52 thoughts on ““I want to be a Papuan!””

  3. Ahaha, is there a female version? And what would that look like? I think I need to join a tribe of some kind…

  4. Ahaha, is there a female version? And what would that look like? I think I need to join a tribe of some kind…

  5. Shannon, since this guy clearly isn’t Papuan and that’s a pretty odd-looking penis sheath, could we have a bit more back story please?

  6. Shannon, since this guy clearly isn’t Papuan and that’s a pretty odd-looking penis sheath, could we have a bit more back story please?

  7. My recollection’s a bit fuzzy on this one, but I seem to recall that the penis sheath isn’t Papuan (southern Papua Niugini) but New Guinean (uh, northern PNG), specifically Sepik. Feel free to correct me.

  8. My recollection’s a bit fuzzy on this one, but I seem to recall that the penis sheath isn’t Papuan (southern Papua Niugini) but New Guinean (uh, northern PNG), specifically Sepik. Feel free to correct me.

  25. woah, i have a few of those on my wall from when i lived in PNG.

    although, mine are only used for decorative purposes… that looks quite uncomfortable

  26. woah, i have a few of those on my wall from when i lived in PNG.

    although, mine are only used for decorative purposes… that looks quite uncomfortable

  29. Heh. I must have heard a million jokes about penis gourds, but this is the first I’ve actually seen one.

    Pretty interesting, actually, if not so practical (surely this particular model would be a decorative fashion statement?).

  30. Heh. I must have heard a million jokes about penis gourds, but this is the first I’ve actually seen one.

    Pretty interesting, actually, if not so practical (surely this particular model would be a decorative fashion statement?).

  35. >>My recollection’s a bit fuzzy on this one, but I seem to recall that the penis sheath isn’t Papuan

    Mostly from Indonesia and the Dani tribes of West Papua.

  36. >>My recollection’s a bit fuzzy on this one, but I seem to recall that the penis sheath isn’t Papuan

    Mostly from Indonesia and the Dani tribes of West Papua.

  37. if you look closely there is a Transcrotal or simular in place and i am sure the start of a sack division split

  38. if you look closely there is a Transcrotal or simular in place and i am sure the start of a sack division split

  41. As committed and admirable as the mods are, there’s an unavoidable political context to the whole modern primitivism thing that just always gets me down…the whole appropriation trip (of images, ideas, whatever) just doesn’t seem as cool in the ongoing (post-)colonial context of various exploitations. Whatever the individual’s feelings are (of respect, admiration, etc.) for the culture in question, it doesn’t make the context of attempted political and cultural domination go away. White folks have always ‘played indian’ from the Boston Tea Party to the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls, and in my opinion it’s just uncool. Now if this fellow pictured is in fact a participating member of the society in question (which is totally possible irrespective of skin color and is up to the society, not him, to decide) then I apologize to him and respect his commitment to his society’s traditions, while standing by my comments as far as other ‘modern primitives’ go.

  42. As committed and admirable as the mods are, there’s an unavoidable political context to the whole modern primitivism thing that just always gets me down…the whole appropriation trip (of images, ideas, whatever) just doesn’t seem as cool in the ongoing (post-)colonial context of various exploitations. Whatever the individual’s feelings are (of respect, admiration, etc.) for the culture in question, it doesn’t make the context of attempted political and cultural domination go away. White folks have always ‘played indian’ from the Boston Tea Party to the Boy Scouts and Campfire Girls, and in my opinion it’s just uncool. Now if this fellow pictured is in fact a participating member of the society in question (which is totally possible irrespective of skin color and is up to the society, not him, to decide) then I apologize to him and respect his commitment to his society’s traditions, while standing by my comments as far as other ‘modern primitives’ go.

  43. this makes me miss home. well, one of my homes. that guy has got nothing on the natives. 😛

    and to the person above, generally, they wont disrcriminate based on your skin if they know you, and you are a part of the community. but it really depends where you live and how you treat them. so for all we know, he could be partaking in ceremonies etc.

    or, just someone playing dress ups.

    i miss my grass skirt and billam bags.

    😛

  44. this makes me miss home. well, one of my homes. that guy has got nothing on the natives. 😛

    and to the person above, generally, they wont disrcriminate based on your skin if they know you, and you are a part of the community. but it really depends where you live and how you treat them. so for all we know, he could be partaking in ceremonies etc.

    or, just someone playing dress ups.

    i miss my grass skirt and billam bags.

    😛

  45. Slackary – Some good points there but the whole point of globalism is that people across the world are influenced by everyone else and incorporate various elements into their own lifestyles. I don’t see most of the practices here as taking anything away from their roots as long as those roots are acknowledged and understood. In my eyes some of these practices are no worse than isolated African tribes playing soccer. They are stretching out from their own culture and reaping the benefits of others.

    Some of the suspension hangings annoy me as quite often there appears to be a gimmick element (bike, dog, whisky etc) added which clearly detracts from the original spiritual context. However I am slowly learning to tolerate the intolerable. Difficult sometimes.

    I am currently composing a site specifically dedicated to the art and ritual of what I classify as non-industrialised body art in the hope that people can pop along and pay respect to the true forefathers of the reasons we are all here.

  46. Slackary – Some good points there but the whole point of globalism is that people across the world are influenced by everyone else and incorporate various elements into their own lifestyles. I don’t see most of the practices here as taking anything away from their roots as long as those roots are acknowledged and understood. In my eyes some of these practices are no worse than isolated African tribes playing soccer. They are stretching out from their own culture and reaping the benefits of others.

    Some of the suspension hangings annoy me as quite often there appears to be a gimmick element (bike, dog, whisky etc) added which clearly detracts from the original spiritual context. However I am slowly learning to tolerate the intolerable. Difficult sometimes.

    I am currently composing a site specifically dedicated to the art and ritual of what I classify as non-industrialised body art in the hope that people can pop along and pay respect to the true forefathers of the reasons we are all here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *