# Black men and earrings. Can we let it go already? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 14, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402 "2010-05-14T06:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panman\_1960](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@panman\_1960](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panman_1960)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/21 "2010-05-14T14:15:46Z")
I’m in my late 50’s and was in the Navy. I have a left ear pieced since the early 70’s because I’m a ‘Bluenose’ and a ‘Shellback’. I’ve been above the Arctic Circle and have crossed the Equator. later, Tom. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/22 "2010-05-14T14:17:00Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I’m hoping eventually it will become retro and ironic You can always say you got it back in the 80’s. Surely you’re old enough to regale today’s newbs with tales of your adventure crossing the sea of Cortez? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/23 "2010-05-14T14:22:20Z")
We didn’t have any seas back when I was young - just [Pangaea](http://library.thinkquest.org/17701/high/pangaea/). And we were grateful for it! Hey! You kids get off my super-continent! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/24 "2010-05-14T14:29:22Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > (Well, I think Morley is a jew, but for this opinion piece, he can be white.) Don’t look now, but I think your cross is on fire. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/25 "2010-05-14T14:44:13Z")
Why in the world should black men let it go? I think earrings are attractive on men, I think an earring would be attractive on my boyfriend, and he happens to be black. I’m a little confused why his race matters. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/26 "2010-05-14T14:45:40Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > You can always say you got it back in the 80’s. I have had my ear pierced since the 80’s … I was on the vanguard, man. But the particular loop I wear now I’ve only had since about 1998 (it used to by my ex-wife’s nose-ring). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/27 "2010-05-14T14:50:02Z")
What, so black guys are wearing earrings now? Cool. That means in about 5 years, white guys will be wearing earrings too. That’s the way things work. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/28 "2010-05-14T14:57:07Z")
White people are all like “REE-EH-EEE-EH-EEE-EH-EEE!” Black people are all like “DOO-DAH-DOO-DOO-DOO!” ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/29 "2010-05-14T14:58:00Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > White people are all like “REE-EH-EEE-EH-EEE-EH-EEE!” > > Black people are all like “DOO-DAH-DOO-DOO-DOO!” I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/30 "2010-05-14T15:03:07Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I can’t imagine how black football players get their helmets off without ripping their ears off with those damn studs. Shockingly enough, they generally don’t wear giant studs while on the field. > [@](#): > > I can’t think of 5 famous white guys that wear earrings and also do serious reporting (ala Ed Bradley) or a sports reporter like Stuart Scott of ESPN. You think Stuart Scott is a serious reporter? The man whose sole contribution to journalism was _booyah_? You’re an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/31 "2010-05-14T15:03:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Black men and earrings. Can we let it go already? Done. I’ve let it go. In fact, I let it go quite a while ago. Now that I think of it, I don’t know exactly when, because I can’t remember a time when I was hanging on to it. But consider me in compliance with your instructions. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/32 "2010-05-14T15:19:00Z")
I’m a 51 year old whitey. I began getting pierced in my twenties and never had a reason to stop. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/33 "2010-05-14T15:50:13Z")
I just assume that black guys wearing huge “diamond” stud earrings think they are attractive in some way, and if they are attracting who they want to attract, then I guess it’s working. It does look stupid to me, but damned near everything people under the age of 40 are doing these days looks stupid to me. I have to go work on the moat to keep everyone off my lawn now. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/34 "2010-05-14T16:02:38Z")
My 11 year-old very white son has an earring. I’d say it’s pretty homogeneous at this point. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/35 "2010-05-14T16:08:07Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > My 11 year-old very white son has an earring. I’d say it’s pretty homogeneous at this point. He’s just trying to be black, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/36 "2010-05-14T16:14:33Z")
I think everyone should dress like pirates. Is that so wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/37 "2010-05-14T16:15:14Z")
If that’s wrong I don’t want to be right. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/38 "2010-05-14T16:17:26Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > You think Stuart Scott is a serious reporter? The man whose sole contribution to journalism was _booyah_? Hey! That’s not fair. He also popularized “As cool as the other side of the pillow.” ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/39 "2010-05-14T16:19:57Z")
I dunno about the diamonds, but IMO a small gold loop earring looks really nice against African-American skintones. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402/40 "2010-05-14T16:44:17Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > He also popularized “As cool as the other side of the pillow.” True. I suppose we should also give him partial credit for, “you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-men-and-earrings-can-we-let-it-go-already/539402.md?page=3)