A little while ago, we got an e-mail from a man named David Kitts. Having been around the body modification community for about a decade, he’d stretched his lobes to two inches, but recently underwent surgery to reconstruct them to their original state—the idea and process of which has left him conflicted at best. He felt like his story could be useful as a cautionary of sorts, and so we spoke to him. In our interview, he discusses why he went the surgery route, what the procedure itself entailed, the effects it’s had on him mentally and more—after the jump.
BME: First off, just for some background, what do you do for a living?
David Kitts: Well, I’ve been in and out of piercing and performing some of the heavier mods for about eight years now, working straight jobs when I couldn’t afford to work at shops. I have been, for several months, working for myself rehabbing old bikes, mopeds and motorcycles, and just got a decent job at a large-box sporting goods store.
BME: So, at what point did you realize body modification was going to be an important part of your life?
DK: When I was about 16, I heard about a local 4:20 shop in Lexington, South Carolina, that also had a piercing shop. I started hanging out mainly because of my parents’ hatred of piercings, and I read a book they had there—I can’t remember the name, but it did have a “pierced” cover with a large CBR—and was fascinated. (This was back in 1999-2000, before it really became fashionable to have “belly” rings and all that.) The day after my birthday, I got my ears pierced at 10 gauge and bought a set of eight gauges for when I could go up. There was a guy there named Lonnie who had a ton of facial piercings and a set of early monster CBRs that were a half-inch and 10.3 ounces each; I have them now. I loved the way it looked, and the impermanence of it was kinda nice. It didn’t hurt for as long as a tattoo did, but it still made the wearer, for the most part, beautiful.
Since then, I’ve had 257 piercings (I’ve kept track), including cheeks, three bridge, eight nape (that were 1.5-inches long point-to-point) and 1.25-inch-long surface bars vertically in the back of my arms, three each side. Also, the one that freaked the piercer out was a two-inch-long, 10-gauge madison done with Tygon.
BME: Now, the photos you sent in recently showed your ears post-surgery after having your two-inch lobes closed up. First of all, how long did it take you to get your lobes to that size?
DK: I got to one inch in a bit under two years. I got stuck for a while, because of jobs and lack of jewelry, but one day I tried to shove something in that was bigger and they went fast as hell after that. I went from a little bigger than a Coke cap to two inches in six months. My ears stretched on their own, probably because I played with them (unconsciously) during the day and slept with the earrings in. In fact, the large tunnels I had that were my “goal,” I wore for a week before they fell out.
BME: How long ago did you get your lobes up to that size?
DK: About eight, months or so. I got to two inches and was happy as hell; that was a “size goal,” as it were. I was already heading past it when I had surgery.
BME: It sounds like this was something into which you’d put some effort and of which you were proud, but we’re talking today because you’ve since had your lobes reconstructed. What led to this?
DK: Well, regarding that “goal” of two inches, I said that I’d consider getting them put back to “normal” after. So, when I got there, ironically, I was introduced to one of Charleston’s top plastic surgeons. We got to talking and he agreed to do the work, way before I realized what exactly I was doing, but I had a few months to decide whether or not to go through with the surgery due to schedule conflicts, so no big deal.
I had been out of a “real” job since December, and no one would hire me because of the piercings. The tattoos on my hands and arms were fine, the bats on my neck were OK, even my stretched nostrils were passable, but not the ears. And hey, I’m almost 27, so I sat down one night and went over everything: How I felt about how I looked versus “mainstream” people, and the future. This was a chance that I couldn’t pass up—having my lobes redone, that is—but I didn’t know if I could live with myself if I did. I felt like I’d be giving in. I’ve always been a fighter for individuality. I tried to make sure I stood up for people who expressed themselves differently, be they transgendered or just heavily tattooed, I didn’t care—it’s a choice. I just happened to go a little more into the deep end, as it were.
