10/21/2002: Dagger cheeks
 

http://cellar.org/2002/mouthdaggers.jpg

This is from the same event highlighted by Nic's posting of the person with hooks through their cheek (here in Quality Images) - a Thai Buddhist vegetarian festival. Here's guessing that the guy accidentally ate a lot of his own flesh while perfecting his skill, though I suppose digesting your own cells is OK within the tenets of vegetarianism/Buddhism.

*cringe* ouch.
I flashed on a particularly memorable gruesome Mad Magazine back cover folding funny- it was Tarzan swinging on a vine with a big knife in his mouth, when you folded it, he hits a tree and slices his mouth back to his spine. ouch.

Is this like the ulimate in piercing? Have these guys made permanent openings in their cheeks just for this event?

I remember a Jack Davis rendition of a milder version of the same joke: panel 1, Tarzan swinging on a vine; panel 2, Tarzan, knife in teeth, diving into water; panel 3, discomfited Tarzan in doctor's office, w/doofy looking doc telling him, "Man, you're lucky you didn't cut your head off!" -- the moral of the story seemed to be, "Whenever you have a knife in your teeth, edge out!"

What else is going on?
 

I shudder to think of the freak that the rest of the crowd is looking at. Only a few are checking this one out.

Considering the background scenery ... it could be this.

Hey UG, I think you've got it right- he hits the water- thats the one. (My memory flash must have merged with some George of the Jungle recall.)

why?
 

Can anyone explain why they are doing this or what it has to do with a vegetarian festival?

At least when certain Christian sects nail themselves to crosses it has something to do with Easter and such but what's the connection here for celebrating being vegetarian.

Perhaps I could understand if they impaled themselves on a large carrot.

Makes you wonder what is going on behind him that is more interesting (nobody is looking at him).

i compared these statements. :)

What I have to wonder is, man, the other people must be doing something <b>really</b> grotesque, because no one is looking at this guy!

Maybe some are checking the rear view- maybe these arent the only daggered cheeks. ew.

warch!! eww! :p

i just noticed, no one's even looking at him. what could be going on behind him!?