The Internet has changed a lot of things including the face of Corporate America. But can it save the wobbly tower of capitalism from collapsing in on itself?

The free market. It gave us Oreos. And fracking. It gave us stacked mega-corporations. And according to Klint Finley of TechCrunch, thanks to our inter-connectivity, it’s dissolving those mega-corporations too, so it seems.

What we have now, through the worldwide web, notes author and marketing expert Seth Godin in his book “We Are All Weird”, is the end of mass. “[I]t will fail; it must. The tide has turned, and mass as the engine of our culture is gone forever.” Granted, standing inside a Walmart soda aisle may have you thinking a bit differently, but Godin says that the way of the modern world is now, “more information, more choice, more freedom, and more interaction.” This benefits us certainly as individuals. Just Google anything, really (I randomly typed “ketchup cupcakes“, which I now regret). We can find each other now, we can weird out together. And so can companies. They kind of have to.

“Corporations are arguably more powerful today than ever before. But the economy isn’t dominated by a handful of megalithic conglomerates. It consists of hundreds or thousands of smaller, more specialized firms,” writes Finley. The future is dominated by “a new power structure: the mega network.” These companies are being linked by software technology, and directed by it, too, says Finley, ” The software network is diversifying and growing into the networked equivalent of a mega-conglomerate.”

And while these “mega-network” entities put a lot of the emphasis on “mega,” Godin says that approach won’t really last. “The thing that made us rich was our ability to process in mass, produce in mass, ship in mass, and market in mass.” But the wealth is fueling a movement “that undermines the foundation that earned us the wealth,” he writes. “We need a mass audience” for it all to continue, but the next breakthroughs aren’t going to be about fueling the mass, he says. “The demand for normal…is now ironically and inevitably clashing with the trend toward weird.”

And you can call that the beginning of the end of mass, or as Finley notes, the die-off of the conglomerates. Through networks, driven by the dotcoms, which are fueled by “the weird,” we’re expanding on our downsizing. Growing our small. Normalizing niches in ways that provide more chances to the little start-up with the support of massive networks. Make money, grow a business, but with the help of virtual corporations, “temporary alliances of businesses pursuing common goals. In other words, networks,” writes Finley. “Maybe this won’t last. Maybe Google, which is becoming pretty diverse itself, will become the dystopian mega-corporation the cyberpunks feared. But for now it seems that the mega-network is here to stay.”

But if the network can challenge out the heavy history of our Corporate America, is it bad to be mega?

Can the networks prevent another Enron? Can they reform Wall Street? Can they keep new flavors of diabetes and obesity causing soft drinks off the shelves? Probably not. But it seems they can help to broaden our options. Or as Godin puts it, keep things weird. “The biggest cultural shift that the Internet has amplified is the ability to make an impact on your own culture,” he writes. “New culture is created on top of the old one, and then another layer of culture goes on top of that.” Which is how networks work. Layers upon shifting layers. But unlike corporate conglomerates, networks don’t have to be endless unstable pillars built up to the sky. They can be closed loops—concentric circles that contain energy and resources—that maintain their wholeness infinitely, instead of eventually toppling over.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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But hey, we don’t judge. After all, we live in a world where people make a practice of injecting botulism into their foreheads and silicone into their lips. If someone wants to put bull semen in our hair, we say “how much?” and “just keep it away from my ears”. And while we figure out a way to comfortably staple our ears closed, check out some of the stranger beauty treatments making their way around the planet.

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1. Snail Ooze Facial

Would you ever consider smearing your face with snail ooze? If so, pick up De Tuinen Snail Gel, sourced from the snails of Chile. (And sold in Holland, nice carbon footprint!) The secret is in the snail’s secretion, which is used to smooth the snail’s shell. It is supposed to support the skin’s elasticity and more.

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2. Snake Massage

Some people think that letting snakes slither across their bodies would be the stuff of nightmares. Not so, for the patrons of Ada Barak’s spa in Israel. The $80 treatment gets you several non-venomous snakes slithering around your body, apparently producing a therapeutic kneading sensation. Barak’s clients claim the treatments ease migraines and soothe sore muscles.

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3. Ramen Noodle Spa Bath

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun of Japan offers up a treatment suitable for both lunch and spa. Sitting in a tub shaped like a ramen noodle bowl, the water contains pepper-flavored water colored a light, milky brown. Just what does the Ramen noodle spa bath do for you? The water contains collagen and garlic extracts, and officials claim it can help produce beautiful skin and aid moisture retention. And it probably makes you feel like a giant’s lunch in some fairy tale.

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4. Bull Semen Hair Treatment

Think that organic chamomile conditioner you just shelled out 40 clams for is great? Consider lathering up with bull semen instead. Hari’s, a salon in London, uses the semen of Aberdeen Angus bulls to treat their customers’ locks.  As the salon’s owner Hari Salem told reporters, “The semen is refrigerated before use and doesn’t smell. It leaves your hair looking wonderfully soft and thick.” We’ll take your word for it, Hari!

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5. Fish Pedicure

You know what is my worst nightmare? Hands down scariest thing I can imagine is falling into a tank of dead fish. (And here’s to exposing our darkest fears on the internet!) Ask my young nieces, they can vouch that I’ve run screaming from the room at the sight of a possible floater in their little fish bowls. I can’t tell you why. I just skeeve dead fish.

So this latest spa treatment to sweep the world is not for me. But for the braver (read: less neurotic) sorts, you can dip your toots into a fish bowl filled with tiny carp that will nibble away your dead skin. And sure, these fish are alive. But can we really take that chance? Can we?

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6. Sheep Embryo Injections

Want to look young forever? Who knew that all it took were sheep sacrifices! But before we all reach for our sacrificial robes (made of organic cottons, of course) keep in mind that you can merely inject sheep embryos into your face. Rocker Debbie Harry did 30 years ago and credits her youthful appearance to the procedures. As the musician told reporters in 2008, “I had these cells injected into me in my early 30s and it turned out that I was the youngest person to have the treatment. They would take (cells) from the liver, glands, bone and whatever. Whether that treatment lasted this long, I don’t know, but I feel great.”

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7. 24 Carat Gold Face Mask

The secret to glowing skin? According to the good people at UMO, its slathering gold all over your pores. Using an “ultrasonic nano mist,” gold penetrates your skin to lift, firm, and reduce the signs of aging. No word on whether King Midas had anything to do with the development of this treatment.

Photo credits: Face; Snail; Snakes; Ramen; Bull; Fish pedicure; Sheep; Gold. All photos from Flickr, licensed for commercial use under Creative Commons.

The post 7 Bizarre Beauty Treatments That Need to Go appeared first on EcoSalon.