1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff Mom never told you? 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: From housetop works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: I'm Kristen and I'm Caroline. And since we're talking about 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: body piercings today, we decided fair listeners that we would 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: start off with some personal anecdotes because Caroline and I 7 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: both have our ears pierced. Although I never wear earrings anymore, 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: i'll wear them a lot. I have a kind of 9 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: a round face, so I feel like I need to 10 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: balance it out sometimes with something shiny next to it. 11 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: You wear earrings very well, I just forget about they 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: might even be closed up by now. I just forget hey, 13 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:54,639 Speaker 1: I mean, I mean, oh, yeah, but I don't know. Well, 14 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: I just my mind immediately went to like, oh, you 15 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: have to get that repierced. But I guess you don't. 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: If you don't know, don't Yeah. Um, but let's be 17 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: let's back up, because I think for a lot of 18 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: women listening, probably and guys too, because I'm sure there 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: are some some guys out there listening to have their 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: ears pierced. Getting your ears pierced for the first time. 21 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: It's quite a seminal moment, especially if it happens in adolescence, 22 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: because I don't know about you, Caroline, but for me, Um, 23 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: I'm the youngest in my family and I have I 24 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: have two older sisters, and getting the ears pierced at 25 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: the age of twelve was this rite of passage. And 26 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: I distinctly remember the day I went to get my 27 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: ears pierced. I just got simple gold studs. Where did 28 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: you go? I went to Merle Norman department store, and 29 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: I think that was where my my sisters had gone. 30 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: My mom was very insisted on everything being as uniform 31 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: as possible for this ear piercing experience. UM. And I 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: remember going home that night and just staring at myself 33 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: in the mirror and I put my I had long hair, 34 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: and I pulled my hair up so I could take 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: a better look at myself with these these bubbles in 36 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: my ear lobes, and I thought I was just entrancing. 37 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: I remember looking at myself, like in pajamas, with these 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: simple studs in my ears and being like, well, Christen Gonger, 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: you are quite vetching. I don't know. I don't know 40 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: why I don't know what it was. I was. I 41 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: was excited about my my earrings that I wore. Also, 42 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: I also got gold studs put in um. When I 43 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: was thirteen, my mom took me to the mall and 44 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: I just remember thinking like, it's it's time. You know, 45 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go do it. This is happening, my friends 46 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: are doing it. I want to do it. I'm I 47 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: don't want to be have naked ear lobes forever, but 48 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: you know it's going to hurt. Yeah, but you don't 49 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: know how much you know. And and for some people 50 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: they were like, oh no, no, never problem. I had 51 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: never problem. I had a problem. I'll tell you right now. 52 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: I had a problem. We went to Claire's. My all 53 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: took me to Claires and I hopped right up in 54 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: that little ear piercing seat and I'm like, oh my god, 55 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: I'm so special. Look like, does he believe at me? 56 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: Because I know I'm to get my ears because there 57 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: are people like walking back to like picking out their 58 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: you know, weird fake plastic jewelry and stuff. Anyway, so 59 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: she pulls out this ear piercing gun and I'm like, 60 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: oh wait, what is the what do you oh? Okay. Oh, 61 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: and then so she draws a little magic marker dots 62 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: on my earlibs, which I was like, are these are 63 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: you sure they're even? And then like wow, you know, 64 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: ear pierced And that really hurt and it was really loud, 65 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: and I'm kind of a nervous Nancy, and so she 66 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: did she did the both ears, and then I started 67 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: to pass out. She's like, all right, all right, get 68 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: down on the floor. Get down on the floor. And 69 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: so she had me lie down on the floor and 70 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: like put my knees up and kind of rock them 71 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: back and forth. So here I am, at thirteen years old, 72 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: obviously very confident, you know, non troubled age for kids, 73 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: lying in the middle of Claire's being like, you know, 74 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: why does a sheet at least your ear piercing and 75 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: send you off into a bizarre spiral of every narcissism um. 76 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: