bloody impressive toph.
- sammy the jew
I’ve actually been wondering for a while what happened to his left ear, I’m glad the article covered it… but still, admittedly, his nostrils do look a bit unhappy.
I’m glad I took the time to read this. great interview.
haha i did read it. and i looked at the pictures on his profile. his nostrils ARE blown out and his left ear is torn. ill give you the ear being torn but his nostrils are blown out. i knew cold weather could irritate a stretched piercing but its blown out.
Does anyone else feel like, from an aesthetic point of view, there is a certain point at which nostril and lip piercings “jump the shark” as far as size is concerned? What I mean to say is that there is a size at which nostril and lip piercings are no longer impressive and augmentative to a person’s facial features, but rather a distraction. Obviously it’s a matter of taste and personal choice, though. I’m just saying that just because we can safely do something to our bodies, is it always the right thing to do? Anytime I see someone disagree with the modblog status quo on here, they are branded as “conservative”. I’m all for pushing the boundaries of our bodies for physical and mental sensations we experience, but when someone makes an honest appraisal of the looks of a particular modification, don’t act like its just naysaying for the sake of it.
Kevin - As I said, in the early 90s, people said the same thing about ear stretching if it moved past the point where one starts to distort the natural curve of the lobe. I really think this is an eye of the beholder / relativity issue. I don’t think that one can make universal statements of what’s attractive other than on a few basic levels like facial symmetry and other factors that have a low-level biological reason.
Obviously there are several cultures where even larger piercings are considered highly attractive, so it’s certainly inside the realm of possible in terms of what humans can appreciate, even if that aesthetic is not one that most westerners share.
49. - Melissa, it’s not just the teenager in you, I’m wondering too.
*blush*
I like his mods. It isn’t something I could pull off, but kudos to him! He’s fantastic - there’s no doubt about that. :)
Toph says:
“When I go out in public I like to inform anyone who has questions about myself and what and why I do this, to my best ability, to try to help the public understand that we’re not freaks or assholes.”
I think this is a great statement! Immense wisdom in it…
How many times do you get the “look” from some arrogant asshole, and you feel like flippin’ him the bird and moving on? Or sneer? Or loudly tell him to screw off?
On reflection, I realized that over the years I’ve been very tempted to meet a sneer with a sneer, but that kind of response only provokes more bigotry and hatred.
It really does matter if you take the time to talk to people instead of dismissing them as close-minded.
Maybe it’s you that suppose to help them understand this path and the people making their journey on it…
Kevin - I hear what you’re saying, but everyone has different points. I have differentdegrees personally where I would stretch up to and then higher ones that I can admire on other people :) Toph looks really cool, the face recognition comment made me lol XD I have a split tongue 12mm lobes n 4mm septum and I get enough comments on those (I live in Perth, Australia) but I work at a coffee shop so a lot of people ask and I always try to be nice to spread the view that modified people are friendly too :)
No obligatory “how does he eat”?
(Cuz really I am curious…)
i eat normally , for the most part … what every is to big i just cut up a little smaller, i think the eating was the easiest adjustment
About a month ago, I stumbled across Toph’s page on IAM (since he happened to be in the same state as me) and became hooked on his video blog, which you can find here:
http://youtube.com/user/iamToph
You can find videos of him talking, eating, drinking, and smoking with the lip plate in place, as well as stupid human tricks like eating the hot dog through his lip, and also a video of him stretching his septum, which is *quite* visibly painful to him (and really makes me wonder about the whole personal capacity for stretching issue). He also seems to run into difficulties talking, eating, and drinking.
I can’t help but come to the conclusion that since he performs upon request, that a large part of the reason for his facial stretching is a desire for attention, and I’m not necessarily dissuaded from that notion by the interview. That being said, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting attention, and I’ve already admitted to being fascinated.
I was glad to find out more about Toph, his motivations, and his life. Thanks, Shannon!
Toph, I think what you did is pretty cool, and I completely agree with you on being nice and helpful rather than mean and hurtful just because they don’t understand or share our aesthetic values. I do have one of the simples questions though… and I hate to ask, but as other peopel have brought it up, how is kissing possible? I’ve never met anyone with a labret as big as yours so I never had a chance to ask.
Thanks!
Thanks #70 - I wasn’t having too much luck searching.
toph eats with the power of a second mouth now haha
Can we have pictures without the jewelry in? I’m curious…
ill get pics upo tomorrow guys im drunk right now, and sorry ladiess my kissing days are done
yeah thats a good question about kissing…or oral sex! i mean i think if my lip was that far out of my face i don’t think my tongue is much longer ya know? it all just seems very awkward.
#64 - I think at any given point in time, though, there is always that point on the curve that crosses the “way out there” line.
The line is, as you say, always moving, but it’s there. Whether to cross it or not is a decision to be made at the time.
In other words, it perhaps took a bit more thinking to get 3/4″ earlobes when you first had them, than it would to try that now that it’s more “mainstream.”
I certainly remember seeing people with pierced nostrils (not STRETCHED, mind you, just pierced small with a dainty jewel in it, or a very tiny gold ring) and thinking wow, they’ve pierced their NOSE, how unusual! but these days, it’s almost common. It’s still “different” but not in the way it was.
Of course, each person has their own reason for doing it, I’m sure, but the general public reactions I think do objectively change over time.
To me, anyway, the line is interesting.
