Body Modifications Pt. 2

Mid-level: Tattoos

Last week I shared my opinions (issues) on various different piercings, and a lot of that was on the negative side of things, mostly how I didn’t like them. But that’s different when it comes to tattoos, or at least I’m a lot less against them, to the point where I’ve actually thought about getting one myself. Then I find myself asking four questions; one for myself and three I will discuss. Mine: what will it cost (Because I am conscious that they are expensive)? Discussion: What? Where? And, Why?

The What. When you think about it, I mean what is so important to you that you would have your skin permanently drawn on. I will probably repeat this multiple times, because it has been my opinion for a while, “getting tattoos for the sake of getting tattoos is a bad idea.” I understand that sometimes you might think getting a tattoo on a whim might seem like it would be a cool thing to do and it could provide an interesting story, but No, just no. A tattoo should be something you think about, you shouldn’t just show up and pick something off a wall or out of a book, and it should be unique and personal. Definitely not some stock design out of a book or some random ridiculous tribal design.  IT SHOULD MEAN SOMETHING.  I should also mention that I believe getting your own name, initials etc. (even someone else’s most time) tattooed on your body is tacky and a bad idea.  “Getting tattoos for the sake of getting tattoos is a bad idea.” Now in saying all that if done properly, tattooing is an art form. Sometimes the human body can be used to capture a certain emotion, such as in a painting or a photograph, whereas with tattoos they can be used to express something. Even more commonly through their body is the canvas on which the art is displayed. And this is a way for the whole world to see on persons’ art. A mobile canvas that is essentially designed to interact with people.

Now, where you choose to get your tattoo is also a big factor in your decision. I will straight up come right out and say it. Face tattoos are stupid, and I probably would judge you for getting them. Also the wide landscape lower back tattoos, commonly called “tramp stamps” are very funny (that might be the best way for me to put it, I certainly do chuckle). But I do think placement is very important, you wouldn’t start your tattoo sleeve on your wrist and have its’ story move upwards, you start at the shoulder and it move from top to bottom. Just like you wouldn’t get a pair of angel wings or a huge mural on your chest rather than your back, it is very much a matter of both common sense and sensible matching of tattoo to location. But once again I will bring it back to this quote “Getting tattoos for the sake of getting tattoos is a bad idea.”

Why to get a tattoo, possibly the most important of the three questions. It could even override the “what to get” as long as it has a root theme. But I still don’t think it could outweigh the quote I’ve been repeating “Getting tattoos for the sake of getting tattoos is a bad idea.” I do believe that tattoos can be quite effective in commemorating events, or even memorializing people, or even to show how much you like something. To be clear on the last one it shouldn’t be done in an attempt to prove that you like something. It should be done to express an overwhelming love for something. Tattoos should be of something that you find that you can’t live without, figuratively of course. And as I’ve already said they should be unique and personal. In saying that, I should probably discuss matching tattoos. By discuss me of course mean that it’s a bad idea because it is an inevitability that relationships always end; in either break up, divorce, or death (John Green).

So I guess in summation if you’re going to get a tattoo, don’t get one on a whim, get one that means something and don’t get one for the sake of getting one.

Post Script: I know there’s more I could say about tattoos, and I still might, later on. But for now that’s what I’ve got to say. That wasn’t much of a post script was it? More so a continuation. So I will probably not for the last time pose a question: What do you think of tattoos?

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.

Terms of Endearment are Stupid

Now coming from me where I've written several posts on the nicknames I've given to friends, terms of endearment might seem like something that I’d be all for but I’m not, the opposite actually. I mean what can be said about terms of endearment? They’re not cute or cunning; they’re annoying and stupid, ridiculous and unoriginal. Over the years they've changed and evolved, but one thing they've kept is that they’re supposed to be used in a loving way…

But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked, except not really, though it has been changing progressively. Because now you can hear in commonplace “bitch” or just “woman” being used, and not with a negative tone. They are now used in the same manner that sweetie or dear were once used. When did this change? When did calling someone a “bitch” become something good? But the change of usage was not reclamation or a re-purposing of those words, because had that been the case it would have been an absolute one. Whereas “bitch“is still an angry word as well as an insulting one word as well. This change had to have come from somewhere, and my theory is that this change is rooted in mainstream rap and hip-hop music. To quote Bo Burnham “I feel like hip hop used to be a voice for the voiceless, you know, and now it’s become at least in  the mainstream  a symbol of misogyny” and this just proves I am not the only one who thinks this way. But even if this started in hip hop now the lyrics in other musical genres have taken to being corrupted with misogynistic slurs. This has only lead to the further support of negative language in commonplace society.

Now you might be thinking that having just that reason as to why I believe terms of endearment are stupid, and guess what, that’s not the only reason.

But just think about those “cutesy” pet names, you've got baby, babe, honey, muffin, dear, Snookums, etc. So you know, comparisons to infants, or foods, actually dear isn't that bad, I think it’s the only acceptable one. But even then it is still non-personal, quite generic, and it makes me think I should swerve out of the way (dear and deer, get it). Then there is Snookums or similar pet names, they always remind me of those names that Aunt Petunia call Dudley, and I mean who wants to be Dudley anyway? And comparing your romantic partner (RP) to an infant is wrong, and it’s not just the pedophilic undertones. Also it gives a sense of helplessness or weakness in your RP. And you are supposed to strengthen them not bring them down. The food comparison is less harsh though you could attribute calling your RP food names a desire to either consume all that you can from them. Or they could also get from it that you feel like you need you RP to survive and neediness is never a good thing to project in a relationship. So those “cutesy” pet names, if you didn’t realize it by now are demeaning, and are not particularly healthy for relationships or even potential ones.

