how much fun would the world be if everyone looked the same?

The History Behind Piercings: Where it all began…

Many people get Piercings for all sorts of reasons. Some include aking a fashion statement, to rebel against society, to look “cool”, and for self expression. But I’m sure if you were to ask 20 different people who were the first to get pierced and what do they really mean, maybe 2 out of those 20 people would be able to answer. In this paper, you will see where tattoos originated, the issues people with piercings face, and what is currently being done to fix these issues.
Piercings, which started as far back as 5 thousand years ago originally identified with royalty, and represented courage and virility. Piercings were done for many different reasons. Egyptian Pharaohs would get their naval (belly button) pierced as a rite of passage (a ritual that changes a persons social or sexual status), Roman soldiers would pierce their nipples to represent manhood, and Mayans would pierce their tongues as a spiritual ritual. Many of the piercings people get today have much more reason then they will really know.
Earlobe piercings, practiced as early as 5 thousand years ago, were the first piercings ever attempted. During this time, many tribes believed that evil spirits and demons would enter a person’s body through their ears, and metal would keep them from entering. So, by piercing their ear the metal from the jewelry would prevent the spirits and demons from going in. Sailors believed that piercing their ears would improve their eyesight while on a voyage. In many other societies, they were a sign of puberty, and in some cases, both parents of a child would pierce one side of their ear to show the dependency of the child.
Nose piercings originally came about in the Middle East 4 thousand years ago. In the Bible’s Book of Genesis, it was known that Abraham had given a “shanf” also known as a golden nose ring to his son’s first wife Rebekah. Nose piercings were originally brought by the Monghul Emperors, and were mainly used by females in India. They believed piercing the left side of their nose would make child birth much easier and less painful. The ideas of nose piercings were later taken by the hippies that had traveled to India. This was later taken by the punk rockers that used this idea as a form of rebelling against the conservatives.
Labret piercings go all the way back to Dogon tribes where they were used as religious sacrifices. Tribes in Africa would get their labret stretched large enough so that wooden plates of clay could be inserted. Getting a labret piercing in Ancient Aztec and Mayan tribes meant they were members of a higher social class. In the Makololo tribe, members, especially females, would get their upper lip pierced as a sign of beauty. Men wouldn’t really want to marry any female without one. It brought something more appealing to a woman’s face, as a beard would for a man.
Tongue piercings were used by the Ancient Aztecs and Central Mayans to draw blood to please the gods. They were also an altered state of consciousness so priest can communicate with the gods. Naval piercings as stated earlier, were used by Egyptian Pharaohs as a sign of manhood. They are more of a modern society piercing. They became really popular during the bikini period in the 1980’s. They were considered sexy, yet provocative.
Nipple piercing originally started as a fashion statement in the 14th century. Originally men would carry capes on them. Before clit piercings were used as a sexual stimulus, the clitoris was considered the “devils teat”. Females who were caught having one would be accused of being a witch and prosecuted. Penis piercings also known as the “Prince Albert” originally got its name from Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. Not only was the “Prince Albert” used for sexual pleasure, but it was originally used to hold the penis down on one side so the bulge wouldn’t be seen though the men’s tight pants.
Piercings have their own significant meaning. They were more than just something nice to look at. They were gotten for religious purposes; they were used to show a distinction between social classes. They were a form of showing a females coming of age. In addition, were a type of beauty and self expression. The meaning behind piercings hasn’t changed so much over time either. Today, they are still a form of self expression and beauty, and they hold meaning to anyone who gets them. We owe a lot of appreciation to the Egyptians and the Japanese. Without them, piercings wouldn’t be around and we wouldn’t have another more entertaining yet meaningful way of expressing ourselves.
Although piercings have so much meaning behind them, they still aren’t appreciated for what they are worth. They have become the latest trends, but they still aren’t accepted everywhere. In fact, a lot of discrimination that takes place today has to do with piercings. In more places than others. Today in the working environment, piercings are something that has yet to be accepted. People actually get into trouble, and even fired if caught with something pierced other than ones ears.


