Taboo

Though many people are disturbed by the sight of dead bodies, there are those who deal with death as a matter of course—for occupational, cultural, and sometimes questionable reasons.

People with uncontrollable medical conditions share their stories. Included: a father whose Tourette's syndrome makes him an outcast; a 17-year-old stigmatized by self-harm.

It's mankind's oldest intoxicant. But alcohol is also the drug that kills more people than any other. From Labor Day weekend parties in Arizona to binge-drinking resorts in Spain, alcohol shapes the lives of those who drink it in ways that can be heart-breaking and deadly.

Whether we like it or not, teenagers are having sex. How their families – and their societies – deal with the sexual development of young teens, in particular, their daughters, varies wildly according to their culture and beliefs.

Since ancient times, humans have expressed their passions and their personalities through their collections. But when a collection crosses the line from passion to obsession, ignoring legal, moral and taste boundaries, then it becomes taboo.

Taboo shines a light on where the beauty/ugly dichotomy originates from, and what it means to be deemed “ugly” in a society that scorns it.

People from around the world who spend their working lives up to their necks in filth.

Nontraditional weddings; a naked wedding in Jamaica; dog wedding; a young man kidnaps his bride.

``Baba'' Dez Nichols claims he's had sex with nearly 2,000 women; love of balloons; 40-year-old virgin.

Examining the devastating effects of alcohol abuse.

Body modification that has been taken to the extreme.

In one married couple, each partner has switched gender; one person self-refers as a hybrid -- neither male nor female.

People who take collecting into bizarre territories.

Unique matches include a fruitarian couple who live off the fruit they find in dumpsters.

Challenging the perceptions of what it means to be a child; a teenage girl who wants to become a male; a 9-year-old who drives race cars; Nepal girls who are worshiped as living goddesses.

A profile of people living with conditions beyond their control that make them outsiders.

The various ways that societies commemorate their loved ones' passing.

Many cultures believe that evil can manifest in demonic spirits that enter a person's body.