Taboos Around the World

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

• “Taboo” has historical roots: The word is traced to a 1777 moment involving British explorer James Cook and a Tongan tribe. When the tribe refused Cook’s invitation to eat together, they explained it was forbidden—something “inviolable” or even cursed.
• Taboos are culturally relative: Behaviors that are normal in one place may be shocking or offensive in another.
• Taboos often cluster around:
  • Family/sexual conduct
  • Gestures and body language
  • Eating etiquette and table manners
  • Color symbolism (especially red)
  • Food choices (animals considered taboo elsewhere)
  • Public behavior and bodily functions
  • Language about family members (insults/cursing)

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Specific examples used in the episode (by theme)

1) Sexual/family taboos (incest)

• General claim: Intimate relationships with close family are treated as a strict “no-no” in most cultures due to ethics and the risk of genetic issues.
• United States example (legal/illegal variation):
  • Case: John Phillips (Mamas & the Papas band leader) had an intimate relationship with his daughter Mackenzie.
  • Reported shock: Mackenzie told the press she had aborted his baby (as stated in the subtitles).
  • Legal note: In many US states it would be illegal and punishable by prison, but New Jersey is mentioned as allowing incest relationships without allowing marriage for the couple.
• Charles Darwin / cousin marriage:
  • Darwin married his first cousin, had 10 children, and 3 died young (per subtitles).
  • UK legal framing: Incest is said to be illegal only for close family—Darwin’s arrangement is claimed to be legal under current UK rules.

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2) Gestures and pointing (hand signals)

• Pointing with the index finger:
  • USA: widely seen as rude (attributed to Hollywood influence).
  • Parts of Asia: the same gesture (index finger with palm inward) can be interpreted as cute.
  • UK: described as potentially leading to conflict because of archery history—English archers allegedly showed they still had two fingers, while French rivals would cut fingers off.
  • The subtitles claim the UK version is akin to the middle finger in the US.
• “Don’t point at people” in much of Asia: Pointing is framed as impolite.
• Thumb-up gesture in Israel: Mentioned as offensive in the context of common hitchhiking.
• Middle East / car example:
  • A humorous “imagine giving the finger to every passing car” framing illustrates how gesture taboos can shift by context.

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3) Foot/body placement taboos

• Pointing/directing attention with feet / soles:
  • In parts of Asia, showing the soles of your feet at someone is extremely rude and can cause trouble.
  • Similar claim: also in Russia and parts of the Middle East.
• Shoe/foot near heads:
  • In countries like Thailand and China, putting feet up on a chair (especially near where someone’s head might be) is described as disrespectful.
  • Rationale given: feet are “dirty”, while the head is “sacred.”
• Iraq shoe incident:
  • George W. Bush nearly took a shoe to the head from an angry Iraqi journalist—explained as symbolic because the shoe being “dirty” targets the most esteemed point of the body.

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4) Eating sounds, posture, and table etiquette

• General rule stated: In many cultures, eating quietly with a closed mouth is polite.
• China:
  • Eating noises/slurping are framed as showing appreciation for the food.
  • The subtitles compare it to saying “that’s delicious” without words.
• Philippines:
  • Often “smack their lips,” also portrayed as acceptable.
• Western “clean your plate” vs Asian/other practices:
  • West: cleaning your plate signals good manners and avoids waste.
  • China/India/Afghanistan (as described): leaving some food is polite; cleaning your plate can be read as greedy or “expecting more.”
  • Result described: western guests may end up feeling sick by over-eating to be polite, while hosts interpret it as gluttony but refill plates to satisfy expectations.

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5) Writing/color taboos (red ink)

• Red ink is taboo in some Asian contexts:
  • In parts of Asia, writing something in red for someone is treated as a curse.
  • Reason given: red ink was reserved for messages about the deceased.
  • Examples mentioned: forms/cards in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Thailand (especially official/arrival contexts).
• Conclusion: Red is reserved for the dead in official environments.

