Is this really “so not ok?”

[Draketeeth]

Just saw this... dunno if it’s genius or totally wrong... what do u think?

http://www.shared.com/people-are-us...?utm_source=iheartmedia&utm_medium=influencer

Of what was shown, the only one I think worked well was the reptile skin. The whole insect looked clunky an impractical, the butterfly wings looked terrible, and that doesn't even begin to touch on the animals being specifically killed for fashion. At least with a fur coat it has a practical purpose (to keep you warm), but this? This is just aesthetics.

At least it's better than the prolonged cruelty of live insect jewelry... https://www.missmalini.com/2012/06/18/bug-on-a-leash-the-roach-brooch/

Okay, but the roach broach as weird as it sounded initially was not quite as horrible as it looked on the surface. I did a lot of looking into these when I first found out about them, but didn't have the funds available at the time to get one. When I did, they were unavailable, he'd stopped making them.

The designer waited till the roach was a full adult so as not to compromise its ability to molt. He was very gentle with them and in interviews said that the staff took care to make sure they didn't even hiss. He hated the hissing when they were uncomfortable. The site with the information about them encouraged only wearing them for a few hours at most, and when not being worn, strongly endorsed a full 10 gallon tank with substrate, heater, and hides for your bedazzled companion. The site came with a brief care section and a list of foods the roaches enjoyed. Furthermore the designer only sold bejeweled males so the buyer didn't receive surprise babies from a pregnant female. From what I could tell, yes, he was bedazzling a living animal for jewelry, but he genuinely cared about the health of the animal in the long run.

 

[KezyGLA]

yeah, but c'mon its nails and i can't speak for all guys but i don't look at nails on female specimens.

I am sure women do their nails to make them happy more than do it for us gents

 

[grumpycow3]

well i've never seen inside the mind of a female so y'know

 

[chanda]

Okay, but the roach broach as weird as it sounded initially was not quite as horrible as it looked on the surface. I did a lot of looking into these when I first found out about them, but didn't have the funds available at the time to get one. When I did, they were unavailable, he'd stopped making them.

The designer waited till the roach was a full adult so as not to compromise its ability to molt. He was very gentle with them and in interviews said that the staff took care to make sure they didn't even hiss. He hated the hissing when they were uncomfortable. The site with the information about them encouraged only wearing them for a few hours at most, and when not being worn, strongly endorsed a full 10 gallon tank with substrate, heater, and hides for your bedazzled companion. The site came with a brief care section and a list of foods the roaches enjoyed. Furthermore the designer only sold bejeweled males so the buyer didn't receive surprise babies from a pregnant female. From what I could tell, yes, he was bedazzling a living animal for jewelry, but he genuinely cared about the health of the animal in the long run.

I would be curious to know what the average life-span of one of his bejeweled roaches was, after purchase. I'm sure some of them were cared for responsibly - and others were probably worn until the wee hours, then shoved caressly into the closet, still attached to an evening jacket or wrap, at the end of a fancy night out. I doubt the majority of the people buying these brooches were all that interested in the well-being of the bug - or even really thought of it as a living creature at all. To most of them, it was just a fancy accessory and any care they gave it was just to prolong its usefullness for them and protect their investment - assuming they didn't just buy it for one special party or event and are then done with it.

As far as the staff "being gentle" with them so they didn't hiss, the only way I can even imagine that is if he anesthesized them or cooled them down or something. I have hissing cockroaches as pets. They'll sometimes hiss just from the cage being opened or food being put in the cage or from being gently picked up. A fully alert, un-interfered-with hissing cockroach would almost certainly hiss, no matter how gently it was handled while they applied their proprietary chemicals or whatever they used to remove or otherwise alter the waxy top layer of the cuticle so the jewels would stick and then decorated it.

Yes, I'm sure he did his best to make sure the roaches were well cared for - but once they're out of his hands, who knows what happens to them? And he is not the only person creating live bug jewelry. Do all the creators of live roach or beetle brooches care for the well-being of the animals and take steps to make sure they'll be cared for by the buyers?

 

[chanda]

. It is bizarre to call something taxidermy if you are the one purposely killing it.

How is that bizarre? While I know there are some people who have their beloved cat or dog stuffed when it dies of old age, I'd wager that the most common use of taxidermy is to preserve hunting trophies - which are intentionally killed for that express purpose. Granted, many of them are killed by hunters and then brought to a professional taxidermist because not everyone has the skills to properly preserve them and make 'em look "pretty" - but those taxidermists probably have their own "hobby kills" that they stuff and mount as well. Taxidermy basically just means the preservation of a dead body so it can be displayed or studied, whether it's a dead scorpion in fingernail gel - or in one of those cheap pendants, paperweights, suckers, or other objects that can be found in any gift or souvenir shop - or a mounted elk's head or one of those bizarre pieced-together creations like the Fiji mermaid - or even the preserved tarantulas or other large bugs in many insect and spider collections.

 

[MrsHaas]

But when @KezyGLA wrote what he did, what data do you have that specifically allowed you to know he thought Mexico is part of Central America? Perhaps he was merely referencing Central America?

I think it was based on the article. (Wouldn’t be a good “MrsHaas” if I didn’t back up Mr. Haas (@raggamuffin415) here on this one right lol)... and Viper, who has the wooden spoon now??! *cough* you *cough*
Stir stir stir

 

[MrsHaas]

shouldn't this be on geogroboards

I just gotta stop here and acknowledge how amazing this comment is!!!! I’m gonna pee, laughing... I’m serious

 

[raggamuffin415]

Was just giving kezy a hard time lol, all good homie!!