But that's not I don't know if you know this 77 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: or not, Caroline, But since we are talking about piercings, 78 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: I also when I was eighteen years old, as a 79 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: freshman in college and this was post breakup, I got 80 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: my nose pierced. I remember, I remember you had a 81 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: piercing Yeah, I probably had one when when we met. 82 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: And I still remember when I went home for the 83 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: first time and my mom saw my I just had 84 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: a stud in my nose, and my mom was just 85 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: so sweet and she goes, she paused for a minute 86 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: and looked at it and goes nods her head slowly. Cool. 87 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 1: That's pretty cool. It's pretty cool. No, Mama, Conger, you 88 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: didn't freak out. Well, see, it's interesting that that you 89 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: said that you had it done after a breakup, because 90 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: I feel like a lot of the stuff we read 91 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: about the psychology of piercing, I mean there's a lot 92 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: of eeries and a lot of reasons, and you know, 93 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: everybody's different, everybody. I did it just because I was 94 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: like it's time. But I mean a lot of people 95 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: have piercing reasons, like specific motivations, and a lot of 96 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: them are something traumatic happened, or they want to they 97 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: want to remember something they went through. Yeah, the nose 98 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: piercing was definitely a way for me to I don't know, 99 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: I felt like it was some kind of um symbol 100 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: of my individualism, you know, of being I'm gonna go 101 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this. You had to go to a 102 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: tattoo parlor downtown. I just I don't know. I felt very, 103 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: very edgy getting it done because it up until then, 104 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: you know, breaking out of my prim and proper gold 105 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: studded chill. And by the way, for listeners out there, 106 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't wear my nose piercing anymore, but 107 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: I liked it for a long time. So enough about us. 108 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: I mean, we could talk about ourselves forever, but we're 109 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: here for um. But before we get into the history 110 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: of ear piercing and body piercing, because my goodness is 111 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: it quite a rich one, let's toss out some statistics 112 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 1: for who has their ears pierced. And this is coming 113 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: from the CBC in Canada and Health Canada reported that 114 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: between of us women have their ears pierced, but a 115 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: lot of us also experience complications from piercing, which we'll 116 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: talk about later, Infections and whatnot. Yeah, I read that 117 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: you you're actually quite likely to get an infection if 118 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: you get your cartilage pierced on your ear because the 119 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:40,559 Speaker 1: blood flow is not significant enough to heal HeLa wound. 120 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: So you've got to be really careful about keeping that 121 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,799 Speaker 1: stuff clean, and especially if you wear the nickel plated 122 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: jewelry lotical of allergies. But we'll get into that a 123 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: little bit later. Why don't why don't we kick things 124 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: off with a reading from the Bible, please, Kristen, Okay, 125 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: this is coming from Genesis. This is the I believe 126 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: the n I V. Version for the Bible scholars out there. 127 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: I asked her, whose daughter are you? She said, the 128 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 1: daughter of Bethuel's son of Nahor, who Micah bore to him. 129 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: Then I put the ring in her nose and the 130 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: bracelets on her arm, and that her in there is Rebecca, 131 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: wife of Abraham. Yeah, there's a lot of uh jewelry 132 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: speak in the Bible. Um. Hebrews war earrings as adornment, 133 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: and gold earrings represented wealth, which makes sense. But actually 134 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: they they pierced slave's ears too, as a mark of servitude, 135 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 1: and piercing ears goes back at least six thousand years 136 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: in the Middle East, but it probably even predates that. Um. 137 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: For instance, when I believe it was Uh, they found 138 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: Ozsi the iceman, who at the time was like the 139 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: oldest um like person ever found well preserved um, and 140 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: he not only had markings on him that appeared to 141 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: be some kind of primitive tattoo, but also stretched ear lobes. Right, 142 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: he was cool. Yeah, they thought that maybe he even 143 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: had his ear um ears pierced as well. And it's 144 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: one of the most common types of body modification and 145 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: also cross cultural right all over the world around history. 