I wish people would actually read the pre-existing comments before posting… then we wouldn’t have a backlog of a million people asking the same pretty much self-explanatory questions. And for the record, I think Toph is gorgeous :D
I spoke with Toph this morning online.
he told me that he did an interview.
i was like “oh shit, people are going to fucking get on top of him”
and im right.
he did what he did.
good nothing really bad happened.
he is lucky.
no, its not the way to go about stretching and what not.
but its his life.
nice of him to even tell us what he did and how.
despite all his mods.
Troph is a really NICE GUY.
After a certain point lips are easy to stretch, I got mine up to 23mm in no time. I had complications with it but it had nothing to do with how fast I stretched. I am working my way back up to re unite with the big lip crew!
BME is like a candy store to me.
i really liked this interview.
some people can stretch things on there body easily.
awesome interview Shannon!
1: In regards to stretching lips quickly, If you look at the people with the lARGEST stretched lips in the WORLD. (the surma/mursi tribes women from Ethiopia), they Stretch they lips even faster than Toph does.
The avarage Mursi girl will have her lip stretched from an initial cut of about 1-2mm to close to 6-7 INCHES in just a mere six-or so months.
Every single day these girls put a larger plug in their lip, and I’ve never in my life seen a picture of a women with a torn-through lip. Moe often then not, they are fairly full and healthy.
and something else to keep in mind, is that they are stretching with jewelry made of wood or clay…
The body is an incredible thing.
TOPH:
I was curious if you ever had any plans of removing any of your bottom teeth? I know the surma girls knock their lower front teeth out before piercing their lip, in order to accomodate the plug better.
Do you find your jewelry puts any odd/uncomfortable pressure on your teeth/gums?
if i ever decided to go past 63mm and my bottom 4 teeth were in the way i wouldnt hessatate to lose them, if it makes it easier then ill do it.
One aspect of society and I find extremely fascinating is who people discuss what freedoms or what other people should be allowed to do. Or do with themselves.
I think no one should be allowed to dictate or debate what another should do with their bodies or to their bodies.
A lot of the questions in this current election revolve around what people think others should and shouldn’t be allowed to do.
I just wanted to remind everyone of this…..
I also wanted to comment and say that Toph
he’s obviously had problems with his lobes. I’ve seen pics of him on bme and his lobe was torn and looked like it had to be sewn back together. and his lip looks very unhappy.
I love your nostrils and lip plate. I know that you are very fastest in stretching your holes.
Great interview Shannon. :)
Good work again!
And Toph: I really love your modifications!!
Respect!!
oh didnt read that the lobe rip was from an accident.
but overall his nostrils and lip are very aesthetically unpleasing to look at. They’re just sloppy looking.
as long as they make him happy though.
One aspect of society and I find extremely fascinating is who people discuss what freedoms or what other people should be allowed to do. Or do with themselves.
I think no one should be allowed to dictate or debate what another should do with their bodies or to their bodies.
A lot of the questions in this current election revolve around what people think others should and shouldn’t be allowed to do.
I just wanted to remind everyone of that…..
I also wanted to comment and say that Toph might want to think about going to school or learning a trade. The economy is fucked right now and jobs will be hard to come by. I feel that it is easier for people that have heavy visible mods to be stable in a career or going to school. I think it will make things easier for him in the long run.
Also… I wonder if there is some truth to what Anton Levey stated in the famous Research interview. I wonder if some of this is self stratification?
it really irks me to read about someone who treats stretching like a race to get to the next size. i am all for stretching your body, but i am for stretching the CORRECT way.
you know something is wrong when piercings/stretchings look red and irritated twenty-four seven and they are constantly cracking.
i don’t see how this is considered amazing. anybody can stick a taper through their body and stretch like a bat out of hell. i would like to read about someone who took their time stretching, and the obstacles they have gone through.
just because your body allows you to stretch it fast, doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bkiua38BN2I
The obangi tribe. Listen to the announcer say “This is the last disfigured generation, when they die off there will be no more”
im kinda curious to see what he looks like with no jewelry in.
Toph, im not an iam member but i have seen almost all of your posts over the last year or so browsing the gallerys. I was amazed when i saw the most recent posts and the interview, you look great! Best wishes and keep up the amazing mods.
eh…fuck the whole debate on stretching too fast…the scarring and that lobe is telling enough that there is a reason you give time between each stretch…rushing=blow outs and thin, weak tissue…if he doesn’t care, and concerns only piss off the editor, then why even bother?
i just want to watch the hot dog eating video…that’s got to be interesting…
how do you kiss?
Okey, I have 2 questions. 1. How does he talk? and 2. How the hell will it work if you want to make out with him? Just wondering…
He has really intense eyes, i have to wonder if the nose plugs make it harder or easier to pick his nose
i think their should be a warning on most things, not all people are regulars to the site and they don’t understand all the dangers. and some people will try anything if they think its cool, their should at least be a link to the warning pages.
i know it seems nannyish but if retards can fall down the crack in the tate in london then who knows what stupid things they’ll try.
it was an interesting article tho, and dont stop posting “controversial” stuff just because of negative comments.
guess what? I ain’t gonna say a single negative thing…ok some might view something as negative, as there’s always someone who’ll view it that way or vice versa,etc.
