Indoctrinating others by way of an eyebrow piercing

At A Glance Author anonymous Artist Justin Muck Studio American Tattoo Studios Location Brunswick, Maryland

I am a Resident Assistant at a college and because of my job, I am required to organize programs that are educational and then present them to the college students that live on campus. I have been into body piercing for a long time and I decided to give the students on campus a taste of what it was like. I have had my naval, nipples, tongue, lip, eyebrow, ears and septum pierced and enjoyed every single experience. I wanted to get my eyebrow redone, and since it wasn't a real bleeder of a piercing and not too personal, I decided to have the procedure demonstrated on me while students came to see the action. I also wanted them to be able to get information on how it was done, how to take care of piercings and what kinds of piercings there were, etc. I asked my piercer to bring his equipment to the dorm where I lived and he agreed to set up shop for an evening in a study lounge in one of the dorms.

I advertised the event throughout campus and on the appointed night, the piercer and I showed up to a crowd over a hundered students interested in learning about piercing. We were in a small crowded study lounge that heated to about 90 degrees in about fifteen minutes. Sweat was pouring down both my face and Justin's(the piercer)and by the time the whole thing was over, we had been there for two hours talking and answering questions and showing and having pictures taken of other piercings that we had. Justin began with a prep talk, explaining all the steps and the euipment that would be used and he brought a great deal of jewelry with him to show as well. Several cameras were flashing throughout the event and there were many questions from the audience throughout the whole evening.

I really couldn't work myself up to being nervous since Justin and I are really close and I knew his work through previous experience and knew he would do a great job. What was disconcerting was watching the reactions of those around me. Many of the students became angry while Justin was talking and I still have no idea why. There were a lot of laughs as he related horror stories of piercing extremely obese individuals in rather crass language, but as soon as he produced the needle, everyone became silent. It was incredibly ritualistic to feel the hush settle over everyone as Justin counted down 1, 2, and pierce. The tension was a thick blanket that lay over the tiny, suffocating room. It did not hurt, I knew it wouldn't. I was only concerned for my eyeball. I really do not relish the possibility that Justin could sneeze at any second and reflexively stab me through the eye. So, just as a precaution, I held my hand over my eye socket until the needle actually went through. One of the weird things about eyebrow piercings is that although mine have never bled a great deal, when they do bleed, it trickles down to your eye. Seeing that dark red in the corner of my eye, and watching a hundred people watch me bleed generated a unique feeling of vulnerability coupled with utter carelessness. It was so easy for me to get pierced, so simple a procedure, and yet there, in that environment, it became a performance. Like supplicants, these students, my peers, sat waiting at my feet to watch me modify my physical self. Would they have watched me apply makeup so intensely? I doubt that they would, what attracted them to the event was the opportunity to watch me in a test situation. To examine me, another human being, in a situation of stress. I think that by watching, they hoped to learn more about themselves as human beings, and that perhaps subconsciously they were thinking that if they could observe one person undergoing this process, they could find a greater grip on their own ability to undergo the same procedure.

The peculiarity of having my flesh pierced, although it has lessened with experience and time, has not lost its allure. I think the sensation of having my flesh gaping open and reaching silently for completion has taught me innumerable things about my body, and my mind. I feel better able to cope with misfortune and proud to have explored my curiousity so thoroughly.

All in all, it turned out to be more of a commerical venture than I expected. The usual turnout rate to educationals is around 20 people, but it went over really well, even with the college officials and was the highest attended program that whole year. I even recieved a certificate from one of my bosses for organizing such a successful program. So, here it is, encapsulated in my story: the underlying truth that people are fascinated with other people and further proof that more people are interested in making themselves seem different by becoming the same as other people.

I hope by hosting that event that I am guilty of the charge of making piercings more accepted as a "normal" behavior so that every kid with angst won't feel that they become different simply by altering their physical form. The inherent differences between us all come from the inside and piercings and tatoos and whatever other modifications to the physical forms are made must be a reflection of the inner landscape to ring true. The most frightening thing about physical modifications is not that they exist in reality, but that they depict a personal, immediate and visual reality that exists somewhere within someone.