Extreme Body Modification: Joe Miggler, 23, Modifies Body With Holes In Cheeks And A Split Tongue
German body artist, Joe Miggler, 23, uses his own body as a way of expressing his love for piercings and body modification. For the past 10 years, Miggeler has been practicing body mutilation, The Daily Telegraph reported.
With holes in his cheeks approximately 1.4 inches wide, Miggler hopes to eventually stretch them to 1.5 inches wide. His social media name is "Bodymoded Punky" and he lives up to this nickname with 25 piercings — one being a pair of large holes in his cheek. Miggler even split his tongue, giving it a snake-like look. He tells the New York Daily News that people are much harsher from behind the computer screen. "On social networks they mostly discriminate and offend me," Miggler said.
One question that many people might have is, how does he eat? "I can eat and drink like normal people," he tells the New York Daily News.
While Miggler’s body modification might seem strange to many, it is considered an art form that spans many countries and cultures. For example, men in the Dinka tribe in South Sudan scar their faces with three parallel lines to display courage to the tribe. In India, women in a region of Arunachal Pradesh are said to be so beautiful that they purposely make themselves less appealing by wearing large wooden plugs in their noses.
Body modifications from culture to culture have different meanings and, for many, the unknown or the uncommon can come off as odd or as a threat. From people stopping on the street to the stares and glares Miggler says that hesitations from people and their judgment doesn’t bother him. “For sure people judge me for my body mods — mostly bad — but I don't care what they say,” he said.