Subcultures That You May Not Even Know Exist

Subcultures have been appropriated by the mainstream throughout history, but others are just too obscure to make it. To learn even more about subsets, check out the new season of "Taboo," which looks closer at things that we look away from, Sundays at 10PM on the National Geographic Channel.

1. Apotemnophiliacs

GollyGforce / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: see-through-the-eye-of-g

Apotemnophilia is a disorder which falls under the category of Body Integrity Identity Disorders, in which people feel compelled to amputate perfectly functional limbs. These people either seek help from surgeons or injure themselves to achieve the desired amputation. Apetemnophiliacs Anonymous meetings exist throughout the country to help people suffering from the strange disorder.

2. Adult Babies

Davy / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: toddlerism

Also known as "paraphilic infantilism," self-identified adult babies are people who engage in behavior such as drinking from baby bottles, wearing diapers, and speaking in simplified words as part of sexual roleplaying.

3. Ganguro

Matthew Dueck / CC BY-ND http://2.0 / Flickr: matthew_d / Via en.wikipedia.org

Tan Mom would certainly feel at home among Tokyo's "Ganguro" girls, whose exaggerated tans and bleached hair have earned them their name (which stands translates to "black face" in English).

4. Elevator Enthusiasts

shutterstock.com / Via kirkwood.patch.com

Since its launch in 2005, millions worldwide have turned to YouTube to find a sense of community and share videos with like-minded people. One of the more surprisingly active communities is the elevator enthusiast community. Hundreds of elevator-loving members have uploaded thousands of videos of their favorite lifts to YouTube over the past few years.

5. Mexican Pointy Boots Crews

dignidadrebelde / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: dignidadrebelde / Via thewordonweird.blogspot.com

For the past few years, teens in Matehuala, Mexico and surrounding areas have taken to wearing colorful boots with exaggerated points to go out dancing. Some of the more impressive boot designs curl back almost to chest-level and feature intricate bedazzled designs.

6. Scraper Bike Riders

Dianne Yee / CC BY-ND http://2.0 / Flickr: dianneyee

Immortalized in 2007 by the Trunk Boiz song on the topic, the scraper bike trend started in Oakland, CA. Simply put, scraper bikes are customized bikes whose wheels are painted and adorned with colorful foil.

7. Tokyo Rockabillies

Kevin Franklin / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / Flickr: hairyegg / Via loneleeplanet.com

Borrowing elements from traditional 50's American greaser fashion and exaggerating them, the famous Tokyo Rockabilly Club meets regularly in Harajuku’s Yoyogi Park to showcase their customized leather jackets and outrageous hair styles, and listen to classic rockabilly tunes from Elvis and more.

8. Kathoey

zaphodsotherhead / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: zaphodsotherhead / Via en.wikipedia.org

Commonly known to the rest of the world as "ladyboys", the Thai Kathoey are not allowed to legally change their sex, but are widely accepted as entertainers in cabaret shows and beauty contests are commonly held at local fairs.

9. Sea Punks

Orin Zebest / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: orinrobertjohn / Via discountuniverse.com.au

Though it has been confirmed that the Sea Punk movement mostly started as a joke by two DJs, the trend still lives strong in online communities such as Tumblr and Etsy, and atop many-a green-haired hipster heads.

10. Itasha

Steve Nagata / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: stevenagata / Via en.wikipedia.org

Itasha is a Japanese term which describes the trend by obsessive fans of anime and manga to cover their cars with custom paintings of their favorite characters. These cars appear at car shows and more recently have become involved in motorsports competitions.