146 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 1: In a lot of tribes all around the world, ear 147 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: rings and and another jewelry served to display wealth in 148 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: cultures that carried their wealth in jewelry um tribes like 149 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: the Fulani of West Africa, the Toureg of the Sahara, 150 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: and the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula. And in a 151 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 1: lot of tribes, the type of earring that you wore mattered. 152 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: It could indicate rank. Among many Northwest Coast Northwest American 153 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: Coast Indians such as you know there're some in Alaska, um, 154 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,319 Speaker 1: the number of holes in one's ear showed the amount 155 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: of wealth because the process was expensive. So if you 156 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:02,839 Speaker 1: have whole your whole ear pierced, it meant, oh yeah, 157 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: I'm a pretty rich guy. And um. Nose piercings are 158 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: also very common and piercing the septum in particular, that 159 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: that piece of flesh between your nostrils is probably the 160 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: second most common piercing among indigenous peoples, and they're especially 161 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: common among warrior tribes and they'll put like they'll pierce 162 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: it with pieces of bone or even gold. Um. And 163 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: of course piercing is also very common in India, and 164 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 1: Hindu people will pierce a girl's ears and nose twelve 165 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: days after birth when she has given her name and um. 166 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: It's also a tradition among um some Indian groups too. 167 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: I believe you get your nose pierced the day before 168 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: I guess if it isn't already the day before your wedding, right, 169 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: And there is a tribe in Brazil that used to 170 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: pierce boys and girls ears at birth, just you know, 171 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: right out of the gate and immediately inserted wooden plug 172 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: that would be exchanged as the holes got bigger. So 173 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: it's interesting that so many tribes all over the world 174 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: have different forms not only of body modification, but of 175 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: um kind of steps to take. Because there's that what 176 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: what is the tribe that uses the neck rings. I can't, 177 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: I don't know off the top of my head, but 178 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: that's another one that you know, like as they get older, 179 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: they wear more rings or wear bigger ear plugs. To 180 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: signify something in particular, it doesn't make themselves seem more beautiful. Yeah, definitely. 181 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: Seems like one one common strand among all of these 182 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 1: different piercing practices is um is that idea of rank 183 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: and also the right of passage. And I was surprised 184 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: to learn that um ear rings were even common among 185 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: men in Elizabethan, England. Um Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh, and 186 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: Francis Drake all wore gold rings in their ears. You 187 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: know who else did? Who pirates indeed, and sailors, And 188 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: it actually meant something if you supposedly, if you were 189 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 1: a sailor and you wore an ear ring in one ear, 190 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: it either meant that you had uh circumnavigated the globe 191 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: or you would cross the equator. And sometimes and this 192 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: again I don't I don't know how true this is. 193 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: But supposedly, if your body washed up on shore or whatever, 194 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: and you had a big chunk of golden ear ear, 195 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: it was supposed to be used for a proper Christian burial, 196 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: And there was a sailor superstition that piercing your ear 197 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: would improve eyesight. Well I have shoot, that's not true. 198 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: I know I'm wearing contact, so behind. But there are 199 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: also some uh, some pretty great historical myths about piercings 200 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:33,080 Speaker 1: involving the Romans. And yes, let's talk about the Romans. Yeah, 201 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: there's this this myth, this idea that that Romans pierced 202 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: their nipples to signify virility, but that in fact is 203 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: not true. And I saw this in a few different sources, 204 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: and so we had it in our notes. And then 205 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: come to find out this guy named Doug Malloy, who 206 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: will talk about more. He's one of the fathers of 207 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: modification all that. Yeah, of modern body piercing. Um, this 208 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: guy Doug will boy came up with, um, with a 209 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: few of these well spread myths about body piercing. I 210 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 1: think is a way to normalize the behavior. But if 211 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: someone tells you that, hey, do you know that Julius Caesar, 212 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: how does nipples pierced? You can say, uh, did you 213 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,719 Speaker 1: know that? That is a total hoax concocted by a 214 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 1: guy in l A in the seventies. Yeah, who really 215 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: wanted to get people into his piercing business. But more 216 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: on that later. Right, Um, speaking of male piercings, what 217 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: about the Gladiators, Caroline, Right, it was not uncommon for 218 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: gladiators to have a penis piercing, and we think that 219 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: this is true. Yeah, yeah it Uh. It was not 220 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: just for show for looks. It was actually to prevent 221 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 1: too much sexual activity, because you know, we've talked about 222 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: this in different ways before on the podcast about how 223 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: there used to be these ideas of masculinity and virility 224 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: that if men were too sexually active or masturbated too much, 225 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: they would lose all of their masculine energy. So this 226 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: was along those lines and probably kind of a punishment juice. 