I don’t get it. I got a frenum piercing and an eyebrow piercing. I suppose with the eyebrow piercing, I’m sort of rebelling against the chance that I’ll probably get a job soon that’ll make me take it out, but mostly it was curiosity and wanting to be more attractive. Seriously, about 90% of the people who see that I have a piercing ask “so what are you rebelling against?” Tonight, one of my best buddies tried to say I was still in some sort of protracted teenage rebellion phase. I live in a swank ass condo, get good grades in school, am successful at my job, call my mom and grandma just to chat, and am a very private person. What the hell do I have to rebel against?
So, dopers, what the hell? Is that the first thing that goes through your mind if you see a guy with a piercing?
Stabbing a hole through your body is about as attractive as it sounds. I don’t know why people think it’s sexy or appealing, but I’m sure you can see why people like me would compare body piercings to “you’re not the boss of me!” tantrums.
Edit: that came across worse than I intended.
Yes, the first thing I think of is rebellion, just like people assumed long haired guys in the 60s were rebelling. The fact is that they were though, for the most part.
I mostly agree with Mosier, except in the case of simple ear(lobe) piercings. That seems to be the part of your body that takes piercings the easiest (at least, it closes up slowest) and it’s so widely culturally acceptable (at least in the West) that it’s not rebellious except to a very few.
My fiance has a pierced eyebrow and ears. He didn’t wear the piercings to job interviews but gradually started wearing them to work. Nobody really cared - his boss was more concerned the time he wore sandals to casual Friday. I think it’s safe to say that piercings aren’t remotely rebellious when they’re beaten by sandals on the corporate inappropriateometer.
Heh. Well, actually, the first thing that goes through my mind when I see anyone with a piercing is along the lines of “jeez, that looks ugly and stupid. Why would anyone do that to themselves?” Then I think, “must be rebelling against something…”. If you don’t agree with the part about it being ugly, you won’t see why someone would conclude that rebellion is the likeliest motivation.
Meh. I don’t even notice them. It’s just a piece of jewellery. In fact, you could have ten of them all over your face, and I wouldn’t even take notice unless you pointed it out.
When I was 19 I pierced my eyebrow because I thought it would look attractive. I was correct. The hole has long closed in and I’m nowhere near any type of employment where having a pierced eyebrow would be acceptable, but I didn’t do it be rebellious, I did it because I thought it would look cool. (The purple hair–that was pure rebellion.)
Why people thing it signifies rebellion? - cause for many people, piercings other than on the ear are so unattractive that you must be choosing to do it for some other reason, they can’t comprehend that people actually DO find piercings attractive.
Because piercings have a history of residing in the punky/alternative sector, which seems to embrace doing things for the sake of small rebellion, and glorifies standing apart from the mainstream.
I’m another one whose reaction to such a piercing is: I don’t think it’s least bit attractive, I don’t see why anyone would find it attractive, but shrug it’s not hurting anybody, so to each his own. As for the “cusiosity” motive, it sounds to me like the kind of curiosity that might lead a three-year-old to scribble all over his face with a magic marker or get creative on his shirt with a pair of scissors.
Such piercings may not be rebellious (in fact, they may be signs of conformity to a particular subculture), but they are countercultural. It shows you’re clearly not part of The Establishment (or whatever they’re calling it these days).
I think—and the replies in this thread seem to confirm this—that the world is divided into two kinds of people: the kind who think piercings look cool and attractive, and the kind who think they look ugly and stupid. The main thing your piercing says about you is simply which of those two kinds you are.
I don’t think they’re an act of rebellion so much as just…I don’t know…a guy here that works for me just got a nose ring. I just don’t get it, and I need to have a talk with him about his career ambitions vs. his attraction for huge hunks of metal on, in and around his body. It’s not exactly against dress code (I think–I haven’t really checked) but it’s not conducive to being taken seriously, either.
If I see a person younger then 30 with a piercing, I just think: “Oh, a fashion statement”. I also think, near subconsiously, owowo what if that thing gets stuck on a sweater pulled over the head or a ring on a hand it’s going to RIP and HURT and owwow…
If I see a person over 30, with a piercing, I usually feel a little disdain. Anyone having true ideals about changing society should get rid of little signals that will prevent a rise to a position of such power that you can actuall change something. Al Gore may have a hippie “save the planet”-attitude, but he is more effective lecturing in a suit, then he would be being pierced and holding a sit-down.
It depends on where the piercing is. I don’t think a thing about earlobe piercings. I figure nipple piercings are about sensuality or sexuality. I view tongue piercings as being about masochism or trying to gross people out. A woman wearing a simple gem or ball stud in the side of the nose I figure is cultural (Indian, perhaps?). Any other facial piercing makes me immediately think of rebellion or low self-image. Since piercings in eyebrows (for example) tend to pull attention away from the rest of the face, I figure people who get them don’t like their faces.
Everyone who thinks “what the hell is wrong with them?”, I feel the same way about dopers who take pride in going shopping in sweatpants and hair curlers, brag about not having a cell phone, and generally think anyone who doesn’t read a book a week is a moron. So there
It can mean rebellion, it can mean bad taste, it can mean masochism, it can mean good taste, it can mean you were drunk, it can it’s what you’re comfortable with.
Some people choose their look to send a message (like that consultant I worked with, who came to the factory every day in a double-breasted suit, with vest and tie… he was working for Maintenance, who don’t dress like that at all); some choose it because it’s what they’re comfortable with. I don’t usually ask people why they dress they way they do, it becomes quite evident once you start to know them.
