Taboo - The Complete First Season (National Geographic)

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Starring: Andres Williams
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Morris Abraham
Studio: National Geographic Video
Release Date: 2004-06-08
Running Time: 376 minutes
Number of Items: 2
Complex and controversial, this mesmerizing hit series offers an insider's view of closed worlds traditionally off-limits to outsiders. Witness stunning stories about rituals and traditions so shocking that you can't help but be attracted to them. Taboo crosses the barriers of modern society and explores the diversity of the human race where the secret, sacred, and eccentric are part of the everyday experience of humanity.

Taboo cool
This was purchased as a gift and was received very happily. The segments are so interesting and really great to watch with a group. Everyone's responses are different and its a great convo starter.

One of my favorite programs
This great series from National Geographic examines numerous practices that many people in the West would consider taboo, just because they're so radically different from our way of life. It forces the viewer to confront one's own taboos, and hopefully one will come away with a more open mind and more educated about and understanding of different cultures and customs. Disc one contains the episodes "Drugs," "Healers," "Food," and "Bloodsports"; disc two contains "Evil Spirits," "Voodoo," "Marriage," and "Witchcraft"; disc three contains "Sexuality," "Death," and "Rites of Passage"; and disc four contains "Tests of Faith" and "Tattoo." The series takes the viewer to such far-ranging locales as Malaysian Borneo, Benin, Togo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mexico, Japan, India, Greece, Norway, Holland, Venezuela, Haiti, the Philippines, Thailand, and various places in the United States. Not for the easily-offended, moral absolutists who see the world only in black and white and feel that only their way is correct, or the squeamish, it presents these stories (three per episode) in the context of culture, religion, history, and geography and shows that what we consider taboo is not only perfectly normal but unthinkable to not do for a person in a place like Thailand, South Africa, or Mexico. As an animal-lover, some of these segments were rather hard to watch, but I had to take into consideration that this is normal behavior in other cultures, and that many things which Westerners do, such as sending the elderly into homes, putting small children into daycare, pampering and shielding children incessantly, and not showing a lot of reverence for elders and ancestral spirits, would be considered taboo and unacceptable to them.



Among the thought-provoking questions it raises are:



Would you let your underage child be married?

Would you drink your own urine?

Would you let your small child have his or her face ritually scarred?

Would you club to death and then eat your own beloved pet dog?

Would you have yourself crucified or walk across coals in the name of faith?

Would you be willing to revise your Western-centric notions of what the major world religions are to include Voodoo, animism, and witchcraft?

Would you engage in a bloody brawl with your neighbors to ensure a good harvest?

Would you rip apart a live guinea pig and burn a llama fetus as part of a healing ceremony?

Would you drink the blood of a cobra and eat its meat?



The fourth disc includes the bonus features of an exotic menu, a picture gallery, trailers for recommended programs, and commercials for National Geographic itself. All in all, it's a must-see series for those interested in world cultures and shattering the idea that there's only one moral and acceptable way to behave, the Western way, with anything else disturbing, wrong, and sinful. A series like this can only be for the good, what with building bridges of understanding, tolerance, and acceptance across cultural divides.

Huicholes of Mexico
I loved the episode DRUGS. I have visited the Huicholes twice, and I thought this episode was well done.
I am wondering about the set featured here for sale...it says 2 discs instead of 4 discs, and the running time does not seem long enough for ALL the episodes in season 1.
I didn't like many of the episodes... (as mentioned in other reviews) I also found them a little "too much".

A Series that sorely tests your belief systems!
I was very anxious to receive this collection. I had never seen the series nor have I known anyone that has. Yes, I read the customer reviews. I can't say I wasn't warned. Living in one of the most tolerant and culturally diverse cities in the United States, I had this ill conceived notion that I'd "seen it all".
I couldn't imagine being 'shocked' or disturbed by anything "cultural", or even "taboo". This series lives up to its title and then some.