So what’s going on with piercings today?
As someone who has more than just two ear piercings, I have experienced my share of unfair judgments and discrimination. Especially in the working environment. Last summer while applying for jobs, I applied to three different StarBucks, all in different locations, and all interviewed by different managers. I am guessing they liked what I had to say on my applications and I had some good references because right away I got a phone call back asking to come in for an interview. Right away people asked me if I was going to take my piercings off for this interview and right away, I answered no. The way I see it is, if a job is going to hire me, I want them to see me for who I really am. And this means accepting me for my piercings and all.
I figured that it wouldn’t be much of a problem being that StarBucks is known all over the world and they get all sorts of customers. Its just coffee I thought. Unfortunately, I was wrong. After the interviews were done, I was being told the basics about the store. I was supposed to be hired on the spot, because one of the top managers that work for starbucks referred me. I knew her through my brother. Who is actually a current Starbucks employee. Once the interviews were done, I was told the basics (as stated before). At the end of my day there I was told that my piercings, could not be on while working. I had an issue with that, so with all three, I told them I was not taking them off and I never got my phone call back.
This isn’t something that only takes place in StartBucks and to people in Manhattan. A former Costco worker was fired after she refused to take her eyebrow piercing off. She was apart of the Church of Body Modifications, in which piercings, tattoos and other body modification was a form of celebration. She was terminated after refusing to cover up the eyebrow ring or take it off. She asked to be excused and was denied. Men also face discrimination in the working place. An optometrist was terminated after refusing to take off hit earring at work. He sued the company saying the company was discriminatory because if allowed women to wear ear piercings where men weren’t allowed to.
How are these forms of discrimination? Discrimination is Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit. When someone is fired because they refused to take out their piercing that’s discrimination. When someone isn’t hired because of the way they look, that’s discrimination. These type of actions are not only discriminatory actions but also a form of rejection. Believe it or not, although piercings are becoming more mainstream, people who don’t have the usual plain ear piercings, or just your plain Jane studs on the nose etc. are rejected amongst society and looked down on.
Personally, I was always looked down on because of my piercings. People usually accuse me of being depressed or gothic or even my favorite a “freak”. I was told that I would never get hired for a good job because no ones is going to take me serious. When in fact, the place where I’m currently working at now believes I’m an excellent worker. What I never understood was what does your appearance have to do with how well someone works? Why is it that in a working environment if those who don’t follow the “traditional appearance” are quickly terminated? And most importantly what is this “traditional appearance”? What does it look like? Who came up with this idea?


Dress codes are similar amongst all businesses. There is the traditional suit and tie for men and the traditional button down blouse with a skirt or slacks for a woman. Facial or tongue piercings are not acceptable and neither are visible tattoos. This is considered “unprofessional”. Businesses have a certain reputation to keep. They feel piercings will make the company look bad and unprofessional. In addition, they are believed to be unsanitary. Many people believe that people who get pierced have bad hygiene and that piercings are one of the many causes of diseases, because adding a hole to your body with a needle will bring HIV / AIDS and other diseases. When in fact, those who are pierced with the gun are at higher risk for catching a disease. Getting pierced with a gun that a hundred people before you were pierced with sounds unsanitary to me. No? So which is more unsanitary?
Where does the idea of piercings being unprofessional come from? These ideas are made out of ignorance; they come from society and from what people learn from TV, or from their parents and friends. Usually, when people think about piercings they right away jump to the conclusion that the person is rebelling against society. When in fact as stated in the beginning they were used mainly for religious purposes. Those who were royalty had numerous piercings. They are a way to become more connected with God.
The first piercings were traced back as far back as four thousand years ago. Where they were used to determine a social class and were symbols of wealth and courage.
And although these beliefs are less common in the United States, peoples still follow these beliefs. And to be rejected, and fired from a job, and looked down on because of it, is wrong. Its discrimination. It’s just as bad as not being able sit in a certain seat on the bus. Or not being able to go to the same schools as everyone else because of your skin color. People don’t see it that way because they don’t think a stud, or hoop means anything. And not accepting or hiring someone because of it is just wrong.
The way I see it is whether you work in a store, or a law firm, everyone in the world is different. If you take a persons self expression what would we be left with? And the way I see it is, people and businesses may think it makes the company look bad, but I think it gives the company more of a stronger appearance. It’s showing that you are accepting those who look different. And believe it or not this attracts more people. It’s more welcoming. And it gives the company more of a stronger name. And besides, “how much fun would the world be if everyone looked the same?”