227 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: Gladiators are basically enslaved. Um. But one one penis piercing 228 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: myth that we should go ahead and bust. Also thanks 229 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: to Doug malloy, Uh, there's the idea that the Prince 230 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: Albert piercing, which is a penis piercing uh, was named 231 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: after Prince Albert, who supposedly got his penis piers because 232 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: at the time Bo Brummel popularized really tight trousers, so 233 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 1: tight in fact, that you might be able to see 234 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 1: a man's bulge in his crotch and so um, in 235 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: order to prevent such an insightly bulge from offending the 236 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 1: sensibilities of passers, by the idea was that Prince Albert 237 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: got his penis pierced so that he could actually hook 238 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: his penis to the side in his uh, in his trousers, 239 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: to tame his bulge. But guess what, folks, that uh, 240 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: that far fetched tale is indeed too far fetched to 241 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: be true. I read that about gladiators too, did you 242 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: read that? I read that sometimes gladiators would have a 243 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,320 Speaker 1: hook or something like a ring so that they could 244 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: tie their penis back with like a leather cord, so 245 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: that when they were fighting to the death, you know, 246 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: they would avoid injury. Maybe I don't know, maybe there's 247 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: a little bit of needs all tight end. Maybe it's 248 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: all fake malloy, shake my fist. Um. But speaking of 249 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: naughty piercings, Victorian England nineties, right, Apparently nipple piercing was 250 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 1: in vogue for Victorian ladies. I think this was a 251 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: brief amount of time because there was a letter written 252 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: in a woman's magazine about this whole. It was the 253 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: first person essay on get a woman getting her her 254 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 1: nipples piers because supposedly he's Victorian women obviously more upper 255 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: class would pierce or nipples and even um, I have 256 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,440 Speaker 1: chains that would run between them as a type of 257 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: body adornment, and supposedly some doctors at the time encouraged 258 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: women to get their nipples pierced to stimulate, um, I 259 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:19,000 Speaker 1: guess engorgement to make breastfeeding easier. But again, some historians 260 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: have are are a little skeptical of this notion of 261 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: nipple piercing. But again you'll find it in a number 262 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: of different quote from this woman. It was in pretty 263 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: I google it, and I mean just a million things 264 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: came up. Everybody who is pro piercing has quoted this 265 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: woman who wrote into this magazine back in the day, 266 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: and um, she said that she came to the conclusion 267 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: that many ladies are ready to bear the passing pain 268 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: for the sake of love. Right because obviously too aside 269 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: from the idea of it helping with breastfeeding, nipple piercings 270 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: were highly eroticized of the time as well, which also 271 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: leeds them to think, you know, modern day slars to think, well, 272 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: maybe this is just a little bit of pure fantasy. Yeah, 273 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: like letters to hustler or something, right nineties hustlers. But 274 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: moving on, um, in the nineteen twenties, pierced ears became 275 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: a little bit less popular with the advent of clip 276 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: on earrings, right, which I wore when I was a kid, 277 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: but they kind of they pinched my ear they do well, 278 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: I didn't have any normal looking ones. I just had 279 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,360 Speaker 1: dressed up clip on so they were like huge pageant 280 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: sequin ear rings. Bring those back, toddlers and tiaras. Uh. 281 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: And then in the nineteen sixties, ear piercing becomes extremely 282 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: popular among females. But at this point, we're doing it 283 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:45,960 Speaker 1: at home, Yeah, sticking at a heated or sterilized needle 284 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: through the ear lobe and another thing that I thought 285 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: was completely disgusting, and I'm so I'm gonna share it 286 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: