Fads
Self-castration in early Christianity
Some ancient weirdness: The First Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD, was a meeting of Christian bishops in which they tried to establish the rules and doctrines that all Christians were supposed to follow. Wikipedia says:However, one of the lesser-known rules that the bishops enacted at the Council was to ban men who had castrated themselves from being in the clergy. Because, apparently, self-castration had become something of a fad among early Christians. Enough so that the bishops felt the need to put an official stop to the practice.
The historian Daniel Caner has examined this issue in his 1997 article "The practice and prohibition of self-castration in early Christianity".
Caner notes that the fad had its origin in a passage from the New Testament, Matthew 19:12, in which Jesus appears to endorse the practice of self-castration. As the passage reads in the King James translation:
Most interpreters of the Bible, ancient and modern, argue that when Jesus used the word 'eunuch' he meant it as a synonym for 'celibacy'. Apparently this was a common use of the term 'eunuch' in the ancient world.
Nevertheless, he used the term eunuch. So some early Christians decided the passage should be taken literally. In which case, Jesus seemed to be saying that, while self-castration was not appropriate for all men, for an elite few it was an ideal to strive for. Inspired by this passage, a number of men "took the sickle and cut off [their] private parts."
The most prominent Church father who was said to have castrated himself was Origen of Alexandria (c. 185 - c. 253). But Caner notes that there was an entire sect of early Christians, the Valesians, who embraced the practice. Wikipedia says that, in addition to castrating themselves, "They were notorious for forcibly castrating travelers whom they encountered and guests who visited them."
According to Caner, the more widely adopted Christianity became in the Roman empire, the more the Church tried to present itself as the upholder of mainstream values, and self-castration really didn't fit into that image. Therefore, "Radical manifestations of an ideal de-sexualization... became a 'heretical' threat to the orthodox community."
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jul 02, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Body Modifications, Fads, Religion, Ancient Times, Genitals
Sesame Street Fever
The Wikipedia page
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 29, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Fads, Music, Television, Children, 1970s
The First Earth Run
First Earth Run: A Catalyst for Hope from Gail Straub & David Gershon on Vimeo.
This large event seems to have vanished from 2021 memory--at least judging by the paucity of Google references, most of which are for the accompanying song that was created for the occasion (below). One thing we can affirm: it did not bring Peace on Earth.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jun 16, 2021 -
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Category: Fads, Music, Sports, Travel, International Cooperation, Global Events and Planetary-scale Happenings, 1980s
The Hudson Brothers: “Disco Queen”
Their Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sat May 01, 2021 -
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Category: Fads, Ineptness, Crudity, Talentlessness, Kitsch, and Bad Art, Music, Television, 1970s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Martian Hop
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 25, 2021 -
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Category: Aliens, Fads, Music, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Science Fiction, 1960s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Jazzercise
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 18, 2021 -
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Category: Exercise and Fitness, Fads, Money, Music, 1960s, 1980s
B-B-B Sweatshirts
Inexplicable fashion fad: In 1962, San Francisco adman Howard Gossage came up with the idea of putting the faces of classical composers on sweatshirts and selling them for $4. Consumers could choose between Beethoven, Bach, or Brahms. He quickly sold around 60,000 of them.If you want one of these sweatshirts today (at least, an original one), you'll have to pay significantly more. On eBay, the asking price ranges from $1500 all the way up to $9000.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin - May 4, 1962
Oakland Tribune - Feb 8, 1962
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 12, 2021 -
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Category: Fads, Fashion, Music, 1960s
10-Four, Good Buddy Board Game
Did any fad ever evaporate as quickly as CB radio?
Learn details here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 10, 2021 -
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Category: Fads, Games, Motor Vehicles, Technology, 1970s
Death by pet rock
Gwen Jackson's death in 1982 seems to be the only instance of a 'pet rock' being used as a murder weapon.Although I think the media sensationalized the case. The rock in question seems to have been a rock given as a gift. It wasn't an actual 'pet rock'.
Tucson Citizen - Mar 19, 1982
However, the manual that came with Pet Rocks, "The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock," did include a section on "Attack Training" your pet rock. So their use as a weapon was anticipated.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 25, 2021 -
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Category: Death, Fads, 1980s
Reverse Streaking
"Reverse streaking" is defined as the act of running clothed through a nudist colony. During the 'streaking epidemic' that hit college campuses in 1973 and 1974, there were scattered reports of 'reverse streaking'.
Calgary Herald - Apr 18, 1974
Portland Daily Register - Mar 9, 1974
Posted By: Alex - Wed Sep 30, 2020 -
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Category: Fads, 1970s
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