Taboo

Recently, I’ve been intrigued by the National Geographic show Taboo. It takes a look at a variety of customs throughout the world that outsiders might find forbidden or unmentionable, ranging in topic from food and standards of beauty, to death and child-rearing. I respect the show for trying to remain unbiased even if it doesn’t always succeed. It includes American customs I take for granted through the lenses of an outsider, shaping behaviors as strange, even unthinkable. The episode on demon possession presented American preachers in the same light as vo-doo priestesses. It makes sense; in a society without the belief in demonic possession either would seem anomalous. In a similar vein, putting make-up on your dead relatives, filling them with chemicals to avoid decay, and literally staring at the bodies, really is a little odd compared to the rest of the world.

Americans are notorious for not even trying to adapt to a different way of life when visiting other countries. Sometimes it isn’t on purpose; it takes a lifetime to adapt to all the nuances that cultures develop. These little behaviors create an “us” enabling a sense of belonging. But there is a danger when the “us against them” mentality emerges. There is a lot more to say about this topic and it always inspires dynamic, energetic, discussions. I leave it firmly within the category of being both a blessing and a curse and instead wander to amusing stories where my own unconscious cultural paradigms were exposed.

When visiting Montreal as a child my family wondered why the McDonalds was so loud, only to find when we all started eating that all the noise had been coming from one table… ours. A fellow classmate who came from a society that did not wear jewelry on hands asked me to explain the meaning of wearing rings. Seemed simple enough until I realized there are a lot of variables, and always exceptions- the gender of the wearer, which finger the ring is on, what stone is in the ring. While visiting a Thai University American culture class my team was asked: “Why do you keep your kids in cages?” We didn’t even know what they were talking about at first- cribs and playpens. I’ve been asked if I have a awful relationship with my mother because I destroyed our life link- I have a pierced belly button. By the way, I don’t have a bad relationship with my mother; she inspired this blog and follows it among other things.