with you. Um also available around this time, and we're 287 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: apparently popular, and and somebody's going to have to write 288 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: in and tell me if this is true. Spring loaded 289 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: ring shaped earrings with each end sharpened to a point 290 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: that you just put on your ear and slowly squeeze 291 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: over a course of days or weeks long, and behold, 292 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: eventually your ears pierced. You know, I'm gonna go ahead 293 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: and go out of the limb and say I believe that. Yeah, 294 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 1: but I mean, why, Okay, Well, I guess if if 295 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: you don't have a sterile needle handy and someone to 296 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: jab it through your ear, then maybe. But I had 297 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: never heard of that. I wouldn't want to do it, 298 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: but I'm a boss, I'll go ahead and say it. 299 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: But yeah, if anyone can confirm or deny conclusively the 300 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 1: spring loaded ear ring for us, please let us know. 301 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: And then in the I guess in the late nineteen 302 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:45,639 Speaker 1: sixties and nineteen seventies, men began wearing ear rings um 303 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: as part of the hippie movement. But then this is 304 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: also when gayman started piercing their right ear lobe as 305 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: a way to subtly signify their sexuality because they could 306 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: not be they were still very closeted and um, you know, 307 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: they couldn't dress differently or you know, kind of be 308 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: open at all. And so the right earlob piercing became 309 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,160 Speaker 1: a subtle way of letting other folks know what's up. 310 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:12,720 Speaker 1: All right, But speaking of the gay community, piercings, not 311 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: just ear piercings but body piercings um are really tied 312 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: in with the gay s and m community especially. I 313 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: got its start in California, right in Los Angeles. We 314 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 1: have Doug malloy, guy who we've mentioned a number of times, 315 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: who who came up with all the sort of the 316 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: piercing body piercing mythology, and Jim Ward really spearheaded this 317 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: body piercing kind of counterculture. And um, Jim Ward in 318 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: open up the first professional body piercing specialty studio in 319 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. It was called the Gauntlet and it closed 320 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: in and at one point Jim Wards said that it 321 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: was an outgrowth of my own sexual exploration and the 322 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: things that were erotic, and um, the reason why Doug 323 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: malloy and Doug molloy is actually a suit him. I 324 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: forget his real name, um, but it was a student 325 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: ym that he adopted because he was this wealthy guy 326 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: in l A. And he was also gay and I 327 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: guess closeted and also in the sen m community. So 328 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: Doug malloy was this kind of alter ego that he 329 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: adopted and body piercing kind of became a part of 330 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: that whole community and then spread thanks to celebrity culture 331 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: and especially punk rock slowly seeped into right as soon 332 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: as rock stars start doing something, it kind of yeah, 333 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: their fans follow suit, and yeah, so in the seventies, 334 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 1: you have a lot of punk guys piercing your own ears. 335 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,199 Speaker 1: But at this point, I mean, it's it's definitely becoming 336 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: more socially acceptable in general, because you could get it 337 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 1: done at a doctor's office or like you, at a 338 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: department store at this point and so, and this is 339 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,199 Speaker 1: when the terrifying ear piercing guns come about. Well you 340 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: know what though, I mean, if you had given me 341 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: the choice between an ear piercing gun and starting a 342 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: ring on my ear that I squeezed, I just I 343 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't take the gun. You'd passed out again on the 344 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: floor of Claire's, I would do it all over the lady. Well, 345 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: what I didn't realize was that even in the early nineties, piercing, 346 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:17,679 Speaker 1: especially body piercing, was very taboo in American culture. We 347 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: found an article from the New York Times talking about 348 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: this new fad um and it was actually kind of 349 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: quaint reading about how how scandalous it was to have 350 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: your your nose or your nipple pierce or I mean, 351 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: heaven forbid, your your lip or your eyebrow. These more 352 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: visible body piercings. There were stories of what did she 353 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: have pierced the woman who got fired. She had her 354 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: nose piers and she had a ring in it, not 355 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 1: just a stud, and they were like, well, you can't 356 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: take it out or you can leave. Um. But my 357 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: