Bizarre and Unusual
May 28, 2009 9:26 AM Subscribe
Bizarre and Unusual [NSF Weak Stomachs] is a section of Imagine China, a Chinese stock photography site. It includes images of China's first face transplant, for a rabbit, a one-horned man, how to wash 4.2 meter long hair, and many, many images of tumors and growth.
Aside from the unusual, it has sections on Current Events and News, sports, and other topics. [via APhotoEditor
I wonder if its just the sheer number of people in one country or if there something in the water that produces so many malformations amongst the people. Lots of weird photos. Arms growing out backs, 6 digit children, people growing horns.
posted by tomas316 at 9:34 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by tomas316 at 9:34 AM on May 28, 2009
Good lord. I am reminded again of how extraordinarily lucky I am to have 3 healthy and non-deformed children.
That poor man with the face tumor - how on earth would you go through life? And what are those bizarre golfballs in that woman's tumor? Pretty depressing, actually - I feel so bad for most of these people.
posted by widdershins at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2009
That poor man with the face tumor - how on earth would you go through life? And what are those bizarre golfballs in that woman's tumor? Pretty depressing, actually - I feel so bad for most of these people.
posted by widdershins at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2009
Not gonna look.
posted by doctorschlock at 9:41 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by doctorschlock at 9:41 AM on May 28, 2009
Can't seem to get through. Will I ever get to see China's first face transplant for a rabbit?
posted by Iridic at 9:43 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by Iridic at 9:43 AM on May 28, 2009
I guess this is why the Chinese are killing us in global economic competition. Their stock photography businesses recognize the profit to be made in selling images of facial tumors and ours don't.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:46 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by Joe Beese at 9:46 AM on May 28, 2009
I wonder if its just the sheer number of people in one country or if there something in the water that produces so many malformations amongst the people.
A billion and a half dude. A billion and a half.
If a condition is extremely rare, say it happens in one out of every 10 million people, there's 150 Chinese people walking around with it.
Then again, there's all sorts of shit in the water there.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:50 AM on May 28, 2009
A billion and a half dude. A billion and a half.
If a condition is extremely rare, say it happens in one out of every 10 million people, there's 150 Chinese people walking around with it.
Then again, there's all sorts of shit in the water there.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:50 AM on May 28, 2009
China's first face transplant, for a rabbit
They've created the Phantom of the Warren!
posted by Pollomacho at 9:53 AM on May 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
They've created the Phantom of the Warren!
posted by Pollomacho at 9:53 AM on May 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
For the love of all that is good WTF is this?!
posted by photoslob at 9:59 AM on May 28, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by photoslob at 9:59 AM on May 28, 2009 [2 favorites]
Having lax pollution control probably can't help, right? Maybe in some cases it is the water.
posted by tula at 10:00 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by tula at 10:00 AM on May 28, 2009
Don't forget yet another Cat with Wings.
Well, that just proves that there's Red Bull in the water.
posted by maudlin at 10:01 AM on May 28, 2009
Well, that just proves that there's Red Bull in the water.
posted by maudlin at 10:01 AM on May 28, 2009
A billion and a half dude. A billion and a half.
I remember reading once that China accounts for more than 20% of new cancer cases every year. It's not that their statistical incidence of cancer is particularly higher than in the rest of the world -- it's just sheer numbers. They have more than 20% of the planet's population! By contrast, Europe contains ~12% of the world population, and all of North and South America combined is ~9%.
That said, they do have a serious problem with breast and lung cancers. The government is beginning to launch education campaigns, a tactic which has increased early detection and survival rates in the US and Europe over the last 10-15 years.
posted by zarq at 10:03 AM on May 28, 2009
I remember reading once that China accounts for more than 20% of new cancer cases every year. It's not that their statistical incidence of cancer is particularly higher than in the rest of the world -- it's just sheer numbers. They have more than 20% of the planet's population! By contrast, Europe contains ~12% of the world population, and all of North and South America combined is ~9%.