First I’ll agree I think its wrong for people to call other people stupid, ignorant,etc for things they did or what they believe. Because that’s the great thing about being human, we’re all different and we all believe something different…Even if its a subtle difference in some circumstances.
If Toph wanted to do this, Toph can do this…I didn’t read the interview but I will when I have more time…Some of it might make me shudder a la piercer…But if he’s doing this to himself, I have no negative thing to say…If this is what Toph wants, then nobody can say anything.
Personally I’m not a fan of extremely large gauge nostrils, but I’m not a hater…Aesthetically I’m just not into them myself, others will be.
As for lip plates I personally don’t mind them and like how they aesthetically look on some…However I will say I’m not a fan of the extreme sized ones… Without seeing/hearing Toph verbally talk we cannot make a comparison, but I will say although I can easily understand Toph (via his youtube), there is a bit of a speech alteration that can be noticed.
Now if Toph went to a piercer and got all this done so fast so soon…I would be saying the piercer should have exercised restraint or at least tried to…But since Toph is doing this himself, he only himself to look to…and other people to look to him as well….Can’t point fingers anywhere really for this, it was his own choice and he did it himself.
I will say I’m always concerned when I see people like Toph because the reality is at this current moment, average society if often put back and because they are not ready to deal with these differences, it can be hard.
I don’t have serious visible mods like Toph but I will say my scarification arm sleeve OFTEN produces many positive as well as many negative looks, comments, whispers, shouts,etc. Not just on the streets but in the piercing studio as well…Because not everyone is into modifications (on the streets or in the studios) or they are not into them on the same wave length as I am.
So those who choose to look certain ways have to be willing and accepting of what society gives them, which I firmly will be a life time of acceptance but also ridicule.
A couple weeks ago I actually watched a documentary on Jesus Fajardo Aceves aka “Chuy The Wolf Boy” (http://www.listentome.net/stuff97.php) in that documentary it showed how he was unhappy with the circus life and wanted a “real life” so he returned home to Mexico to his family and tried to make a living and support his family in person (instead of being in the USA,etc).
Jesus went to MANY places to look for jobs but because of his medical condition (hypertrichosis) and I bet a bit of it was also lack of education/training, he was turned down job after job he applied for…
So what happened at the end of the documentary? He took the giant leap to shave his facial hair off to try and “look normal”
Some will say he shouldn’t have to do that, that it is societies fault for being ignorant…And yeah that’s most likely true, but change in this sense is going to occur slowly. It’s not something that will occur over night.
Toph I commend you for making the choices you made as only you can make them…and I hope things go smoothly for you in your educational pursuits.
read it while I wrote the above…and honestly the only thing I shuddered at was that the piercer Toph went to only had a 16ga labret.
This is to Toph: 1) Is that literally the only choice they gave you?
2)Was a larger gauge size discussed as a potential?
3) If you did not want it done at 16ga, why did you go through with it?
Those are questions I’m curious to be answered, since they weren’t brought up in the interview.
As personally I always inform people that piercers should be willing and or able to work with the client in regards to gauge size,etc. And that if the piercer is unable to work with you in these realms, maybe locate one that is.
For example if someone came to me wanting a labret piercing and I showed them the size i thought would work, and if they asked for larger gauge size…We’d sit down and discuss it in depth and provided it was safe and if its something they really wanted I would do it, if I didn’t have the jewelry, I would order it so we COULD do it.
“Without seeing/hearing Toph verbally talk we cannot make a comparison, but I will say although I can easily understand Toph (via his youtube), there is a bit of a speech alteration that can be noticed.”
also that should mean: without seeing/hearing Toph verbally talk before the lip disc we cannot make a comparison.
to warren hiller, when i went to the piercing shop i only asked for a 14g. to my suprise they didnt even have that, so a 16g i settled on because what is one extra size of a stretch ? and i mean honestly, especially at a 16g its so small its not even noticable. At the time i didnt have proper tools to pierce/scalp myself, so all i was looking for was a pierced hole to start with. p.s i liked your opinions, i take alot of criticisum for what i do, and that will never change. people are going to hate, and shun what i have done simply because it doesnt sound safe, or reasonibel.
now this is coming directly out of my mouth after reading this alot. READ ME - It is not safe nor a good idea for one to stretch as fast as I have, my body is different and handles differently. Attempting to do what I have done can be disasterious, everyones body is different and they should react to the stretching and healing accordenly.
jesus…he is not able to name a reason, why he did that. for me he sounds like some bored teenage kid, who wanted some attention. i can’t imagine that he actually thought about the rest of his life, before he started to deform himself.
the fact that he is 20, doesn’t have a job and just got divorced makes me think of….uhm, i am sorry…white trash. besides, i love facial ink and piercings in general, but that lipplate and the nose looks disgusting. just my point of view. i think, i would feel different, if he was like 35 years old and able to support himself and live a descent live. but in this case, he might just be forgotten in 3-5 years, because maybe his plan to ‘become involved in the industry’ might not work out. what does he do then? sure, he loves the way he looks and ppl ask him about mods, when is is getting a bottle of milk. but what does that do for you, when you won’t even get a job as a waiter at some shitty truckstop? you screwed up, and can’t name the reason, pal…
this is my body, my life and my choice. i can take my mods out right now and get a job blue collar job and then you wouldnt think my life is ruined. just because you dont like it, doesnt mean my life is ruined or my choice of carrer path wont work out. whos to say you couldnt get fired tomorrow for having a bad attitude. you treat this as if it were a drug addicted criminal who just belongs to rot in jail. doesnt everyone deserve a chance ? im willing to fight for what i believe in, and im not going to change because someone once told me i will never succeed
why are so many people being so negative? Noone is forcing you to get the same mods done and what he has done has absolutely no consquence to your life. He made his face look different.. hes not stretching his lip with a dead baby so why all the controversy?
