Extraordinary Bodies

The meaning of what constitutes extraordinary bodies can only be understood by first contemplating the notion of ordinary bodies. An ordinary body is largely indistinguishable from others—because, by definition, that is what makes it unremarkable. An ordinary body reflects the accepted understandings of social norms of a particular culture in history. Conceptions of normalcy, like beauty, vary enormously from culture to culture. Ordinary is often used synonymously with terms such as average, standard, regular, and normal. When ...