That said, they do have a serious problem with breast and lung cancers. The government is beginning to launch education campaigns, a tactic which has increased early detection and survival rates in the US and Europe over the last 10-15 years.
posted by zarq at 10:03 AM on May 28, 2009
those who fear to click should know that this link is not close to rotten.com or anything else that exploitative. more odd than sickening.
for another quick conversion, the woman's hair is 13.77949 feet long. no wonder she needs a whole tub to wash it.
posted by the aloha at 10:10 AM on May 28, 2009
for another quick conversion, the woman's hair is 13.77949 feet long. no wonder she needs a whole tub to wash it.
posted by the aloha at 10:10 AM on May 28, 2009
I thought about mentioning the mere size of the population, but most of tumor-related issues are probably more closely associated with a general lack of health care in rural areas. Small things, that would normally be taken care of quickly and early in the west, or the tier 1 cities, are left to grow over decades. Cancer is a problem here, as is diabetes. The percentage of the population considered obese is also growing faster than the west.
posted by michswiss at 10:13 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by michswiss at 10:13 AM on May 28, 2009
I'll admit it, the only link I actually clicked was the long hair one.
My, that is some long hair!
posted by Malice at 10:14 AM on May 28, 2009
My, that is some long hair!
posted by Malice at 10:14 AM on May 28, 2009
That said, they do have a serious problem with breast and lung cancers. The government is beginning to launch education campaigns, a tactic which has increased early detection and survival rates in the US and Europe over the last 10-15 years.
Education programs like this?
posted by Pollomacho at 10:17 AM on May 28, 2009
Education programs like this?
posted by Pollomacho at 10:17 AM on May 28, 2009
This is considered stock photography in China? What the hell kind of brochures do they print over there?
posted by ben242 at 10:21 AM on May 28, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by ben242 at 10:21 AM on May 28, 2009 [2 favorites]
Don't forget yet another Cat with Wings.
i have a memory of seeing a cat with wings when i was really little. i'm convinced i dreamt it (i also have a 'memory' of meeting the cookie monster in a heating vent in preschool), but now that picture above has me not so sure.
posted by fuzzypantalones at 10:22 AM on May 28, 2009
i have a memory of seeing a cat with wings when i was really little. i'm convinced i dreamt it (i also have a 'memory' of meeting the cookie monster in a heating vent in preschool), but now that picture above has me not so sure.
posted by fuzzypantalones at 10:22 AM on May 28, 2009
This is considered stock photography in China? What the hell kind of brochures do they print over there?
Come to beautiful Lazhou, gateway to Gansu! Home of the man who's arms look like tree trunks!
posted by Pollomacho at 10:33 AM on May 28, 2009
Come to beautiful Lazhou, gateway to Gansu! Home of the man who's arms look like tree trunks!
posted by Pollomacho at 10:33 AM on May 28, 2009
I'm mostly enjoying this for the body-shaped tubers, but Man falls off bicycle in Xiamen is also a classic.
posted by snofoam at 10:34 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by snofoam at 10:34 AM on May 28, 2009
Pollomacho: Education programs like this?
No. As is mentioned in the article you link to, that county went against anti-smoking policies previously established by Beijing. They have since pulled the edict.
There are serious challenges facing proponents of early screening and detection in China. But some progress is being made on various fronts.
posted by zarq at 10:44 AM on May 28, 2009
No. As is mentioned in the article you link to, that county went against anti-smoking policies previously established by Beijing. They have since pulled the edict.
There are serious challenges facing proponents of early screening and detection in China. But some progress is being made on various fronts.
posted by zarq at 10:44 AM on May 28, 2009
more odd than sickening.
I braved the main link. There are a couple mildly disturbing images on the first page, but the one that made me raise my eyebrow most was the photo of the baby who was born with a second penis on his back. And that's largely more from the "huh, I've heard of an extra arm or head, but that's the first time I've heard of an extra penis" factor.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:23 AM on May 28, 2009
I braved the main link. There are a couple mildly disturbing images on the first page, but the one that made me raise my eyebrow most was the photo of the baby who was born with a second penis on his back. And that's largely more from the "huh, I've heard of an extra arm or head, but that's the first time I've heard of an extra penis" factor.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:23 AM on May 28, 2009
This reminds me of the freak book in Curb Your Enthusiasm
posted by goethean at 11:28 AM on May 28, 2009
posted by goethean at 11:28 AM on May 28, 2009
Yes, zarq I was being facetious, but with that said:
There are serious challenges facing proponents of early screening and detection in China.
