Body Modifications part one:

The small stuff: Piercings.

Now I do strongly believe that every person has the inherit right to do whatever they so choose to their own bodies. With saying that I should also say that I think that excessive piercings are stupid and just generally not a good idea. Now using the word stupid might be a little controversial, and I should clear it up, I am not saying that a person who gets multiple piercings is stupid, but if we could learn anything from Wolverine it’s that filling your body with metal is not the wisest thing in the world.

I should explain a bit more. I am not against piercings; I am against the excess and/or pointlessness of many. I can understand ear piercings, shiny things attract the attention of possible mates up to eye level (while not being overly distracting), and eye contact encourages more listening. (This is very similar to eye make-up being used to draw attention to them.) In saying that I’m not talking about stretched lobes, because I won’t even try and understand why someone would do that. (I mean not having or ever wanting piercings I don’t understand the appeal anyway, but more so with stretching.) I’m gonna start with non-ear facial piercings, but not all of them. My main annoyance is focused on two specific piercings: the septum and Monroe piercings. (I should clarify that this does not mean I have no opinion of other non-ear facial piercings. I think nose piercings are better as studs rather than hoops, multiple eyebrow piercings should be consolidated on to a single brow rather than spread out, as well I can only assume that any piercings in or around the mouth and lips could make talking, eating, kissing, etc. a bit more awkward or difficult.)

Now, my issue with the septum piercing is simple, it minds me of those cartoon bulls which is ridiculous because I believe they originally put those rings through the inside of their noses was so that their owners could guide them to where they want them to go, like a dog on a leash. I know you can’t do that with a person’s piercing, but I still envision myself as a matador from time to time when I see that piercing on people. (Also because I could never envision myself doing this with an actual bull.)

And the Monroe. (In my opinion the worst of the two facial piercings.) The Monroe in its placement, is poor, based only on the criteria that other facial piercings are on an edge, I can only assume that you can’t comfortably put a hoop into the middle of your cheek. I know its purpose was supposed to imitate the beauty mark that Marilyn Monroe possessed, and yes, I understand why that appeals to people. Having a natural “imperfection” on a “perfect” face, because there is just as much beauty in our “flaws” as there is on our fine points. But I think one point of that is it is a natural “imperfection”. (Quotation marks were used to show that even though I used those words I don’t necessarily agree with them.)

Now I will admit, I actually can’t think of anything bad to say about belly button piercings. I mean they’re not my kind of thing, but like the common non-stretching lobe piercings they don’t bother me all that much.

And finally the stupidest (and this time I do mean stupid) of all piercings. The piercings into the tightly packed nerve clusters, aka genital and nipple piercings. I know what people will argue to support these piercings. “They intensify pleasure,” or simply said “They make sex better.” Now I won’t say that they’re wrong on that fact, because I just don’t know. But I do know how uncomfortable it can be to get my underwear caught up or bunched up down there, and that clothing is meant to be there. I could only imagine adding a metal rod into the equation. On top of that if mouth/lip piercings make things more awkward or difficult, I’d guess that genital piercings would only be worse.

Post Script: This originally was on both piercings and tattoos, but I decided to break them up into two separate parts. That I want to post one right after another, which probably means I should write the one on tattoos. I should also be clear that I don’t judge you on whatever choices you make with your body.