Latest Piercing Rage: Tongue Splitting

[Cathryn Crawford]

Latest Piercing Rage: Tongue Splitting It's called tongue splitting and involves slicing the tongue right down the middle to create a forked look. Those who do it, call it body modification. Many others call it body mutilation.

Either way, it's not for the squeamish.

Why would anyone split his or her tongue? The Associated Press interviewed several people who did it, and there were three reasons typically cited:

The shock value is enormous. Some actually find the experience spiritual. They just like the way it looks and feels. While tongue splitting is edging up in popularity, it's still relatively uncommon. By some counts, about 2,000 people worldwide have done it, but curiosity is growing fast.

AP interviewed 19-year-old James Keen, pictured above, and asked him why he did this. "When I first saw it, I thought tongue-splitting was the most beautiful thing I've seen in my life," he said. When he couldn't find a surgeon to do the deed, he enlisted a body piercer from his hometown, Scottsville, Kentucky. The cost? $500 with no anesthetic. "People are very curious about how it feels." Keen says he can move both sides of his tongue independently of the other.

What are the side effects? Infection from bacteria in the mouth is quite possible. In addition, tongue splitting almost always forces people to learn to speak all over again and typically causes a lisp that may not ever go away.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are so outraged by the procedure they are using the power of their office to make it illegal. One such person is Illinois state Rep. David Miller from Chicago's south suburbs who has authored a bill that requires tongue-splitting to be performed only for medical reasons and only by a doctor or dentist. AP reports that the bill passed nearly unanimously in the Illinois House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. Miller is fully aware of individual rights and personal freedom, but he told AP, "But I'm not sure the people getting this done understand the risks. We're choosing safety over cosmetics." Those who oppose the bill say it will only force people who want the procedure to go underground and that could mean unsafe conditions.

In addition to lawmakers' efforts to stop the trend before it really takes off, several branches of the armed services have banned the practice. The Air Force gave one young airman a choice: Get his tongue sewn back together or be kicked out the Air Force.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Now, my sister has three holes in each ear, and she wears tiny diamonds in them. It doesn't look too bad.

[Paul Atreides]

I can't look at that guy without thinking of the guy who broke his legs jumping off of the apartment building into the swimming pool. Gee, I wonder why that is.....

[CGASMIA68]

I thought it was a female myself.....

[Cathryn Crawford]

Maybe! It's hard to tell. LOL

[Paul Atreides]

Maybe he'd might as well be a female. He might have had the tongue split to please his male lover.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Nasty!

[retrokitten]

I can handle tattoos and I can handle peircings. But I cannot understand (or stomach) this, scarification or those weird under the skin implant things. Maybe that's counter productive or hypocritical to some, but it's just how I feel. I can't even look at the split tongue people. It really, really makes my skin crawl.

[CGASMIA68]

and rightfully so...

[Cathryn Crawford]

It doesn't make my skin crawl. I have friends who would do this, if they were drunk enough.

I would never do it. I don't like pain and I think it looks absolutely sick. I don't blame you for getting the chills.

[Paul Atreides]

In addition, tongue splitting almost always forces people to learn to speak all over again and typically causes a lisp that may not ever go away.

How idiotic!

[ladyinred]

Democrats have had forked tongues for years, what is so new about this? :-)

Seriously, this is just horrific, and should be outlawed.

[Jim Noble]

What, you don't think they'll like my ability to move each side of my tongue independently of the other?

Let Monica try it first and report back.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Exactly my point.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I agree it's horrific; don't think it should be outlawed.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I don't think I'll ask Monica...

[retrokitten]

I think I saw this on Ripleys Believe it or Not, or that type of show a couple of years ago, but there was this guy who was trying to "transform" himself into a lizard and had all kinds weird stuff done to his body- including a head to toe tattoo of scales. He was the first split tongue I ever saw and seriously, I had to look away it grossed me out so much.

[ladyinred]

Hon, I think if you get it done you could most likely get a job interning for Hillary Clinton.

[cardinal4]

You beat me to the punch on the Wacko Jacko thread; Goldmember being my favorite Austin movie, I have several pics on my computer of the cast. And damned if MJ doesnt look just like Foxxy! Hey! Has anyone ever seen them in the same room??!

[Cathryn Crawford]

I saw the guy that was tattooed like a cheetah. It was freaky. Freaky, freaky.

[Cathryn Crawford]

That comment turned my stomach way more than the photos of the tongue splitting.