I think he has the most amazing stretches I have ever seen, well done to him for pushing himself and doing what will make him happy ^.^
It’d be quite interesting to see what his lip looks like without the jewellery.
This guy didn’t take the time to stretch and is lucky he isn’t covered in blow outs!
I don’t know why this wasn’t said in the article…!
This negativity is sad. Whatever age he is, it is purely his choice. Simple as that.
I think it looks really good on him, especially the lip plate :)
and sometimes you have to listen to what YOU want with your own body instead of conforming to other people’s standards just for jobs and stuff… there will always be jobs if ya look hard enough. work isnt the be all end all of existence.
i can’t saw the photos… :(
He’s a very good-looking guy, and I really enjoyed the interview. That’s all :)
@104
even if it is done out of a desire for attention what does that matter? i think it’s quite clear this guy is not looking for anyones validation.
Personally, I’m just amazed at how he looks exactly like a grown up version of one of my little cousins. I mean, this kid is six and Toph is his spitting image.
vince - Suggesting that he can’t name a reason is ridiculous since he gives them in the article, but to preface that, I don’t think most people can name a coherent reason past “I like it.”
As well as the simple reasons, he very clearly says that in order to gain self awareness and have personal growth, one must choose a path that is both extremely difficult and something you love, and that this is what it’s about at least in part. I think that’s a profound way of looking at what he’s doing, and I think he’s completely right that this is a true path to wisdom and personal strength.
Toph I won’t say hate or shun from me, even though I will say in my personal opinion it probably wasn’t safe….But the saying, and it was toted around a lot lately, “nobody can dictate to me what I can and can’t do to my body” is what I have often been all about…But more so in the plain and simple form of what it states…If someone wants to do something a bit radical by assuming the risks and responsibilities themselves 100%…Nobody should be able to dictate what they can and can’t do. However when you start including mod practitioners in the equation, that’s when its not just yourself.
As Haworth quoted in Modify: “Its not self-mutilation if you get someone to do it.” By getting someone else to do it you release everything. (ps: know that I am not claiming anyone is self-mutilating themselves, I just used it as a point of reflecting and analyzing)
Which is why I cannot and will not ever say anything negative against people like Toph who attempt these things themselves. They did it themselves and nobody else and honestly nobody should be attacking Toph or anyone else….Sure people can say: “I don’t like how it looks” but they should also include: “but hey its their body let them do what they want.” Because in the end just how are people effecting us when they do things like this? They aren’t…Some will say its a negative on the piercing profession, I say its not, simply because Toph(and others who self-stretched,etc) did it themselves.
As per your reply to me Toph thanks for letting me know some bits and pieces about it, its appreciated.
Also I agree on a lot of people a 16ga is very small (petite people I think it works best on) but 14ga and 12ga should be the average size used for average individuals or “bigger” shaped individuals (ie: a 14ga will look like a 16ga on a 6′7″ 240lbs-250lbs of muscle guy,etc).
But one more question you said all you were looking for was a piercer to make the hole. So were you going into get pierced already with the thought that you’re going to just go home and shove a 12ga piece of jewlery in mind? Why not just bring the jewelry in and ask to use it, although a lot of studios won’t do that but it could have been worth a shot.
Just my piercer side is trying to figure that out because if I knew a client of mine was coming in just for a hole. And that they were going to just go home and shove a larger size in. I would rather them bring the larger sized piece in and offer to insert it for them then let them go about their business self-stretching.
I guess I’m answering my own question because what is the difference between that, and doing what you said getting it pierced at 16ga or 14ga and then going home an self-stretching up,etc….Like I said I guess its just the piercer in me trying to wrap my head around it, although another part of me can understand it lol
Shannon: “As well as the simple reasons, he very clearly says that in order to gain self awareness and have personal growth, one must choose a path that is both extremely difficult and something you love, and that this is what it’s about at least in part. I think that’s a profound way of looking at what he’s doing, and I think he’s completely right that this is a true path to wisdom and personal strength.”
can’t help but 100% agree with that statement, so very well said.
Toph,
Bravo.
Why do some peopel feel the need to have a go at him due to his lifestyle choices.
I think he looks bloody amazing, I love his profile it’s such an extreme change but a good one.
I’ve watched the youtube videos and can understand him, to be honest most of the problems I have understanding him come from his american accent NOT his mods.
so what he’s 20, if it makes him happy now thats all that matters.
I hate the “you’ll regret that when you’re older”
I’d rather look amazing and have fun with my body while young and at it’s peak, seeing as when you’re old surely you’re going to be more pissed off that you’re old and wrinkly rather than your tats are wrinkly and your stretched piercings might get funny looks from the other people in the home lol
I just wished my skin was that stretchy I am having huge problems stretching my lip and I might just opt to get it scalpeled as my skin is so tight.
I’m sure that none of these comments will affect Toph’s decisions because he is doing it for himself.