So, for about three weeks, I struggled with whether or not I would be OK with myself afterward, if my friends would be, and what would happen. For all I knew, I could do all this and never get another real job and be severely pissed because of it. But, I figured I could always redo the ears if time allowed, and that I’d be an idiot to not give the surgery a chance. So I went for it. It’s been hard dealing with day-to-day things now. Harder than I expected.
BME: Just to backtrack for a minute, you said that beforehand, you considered shrinking your ears back down to “normal” once you reached two inches. By “normal,” do you mean a smaller diameter, or closed up as they are now? And what was the motivation to reach two inches if you had already decided it could just be a temporary thing?
DK: I was referring to getting surgery when I got to two inches. I knew it’d take a while to let them shrink, and I think I was well past being able to go back to something “socially acceptable.” I wanted them forever—it wasn’t a temporary decision. When I got to two inches (I figured it’d be quite a while), I’d evaluate my life and see if anything needed to be done. If life was good, I’d keep them. If not, I’d figure something out—either let them shrink as much as they’d go, or surgery. Basically, I’d get to two inches and see where the lobes fit into my life and deal with them accordingly.
BME: Got it. So obviously, they were interfering in a way that was complicating your life. How did you end up meeting the surgeon who did the procedure? Had he done that specific kind of work before?
DK: A friend of mine introduced us at some function; we got to talking about it and he said he’d be willing. Not too sure if he had done this specifically, but he had mentioned he’d worked on some people who had ripped lobes (like little old ladies). But, he provided me a good service. He’s strictly a facial surgeon—he does a lot of charity work for children with cleft palates, making them more “normal” and all. He works from the neck up, and there’s another doctor in the office that works from the neck down.
BME: Was it an expensive procedure?
DK: It cost me $1,300, and I got a good deal.
BME: What did the procedure entail?
DK: Well, at least one week before, he wanted me to take the jewelry out so that the lobes could relax some. (I didn’t label them like I wanted, but in those pictures, the ones where my lobes look all fat are the day of, right before surgery.) When I went in, pictures were taken and I was led to a “recovery suite” to wait. When we finally went up to the O.R., it was all very quick. After being covered and cleaned, he injected a shot of local anesthetic in each lobe that had a vascular constrictor in it to slow blood flow. I couldn’t feel anything past that.
He started by taking surgical scissors to the right lobe and just cut 80 percent off. I may have had about a quarter inch on each side left. He had to cauterize the right lobe because the constrictor wasn’t fully effective yet, but the pain killer was (thankfully). After some measuring, he trimmed the ends a bit (where he already cut) and skinned my inner lobe into an upside-down “U” to remove the skin that used to sit on the saddle of the jewelry. That was done so that when he sewed me up, there wouldn’t be any little holes where healed skin was left. He repeated the same steps for the left side, but the skin in the front of my lobe near the tragus was thinner than the right lobe, so it went faster with a lot less trimming needed. I think it’s the more normal-looking of the two.
After all was cut, he sewed me mostly with dissolving stitches—about eight in each ear, I think he said. He did add one stitch from my lobe to my neck to promote them healing “down,” and he forgot to test the area on my neck to see if it was numb before that. It wasn’t numb, but the pain wasn’t bad. Afterwards, beyond NeoSporin, there were no special instructions. They healed almost completely in a week, and I went to the beach in a week and a half. And thats it! Fun. The weirdest part was being awake the whole time and hearing the scissors cutting. It sounded like cardboard.
BME: That seems pretty straightforward. And how long ago did you have it done?
DK: Two weeks ago, and I got hired to a good position at a sporting goods store after putting in two applications on Thursday of last week. So yeah, I’d say it worked.
BME: So you feel comfortable attributing that quick turnaround to the surgery, then?
DK: Oh, yeah. I asked about a job before and the manager rejected me and told me why. Then I came back after the surgery and he said he wanted me to work there now that my lobes were back to normal.