favorite story is about the popularization of the belly button piercing, 358 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: which really has only been around since three all thanks 359 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: to three very tract of women, Christie Turlington, Naomi Campbell, 360 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: and Alicia's Silverstone. Right, Alicia Silverston who did not actually 361 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: get her belly button pierced in that Aerosmith video. She 362 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: had a body double and actually told the piercing guy 363 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: on set that she thought it was gross. Yeah, well, 364 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: Alicia Silverston got her. Well, the body double gets her 365 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 1: her belly button pierce in the video for Aerosmith's crying, 366 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: which is I'm not gonna start singing, so a good 367 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: start singing. And then supermodels Turlington and Campbell walked down 368 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: a runway that year, both bearing belly button rings, and 369 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: I mean the rest is history, right, My friend, I 370 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: have a friend who pierced around belly button. Oh yeah, 371 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: that was I had. I had friends, you were girls 372 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: who would do that. But my mother thought that belly 373 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: button rings were just very inappropriate for a young lady. 374 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 1: I mean there it was the fear of God put 375 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 1: in me. If I ever came home with my belly 376 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: button pierce nose ring, She's totally cool. Bell button ring. 377 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: Harlott moving on to ear spools and plugs, which I'm 378 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: gonna need help differentiating between the two. But ear plugs 379 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: are a cylindrical piece that fits into a large hole 380 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 1: in your ear, and you know, you can stretch, stretch, 381 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: it gets bigger, and you have ear spool, which is 382 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: apparently a large cylinder. I say apparently, like apparently people 383 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,320 Speaker 1: do this, a large cylinder with a disc or decorative 384 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: sheet on the front. It sounds like ear spools are 385 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: just fancier ear plugs and UM, and the plugs come 386 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: in different sizes called gauges UM and this traces back 387 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: to pre Columbian America and UM they were also really 388 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: popular among ancient meso American cultures, right. Yeah, archaeologists have 389 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: found masks meso American masks that have um stretched ear 390 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: holes depicted. So it's clearly it's been gone on a 391 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: while and I've been noticed. I noticed these um most 392 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: often among guys more so than than women. Yeah. I 393 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: remember being in my freshman year philosophy breakout group. In 394 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,400 Speaker 1: my creepy t a I had. I just had little, um, 395 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 1: just studs. I didn't I have never had gauged anything 396 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: in my ears anyway, just little jade studs. And he like, 397 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:22,560 Speaker 1: I'm sitting kind of in the back of a class 398 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: and he just looks at me and he's like, so, 399 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: how much big are you going to go? I was like, 400 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: these are just these are my aunts. They're just studs. 401 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 1: They're not please stop looking at Did he did he 402 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: have your plugs or spools himself? No, but he did 403 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: have waist length, curly hair and a goatee yes. And 404 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:45,960 Speaker 1: I hope he's listening right now. But speaking of having 405 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: your ears pierced in college, we did have a little 406 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: bit of a little bit of a no brainer study 407 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: that we found. This is from the University of Florida 408 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 1: from two thousand four, and it was analyzing motivations for 409 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,919 Speaker 1: kids in college getting tattoos and body piercings. And we 410 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: should differentiate between body piercings and ear rings. A lot 411 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: of times, just getting your lobes piers that's not really 412 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: considered a body piercing. We're talking more like getting uh, 413 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: you know, getting a Maryland on your upper lip or 414 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: getting your septum piers or something like that. Yeah, etcetera, etcetera. 415 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: So why do they do it, Caroline? Basically, why do 416 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: we do anything, and that is to attract people to 417 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:30,479 Speaker 1: either either show that we are part of a certain 418 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,359 Speaker 1: type of group of people, or to show that we 419 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: are um individuals, or to attract a mate, to be 420 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: sexually attractive to someone. So, yeah, that's just one of 421 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: those things we do, like we're makeup. And I probably 422 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 1: got my nose piers for all of those reasons. I 423 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: would never admit that at the time, you know, but 424 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: you know, one of the reasons they cite is um 425 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:52,959 Speaker 1: a traumatic life experience. And I don't know how traumatic 426 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,880 Speaker 1: your breakup was, but I mean, you know that's something 427 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: that a lot of women go cut their hair after 428 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: a breakup. You know, it was pretty it was pretty 429 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: huge at the time. Huge, But apparently in the eyes 430 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: of some collegiate researchers, my choice of getting my nose 431 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 1: pierced would have also been an indicator of of sexual behavior. 