Paper Cut

Looking for the Linkin Park song? Then fuck off, because I'm telling you now, you won't find it here.

“Seeing as this is the A4 sheet of paper, the sharpest office paper in the world, and will probably cut your head clean off you just gotta ask yourself one question punk! Do Ya Feel Lucky, well do ya punk!!”
~ Clint Eastwood on Oragami Force

The most painful, humiliating and physically debilitating of any injury, the Paper Cut has been with humanity since the dawn of time.

History[edit]

Cavemen[edit]

Paper Cuts began with the invention of the spear. Unwilling to admit that they had actually looked down the shaft of their own spear, many cavemen would claim that they had, in fact, cut themselves on the abrasive edge of a document dropped by a wandering time-traveller.

Later, after the invention of the stone tablet, the Paper Cut diversified. Now cavemen could cut themselves with the sharp edge of their chisel, or crush their fingers trying to reorganize their filing system. Both of these "Cuts" were seen as the wussiest way a caveman could hurt himself, as the profession of chiseler/accountant was new and hardly understood.

Egyptians[edit]

With the advent of papyrus the edges of documents became even more lethally sharp. Many Egyptians fell victim to the one-two punch of a Paper Cut and early-onset gangrene.

King Tut famously died of a cut just like this while reading his favorite magazine, Things Covered In Gold You Might Want to be Buried With. Queen Nefertiti outlawed all papyrus for the duration of her reign to prevent further incident, which merely led to an increase in stone-tablet-related finger-crushings.

Romans[edit]

Due to their natural dexterity, the Romans never suffered as much as any other culture due to Paper Cuts. Of course, when Julius Caesar fell prey to the edge of a plumbing-expansion report by his main lobbyist in the Senate, Brutus, the empire was shocked to its core.

The Dark Ages[edit]

During this time bathroom-related fatalities due to Paper Cuts soared with the invention of toilet paper. Sir Thomas Aquinas was the main opponent of toilet paper at the time, claiming that humanity had done just fine with their fingers for millenia, and that God would have made a toilet paper plant if he meant man to wipe his ass.

Later, during the Black Plague, doctors would commonly bleed patients with a combination of mild Paper Cuts and leeches. This was shown to be folly, because the physiological shock of more than five simultaneous sub-cutaneous Paper Cuts is fatal.

The Renaissance[edit]

In this era of human development, the leading scholars and scientists of Europe's rebirth were working hard to prevent any form of paper cut. Commonly, the edges of all papers would be given metal lips, to prevent any chance of accidental Paper Cut. These plans were later scrapped because wiping was incredibly painful with metal in the mix, and the toilet paper wouldn't flush well.

Tudor Monarchy, English Civil War and the French Revolution[edit]

The Japanese practice of Origami was put to fiendish use by the French in a new device known as the guillotine. This elaborate execution method used Paper Cuts to remove the head of the victim. Many French aristocrats and many of Henry VIII's wives were executed using this method. The practice fell out of fashion, though, after the printing press was invented, causing a sudden paper shortage and an upsurge in civilian deaths.

Charles I and James II were two iconic, accidental deaths by Paper Cut during this period, and William and Mary were heard to say that paper had made revolutions several orders of magnitude easier for everyone involved.

The Cold War[edit]

Several influential world leaders are assassinated with Paper Cuts while at their desks, causing their deaths to appear simple, if horrific, clerical errors. The United States leads world development of non-cutting paper in the hopes of ingratiating themselves with third world countries in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the spread of communism.

Clumsy Soviet retaliation leads to the death of Harry Truman after having all his extremities crushed by stone tablets. In a three-day candlelight vigil, various high-ranking US officials give themselves Paper Cuts with important laws that Truman had signed into effect dealing with the Soviet situation.

Today[edit]

Nobody cares.

Famous Paper Cut Victims[edit]

Preventative Measures[edit]

Do not use paper.
Do not wipe. Alternately, do not defecate.
Do not rub the edges of paper over your fingers.
Do not become a national leader with enemies.
Fold all documents into complex Origami constructions that have no edges.
Never leave your room.

However, chances are that you're going to get at least one papercut in your life. And it is going to sting like a bitch.

What to do if you get a Paper Cut[edit]

Do not panic.
Do not reach for a first-aid book; you will merely get cut again.
Do not pour lemon juice or salt on your wound.
Do not move; Paper Cuts can smell fear.
Do not cry; the saline in your tears will only inflame the laceration.
Be very still and eat lots of square meals, so your body can begin its recuperative processes.
Do complain loudly and scream that it hurts.