… , says one pierce e (Alexander, 1). The Prince Albert has been around since the Victorian age, when it was called a ‘dressing ring’ and was used to secure the penis to one leg in order to conceal it in the tight pants in style at the time (Trebay, Guy, p. 2). for some is a conscious act of reclamation of the body and taking it into possession as their own. The entire piercing experience is transformed into a highly spiritual event.
Pain is an intrinsic part of the ritual- and indeed is sometimes the entire reason for getting pierced. Body piercing is seen by many to be a pain inducing ritual which can be used to attain elevated states of consciousness. Genital piercings are often done as a sexual reclamation ritual; that is, it’s done as a means of reclaiming the body as you own to signify a recovery from sexual abuse. By piercing the genitals, you ” re imprinting a part of your psyche on that part of your body, marking it as exclusively yours. Reclamation is not always just sexual — some pierce their bodies in order to demonstrate their bodies exclusively theirs instead of an image painted and manipulated by society.
In essence, it improves body image for many young people, especially women. Says one female college student of her navel piercing, ‘it’s very exotic. It makes me feel very well dressed and elegant’ (Howard, p. 2). Another young lady had a piercing done for ‘psychic protection’ (Delaney, Jim p. 1).
Body piercing is a highly meaningful rite of passage for many young people. The idea of voluntary pain induction as a spiritual ritual is highly cathartic and often symbolizes the death of an unpleasant memory or part of one’s life. In this context it is easy to see the popularity of body piercing — it is a means of spiritual, mental, and emotional cleansing. This was the attitude of pre-industrial indigenous societies such as the Native Americans. There is a Native American ritual known as the O-Kee-Pa or Sundance which consists of making a deep piercing behind each nipple and then inserting hooks intothe piercings. Ropes were attached to the hooks and the initiate was spun around in circles until he lost consciousness.
This ritual is culture specific to the Plains Indians and involves an entire year of preparation. It is still performed every summer by the Cheyenne and allows a renewal and revitalization of their culture. There are a great amount of young people who are piercing their bodies simply for adornment. The exotic aspect of having a ring through their lip appeals to them (Howard, p.
2). The appearance of body piercings on models such as Elle MacPherson have had a profound effect on piercing. A female college student at Yale, when asked about her piercings, said, ‘I just liked the way it looked.’ (Howard, p. 2) This seems to be the reason many young people are getting pierced. Another reason for piercing for adornment is the role of in America. Many people get pierced in emulation of African, Indian or Polynesian body adornments (Delaney, p.
1). Body piercing is seen as a way to enhance one’s physical beauty (Todd, p. 1). This enhancement is really positive because it is allowing young people to be at ease with their bodies, which is emotionally healthy.
It helps when body piercing is seen as a means of decoration instead of self-flagellation and deviant behavior. Body piercing is a means by which one can enhance their physical beauty by ornamenting the body. It’s seen as ornamentation in African tribes such as the Masai and the Padang of Malaysia. The same is rapidly becoming the case in America. In examining body piercing in America, one must look past the fact that it had it’s start in Sado-Masochism circles. People who engage in Sado-Masochism are seen as deviants (which is not really the case; they ” re just different from most people) and therefore body piercing is seen as a deviant act which makes any bearer of a piercing a deviant.
This is a vicious circle and a flawed sense of reason and rationale which we must, as a culture, get over if we are to further the cause of understanding between different people. Body piercing is a healthy activity. It is an act of defiance, of self expression. it has helped many people recover from sexual abuse by reclaiming their bodies through piercing.
It is a means of elevating one’s sexual stimulation. It is the act of adorning and beautifying the body, which heightens one’s self image. Unfortunately, body piercing is viewed by many as a self- destructive activity. This is because some body piercings are not taken care of properly by the pierce e. All body piercing studios provide detailed instructions for the care of fresh piercings. Body piercing holds deep meaning for many.
One college student had his tongue pierced to satisfy his oral fixations and ended up almost entirely quitting smoking (Howard, p. 2). Body piercing is not going to go away. It’s popularity may wane a bit, but that will make it all the more special for those who do choose to have some part of their anatomy pierced. It is important to remember that people with body piercing are generally not deviant or psychologically ill.
Instead, they have a view of beauty which differs from that of the mainstream. This is simply an expression of individuality, a harmless and benign statement of who these people are and what they believe in. All too often it is ignorance that leads people to spurn body piercing. By educating yourself on the subject it becomes plain to see that body piercing is a powerful tool for self-expression and emotional security. By going through the pain of the piercing, the emotionally insecure regains a feeling of control.
Works Cited 1. Trebay, Guy. ‘Hole in one ” The Village Voice July 7, 1995: p. 18 2. Eckert, Toby. ‘Body Accents Pierces Traditional Business Image with Wares to Wear ” Indianapolis Business Journal March 3, 1997: p.
45 3. Leo, Jon. ‘The Modern Primitives ” US. News and World Report July 31, 1995: p.
16 4. Wittenberg, Daniel. ‘A Parents’ Guide to Body Piercing ” Forbes September 23, 1996: pp. 166-173 5. Howard, Dylan.
‘Holier than Thou ” The Yale Daily News November 10, 1995: p. 3 6. Todd, Richard. ‘Look What They ” ve Done to my Bod, Ma ” Psychology Today May/June 1993: p. 8 7. Delaney, Jim.
‘Piercing for Beginners ” Prime Magazine September 26, 1995: pp. 19-23 8. Alexander, Keith. ‘About Body Piercing.’ Body Modification Ezine 3 pp. World Wide Web web June 1997.