Though may I say any woman who makes you choose between her and mods and gives up a marriage for it probably wasn’t ready for marriage in the first place.
thanks Shannon for another great post and a really interesting interview.
Props for the dedication Toph. And awesome eyes if I might add.
Omg, does pauly unstoppable know about this??? WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE BIGGEST NOSE COMPETITION@#$%#@^%#$%^&$#@^%
I feel like you should wait until you’re employed in a steady job before doing such heavy modifications. Being twenty and unemployed with giant holes in your face makes job finding difficult. If they genuinely make him happy, that’s fine, but it seems like he’s one of those people that just wants to shock people. I’m not shocked.
i agree with sleepwalker. sure, everybody should do, what he wants to. but hink about it, don’t be so foolish to say…oh, thats what i want now, no need to think about the future…anyways. respect for the pain and time that has been put into this ‘project’.
still, the reasons…i just don’t get them, i guess. ;)
I’m not shocked either, and its brutally clear that he’s also one of those people who has no problem at all leeching off of others so that he can do his selfish and self centered—whatever the fuck he thinks hes doing.
But hey, at least he’s got fans. That’s something. He owes shannon a debt of gratitude for that.
there seems to be alot of negetivity on here as usual and much the same dimb questions sorry to get off to a narky start but it bugs me especialy the comments regarding deformation and doing it to shock people, as i have a 41.5mm lip plate which i have been stretching over the past five or so years and see nothing more natural and i can assure you that for the sheer amount of negetive comments looks and abuse. i could never see anyone going to this level of modification to “shock” and as for the question why? (i hate this question) as far as im concerned thats like asking someone why is your hair brown, why is your t-shirt green? and so on the answer coz this is me plain and simple your allowd to be who you are without people questioning it so why cant everybody. toph iv said it before keep on keepin on. i probrably havent word’d this post the best but i tried my best
“I feel like you should wait until you’re employed in a steady job before doing such heavy modifications.”
sleepwalker: Agreed 1000%. Even if he wants to be a tattoo artist he should wait until he is successful enough in that industry to get mods that would keep him out of any others.
sleepwalker33/Erica/etc - Of course, some people aren’t defined by their jobs. Tangentially related, I just watched an amazing documentary called “Ski Bums” that discusses that at length… Highly recommended.
Shannon: Ensuring that you can be financially responsible for yourself and live as an adult does not mean being “defined” by one’s job.
I’m agreed on the employment issue. I’m not liking the future prospects for Toph if he can’t get into the body mod “industry”, however that’s something he has the learn. I doubt preaching to him is going to make him get his face reconstructed.
Personally, I think it looks disgusting. I’m not saying that to offend anyone, especially Toph. I just quite honestly find it repulsive, but in a train-wreck-i-just-cant-stop-looking way. I’ve never been a fan of huge gauge piercings, and I doubt that’ll change; but then again I once said I’d never stretch my earlobes either.
His mods aren’t hurting anyone and they don’t put his life at risk (unless of course one day he passes out and needs CPR - that could be an issue), so why the hell not?
I’m still concerned about the rest of his life and employment options, but as I said, that’s something he needs to experience for himself.
Erica - Making ones job a higher priority than ones dreams is a big mistake in my opinion.
Sometimes you need a job to fund your dreams.
That’s the golden fallacy of capitalism. That statement is almost always total bullshit.
Again, on that subject, I highly recommend the documentary “Ski Bums”.
And shannon, what exactly is your job? What real job have you ever had to hold in your life? You told me personally that you’ve NEVER HAD A “REAL JOB”, so how would you know?
Despite your claims to the contrary, you’ve never had to once worry about money in your life, ever. This is a fact.
You live in this dream world in which if a person is “sincere”, then they get what they need, eh? Care to let everyone in on just exactly how much money your daddy has?
Cause I’d be happy to.
And the battle rages on… I agree that IF Toph is living off of others such as parents and not making an effort to find a job (he seems to be looking judging by his blog posts) then what he is doing is pretty selfish indeed. Otherwise I think he should just be left to his own devices. That’s just my opinion though. Hell, I’d hire him if I owned a place (as long as it wasn’t a food place, people flip their shit with piercings around food).
Obviously you’ve never struggled financially. Personally my job -is- my dream. Why? Because I get to help people in my job. Does that make me a follower of capitalist bullshit? Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Hmmm…though I guess if you let everyone in on how much money your daddy has or what kind of role it’s played in your life, it just might be that a few people could get a little pissed off about the pathetic begging for change you did some months ago–when you absolutely, positively didn’t need it.
The fact, shannon, is that you have no point of reference for your pontifications about employment at all—you’ve never BEEN employed, really.
Shannon: Delayed gratification does not equal a priority shift. However I think that a lot of young people who have never lived on their own underestimate what it takes to live independently as an adult. I know that it took me a while to assess how much money I needed to be comfortable, as well as what I wanted to wake up and do every day. After a few years, Toph may very well decide that a huge lip plate is what makes him happy above all else, even if he’s living on the streets. But I think that it is wise to wait until one can determine that for sure.
Also: I wholeheartedly endorse following your dreams above becoming a corporate whore, but following your dreams (as well as working a craptastic job for a while in order to achieve them) is one thing. Being a bum is completely different. The money for all of those lip plates has to come from somewhere.
yttrx - I think the fact that I’ve rarely held a “real” job certainly backs up my belief in the statement that jobs should not be life’s priority. I’ve had periods of my life where I’ve been very wealthy, and I’ve had periods of my life where I’ve been in the welfare system and living on almost nothing.
