To Ring the Ear or Not

[Mudge]

Why do heterosexual men, living in Western cultures where it had long been the custom (other than among pirates) not to wear earrings, now frequently choose to do so?

What is the primary purpose of wearing an earring, for a heterosexual male, living in the developed, industrialized countries (call it OEDC, for short)? Is it to indicate wealth and/or status (like the Indian forehead markings)? Is it to attract the opposite sex? Is it for good luck? Is it a form of targeted acupuncture? (I've heard that there are certain possible desirable health effects from pressing/piercing certain points on the earlobes.) Is it considered somehow the last necessary adornment to complement the man's wardrobe? Is it to emulate a number of famous entertainers and sports figures (who started the trend for what reason?)

This trend has really taken hold over the last 20+ years, much like tattooing, and I am curious what is driving it. For that matter, I am also curious what is driving the tattoo (and other body piercing trend), as well... why are these adornments being more widely adopted in our society, after a long period of being practiced by only a small (fringe?) portion of our socety.

[YmoBeThere]

Not sure but if you want to fit in in certain situations, it is still best not to have either one of these adornments...

[Lavabe]

Not sure but if you want to fit in in certain situations, it is still best not to have either one of these adornments...

Depends on where you have your tattoo ... and how big it is.

Didn't SNL once do a sketch for a product that removes women's tattoos from the lower back?:)

It could be me, but I also believe we've discussed this topic earlier, yes?

[YmoBeThere]

The tattoos or the earrings?

[ryan]

Earings were cool in the 80's and early 90's, but it seems that the only guys who get them now are either middle-agers or rebellious teenagers.

Tatoos were cool about 10 years ago, but for some reason people continue to destroy their bodies with markings that will fade in a relatively short time. It will be intersting to see all the 20 year olds now in 30-40 years.

[bjornolf]

A little while before we met, my wife got a tattoo of a rose on the front of her left hip as a sort of celebration of her freedom when she finally permanently got her abusive ex-husband out of her life (nothing violent mind you, just separation and divorce). It is small and tasteful, IMHO, and you will NEVER see it, even in a bathing suit, unless she wants to show it to you. It's also right over the hip bone, a spot that doesn't expand or shrink much with weight gain or loss or wrinkle much, so it probably won't be ruined with age, and it won't fade much since it's hardly ever out in the sun.

After we'd been dating for quite a while, I decided to get a little something to honor her. So, on the right hip, I got a honey bee. Nothing like a name or anything that would ruin our karma and cause embarrassment in a future relationship if things hadn't worked out. Also pretty small and unobtrusive and hidden. It's our little thing for each other. Three kids later, we also joke that the "pair" may have had a little mystical effect on our fertility. ;)

She was kind of starting to regret her ink when I got mine, but ever since I got mine, she's been happier with hers, and, like I said, it's kind of our little inside joke.

I never did get the male earring thing. Of course, I also never got women who wanted 10 rings per ear plus a nose ring, an eyebrow stud, a belly button ring, and a tongue ring. My wife's best friend has several in each ear, plus a nose, an eyebrow, and a nipple. She also has some fairly extensive ink work on various private areas.

Since I'm a big hairy dude, I thought it would be funny to get a nose ring through the middle of my nose like a bull so my wife could tug me around by it, but I compromised and got a fake one that looks really real. So, when I want to be funny, I'll put it on and we'll get a laugh.

I think ink and body piercings are often an outlet for inner pain. A more constructive and artistic outlet than drugs or cutting. I know a few people with multiple piercings and tattoos, and most of them have told me that their tattoos and piercings represented significant events in their lives. Most of these people have had various forms of pain and suffering beyond the usual in their lives. So, take that for what it is.

[bjornolf]

I think a lot of athletes do it because it isn't macho to have finger rings with giant diamonds on them. Also, football players can get away with wearing bling on their ears in the form of a stud since it's under their helmet, where they cannot wear any finger rings beyond a simple wedding band under their gloves if they wear them and they can't wear TOO many necklaces. The ears are the easiest and most accepted place to wear bling. Plus, TOO many finger rings with BIG stones would inhibit their ability to sign autographs, and would probably be too easy to steal or have fall off in the jostling while doing so in public crowds. ;)

[allenmurray]

but for some reason people continue to destroy their bodies with markings that will fade in a relatively short time.

If they will fade in a relatively short period of time, how is getting one an act of destroying your body?

You are factually incorrect on your first point (fading) and your second point (bodily destruction) is culture-bound opinion.

[ryan]

If they will fade in a relatively short period of time, how is getting one an act of destroying your body?

You are factually incorrect on your first point (fading) and your second point (bodily destruction) is culture-bound opinion.

You, sir, are the incorrect one. http://www.inkedblog.com/archives/2005/08/why_do_tattoos.html

I can give you a truckload of proof to back me up. oh yea, why not go to the next biker festival (don't get me wrong, I like bikers) and ask to see the tattoos they got when they were younger.

[rsvman]

I don't have any idea why a heterosexual man would want to get his ears pierced and wear earrings or studs or whatever. It makes no sense to me. I think it looks dumb on pretty much everybody.

Double that for tattoos.

[UVaAmbassador]

Just out of curiosity, why do people keep prefacing their comment with heterosexual man? Is there some edict in the gay rulebook making earrings mandatory? IMHO, earrings look dumb on dudes, regardless of orientation.

[ryan]

Just out of curiosity, why do people keep prefacing their comment with heterosexual man? Is there some edict in the gay rulebook making earrings mandatory? IMHO, earrings look dumb on dudes, regardless of orientation.

I remember growing up that if a man had an earing in his right ear, it meant that he was gay. A ring in the left ear meant that you were straight and, to those of us whose parents wouldn't allow one, cool.

As I reached high school in the mid 90s, the trend was that guys got both ears pierced. Here comes another generalization (have at it)...the only men that I see now with only a ring in the left ear are middle-agers who really don't seem to know any better.

see: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060808191239AAC58oC

[weezie]

I just wish I could have diamond earrings as big as TO's.

Man, those rocks are impressive!

[Indoor66]

I just wish I could have diamond earrings as big as TO's.

Man, those rocks are impressive!

Get them in Moissanite (http://jmauer.stores.yahoo.net/14go50ctchco.html).

[BluDevilGal]

I can't really speak to why a man would or would not be motivated to get an earring, but I can say that they do look nice on some men. Some can pull it off, others clearly can't.

I don't think that the presence or absense of an earring on a man has ever made any difference to whether I was attracted to him or not. It has become so common that I've never stopped to wonder what makes a guy choose to get a piercing.

[Mudge]

I can't really speak to why a man would or would not be motivated to get an earring, but I can say that they do look nice on some men. Some can pull it off, others clearly can't.

I don't think that the presence or absense of an earring on a man has ever made any difference to whether I was attracted to him or not. It has become so common that I've never stopped to wonder what makes a guy choose to get a piercing.

But would you be more attracted to the man with/without the earring, if he were wearing shorts or pants with some type of written word(s) or logo(s) on the backside of his garment?

(I find myself forced to conflate two different threads because the powers that be, in their infinite wisdom, saw fit to move my other thread to the Public Policy Board, and then promptly close it down, because the great minds over there began an immediate, incessant whining, demanding that the thread be closed, despite the fact that numerous people seemed quite happy to both read and/or post to the thread, when it was posted here, on the OFF-TOPIC board, where it was intended to be in the first place. Whatever happened to just not reading anymore in a thread, if you don't like it-- why do people on these boards feel the need to censor stuff they're not interested in, rather than just ignoring it?)