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6) Food taboos: “normal” vs “shocking” animals

• Dog meat (South Korea especially):
  • Range: 5–30% of South Koreans have eaten it (attributed to a BBC story in the subtitles).
  • Dog soup cost: about $10 in South Korea (per subtitles).
  • Also mentioned: dog is eaten in China, Vietnam, Nigeria, Indonesia.
• Cats and dogs in Switzerland (Christmas specialty claim):
  • Subtitles cite Newsweek (2014): hundreds of thousands eat cat/dog meat, described as a Christmas specialty.
• Other animal examples named:
  • Cooked horse (French “penchant” claimed).
  • Chicken embryos on a stick (Thais mentioned).
  • Deep-fried guinea pig (South America to US trend claim):
    • Said to be eaten in the USA for around $45.
    • A specific restaurant is named: Urubamba restaurant in New York.
    • Other menu items mentioned there: veal heart, cow foot stew, rabbit.

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7) Cross-cultural taboos: family-related insults

• Worldwide taboo (stated): Insulting someone’s mother or father is broadly taboo.
• Escalation in certain cultures:
  • In some places, even negative mention of parents can lead to severe consequences (including danger).
• Examples given:
  • Russia: cursing/insulting someone with a parent insult framed as the worst possible thing.
  • Madagascar (Antandroy tribe): children reportedly can’t call their father by his name.
  • Some Hindu families: wives of husbands may not be permitted to call the man by his name (while “progressive Hindus” are said to consider it patriarchal/anachronistic).
  • Western contrast: it’s taboo in many western contexts for children to use first names for parents; “curse mother + expletive” is described as “almost universal.”

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8) Bodily functions and public behavior taboos

• Public pooping:
  • Subtitles say it’s widely taboo in “developed nations,” but cite a BBC report (2015) that open defecation remains an issue in India, mainly due to lack of toilets.
• Farting as a taboo (Michel de Montaigne):
  • Philosopher Michel de Montaigne is said to have upset elites by discussing flatulence and bodily functions.
  • A quoted idea attributed to him: kings and philosophers defecate; so do ladies.
• Public farting in most cultures:
  • Said not to go down well.
• Inuit example:
  • If invited to eat in an Inuit household, “letting one rip postprandial” is framed as a way to show appreciation.
• Yanomami tribe example:
  • Farting is described as a greeting (South America).

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Method / takeaway approach (lesson implied)

• Deconstruct and understand taboos rather than assume one “correct” way:
  • The subtitles attribute a view to Montaigne: be curious, deconstruct taboos, and sometimes get over them.
• Emphasis on empathy and perspective-taking:
  • The video closes with a hypothetical scenario: someone could bring an unexpected “farting fiance,” linking back to how strangers’ taboos can feel absurd—highlighting the importance of understanding other norms.

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Speakers / sources featured (as mentioned in the subtitles)

Named individuals (speakers/figures)

• James Cook (British explorer; origin story context)
• John Phillips (Mamas & the Papas band leader)
• Mackenzie Phillips (his daughter; mentioned in the case)
• Charles Darwin
• George W. Bush
• Michel de Montaigne (philosopher)
• Monty… “Montaigne” (same person; subtitles reference him again)
• BBC sources / “an angry Iraqi journalist” (journalist not named)

Quoted/credited media sources (mentioned)

• BBC Story (used for dog meat statistics)
• Newsweek (2014) (used for Switzerland cat/dog meat claim)
• Hollywood films (credited indirectly as influence on US gesture perceptions; not a specific source)

Other groups/tribes/cultures referenced (as subjects)

• Tongan tribe
• Korowai tribe (Western New Guinea)
• Mamas & the Papas (band; John Phillips)
• Inuit
• Yanomami tribe
• Antandroy tribe (Madagascar)
• Thai, Chinese, Filipinos
• Hindu families (general category)
• South Koreans, French, Russians, Middle Eastern contexts, Iraqis