BME: But even still, you say it’s been hard to deal with.
DK: Yeah. More personally than anything.
BME: How so?
DK: Well, for years I’d had these stretched ears. I always got the, “Did that hurt?” question, and had come-backs for just about anything people could throw at me. I also had a reason when people stared at me. I knew why, but when I went out without the lobes, people still stared, and it felt like I lost my shield. I felt defenseless, and it scared me. I still feel the same way, and it bothers me now more than ever when people give me weird looks. It used to be easily written off—now, not so much. And when I look in the mirror, I’m not happy. It looks like a fake me, like someone else, and it really bugs me. It was such a big part of my life, now that they’re gone it really bothers me. I’ve lost a few friends too, and now I have to go through explaining to everyone that knew me before why I did this. And I still get asked if it fucking hurt.
BME: Without getting too Dr. Phil about this, why on earth would you lose friends over something like this? That seems ridiculous.
DK: I know. But to them, they viewed me as a sellout. In one’s words, I “turned my back on them,” which is B.S., but whatever.
BME: B.S. indeed. Before the surgery, did you expect your personal adjustment would have been easier than it has been?
DK: Yeah. I figured I’d miss the “old me,” but I didn’t think it would be anything like it is now. You know the biggest insult I’ve gotten so far? “You look so much better now!”
BME: So, between not quite feeling like yourself minus your stretched lobes and having others call you a “sellout,” what do you think? Do you consider yourself a sellout or anything like that?
DK: A tiny bit, yes, because I don’t think I should have to change for a job. I’m still as good an employee with the lobes, and I feel that I, and everyone else, should be accepted for who we are. It’s not like I got all this shit done to not get a job, you know? I just wanted to be beautiful, the way I saw it. I could still sell stuff or do any number of jobs, but because of the way I looked, I was prejudged as a “bad person” and unemployable. There are only so many Hot Topics in an area, and working as a bouncer kinda sucks. But I am doing what’s best for me and my future now that I’m a little bit older and wiser.
BME: Knowing what you do now and how things have turned out, do you regret stretching your lobes that big in the first place?
DK: Not at all. The friends I’ve made, the conversations that have been started with them—hell, I even won a trip to see the Jerry Springer show because of them. I hope to have opened some people’s eyes to this type of modification. I’ve spoken at some schools on the right way to get pierced, and the importance of waiting (pre-surgery) and plan on doing the same after. My ears did get me a job at a few haunted houses. Imagine a 250-pound, six-foot-tall tall guy with running chain-saws attached to his lobes running at you.
I will continue to advocate modifying yourself as you see fit, so long as it is in a safe environment. And I will still get modified in other ways. There’s plenty left for me to do, and now I can say I’m an amputee of sorts—I nullo’d my lobes [laughs].
BME: Before we wrap up, anything you’d like to add?
DK: Sure. The main reason I came to you to put this out there is because I know there are a lot of young readers on BME, and this experience is for them. People like Allen Falkner and Erik Sprague don’t need to hear this, but the ones that go on ModBlog and who do see the glory and beauty in modification, there can be a harsh reality that, if you don’t plan on it, can come back and bite you in the ass. I just want people thinking about doing this to know there are consequences, but I don’t want to divert anyone—I just want to show both sides. I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done at all. I loved my lobes when I had them, and I miss them and am dealing with the emotions without them now, but I stand by my choices.
Comments
162 responses to “Losing Your Lobes: An Interview With David Kitts”
Good story but the guy’s only 2 weeks post-surgery so I hope he will feel better about it soon. It sounds like he had solid reasons for wanting to get his lobes cut off and it’s been beneficial in terms of getting a job. If you need to eat you need to eat. That’s not selling out by any means. And if you have friends who will stop being your friends if you change your appearance – whether for getting mods or undoing them – maybe it’s for the better.
