Yes, there are photos. As he has said, he is refusing free corrective surgery because his abnormality has made him famous. And yes, if you click on the tantalizing link, this man will be even MORE famous.

So, what’s it gonna be Mr. and Mrs. Internet Index Finger?

And as tens of thousands of us do click, it raises a few questions:

Has the internet replaced the carnival midway? With barkers and colored balloons? What is it about this man’s story and photos that peaks our curiosity? Is it moral or immoral to want to see someone else’s abnormality? Or just deeply human?

And then there are the issues of race, class, cult of the celebrity, social pressures to conform, and so on. And, man oh man, this story is LOADED.

So, how about it? Why do we want to look? And when we look, what is our relationship to this man?

Photo of dial of dial scale courtesy of Shutterstock