 

[Garth Vader]

I learned the hard way that you don't go to Central America, or Mexico, and say you are American- good way to offend people. They say "we are all American!".

I think these nails look grotesque. I am sure that cooler things can be done with scorpions and butterfly wings. I can't wait for this trend of long pointy nails to go away. They look so creepy and unhygienic to me. I like painting my nails but tend to keep them short so I can easily do things like, you know, hold a pen, or open a jar or drive my car.

 

[eggcellent]

How is that bizarre? While I know there are some people who have their beloved cat or dog stuffed when it dies of old age, I'd wager that the most common use of taxidermy is to preserve hunting trophies - which are intentionally killed for that express purpose. Granted, many of them are killed by hunters and then brought to a professional taxidermist because not everyone has the skills to properly preserve them and make 'em look "pretty" - but those taxidermists probably have their own "hobby kills" that they stuff and mount as well. Taxidermy basically just means the preservation of a dead body so it can be displayed or studied, whether it's a dead scorpion in fingernail gel - or in one of those cheap pendants, paperweights, suckers, or other objects that can be found in any gift or souvenir shop - or a mounted elk's head or one of those bizarre pieced-together creations like the Fiji mermaid - or even the preserved tarantulas or other large bugs in many insect and spider collections.

My mistake, I know of gaming taxidermy, but I did not know it included so many other techniques though.

I do love the cryptid taxidermy like the fiji mermaid, but the best/tragic image results fall under 'bad taxidermy'.

 

[Draketeeth]

As far as the staff "being gentle" with them so they didn't hiss, the only way I can even imagine that is if he anesthesized them or cooled them down or something. I have hissing cockroaches as pets. They'll sometimes hiss just from the cage being opened or food being put in the cage or from being gently picked up. A fully alert, un-interfered-with hissing cockroach would almost certainly hiss, no matter how gently it was handled while they applied their proprietary chemicals or whatever they used to remove or otherwise alter the waxy top layer of the cuticle so the jewels would stick and then decorated it.

I have hissing cockroaches as well. They can throw quite the hissy fit over the silliest things! But on the opposite side of the coin from those who hiss over nothing, I have had hissers who find life really agreeable and hardly hiss at all. There's a real mix of personalities in ever batch!

You have some good points in your argument, but ultimately they'll probably be left to speculation. As for "Do all the creators of live roach or beetle brooches care for the well-being of the animals and take steps to make sure they'll be cared for by the buyers?" all I can say to that is if anyone is interested in those sellers, do your research on them. What attracted me to the roach broach was how much obvious care he promote for the creature--- the understanding that while it was pretty, it was alive. Other live jewelry seller? I don't know, I haven't researched them to know their outlook on the situation, but if fashion is endorsed over care and even basic information for upkeep is missing, it's probably not a seller to support.

 

[Trenor]

After seeing this, no one should ever tell me I have crap fashion sense again. I'll just point out these people have everyone beat in that department.

 

[boina]

Apart from the very questionable use of live animals for some weird "edgy" fasion I don't know why any woman would want those kind of nails. I actually do like to use my hands, like doing stuff with them, you know. Whatever the proponents of long weird nails may say, they do impair your dexterity and slow you down, at least somewhat. You may not notice if you don't do things requiring speed and dexterity but I notice.

I wouldn't even feed my spiders wearing those nails because I'd fear they'd hinder me if I really needed to react fast and exact.

 

[cold blood]

How is that bizarre? While I know there are some people who have their beloved cat or dog stuffed when it dies of old age, I'd wager that the most common use of taxidermy is to preserve hunting trophies - which are intentionally killed for that express purpose. Granted, many of them are killed by hunters and then brought to a professional taxidermist because not everyone has the skills to properly preserve them and make 'em look "pretty" - but those taxidermists probably have their own "hobby kills" that they stuff and mount as well. Taxidermy basically just means the preservation of a dead body so it can be displayed or studied, whether it's a dead scorpion in fingernail gel - or in one of those cheap pendants, paperweights, suckers, or other objects that can be found in any gift or souvenir shop - or a mounted elk's head or one of those bizarre pieced-together creations like the Fiji mermaid - or even the preserved tarantulas or other large bugs in many insect and spider collections.

A mounted animal can and still will be harvested...the hunter can and usually still gets the meat....just sayin, its not like the animal goes to waste because someone wants it preserved.

 

[cold blood]

Apart from the very questionable use of live animals for some weird "edgy" fasion I don't know why any woman would want those kind of nails. I actually do like to use my hands, like doing stuff with them, you know. Whatever the proponents of long weird nails may say, they do impair your dexterity and slow you down, at least somewhat. You may not notice if you don't do things requiring speed and dexterity but I notice.

I wouldn't even feed my spiders wearing those nails because I'd fear they'd hinder me if I really needed to react fast and exact.

Im guessing most of these people are wearing them out clubbing....probably not a hinderance to holding a martini.....i doubt people are wearing this crap to the lab to work...lol.

 

[KezyGLA]

My lady has fancy nails. They snap all the time because she works very hard. Costs a fair bit to get them done regularly but if thats what she wants then fair play... so long as its not coming out my account

 

[grumpycow3]

nice

 

[Anoplogaster]

They just look like dirty brown fingernails that are way too pointy and creepy.