IMHO young adults who aren’t sure that they can find a work environment which is very tolerant of body modifications should hold off on stretching lobes. I don’t plan to go beyond the point where a plug would look like a circular stud earring. I can always wear tunnels or big hanging glass things on the weekend. =)
Good story but the guy’s only 2 weeks post-surgery so I hope he will feel better about it soon. It sounds like he had solid reasons for wanting to get his lobes cut off and it’s been beneficial in terms of getting a job. If you need to eat you need to eat. That’s not selling out by any means. And if you have friends who will stop being your friends if you change your appearance – whether for getting mods or undoing them – maybe it’s for the better.
IMHO young adults who aren’t sure that they can find a work environment which is very tolerant of body modifications should hold off on stretching lobes. I don’t plan to go beyond the point where a plug would look like a circular stud earring. I can always wear tunnels or big hanging glass things on the weekend. =)
looks like someone couldn’t handle the social consequences of his hasty actions. way to give in to peer pressure.
looks like someone couldn’t handle the social consequences of his hasty actions. way to give in to peer pressure.
I own my own business, selling tools to mechanics and shops. I have my hands tattooed, my tongue split and septum pierced. For almost a year I sported a 6″ tall mohawk. I have had people tell me flat out, “We can deal with all of that stuff, but if you ever show up with those big stretched out ears, that is it! We’d toss you out.”. I am not sure why but that as the dividing line seems to be pretty common. I am just glad I have found a place to be that lets me be myself and still have a career.
Some people need to think about that.
And society can be a bit more than “peer pressure”. We on BME love to say how everyone should just accept modified people, but it just isn’t how things are. Sometimes you need to think about others reactions to things and where you are going to work. Let me know how it works out when you can’t pay rent or find a job even doing crap work.
I own my own business, selling tools to mechanics and shops. I have my hands tattooed, my tongue split and septum pierced. For almost a year I sported a 6″ tall mohawk. I have had people tell me flat out, “We can deal with all of that stuff, but if you ever show up with those big stretched out ears, that is it! We’d toss you out.”. I am not sure why but that as the dividing line seems to be pretty common. I am just glad I have found a place to be that lets me be myself and still have a career.
Some people need to think about that.
And society can be a bit more than “peer pressure”. We on BME love to say how everyone should just accept modified people, but it just isn’t how things are. Sometimes you need to think about others reactions to things and where you are going to work. Let me know how it works out when you can’t pay rent or find a job even doing crap work.
I’m sorry but this is ridiculous. This guy contradicts himself all over the place. There were times that he had to slow down the process of stretching his ears because he couldn’t afford jewelry but when it comes to getting a job at A FRIGGING SPORTING GOODS STORE?! he has $1300 to blow?!
Dude, you feel like you gave in because you did! You feel like a sellout because you are!
I don’t see how someone can say “I’ve always been a fighter for individuality. I tried to make sure I stood up for people who expressed themselves differently, be they transgendered or just heavily tattooed, I didn’t care—it’s a choice.” And the turn around do this. You certainly are fighting for individuality.
I hope this is a hoax. What a pathetic story.
I’m sorry but this is ridiculous. This guy contradicts himself all over the place. There were times that he had to slow down the process of stretching his ears because he couldn’t afford jewelry but when it comes to getting a job at A FRIGGING SPORTING GOODS STORE?! he has $1300 to blow?!
Dude, you feel like you gave in because you did! You feel like a sellout because you are!
I don’t see how someone can say “I’ve always been a fighter for individuality. I tried to make sure I stood up for people who expressed themselves differently, be they transgendered or just heavily tattooed, I didn’t care—it’s a choice.” And the turn around do this. You certainly are fighting for individuality.