432 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: So there's this two thousand seven study that we ran 433 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:21,160 Speaker 1: across over at Discover magazine that likes to highlight kind 434 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: of ridiculous studies and correlations that researchers will find. And 435 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: with this one, uh, this study of college students, they 436 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: found that women with body piercings reported substantially greater frequency 437 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 1: of sexual activity than college students without piercings. But yeah, 438 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: the same wasn't true for men. Guys who had piercings 439 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: were not significantly having more or less sex than anybody. 440 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, I don't believe that. I don't know that 441 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to validate that. I mean, I don't think. 442 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: I don't think the correlation can definitely, I don't know. 443 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 1: I mean, are people who pierce random parts of themselves 444 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: more open to other experience? Maybe? I don't know. I 445 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 1: mean it's the same. It's the same kind of conclusions 446 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: though especially for women that will they'll will draw based 447 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: on whether or not they have visible tattoos, like oh 448 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: you're that type of girl. That girl. Um, So I 449 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: don't know. I take those kind of findings with a 450 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: grain of salt. And just one more kind of funny 451 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 1: finding related to body piercings. This is from two thousand 452 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 1: six University of Chicago survey trying to get um a 453 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: gauge on the frequency of body piercing in particular and tattoos, 454 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: and they concluded that body piercing was more common among women, 455 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,640 Speaker 1: and it was associated with a lack of religious affiliation, 456 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:45,959 Speaker 1: extended jail time, previous drinking, and recreational drug use. And 457 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 1: it said local medical complications, including broken teeth, were present 458 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: in one third of women with body piercing. The not 459 00:26:54,800 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: body piercing, body piercings and uh and two. So, my goodness, 460 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,600 Speaker 1: I had no idea what a loaded nose ring that 461 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: one that I was getting. Dear, that's that's almost worse 462 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,720 Speaker 1: than just the sex thing. But you know what, what 463 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: not everybody is prejudiced against people with piercings. Thank goodness. 464 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 1: There is a gentleman, one particular gentleman in the UK 465 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: who married Brazilian born Elaine Davidson, who was covered in 466 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: nearly seven thousand piercing, some of which are internal. I 467 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: don't even know what that means. I don't know what 468 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: it means either, but supposely she she said. She told 469 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 1: the Daily Mail the UK that she has fifteen hundred 470 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: internal piercings and she holds I think she's still the 471 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: current holder in the Guinness Book of World Records for 472 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,639 Speaker 1: the most body piercings. Right, and she says she doesn't 473 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: even like being pierced that much, but she's willing to 474 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,520 Speaker 1: suffer for her art. She also sleeps on a bed 475 00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 1: of nails and has walked on glass. But she got 476 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: married in June so to a man with no visible piercings. Yeah, 477 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,919 Speaker 1: so congratulations, Elaine. It's just are there proves that there 478 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: is someone for everyone? Do not despair listeners, although she 479 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: she probably has a rough time flying anywhere. Yeah, she 480 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: likes to wear war pin on her face too. Okay, 481 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: self expression, body modification, everybody's got a thing. We've been 482 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: doing it since the dawn of time. You know. Oh hey, 483 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,240 Speaker 1: we got these bodies. We had two legs, two arms ahead. No, 484 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: I need to change something. I need to put some 485 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,479 Speaker 1: holes exactly what I need? More holes in markings. Um. 486 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: But should we end this with a note of caution 487 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,880 Speaker 1: about piercing and no, this is not about what people 488 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: might assume about your your sexual behavior. You just got 489 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: to be careful. If you'd want to get a piercing, 490 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 1: make sure that you are getting it from nicesterile source 491 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: because piercing and tattoos. They're often lumped together. Um, but 492 00:28:53,960 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: you can transmit eppetize, BC, HIV, wards, herpes, toxic shock syndrome, 493 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: skin tubercules, skin tuberculosis, and even a form of leprosy 494 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: from that. Not not to freak people out, Yeah, maybe 495 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: maybe go to your doctor's office. Should I not have 496 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: gone to the mall? No? The Mayo Clinic offers a 497 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: comprehensive list of things to look for, such as, you know, 498 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: is the person wearing gloves, is there a new needle, 499 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,719 Speaker 1: the same kinds of rigorous steps that you would take 500 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: before allowing someone to tattoo you, but just knowing that 501 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: you might have allergic reactions if it's coated in nickel. 