Yeah, I'm complaining again.

The BBQ Pit
1

You know I am a level-headed, open-minded fellow who is not the slightest bit judgmental about another person’s sense of style. :rolleyes: However, a sight at work made me fear for a young lady’s sanity and intelligence. She is pretty and 20-ish, with facial bone structure that states emphatically that in eight or ten years she will be gorgeous, except for her mutilated ears. I guess they are called gauges or plugs; they are ear piercings with the loop inside the lobe. Hers are big enough to poke my finger through one, if I wanted to be fired. I am thankful that my filters are strong and in place :rolleyes:, or I would don the role of the cranky maiden aunt she obviously doesn’t have* and point out the folly of her fashion choice, ie:

But I won’t, because I have filters now. Brand new, untried filters that may not work.

    • My maiden aunt was pretty and sweet and she left me a surprising amount of money. OTOH, my wife had three, and I think they shared a single eyeball and tooth. They didn’t like me from the moment they set eye on me, but they’re dead.

** - NOT a complaint, just an observation on the greatness of some of God’s works.

2

Yeah, I know what you mean. Why can’t kids these days dress themselves properly like everybody did when I was a young man. Proper ladies and gentlemen each and every one of us.

3

When I was that age a well-dressed young lady wore a miniskirt or tight jeans and a peasant blouse with no bra. Didn’t complain then; not complaining now. In fact, I consider yoga pants (with exceptions) to be the greatest invention since the halter top. But that’s not my point, and I think you know it. My problem is, and has always been, with self-mutilation. Otoplasty to repair her earlobes will be neither cheap nor with results much better than passable, and she will eventually want it done. So why do it in the first place? It’s neither stylish nor attractive.

In my time here, and in many threads like this, I have both taken my lumps and become more tolerant of things like tattoos and breast implants. I don’t care to die on this hill. I just want to burn off some annoyance by making a fool of myself here rather than at work, where there are Real World consequences. And, if the past is any guide, there will be someone along shortly who will pluck my heartstrings and make me feel bad for thinking like I do. But it won’t be anybody playing the “Get off my lawn” card.

4

drop, although I can be a fan of body art in general (as I’ve some ink and a former piercing or two), I would still be thrilled to find you as my dropaunt. Your Garrison Keillor rants tickle me to no end. Perhaps I could muster up a picture of something equally egregious for you and you could rail against that too? Shake a cane in my direction? Anything to bask in the rosy glow of your curmudgeonly wisdom. Please.

5

Youth today face a greater challenge than when you were younger. A 'questionable style ’ is really nothing more than an attempt to both acknowledge their new found adulthood, (I do what I like!), and single themselves out from existing adults such as yourself. (But I’m not one of those!)

This has always been the struggle that produces questionable teen fashion trends.

Things began to take a rather uglier turn when Adults became so overpoweringly youth worshipping as to don anything from dungarees through leisure suits to stay ‘relevant, edgy, hip, instep with kids today!’ Being young was now everything.

What were the next wave of youngsters to do? 12 earrings in each ear, tramp stamps, Mohawks all come to mind. (If they don’t get to sneer, ‘What are you looking at?’ A couple of times a day, it’s not working!)

But you need only look around to see women in their forties with 12 earrings, and trampstamps, etc.

What’s left for kids today? It’s got to be something so outrageous that it won’t be co opted by the newly single 39 yr old wanting to pick up younger chicks. Facial piercings and earplugs fall into this category I believe.

Young people have been playing their part for generations, mostly unchanged. It was when adults decided they could still sport a Mohawk at thirty something, that pushed them over the edge I believe.

But if their fashion choices are producing this response in your age group, I think they nailed it!

6

Just wait until their new offspring decide that the ear loops or the nose ring are JUST the thing to grab and twist. And I thought keeping my glasses was fun…

7

Anyone want to be a billionaire?

Invent a painless way to completely remove tattoos and repair piercings. Within a few years, you’ll have lines of tattooed, now middle aged adult in the country beating a path to your door.

8

Meh. I don’t personally find it attractive, though depending on how big the gauges are, I don’t necessarily find it a turn off. That said, it’s not something I’d do. Tattoos are much the same for me, in they’re not for me, and I don’t find them either attractive or unattractive, unless they’re just ugly or just too much. Really, my concern as far as body modification goes is that those getting it are aware of the long term ramifications. Sure, these days, tattoos mean little to nothing for employment or dating unless they’re really inked up, but I have to wonder if someone gets a tattoo, is that an image that they’re sure they’re still going to want to look at in 20 or 30 years? For me, with only a few exceptions, I don’t think there’s any ideas that I’ve held onto that long, though part of that is because that would make me really young when I’d formed those ideas and had them that long.

The problem with ear gauges is that they’re not nearly as widely accepted, and not something that can be hidden in the way a tattoo can, so it definitely still can affect employment and dating. It seems shortsighted to get that done then hope to get a job as, say, a lawyer. OTOH, if one has every intention of being an artist or whatever, where it’s more accepted, it might have little to no negative effect, or possibly even a positive one if there’s a niche culture for it.

From seeing some of the tattoo shows, it does seem that at least the ethical tattoo artists make a point of ensuring that their clients think through the design and placement of tattoos, not just to make it easier for them, but also aware that things like head, face, neck, hand tattoos are difficult or impossible to hide, then I hope that those doing more serious or extreme forms of body modification like ear gauges, or even more edgy like eye tattoos, deliberate scarring, horns, filed teeth, etc. are making sure their clients are certain.

9

There will come a time in the future when today’s outrageousness in fashion will seem normal to you.

Scary, ain’t it? :smiley:

10

I’m sure a bunch of sanctimonious fucks will be along soon to chide you for judging this poor woman but just ignore them, its perfectly acceptable to point out when somebody is looking or acting like a fucking moron.

11

I was at work, working with a graphics team to finalize a proposal I was submitting. The woman working on my PPT asked me to lean over and review something on her screen.

I did, and in glancing past her neck, noticed a couple of implanted studs, one on either side of her neck, kinda in each trapezoid, I guess.

I said “Oh, cool - studs” because I couldn’t keep myself from shutting the heck up, but managed to keep it fairly neutral.

Eyes focused on her screen, she replied: “yeah, something every girl should do to piss off their moms and then look upon with regret.”

I offered a brief chuckle at her joke and quickly focused on the work in front of us.

12

Hey, I found somebody!

13

No, wait about another 20 years. Then make sure it is a serious medical procedure that is expensive as shit. But medicare covers it all.

I just had my hair cut by some random pretty young lady a few days ago. A fair bit too young for me alas. Blemish free so to speak. It actually crossed my mind to say “please don’t get any large assed tatoos or weird body mods”.

14

When I rebelled I wore bell bottoms, grew long hair, and watched Soul Train.

Fortunately none of those were irreversible (well I do have nightmares about the cartoon Soul Train train once in awhile).

15

One time in DFW airport, I passed by a man with transdermal horns. It occurred to me that he probably has a tough time getting through security.

16

And here we have the truth. You’re just upset that she is not dressing in a way to give you a boner. How very misogynistic of you. Congrats.

17

It was always the unpeasant blouses that got me all hot and bothered.

18

Just bull your way through.

19

And here we have another truth. Stretching a statement into something else just so you can be condescending. Congrats.

20

+100 dropzone !

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