I hope this is a hoax. What a pathetic story.
your not a sell out. and they obviously were not your “real friends” if they only liked u for lobes. idk. i feel really bad about this whole situation. and it has nothing to do with me other then i have measly 1/2 in lobes
your not a sell out. and they obviously were not your “real friends” if they only liked u for lobes. idk. i feel really bad about this whole situation. and it has nothing to do with me other then i have measly 1/2 in lobes
i agree with colin.. i think he is full of bs.. a piercer who goes to work for a sporting goods store.. whatever,,,,get a real job at 2 i would think he would of known better… im calling bs….
i agree with colin.. i think he is full of bs.. a piercer who goes to work for a sporting goods store.. whatever,,,,get a real job at 2 i would think he would of known better… im calling bs….
“Selling out” is such a stupid term.
He obviously needed a job. He seemed to be in a situation where it was, lose the lobes, or don’t work. Work brings in money (and, hopefully, satisfaction) and, to most of the population, you need it. Want a place to live, a computer? Well, its not free.
Personally, I have no problem removing piercings, dying my hair, wearing long sleeves in July, or even closing my lobes (which I want to do anyways because they’re thin) to survive or do something I like.
IMHO, its a priorities thing.
“Selling out” is such a stupid term.
He obviously needed a job. He seemed to be in a situation where it was, lose the lobes, or don’t work. Work brings in money (and, hopefully, satisfaction) and, to most of the population, you need it. Want a place to live, a computer? Well, its not free.
Personally, I have no problem removing piercings, dying my hair, wearing long sleeves in July, or even closing my lobes (which I want to do anyways because they’re thin) to survive or do something I like.
IMHO, its a priorities thing.
Wow, chill out Colin. He can do what he wants. They are HIS ears and if he wants to make them normal sized again to better his job choices then he is well within his rights to do so. It doesn’t make him a sell out. Like everyone else he needs to eat, pay bills and have a place to sleep and if the ears were the only thing stopping him from such things then it makes perfect sence to get rid of them.. It’s a bitch world but most employers wont take you if you don’t look relatively normal, especially in Retail where it’s a customer relations based job. It intimidates people which means they don’t come back, which means the place loses money, which means people lose their jobs. Cruel facts of life.
Wow, chill out Colin. He can do what he wants. They are HIS ears and if he wants to make them normal sized again to better his job choices then he is well within his rights to do so. It doesn’t make him a sell out. Like everyone else he needs to eat, pay bills and have a place to sleep and if the ears were the only thing stopping him from such things then it makes perfect sence to get rid of them.. It’s a bitch world but most employers wont take you if you don’t look relatively normal, especially in Retail where it’s a customer relations based job. It intimidates people which means they don’t come back, which means the place loses money, which means people lose their jobs. Cruel facts of life.
if it makes you feel any better, Mr. David Kitts, i think you look pretty awesome with or without the lobes. 😀 and thank you for this, i’m stretching my lobes now and i always think of how life will be when i’m older, so this helps me find a different outlook, since i only ever see ‘fuck the system’, ‘if they won’t hire you, they’re assholes’, etc.
😀
if it makes you feel any better, Mr. David Kitts, i think you look pretty awesome with or without the lobes. 😀 and thank you for this, i’m stretching my lobes now and i always think of how life will be when i’m older, so this helps me find a different outlook, since i only ever see ‘fuck the system’, ‘if they won’t hire you, they’re assholes’, etc.
😀
A lot of plastic surgeons offer financing… Maybe he did that? Ever think about that?
And think of an education, “it takes money to make money”.
A lot of plastic surgeons offer financing… Maybe he did that? Ever think about that?
And think of an education, “it takes money to make money”.
Its funny how different employers view things. For example, I work in a bakery where Its mandatory for all males to shave everyday before work, no earrings or piercings of any kind, yet my full sleeves have never once even been brought up by anyone in management. Go figure?
Its funny how different employers view things. For example, I work in a bakery where Its mandatory for all males to shave everyday before work, no earrings or piercings of any kind, yet my full sleeves have never once even been brought up by anyone in management. Go figure?
So because he doesn’t want stretched lobes anymore, he’s suddenly a sellout? I thought this community was all about personal choice. I must have thought wrong.
