Why is it that as I watch boys get their skin sliced open with razors in a crocodile-skin pattern as part of an initiation into manhood, as I watch people suspended in the air by giant hooks in their backs, tribes leaving twins or babies whose top teeth come in first to die in the bushes, of men raised to be women, who look and clean and cook like women but lack breasts--why do I feel ashamed? I feel ashamed as I sit there and watch these cultures, ashamed that I understand, ashamed that my thoughts are separated from yours, independent, as you sit in the opposite chair, watching the same TV screen, but instead cringing with disgust. I suspect that you are looking at the TV to see my reflection, to try to see my thoughts hitting the TV and bouncing back to you as if reflected in a mirror.
You’re thinking, Why is she WATCHING this? It’s horrible, it’s savage, it’s perverted, it’s WEIRD. “Tch!” you say at the TV. “There are some FREAKY people out there.” And then you get up and leave.
But I understand. It’s their CULTURE. It’s their way of life. It’s different to us, but normal for them. They grow up expecting those rites of passage. They hope for it. And the things they do that may seem “weird” or immoral by our standards are for a reason. When war or drought or famine occurs, they need a way to fix it. They don’t know how identical twins are formed from a single egg that divides--all they see are two strange, identical children from a single pregnancy. Perhaps they think it’s creepy to have ANOTHER person who goes around looking EXACTLY like you. it might not make sense to kill a twin, it may not be moral or fair—but that’s what they do. I disagree with infanticide and misogyny, but IN THOSE CULTURES, it’s how things are. And I understand that. I’m open.
You’re closed. Quit watching and leave if you’re not going to be mature about it.
Author notes
8-6-07
These are my thoughts, not yours. An imaginary argument against two people, one in particular… This piece was inspired after watching the TV show “Taboo” on National Geographic.
The end bothers me. It comes off too strong. Suggestions?
Comments
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that is true... i never thought about it before. but everyone's cultures are so different, instead of just condemning them because they are we should try to understand.
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Mm...that reminds me of an awesome article-ish thing about the Nacirema that my 9th grade social studies teacher had us read to understand cultures... I found it at http://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html if you want to read it.
If/when you get to the end, tell me if you 'get' it. 
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He he. Taboo.
First of all, I haven't watched the show, but I get the feeling that they only show the most culturally distant aspects of other cultures, those that they think would shock and yes, disgust the audience. People are into that. Like fear factor. Gross show. High ratings.
If you can judge a cultural tradition for WHAT IT IS, and not compare it against your own experiences and what you're accustomed to, that's great.
I liked it up until you started putting things in all caps. It kind of turned from a work of literature to a rant. See if you can get out these feelings through another way, instead of yelling.
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How does this person know what the other is thinking? Was there a conversation between the two? Was this just an assumption on the character's part? I was left with the impression that the character was just as judgemental and critical as the person they were accusing.
Interesting. -
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No, there was no conversation between the two, just knowing who the other person is and what kind of stuff they disapprove of.
And the character from whose point of view this was, IS, perhaps, rather critical and judgmental of the other character...
Interesting... -
Quit judging and criticizing a person for being critical and judgemental! Oooh, burn!
Just kidding.
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