What is Nullo castration cult? Bizarre ritual streamed live for paying viewers
Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised.
LONDON, UK: Seven men, between the ages of 30 and 60, were arrested in December 2022 for broadcasting castration procedures live. They allegedly carried out the procedure in a basement flat in Finsbury Park, London, and broadcast it on a pay-per-view channel that was promoted via a Twitter account. The bizarre act, known as the Nullo castration cult, was inspired by Japanese artist Mao Sugiyama, who had his testicles and penis sliced off and served to diners for $196.
As stated by Daily Mail, "Nullo movement sees mostly male subscribers undergo extreme body modifications by removing their private parts and sometimes their nipples. In some extreme cases they are castrated for cannibalistic or sexual desires, with the self-mutilation recorded and streamed online - however the majority remove their genitalia because they don't identify as male or female." The outlet further states, "Though the procedure is mostly done by men, there are women who voluntarily have their vagina stitched closed and clitoris removed."
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What is Nullo castration cult?
Nullo, also known as a 'smoothie', is short for genital nullification or voluntary eunuchs. According to Daily Mail, there are an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 voluntary 'Nullos' worldwide. A clinic in California charges around $10K excluding hospital fees. There are clinics in Mexico which are willing to do a no-questions-asked castration.
Commenting on this cult, Dr Richard Wassersug, professor of urology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, who studied voluntary genital modification and was a contributor to a study on the cutters who perform the illegal castrations, said "more than half of the [surgeries] that are performed in the absence of a medical need (like testicular cancer or traumatic genital injury) or for gender affirming surgery for transwomen are not being done legally. Depending on the type of surgery, the dangers are substantial,” reports The Sun.
However, this act grabbed attention in 2012 after Sugiyama removed his genitals, froze them and later cooked them and served it to diners.
Who is Mao Sugiyama?
Back then, Sugiyama wrote on Twitter, "I am offering my male genitals (full penis, testes, scrotum) as a meal for 100,000 yen ($1000). I'm Japanese. The organs were surgically removed at age 22. I was tested to be free of venereal diseases. The organs were of normal function," reports Wales Online. Ultimately, the meal was split between five diners at a 70-person banquet in Suginami, Tokyo and the meal was garnished with parsley. Photos of the prepared meal showed a sliced penis, a sliced testicle, and scrotal skin, states AllThatsInteresting.