I’m not sure how my father is relevant, seeing as I’ve never asked either of my parents for money since I left home. My father has had a similarly self-defined life, and has been successful, as was his father before him. I don’t see why that’s a bad thing.
Exactly. You need money for dreams. Things cost money. Funny that. I have to pay for my mods, I have to pay for my education to enter the career that will make me happy. I have to pay money to eat, drink, and have water to flush the fucking toilet after I shit. I have to have money to have a bed to sleep in, and a blanket to cover me. I have to have money so I’m not a begging bum on the street wailing about dreams. What dreams do you have begging for a nickel to buy you a cup of coffee, or a sandwich?
I’ve been poor. I’ve been on the poverty line. I’ve lived in a leaky shed because I didn’t have money to find a home. I’ve lived on instant noodles. You know what kind of dreams I had then? A home to live in, a job to keep me busy, friends to go to the movies with. Those were my dreams.
Shannon: I’m not saying its a bad thing—here is what I’m saying:
1. you have absolutely no relevant experience in the matter to draw from at all, and therefore your opinions on it are utterly worthless.
2. the people whom you convince that your opinions are valuble are left high and dry (see null james) when they discover that your advice *doesn’t actually work*; you abandon them and assume that they must have not been sincere enough.
3. you are a liar.
Is that clear enough for you?
And, if I had the stomach for it, I’d seriously think about opening up the Fletcher Memorial Home for Incurable Victims of Shannon’s Advice.
Your opinion has been quite clear for some time.
#99 had a very good idea…i’d imagine with extreme posts, it would get redundant to constantly attach a warning, but perhaps at the end of the entries like this, if modblog took a sec to state something along the lines of ‘people wishing to obtain these type of modifications should go to this link (insert link) and read about some of the safety risks and procedural concerns associated with this type of mod’-it would save you from having to re-type the same statements over and over again, but also provide an easy step in finding out more about the modification to make a more informed decission…i realize being a baby sitter isn’t something you want to do, but being a site that promotes body modification and is read by so many-it seems like the responsible thing to do…
i keep thinking of that phrase in spiderman…”with great power, comes great responsibility…what would spidey do? i think spidey would take the extra, tedious step and link the risks…because a HUGE part of body modification is knowing and understanding the risks that come with them…and you have a wonderful opportunity to make the world more aware of these procedures, why not take the extra second to make them TRULY AWARE of the big picture…knowledge won’t kill body modification, but neglegence could…
besides, it would probaly eliminate half the bitching that erupts under these posts…
Shannon: have you apologized to nullo james for completely fucking up his life yet with your “acceptance”?
I know you like to shirk responsibility when and wherever you can, but it’s time to own up, sonny. Why dont you take some of that porn money you keep spending on booze and help a dude out?
Especially one who was quite well known to be underage when he found the old bme chat?
And by the way, my opinion has been precisely the same for ten years. I’ve given you a brutal time about all of this since we were both regular posters on RAB…and I have the documentation to prove it.
I very strongly suggest you keep that in mind.
just putting this out there, this is the first time i have ever been unemployed since 15, i looked like this the whole time i was working through my progression… i got fired before christmas becasue my boss was an asshole, first time in my life that has ever happend ok. after christmas i made the decision to move to oklahoma, so i never looked for anothing job in florida because i was moving. #2 ive been here for a month and i have applied everywhere that would be acceptable for me to work and even a few places that are not likely. i buy the snday paper every week for the classifieds.. i went for making 500$ a week in cash to flat on my ass broke, you think i like mooching off of other people huh ? considering ive moved out of my parents house at 16.. and lived on my own with 2 jobs… yeah this was what i wanted.i choose to be unemployed right ??? cause i like not having money. you guys need to read the interview a little better before knocking my work ethic and reasons for being unemployed.
whats to say toph cant find a job i have a 41.5mm lip plate and i have a well paid job that has nothing to do with bodymodefication and set for life all off my own back iv been paying my own way since i was 16 so thats a load of closed minded bullshit all he’s gotta do is get his foot in the door and show that he is willing. my employer said to me a couple of years ago that he didnt realy whant to hire me but he gave me a shot and has since said that i proved him wrong so it can be done it takes people like toph to break down people’s perceptions
I’m always happy to hear from James.
As to the rest of your silliness, how about getting back to Toph instead of your super-fan/anti-fan obsessive fantasies about me. It’s extremely tiresome.
G.C.: people like toph tragically believe that they CAN break down people’s perceptions as a direct result of what people like Shannon keep trumpeting.
It’s simply not going to happen—at least not this way. The way to make it work, as I’ve said for over a decade, is to do a stealth infiltration of the industry you want to change, work your way as high as you can in it, and then change it from the top. I have quite a bit of experience doing that, and I am here to tell you that it *works*.
What doesn’t work is someone like Toph just expecting people to hire him no matter what he looks like, based on his personal merits. While his personal merits may be out of this world impressive—he’s still got a fucking plate in his lip, and despite your raging to the contrary, he’s painted himself into a very tight corner as far as employment.
People like Toph *CAN* and *DO* change people’s perceptions.
Toph isn’t demanding people hire him, he’s asking that people open a dialog.
