Taboo: Living on the Fringes of Society
This week's Taboo was all about misfits! But not your run-of-the-mill Daria kind. Featured here were wannabe amputees, exiled Bangladeshi river dwellers, and—most abhorrent of all—freegans!
First up we meet Dave, an Australian father of four who, for as long as he can remember, has felt that his right leg (from precisely two inches below the knee down) is alien. Basically, it's not a part of him and he can't be wholly himself so long as it's there. He suffers from Body Integrity Identity Disorder, or BIID, where his brain is hard-wired to essentially reject that particular limb.
There is limited recourse for those suffering from this affliction, as surgeons in most countries are legally barred from removing healthy limbs. So, our Dave takes things into his own hands (and legs), and decides to just kill the darn thing, freezing it off like so many little warts. Here's the dramatic re-enactment:
He ultimately succeeds—as evinced by the prosthesis' appearance in the clip—and lives a full, happy life. (He uses the prosthesis as a mobility aid; the relief stems from quitting that pesky real-leg.)
The Bangladeshi portion was boring.
The last misfit Taboo examines is Arthur, an elderly British gentleman who suffers from being a FREEGAN. The show does emphasize Arthur takes it to the extreme with his penchant for roadkill, but this clip explaining the essence of freeganism is pretty hilarious (cue dramatic score).
For better or worse, we all know a freewheelin' hipster or two who suffers from dumpster diving. However, despite Arthur's "scavenging" ways, he's actually just doing more than most to combat impending eco-disaster. He disagrees with modern farming practices, explaining that at this rate (i.e. resources gobbled up for livestock production) we'll soon be unable to afford the luxury of meat. Hence, he refuses to let "good protein" go to waste rotting on the side of the road. Whatever, that's his prerogative.
Ah, another batch of lovable freaks brought to us by the folks at National Geographic. And guess what's up for next week? Drugs!