800,000,000 people live in rural, often extreme poverty in China. They have little to no access to running water and steady nutrition, much less advanced medical care like cancer screening. The government operates a massive tobbacco monopoly that earns officials billions in graft. But beyond that, even in my Chaowyang District luxury flat had a coal burning power plant directly across the 20 lane highway that conveniently placed acrid fumes into my windows whenever the wind shifted. Add on to that as well the growing movement of the affluent towards a more western lifestyle complete with fast-food and sedentary activities and you take "serious challenges" to the level of "health care nightmare" quite quickly.
The "anti-smoking" policies by Beijing amount to asking hospitals to ban smoking within their premises by 2011 and forbiding mediacl officials from giving cigarrettes as a gift. I wouldn't say that is a whole lot of progress on that front. Movement in the right direction, but hardly movement at all.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:34 AM on May 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
There are serious challenges facing proponents of early screening and detection in China.
800,000,000 people live in rural, often extreme poverty in China. They have little to no access to running water and steady nutrition, much less advanced medical care like cancer screening. The government operates a massive tobbacco monopoly that earns officials billions in graft. But beyond that, even in my Chaowyang District luxury flat had a coal burning power plant directly across the 20 lane highway that conveniently placed acrid fumes into my windows whenever the wind shifted. Add on to that as well the growing movement of the affluent towards a more western lifestyle complete with fast-food and sedentary activities and you take "serious challenges" to the level of "health care nightmare" quite quickly.
The "anti-smoking" policies by Beijing amount to asking hospitals to ban smoking within their premises by 2011 and forbiding mediacl officials from giving cigarrettes as a gift. I wouldn't say that is a whole lot of progress on that front. Movement in the right direction, but hardly movement at all.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:34 AM on May 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
I can't decide what it is about medical oddities that are so consuming to the human brain. I couldn't stop myself from looking, and once I had the train-wreck fascination kept me in thrall the whole way through. Especially when I realized that there were little Engrish explanations of what the photos were of below the pictures.
Now I feel dirty, because the suffering in those photos is immense and terrible and I can see and empathize with it -- but I still can't make myself not look.
posted by Concolora at 11:41 AM on May 28, 2009
Now I feel dirty, because the suffering in those photos is immense and terrible and I can see and empathize with it -- but I still can't make myself not look.
posted by Concolora at 11:41 AM on May 28, 2009
I wonder if its just the sheer number of people in one country or if there something in the water that produces so many malformations amongst the people. Lots of weird photos. Arms growing out backs, 6 digit children, people growing horns.
Pollution, pollution, pollution. Air, water, soil, you name it.
posted by scratch at 12:17 PM on May 28, 2009
Pollution, pollution, pollution. Air, water, soil, you name it.
posted by scratch at 12:17 PM on May 28, 2009
Industrial pollution is probably part of the cause, but grotesque tumors/deformations in populations with limited access to modern medicine are nothing new. (I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that at least most of the adults in these photos are poor and/or from underdeveloped rural areas.) For Chinese examples from the 1830s-50s, check out the medical portraits of Lam Qua, "the first Chinese portrait painter to be exhibited in the West." (previously on Mefi)
posted by DaDaDaDave at 12:51 PM on May 28, 2009
posted by DaDaDaDave at 12:51 PM on May 28, 2009
MetaFilter: more odd than sickening.
posted by kirkaracha at 1:44 PM on May 28, 2009
posted by kirkaracha at 1:44 PM on May 28, 2009
Nothing new here. Nothing new. Seen the Elephant Man, nothing quite that bad. Nothing--
China newborn baby has penis on back
WHAT
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:55 PM on May 28, 2009
China newborn baby has penis on back
WHAT
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:55 PM on May 28, 2009
(i also have a 'memory' of meeting the cookie monster in a heating vent in preschool)
We all float down here. NOM NOM NOM
posted by shakespeherian at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2009
We all float down here. NOM NOM NOM
posted by shakespeherian at 2:58 PM on May 28, 2009
I just opened one and I am backing out already.
Enough.
posted by LittleMissItneg at 5:52 AM on May 29, 2009
Enough.
posted by LittleMissItneg at 5:52 AM on May 29, 2009
Can somebody please explain what the hell the golf-ball things are? So I can stop thinking about it in a sort of compulsive PTSD way?
posted by jokeefe at 11:36 AM on May 29, 2009
posted by jokeefe at 11:36 AM on May 29, 2009
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You lost me at many images of tumors and growth
posted by KokuRyu at 9:30 AM on May 28, 2009 [2 favorites]