I was out to town last Saturday and saw quite a number of tourists in a shopping mall. Amongst them, I spotted a number of young men with body piercings. This thing about body piercing is making inroads into the younger generation, but from my general observation, it is not very serious yet at this stage. Perhaps it will become increasingly popular in time to come.
Last year, I posted an article about tattoos in KK, and in that article I made a quick mention about body piercing. In the good old days, "body accessories" used to refer to necklaces, bangles, rings and other jewellery which were not actually embedded into the flesh. Well, OK, except for the earrings, fo course. Body piercing takes the concept of "accessories" a step further—small pieces of decorative items are pierced into the flesh and remain there permanently; or even if not permanently, usually at least longer than the former kind of accessories.
I'm sure there must be some valid reasons why some people choose to want these items embedded into their flesh, but as far as I am concerned, beauty is certainly not one of them. However, those young men at the shopping mall made heads turn! My attention was focused on a lad who looked like he's trying to make a fashion statement. He had some earrings on both ears; another ring on his nose; and another one pierced through his eye-brows region. Even his girl friend wasn't that "attractive"—she merely had one earring each on both ears and one small item pierced through her navel. Their group was quite a spectacle!
I don't know where's their next destination, but perhaps they should avoid going to Port Klang for the moment, since the police are on the look-out for men with earrings on both ears.
I think it's just a matter of time that our young people will mimic this body piercing thing, but I hope my JJ will escape such madness. In KK, I have come across quite a number of piercings on the nose; and at least 3 women with something pierced through their tongues. I don't know how's the situation in the bigger cities like KL.
I'd really like to hear it from those of you who have something pierced into your flesh. Could you please enlighten me what exactly are they for? Is it beauty? Craving for the attention? Wanting to make a fashion statement? Or just wanting to be "different"?
7 comments:
None stranger than a Prince Albert... :)
Dear Anonymous friend,
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I did not understand your comment. I had to consult a friend to find out its cryptic meaning.
I'm afraid my observations are only limited to what's visible on the surface. I have just learned from my friend today that people actually add "accessories" on their reproductive organs too. Beats me why they'd do such a thing, but well, people, you know! Weird, weird world!
Hi Cornelius,
When I was younger I had my tongue pierced, and at various stages of my youth had my eyebrow, lip, and of course ears. (not all at the same time though, mind you...
Anyways, I would call it a rebellious personality, a need to be different, and a general "f-you" attitude.. =)
But you know, my cousin has her tongue pierced and she is the straight A student, always a good kid..Possibly this was her own mini rebellion =) So, who knows.. People just like to decorate themselves...
I wouldn't worry about it, this trend is much better than a tattoo.. At least piercings can simply be taken out, and no more trace of it... Tattoos, not so much.
Thank you, Sarah, for sharing.
So tell me, after you've achieved your "rebellious personality", "a need to be different", and the "general f-you attitude", was it worth it in the end? I mean, it must have been a bit uncomfortable (I'm just guessing here) to have something in the way, e.g. on your tongue, or through your lip?
I would say yes, it was worth it. There was no harm done, all a part of growing up, at least for some kids... Haha, would I get my tongue pierced again if I could...?? Umm, NO>.. Why? It got swollen, couldn't eat solids for a week, had a lisp until I got used to it, and the dentist gets very angry about a metal object in the mouth...
LOL. I took out all of my piercings in my early 20's, except ears, and now you cannot tell I ever had anything.. So, no harm done.
I think kids in malaysia are probably going through the same issues as those in america, and are just trying to define themselves through their clothes, hair, jewelry, etc..
sometimes us foreigners are a tad bit more extreme with our self-expression, I guess, with tattoos now being acceptable at work and part of the norm... Piercings on older people still a big no no.. But on kids, as long as they grow out of it eventually :)
Yes, Sarah, that's what I thought. But I didn't expect discomforts up to that extent! Tongue getting swollen and couldn't eat for a week... for the sake of being rebellious and being "different". And yet, it was worth it! Not very easy to understand the mind of young people, huh?
Was there a sense of "liberation" when you finally took them off? I mean no more foreign items on your tongue, or lip or eyebrow etc? Or perhaps by then you hardly noticed they were there at all?
I watched the movie "The Man Behind The Iron Mask" acted by Leonardo where the guy was locked up in an iron mask for years. Seeing him when he was finally freed from the mask, I could actually feel his sense of liberation!
Haha, well, we are strange in our youth, no? =)~
Actually, the liberating part was in getting the piercings.. As in, "I don't care what society thinks, I am an individual.." Yes, very American way of thinking, I know... Once you have had the piercings in for a while, you hardly notice them anymore, they become a part of your identity. I think kids here are always trying to show how they are different from the norm..
Once I grew up and didn't have this need for such strong self expression, I took everything out.. It was my acceptance of adulthood and responsibility I guess.. Haha!
Post a Comment