So because he doesn’t want stretched lobes anymore, he’s suddenly a sellout? I thought this community was all about personal choice. I must have thought wrong.
He might have financed the procedure. I mean don’t plastic surgeons offer financing sometimes? I know some companies specialize in financing for like dental procedures.
He might have financed the procedure. I mean don’t plastic surgeons offer financing sometimes? I know some companies specialize in financing for like dental procedures.
Im half an half on this. I wont say he’s a sell out but i would say wasn’t there anyway to find a job acceptable of mods? I dunno really i mean i suffer a similar issue, i have one large lobe an one split and heavy facial tattoo work an find job finding hard but thats more as im unskilled rather than modified, most jobs seem more tolerant here in the uk. But if i had the chance at a good job an faced a choice to lose my visible mods that would be a hard choice to make. As to the ‘friends’ they weren’t worth it if they leave for you chopping lobes.
Im half an half on this. I wont say he’s a sell out but i would say wasn’t there anyway to find a job acceptable of mods? I dunno really i mean i suffer a similar issue, i have one large lobe an one split and heavy facial tattoo work an find job finding hard but thats more as im unskilled rather than modified, most jobs seem more tolerant here in the uk. But if i had the chance at a good job an faced a choice to lose my visible mods that would be a hard choice to make. As to the ‘friends’ they weren’t worth it if they leave for you chopping lobes.
i love how people who have been getting tattooed or pierced, or shit, are simply on iam so they think they are such rebels, for like a year or two know so much about the world.
getting pierced is a choice to modify your body. SO IS GETTING YOUR EARS SEWN UP. if you have had lobes for liek a decade and now you want normal ones, thats the same thing as stretching them in the first place. you are just doing what you feel you need to do for yourself.
it sounds like some of you KIDS are the ones who are completely controlled by peer pressure. in the future, if you decide its right for you to, say, get your lobes reversed, are you not going to because then everyone on iam will call you a sellout and think you are uncool now?
funny how you get so up in arms when someone criticizes someone elses mods on here, but you are the first to criticize someone getting shit reversed.
i love how people who have been getting tattooed or pierced, or shit, are simply on iam so they think they are such rebels, for like a year or two know so much about the world.
getting pierced is a choice to modify your body. SO IS GETTING YOUR EARS SEWN UP. if you have had lobes for liek a decade and now you want normal ones, thats the same thing as stretching them in the first place. you are just doing what you feel you need to do for yourself.
it sounds like some of you KIDS are the ones who are completely controlled by peer pressure. in the future, if you decide its right for you to, say, get your lobes reversed, are you not going to because then everyone on iam will call you a sellout and think you are uncool now?
funny how you get so up in arms when someone criticizes someone elses mods on here, but you are the first to criticize someone getting shit reversed.
ok, now that i have read the article, people put way too much importance on tattoos and piercings. do it for yourself, dont do it to be part of some online community or look cool. jeez.
ok, now that i have read the article, people put way too much importance on tattoos and piercings. do it for yourself, dont do it to be part of some online community or look cool. jeez.
What a sell out. He shaved his chops off….Boooooo
What is wrong with the youth today?
What a sell out. He shaved his chops off….Boooooo
What is wrong with the youth today?
I’ve been having a huge personal debate lately about closing my 5/8 earlobes. Its funny that this was posted in the midst of that.
In my opinion, for as much reason that stretching your ears is a personal choice, choosing to close stretched ears is also a very personal choice. It really surprises, and saddens, me to know that David actually lost friends, because of his choice. Almost like they were only your friend because of your modifications? If i do end up closing my ears, and a friend decides to not speak to me because of that, its clear that they were never a friend at all.
I’ve been having a huge personal debate lately about closing my 5/8 earlobes. Its funny that this was posted in the midst of that.