Okay, I haven’t read all these comments because there are loads, but what I will say re: stretching capacity/encouraging bad habits:
Its almost like ‘this packet of peanuts may contain nuts’. He stretched his lip quickly and says it was fine. If someone starting to stretch reads this as a piece of advice and cocks up their labret piercing well that is their own fault. If they find that putting a 5mm or whatever piece of jewellery in a 2mm is bloody/painful then that should be a pretty clear sign to stop. Its called common sense.
seriously this is the wrong place to be doing this shit, lay off of shannon… this has nothing to do with him
Shannon: Again, refusing to take responsibility. Its amazing how far a person can get in life while at the same time being responsible for nothing. Apologize to him for fucking his life up, for pushing him towards very heavy mods when you knew he was underage, and then help him fix it.
Do it now.
Toph: I’m not implying that you are intentionally mooching or that you are unwilling to work. However, despite your tenacity, your mods render you completely unemployable in a number of industries. My point is that I think it’s wise to wait until you are comfortably in an industry that you enjoy and living a lifestyle which is comfortable to you *before* taking such drastic measures. Some people can live comfortably on $15k per year, others get out into the world and find that despite “not needing money to be happy” they need more than that, lest they be completely preoccupied with stress over money.
Even within the bodymod industry, often the navel-bejeweled sorority girls are your bread and butter. To that crowd, going beyond heavily modded and looking like a complete freak may scare them off. Or maybe not — but I think it’s a good idea to wait and see.
There are artists who are renowed enough to not have to do Taz tattoos or navel piercings, but I think it’s best to reach that point of infamy before undergoing such extreme mods.
You’ve already made your decisions, of course, but I still maintain that a little delayed gratification never hurt anybody.
James, unless you’re suggesting that I apologize in general for the existence of BME and letting people know that these paths are options, it’s silly to demand an apology specific to anyone. That’s like asking the publisher of a snowboarding magazine to apologize to people who get hurt on the mountain.
Hi shannon, I know youre moderating my posts now. I think its time the world know exactly how much you’ve aided underage people in the heavy modification world. I think you should own up to it. And I think you should do it right now.
all i was saying was that i was employed the whole time i was modding, so its not like i was begging for piercing money for for someone to buy my scalpels to support my habbit
I haven’t read any of the posts above yet, so I guess it’ll be interesting on its own. As for the interview itself…
I found it interesting and I guess Shannon tried to cover as many aspects of Toph’s body modifications and choices as possible and yet there are still some aspects of his choices and modifications I’d like to read more about.
For once, there’s actually nothing about how his body deals with everyday challenges - sure, he drinks by means of straw but what else? did his lip plate change/restrict his diet in any way? How the lower part of his face feels if he’s wearing jewelry around the clock? Did he notice he’s more prone to colds or any other ailments due to his stretched nostrils?(I remember Pauly claimed he doesn’t but don’t we all like to say that “everyone’s different”?) do his mods get in the way while he does sports etc.
He said something about “image” but what does it mean to him actually? His “inner image” he keeps treasuring and striving for or maybe “image” as the way others perceive him and “give” him “rock star/celeb status” he mentioned? How he understands the term “famous modders”? they’re famous cuz they’re widely known or maybe he thinks more about things and values that stand behind these people and how they influenced the subculture? I must say that The Lizardman for me is not about full body transformation in progress but rather about his intelligence and very interesting articles for BME.
I guess I have (or will have) even more questions, so - my personal opinion about his choices aside - I’d actually prefer to see him more exposed in terms of how he approaches body modification in general and how his decisions affect his life in as many aspects as possible. Also, what about a follow-up for this article in a few months/years? it’s not even about either shutting these who are skeptical about his “journey” up or proving his own point but rather about being able to observe soemthing so radical and interesting over some time.
yttrx: did you read my whole post i have a lip plate only 1.5 of a mm smaller than his and iv had it quite some time so im speaking from experience youv just got to get people to listen my employers/ colleges dont even notice my mods anymore they just see me. this will happen/has happend for him
And yes, I think you need to apologize to the entire community and begin to make reparations. I think its pretty important that you do that.
I personally wasn’t knocking your work ethic, just making a point about having the money needed to follow your dreams. I wasn’t trying to attack you or Shannon in any way. Just putting it out there. I find it commendable that one as heavily modded as yourself can set such a good standard for the work ethic of other modded people.
By the way, dearie—one post of truth from me for every lie that you’ve told about me that I’ve heard about to date. Are we finished here? Or should I start backing up what I’m saying with hard evidence over on my site, where you have no censoring power?
ania i will be happy to answer all of your questions via email unless there is going to be a part 2 of the interview. iam_toph@live.com
G.C. yeah, thats why I was addressing you directly. I know you’ve got quite a bit of experience in the matter, but the world is still largely closed for you as far as employment goes, and that’s just the way it is.
Don’t mistake me please: I’m, not saying that what you’ve done is stupid—I’m saying that shannon’s righteous support of it is *very* dangerous. There’s a difference between really educating people about the dangers—like naming the really bad practitioners that are minutes away from killing someone–and turning a blind eye and doing favors for friends.
thank you, Toph! I guess I’ll get in touch with you soon then.
I think, however, that a follow-up interview with more focus on this more mundane and not really pretty side of body modification and its both short- and long-term consequences would be interesting to read.
his ears look so sad all naked :(
How the hell does every modblog post turn into this lately?