Unfortunately, I have just removed the very first disc, with a strong temptation to toss it in the trash can. Personally, I am not suited to view this kind of material.

I do applaud National Geographic for allowing those that are interested in viewing such bizarre 'around the world' cultural rituals, and giving those interested a very frank ringside seat in which to do so.

Clearly, what little I saw of this series has brought me to the self realization that I am in no way as open minded as I thought I was. The world is much bigger than I'd realized, and much stranger than I'd imagined. Having traveled to a few far corners of the world, I have never encountered anything remotely similar to what you will see here.

The realities shown in TABOO are harsh, to say the very least. It is very unlike me to utter the words, what I don't know won't hurt me, but I cannot bring myself to even consider viewing another minute of this series.

It is definitely a series for those whose curiosity and quench for knowledge cannot be wavered.

This series is proof that life can be stranger than fiction. It is indeed.

There is nothing presented here that I would consider to be personally intellectually or spiritually redeeming. I remember shaking my head and scoffing at the reviews here that found this material so objectionable and offensive.

I'm not out to trash this series, but to offer my own personal experience based on just one disc. I admit that I found the first two episodes quite interesting ("DRUGS" as well as "HEALERS"). I held my finger on the fast forward button with my head turned mostly away for the following episodes ("FOOD" and "BLOOD SPORTS"). I ultimately stopped the disc entirely during Blood Sports.

I may be missing some very interesting episodes that the rest of the series has to offer, but frankly, I've seen enough to quill the urge for more.

Overall, this series must have a appreciative audience. It was filmed beautifully, narrated with unflinching matter of factness, and embodies the essence of National Geographic's standards of high quality production values.

As you see from many reviews, there are those that love this series, and I thought that I would be in that camp. I am not.
Would I recommend this series to anyone that I know personally? Definitely not.

Do I judge others negatively for enjoying this series? Definitely not. To each his own.

Unfortunately, I ordered the second season of the series as well. Unopened, I will be returning it for another viewer to purchase and enjoy (or not).

This is a series for those that are able to 'remove' themselves emotionally from the viewing experience, along with those who find value in the educational aspect of the series.

I give it four stars for a few reasons. One star for having the fortitude to even film the series at all. One star for the high quality resolution of the picture and sound. And two stars for acquiring a willing and appreciative audience.

Beware, be warned. Be prepared. This is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. Please do not let this review steer you clear from purchasing or viewing this. It might be right up your alley, so to speak.

This is just one voice here, with one opinion. I just felt I needed to share my thoughts.

I show it to my students, they like it alot
This is a very good video collection of some of the more "extreme" elements of other cultures relative to our Western point of view. When I teach sociology I show a couple of these videos and the students love them. This year Ahtnamas, Snikrep might end up watching them, do you know her (she's about 5'7", sandy blonde hair, no comment on her nose, good poet, etc...)? The best ones, in my opinion, are the videos on Rites of passage, and Food, and Sexuality as these videos have the most "colorful" subject matter. The reason I gave them 4 stars rather than 5 is that while there are some very very good episodes, some are kind of boring and slow and overall, the videos could use a faster pace and at the same time be less dramatic. Perhaps it's just me and my point of view as I like lots of information NOW. Also, I think it would be interesting to see a video on what other cultures that are more "native" would find interesting about us:

-That we leave home even before marriage
-That women and men do the same things professionally and the gender line if more "blurred"
-That we are obsesed with being "clean"
-That kids get so much free time, instead of working (that probably would just kill their spirit, there's an decent story on this viewpoint "out there" somewhere).

I think it would be interesting to have National Geographic bring some "native peoples" to America and have them record their opinions about our society and what shocks them, fun. I would be very interested and so would my students (are you listening Nat'l Geo????).

Take care and have fun shopping in cyberspace!!!!!
Sam Kochel (6'3", brown hair, Harrison Ford looking nose, excellent grammer, very funny, water hands)