What is “proper” public behavior? Why don’t we fart, stare at people, or talk to ourselves out loud in public? If people fail to abide by societal norms, there’s a good chance they’ll be ridiculed or ostracized. They follow the rules so that they can fit in, be respected, and climb the ladder of success. In that sense, people behave “properly” for selfish reasons. In the early 1970s, Adrian Piper performed a series of acts regarded by the general public as appalling and bizarre. For example, Piper walked around Central Park with Mickey Mouse balloons tied around her ears. Piper doesn’t think there is anything intrinsically wrong about this act. Why *shouldn’t* we have balloon ears?  We, as a society, have just settled on the belief that it is best to hold a balloon in our hand or, even better, to not walk around with a balloon at all. However, these rules are arbitrary. In the Catalysis Series, Piper attempts to redefine “normal,” despite facing backlash.