In my opinion, for as much reason that stretching your ears is a personal choice, choosing to close stretched ears is also a very personal choice. It really surprises, and saddens, me to know that David actually lost friends, because of his choice. Almost like they were only your friend because of your modifications? If i do end up closing my ears, and a friend decides to not speak to me because of that, its clear that they were never a friend at all.
Double u Tee Eef!? Where does this guy live? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around streached nostrils being more welcome in the workplace then big lobes. I don’t think he made a bad choice either way. I can’t say I would make the same choices in his position bit it seems to me he is just doing what is right for him at that moment in his life. Still, I can’t help but think his situation odd. I live in the uber conservitive midwest and find that streached ears are far more widely accepted then anyother visible mods…
Double u Tee Eef!? Where does this guy live? I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around streached nostrils being more welcome in the workplace then big lobes. I don’t think he made a bad choice either way. I can’t say I would make the same choices in his position bit it seems to me he is just doing what is right for him at that moment in his life. Still, I can’t help but think his situation odd. I live in the uber conservitive midwest and find that streached ears are far more widely accepted then anyother visible mods…
some of the initial responses here absolutely disgust me. Facing unemployment because of your ears (as specifically mentioned by at least one potential employer) is as stupid as facing starvation because of your vegetarianism/dietary preferences.
When it comes down to the bottom line, the very least we do with our lives is exist. When our ability to do that comfortably is threatened, sometimes we just fucking have to do things we don’t want to do. Ears vs. bills? I’d say maybe the ears have to go. The fact that people are looking down on Kitts for choosing this route makes me wonder what sort of luxurious situation you all live in that you can find comfortable jobs in this present-day economy without compromising your appearance and, on top of that, maintaining a condemning and self-righteous attitude towards others and their choices in modification.
Fucking pathetic, is what it is.
some of the initial responses here absolutely disgust me. Facing unemployment because of your ears (as specifically mentioned by at least one potential employer) is as stupid as facing starvation because of your vegetarianism/dietary preferences.
When it comes down to the bottom line, the very least we do with our lives is exist. When our ability to do that comfortably is threatened, sometimes we just fucking have to do things we don’t want to do. Ears vs. bills? I’d say maybe the ears have to go. The fact that people are looking down on Kitts for choosing this route makes me wonder what sort of luxurious situation you all live in that you can find comfortable jobs in this present-day economy without compromising your appearance and, on top of that, maintaining a condemning and self-righteous attitude towards others and their choices in modification.
Fucking pathetic, is what it is.
Lol… Ok, so to the people saying he is a sellout(which is so not even how you would describe this even if you think he is)… would you rather be a benefit bum if every single job turned you away because of your piercings(the things that aren’t permanent and can be done again and again) or suck it up, take them out and get a real job!!!! I have lots of tattoos, piercings and stretched lobes and if i was getting turned away from every single job because of my piercings or lobes, well gee, the intelligent people would take them out. Lucky for me I’ve never been unemployed!
Lol… Ok, so to the people saying he is a sellout(which is so not even how you would describe this even if you think he is)… would you rather be a benefit bum if every single job turned you away because of your piercings(the things that aren’t permanent and can be done again and again) or suck it up, take them out and get a real job!!!! I have lots of tattoos, piercings and stretched lobes and if i was getting turned away from every single job because of my piercings or lobes, well gee, the intelligent people would take them out. Lucky for me I’ve never been unemployed!
Stretched lobes intimidate people out of shopping there again? But having Mr. Charlie Burn victim dripping flesh on your sandwich doesn’t?