I’m very interested in all these accusations that have been going both ways, but that’s from a purely voyeuristic point of view as I know none of you and it’s not my business. It blatantly shouldn’t be going on here at any rate, don’t you think?
As yttrx says, he has his own website to post all this ‘hard evidence’. Maybe piss off over there. I’m on nobody’s side, but I am fucking sick of all this stirring.
Anyways, prety interesting interview I thought.
i secound cobalt chemistry
I feel like every one of my mods is pretty standard and unobtrusive but it still amazes me the amount of shit I get about them on a daily basis. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for him!
everyone is being really negative, but i say major props.
unemployeed since christmas?
jesus christ. That alone should show you
why its a bad idea to go so far, before being
financially secure. Any time I’ve ever been
unemployeed, if it went longer than a week, it
was because I wasnt looking. Each time I’ve had
to find a job, I could with in 2 days. Might not
be the best job ever, but it paid.
And I dont give a shit about “Oh, I would rather be
poor and follow my dreams!” If some fuck ends up on
welfare because they cant get a job, its taking money
from me and others, who have to pay taxes for that.
*note, this isnt saying Toph is on or going to be on welfare, but its still something that needs to be said.
i reaslize this, i wouldnt except wellfare if it came down to it, becuase there is no reason i cannot work
Interesting article..only thing I couldn’t believe is that he has already been married and from the sound of it, divorced by the age of twenty! Well, if the person you’re with can’t accept your mods, then obviously they’re not the right person for you. good luck in finding someone who accepts you for all of you :-)
Toph, maybe you can enlighten us as to the “why now” question?
thank you silverflame
im not following, why now what ??
Why get such extreme permanent mods NOW rather than wait a couple years til you’re financially independent?
Toph: if there’s no reason you cannot work….then why are you not working?
Awesome article. Ahhm I’m going to have to agree with #46 - Nicole. (that’s as far as I got) for the most part! :) Yeah, Oklahoma has been rather unfriendly to me here, and always cool to see more modified people here.
Ahh, Toph, I commend you, you’re just awesome!
oh ok , no problem … at the time i was cooking at 8.50 an hour and working landscaping for 10$ and hour cash. i was living on my own paying all my bills and still was making a shit load of money, and it seemed pemenate for the most part considering i was head cook , and my landscaping boss was going to sell me his buisness.. so needless to say things were as good as it could get for me, when your being promised a 120k a year company… so my mods were very comfortable to do being in my situation. to be honest if i never got married no matter how lame and bullshit this sounds i never would of been unemployed. and this is a very true fact. i got fired for being an asshole the next day after the split up and he never returned my calls. so i understand i might be in a hell of a situation right now because i preaviously got screwed. but i am working through this the best i can and i do want a job and i do want to work and i am looking, this town prolly wasent the best one to move to to say the least. no excuses though cause im still looking
no offense, but I’ve seen some of your pics
on your page with some crusty issues going on.
I wouldnt want you cooking my food.
thats the thing i can work, but finding it isnt always easy in small towns. if you read my blogs ive been looking since i moved here, secound day i was here i was filling out applications.
the crustys came from the shitty wearther in okalhoma, warm weather is a happy piercing in my opinion, and im not arguing with it either because i dont photoshop my pics nor clean my shit for every pic. im as real as it gets
One positive side to the hoardes shouting about slow stretching - look how many people’ve been paying attention to recommended practise! Didn’t y’all do well! ;)
Toph - glad it worked for you, keep on keeping on, and all the best in the job-hunt :)
thanks for the positive support
I’m really suprised at all the negativity, especially when you compare it to comments left for images of Pauly Unstoppable, who has changed his appearance just as much, if not more so.
espescially as paully was takin donations for his mods.
im not going to lie for about 2 months i had a donation button on my page, has been since taken off but it was there.
whats with my spelling!
i personally dont think havin a job is the be all and end all,im in a similar position at the moment findin it hardish to get another job an my lips only17mm but its far from impossible to find work when you have facial mods.
he should pierce and stretch his eyelid and put in lenses, so he could wear permanent sunglasses. that would be rad.
lol … wtf
lol. The lens idea sounds like something from a Gibson novel.
I lurk his pictures on BME..
Yay Toph because you look fantastic!
My first thought is:
Where is he going to get a job?
he looks kinda like a puppy.
I think the reason Toph is having a hard time finding a job is the fact that hes now living in a small town. I grew up in a small town and I couldnt find a job for the life of me, with no mods, a high school education and 2 years of work exp. under my belt. I grew up there my whole life and when it came down to it, it wasnt what you know but who you know.
Did you know that most Mcdonalds wont even let you have more then ONE lobe piercing. When I was 17 I applied to my local Mcdonalds and they wouldnt hire me because I had two lobe piercings in each ear - no joke !! Theres no doubt his more extream mods hinder his chances for some jobs but Im sure for one reason or another most of you wouldnt be hired for the same jobs he was just turned away for - as well just because you have a stud in your nostril or a tribal arm band. The way people see modded people is the same for Toph as it is for your average kid with a lip ring.
Mods are discriminated no matter the size, type or location. And just because some doors may close because you have mods isnt a good enough reason to not do them. Everyday doors close and new ones open, we grown, we change and life goes on just like it always will.