502 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: That's very common. Like we mentioned earlier, there can be 503 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: skin infections. Sometimes our bodies just don't like having holes 504 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 1: poked in it. And you should make sure there's a 505 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: nice open spot on the floor next to the chair 506 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,560 Speaker 1: in case you need to lie down. Yeah. So we've 507 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: tossed out a ton of just kind of a grab 508 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: bag of information about the history of piercing because it 509 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: is so extensive and a lot of of myths as well. 510 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 1: So if anyone, especially with that Victorian the nineties Victorian 511 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: Nipple Piers saying if anyone knows anything about that, yeah, 512 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 1: let us know. And so you have pierced, yeah, len 513 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: Lso your reactions if you have a body piercing in particular, um, 514 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 1: very curious to know other people's um. Keep it curiated 515 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: with that. Yes, yes, don't use any colorful language to 516 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: describe where your piercing is. We have stand filters. Mom. 517 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: Stuff at how stuff works dot Com is email addressed 518 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: and we can't wait to hear from you. And in 519 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: the meantime, we've got a couple of emails here to share. 520 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: I've got an email here from Katrina on our episode 521 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: about female Spies. She writes just a comment on the 522 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,120 Speaker 1: Spies podcast. Wanted to mention that even if the woman 523 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 1: is a heroine of the show, she has eventually given 524 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 1: a man to complete her In quotes in Alias, it 525 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: was Vaughan in in Covert Affairs. First it was a doctor, 526 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: and then it was a massad agent and now possibly Aggie. 527 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: I don't know who Aggie is, but Aggie is the 528 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: cute blind guy. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love 529 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 1: both shows. Though Alias got weird towards the end. I'm 530 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: kind of sick of seeing shows with females being strong 531 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,080 Speaker 1: and independent always ending up having to have a man 532 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: or a boyfriend. In Bones is yet another example of that, 533 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: says the fem Nikita. But I mean she and Michael 534 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 1: had tension from the beginning. Hey, I'm not getting I 535 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,600 Speaker 1: know it's dangerous. I could talk all day. Um. I 536 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: have an email from Stephanie. She says that she is 537 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: an English major and she reads romance novels on a 538 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: fairly frequent basis. I worship my e reader because I 539 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 1: can read them without being hassled for my reading choices. Yes, 540 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: there's some incredibly stupid romance novels, but they are also 541 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,840 Speaker 1: a slew of less than fantastic novels in all genres. 542 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: I read them because I find the character interaction, particularly 543 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: the growth of the heroine, very fascinating. If you know 544 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: where to look, They're a whole swath of romance novels 545 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 1: that have intelligent, witty, brave, and strong female characters. Thank 546 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: you for bringing up that, Jane Austin the You forgot 547 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: to mention Emily Bronte as examples of classical romance novel literature. 548 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: I've used this to defend my choice to read other 549 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: types of romance li it. It's sad but understandable that 550 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:14,640 Speaker 1: romance novels have garnered the colloquial chick porn term. Thanks Jethany, 551 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,719 Speaker 1: and thanks to everyone who has written in. And if 552 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,280 Speaker 1: you don't want to write an email but you want 553 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:22,480 Speaker 1: to share your thoughts, you can always head over to 554 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: Facebook and say hello, and follow us on Twitter at 555 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: Mom's Stuff Podcast, and of course you can check out 556 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: the blog during the week. It's stuff Mom Never told 557 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: You from how Stuff Works dot com. Be sure to 558 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 559 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 1: Join How Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 560 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The house Stuff Works 561 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 1: iPhone app has a ride. Download it today on iTunes, 562 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,800 Speaker 1: brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 563 00:32:58,120 --> 00:32:59,360 Speaker 1: It's ready, Are you