Stretched lobes intimidate people out of shopping there again? But having Mr. Charlie Burn victim dripping flesh on your sandwich doesn’t?
so, i’ve been coming back, reading these comments and there’s a lot going on with the phrase “sell out.” i think this is a bad phrase to use in almost every sense i’ve ever heard it. yes, this dude made the decision to stretch his lobes and, yes, he made the decision to get them cut off and sewn up. i know a lot of people who have done this and respect their decisions. the problem that i have with this specific case is that it seems that his decision to stretch up (like lots of other folks that are stretching in recent days) was a hasty one. “I went from a little bigger than a Coke cap to two inches in six months.” That is ridiculous. Even the thought of stretching to an inch in two years, ” I got to one inch in a bit under two years,” is hasty, in my opinion. This dude stretched up so fast that he couldn’t even take the time to see how this CHOICE was socially effecting him. So, yes, stretching and surgery were both choices but it seems that the choice to stretch and, mainly, how quickly he chose to stretch (for him and many others) were BAD choices.
mandic: i’m pretty sure the last part of comment #2 was geared toward me. many people in this community are quick to make decisions on getting work done (tattooing/piercing/implanting/etc) and are not thinking of the social consequences because mom and dad are still helping to pay the bills or whatever the case may be. i can see why this dude had trouble getting a job at a SPORTING GOODS STORE. however, i know a lot of modified people who have good jobs (other than piercing/working in shops) that make them a decent living. as for your specific attack (at, again, what i believe was targeted at me) regarding paying the bills/rent, i’m not worried. my ducks are quite in a row… but thank you for your concerns. and, yes, we on BME love to say that being modified is great and blahblahblah but, you’re right, society doesn’t necessarily agree. if you’re going to be visibly modified and would also be able to leave your home, then you’ve got to have a strong will and you’ve got to try extra hard to be accepted in our society (generally speaking). had this dude taken his time in the stretching process, he might have realized sooner that he didn’t have a strong enough will to get to “two inches” and be “happy as hell” for less than two seconds.
so, i’ve been coming back, reading these comments and there’s a lot going on with the phrase “sell out.” i think this is a bad phrase to use in almost every sense i’ve ever heard it. yes, this dude made the decision to stretch his lobes and, yes, he made the decision to get them cut off and sewn up. i know a lot of people who have done this and respect their decisions. the problem that i have with this specific case is that it seems that his decision to stretch up (like lots of other folks that are stretching in recent days) was a hasty one. “I went from a little bigger than a Coke cap to two inches in six months.” That is ridiculous. Even the thought of stretching to an inch in two years, ” I got to one inch in a bit under two years,” is hasty, in my opinion. This dude stretched up so fast that he couldn’t even take the time to see how this CHOICE was socially effecting him. So, yes, stretching and surgery were both choices but it seems that the choice to stretch and, mainly, how quickly he chose to stretch (for him and many others) were BAD choices.
mandic: i’m pretty sure the last part of comment #2 was geared toward me. many people in this community are quick to make decisions on getting work done (tattooing/piercing/implanting/etc) and are not thinking of the social consequences because mom and dad are still helping to pay the bills or whatever the case may be. i can see why this dude had trouble getting a job at a SPORTING GOODS STORE. however, i know a lot of modified people who have good jobs (other than piercing/working in shops) that make them a decent living. as for your specific attack (at, again, what i believe was targeted at me) regarding paying the bills/rent, i’m not worried. my ducks are quite in a row… but thank you for your concerns. and, yes, we on BME love to say that being modified is great and blahblahblah but, you’re right, society doesn’t necessarily agree. if you’re going to be visibly modified and would also be able to leave your home, then you’ve got to have a strong will and you’ve got to try extra hard to be accepted in our society (generally speaking). had this dude taken his time in the stretching process, he might have realized sooner that he didn’t have a strong enough will to get to “two inches” and be “happy as hell” for less than two seconds.
edit: **would also like to be able to leave your home** not “would also be able to leave your home.” — sorry for the typo.
edit: **would also like to be able to leave your home** not “would also be able to leave your home.” — sorry for the typo.
and it should be “more than two seconds,” not “less than,” i’m seriously done editing now.
and it should be “more than two seconds,” not “less than,” i’m seriously done editing now.