Post Script: Though I said dear was acceptable, being greeted with “Hello Sweetie” also is acceptable but only if they know they are quoting Doctor Who. Also as you can probably tell I am really bad at posting things, this was supposed to be for around Valentines Day.

On graffiti, Street art and bathroom walls.

Now, there is no way that I could be considered by any means imaginable an expert or even overly knowledgeable on the topic of street art. But that being said it is something I have an opinion on, and something I have thought about. Art if done well is something that should be for everyone to see. Also art should invoke some variety of emotional response in those who see it. And though street art accomplishes the first part quite successfully, a common response to the second part is anger, and it is considered “defacing public property” or vandalism. This also sometimes results in the removal of the art, now by removal I also mean destruction. And I could easily relate destroying art to burning books, but therein also lies the problem: “What is street art, what is graffiti and what makes them different from vandalism?”

Now we could get into a discussion on the question of “what is art?” but how I see it “Art is a form of personal expression that is manifested in a displayable manner.” So that would make street art “a form of personal expression manifested in a publicly displayed manner” and yes in some ways this could also include tagging, when done artistically anyway. Now graffiti is nearly as difficult to describe properly, and this is because graffiti resembles vandalism more so that street art. This is because graffiti is almost literally “Writings on the wall,” and distinguishing between what is actual graffiti and what is vandalistic scribbling is the difficult part. Well actually not that difficult. You can distinguish it by asking one question: “Can it be part of an intelligible conversation?” And this works both ways, if it is intelligible it is graffiti, and if not, then it falls in with destroying public property under the category of vandalism.

You might be asking yourselves what exactly does this have to do with bathroom walls. Well that’s simple; we need a place for this graffiti to happen. Where better to start this new wave of intellectual graffiti than where the worst of graffiti lives. Excuse me while I set the scene, there you are sitting on the toilet and your stomach it telling you that you’re going to be there for a while. You have no book, no newspaper, or anything else to distract you while waiting there, so you look up at the walls and what do you see: advice on sexual partners, unprovoked profanity, and speculation on peoples’ sexual preferences, or any other number of crude things. (So needless to say, things that only remind you of your current situation.) But what if when you looked up, and what you saw written on the wall was the beginnings of a philosophical discussion, an interesting quote by some famous so and so, or even a well written dirty limerick or a bad pun. Something that gets your mind working, and that makes a good distraction, so you don’t think on the waste that is being purged from your body, and being distracted in that situation makes the whole thing just an however slightly so more bearable experience.

Post Script: I’ve written two versions of this. Not going to say what my plans are for the second. But I do like how I ended it more simply because I ended it with a quote from somewhere in the universe of Joss Whedon. Now I have this post scheduled and hopefully the other version will be out around the same time.

Nostalgically Romantic

So I thought of this concept earlier last week when something happened. I saw someone on last Wednesday that I haven't see in many years, and she got me thinking. Of course it was a woman who got me thinking, but this one is a little special, and not because anything special happened between us, but because she was my first... non-celebrity crush.

Now I could go on about her, and I will a little because it will help me make my future point. She was one of the popular girls, I was the bullied kid, but she was really nice to me. I thought she was cute, and still is. Her and her family just like mine weren't the richest or most privileged, she was also for a while there the girl next door well across the street, well it wasn't really a street she lived across from me in this low income housing complex. (Yes, I do know how cliché I that was; I don't apologize for being young).

Okay, back to my original concept of being nostalgically romantic, or nostalgically attracted to someone. But actually it is quite simple. Nostalgia: pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again. And so seeing someone you were once romantically interested after a period of time, it will occasionally stir something inside you that can make you think once again that you should possibly date them. I mean this is the same concept behind people getting back with their previously dumped romantic partners, or at least one of the things behind it. I mean getting back together with a previously dumped romantic partner usually doesn't end well unless there has been a complete shift in one or both of the people involved. You did break up for a reason so unless that reason changed DON'T, especially if that reason was cheating. But if these feelings are not acted upon or assumed unrequited, then as long as the two people are single I don't see why it isn't possible for them to act on say a high school crush, years after high school has ended (or in my case an elementary/primary school crush many years after elementary school has ended). I mean you also have to consider that if you are not currently in a romantic partnership, haven't had a potential romantic partnership in a while, or even are unhappy in your current romantic partnership, what you're feeling isn't actually real and what you're just feeling what you once had because you miss it. I'm not sure if I've said this here before but being in a romantic partnership for the sake of being in a romantic partnership is not a good idea, there should always be an end game in sight. Unless of course it is just a physical thing then it is not a romantic partnership, it is a physical relationship. 

It is possible that this is in some way related to "The one that got away," though I've always seen that as being someone you've previously been involved with in some way and it was the opposing partner had ended it where you didn't want it to end. And I know I am repeating myself, but unless there has been some sort of change in either yourself or you previously dumped romantic partner, don't just DON'T get back together with them. Also there are the people who think "The one that got away" is that one person you wanted to but didn't "score" with, which is ridiculous. Like there's a list of people you "need" to sleep with to feel whole or something, it is okay to only have ever slept with one person, or no people, or one hundred people. 

Post Script: It's pretty bad, I haven't spoken to her in over 10 years. It's pretty bad, I really need to get myself a crush.