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Mar. 12, 2005 Tattoos, body piercing, clown college hair dyes and shoving pins through ones eyelids and nostrils are not a “fad”, but a sure sign that today’s youth have some serious head trips. This so-called “body art” is nothing more than self-mutilation and a serious cry for help. I know what you’re thinking: “What about a small tattoo on the arm or one drawn on the back of a drunken marine who got it on a bet?” I say those are the exception; but the exception probes the rule. Why would anyone in their right mind put seven rings in one nostril or “publish” a myriad of drawings of snakes, dragons, circles and whatnot all over their torso? Let me take the opportunity to play beer bottle psychiatrist for a moment. I contend that the answer lies in their psyche and that it’s because of low self-esteem. These individuals desire/require attention on some subconscious level. These individuals are unhappy and crave a “new skin” because they reject their original “coat” (feel “ugly”). But the more “ugly” they become, the more attention they get. It’s like in the movie business, when they say there’s no such thing as “bad” publicity. These individuals feel that too much negative (“ugly”) is somehow a positive. Pretzel logic, isn’t it? In order to feel special, these individuals must cover their bodies in a myriad of inks and abstract drawings, like some demented, acid-addled graffiti artist. And there are other forms of self-mutilation: Dying one’s hair a ridiculous shade like navy blue, hot pink, or lime green. Worse, are the schmucks who shell out good money for wigs in these shades. Also falling into this category are people wearing multiple-colored make-up, then going out in public looking like a clown college drop-out. Self-mutilation can also be seen in the waif dieting craze, collagen injections, and breast enhancement surgery. Rejecting the natural image and replacing it with a new one. Melanie Griffin looks like a collagen experiment run amok. She looks like she ate a hot link that exploded and the red-hot casing wrapped around her lips. Michael Jackson has taken this line of thinking to a whole new dimension: He has transformed himself from a handsome black man, into Phyllis Diller with a suntan. He is part of “the racially misfit”: Black people who wear green or blue contact lenses, and whites who tan themselves beyond recognition and inject collagen to achieve the Levar Burton look. Now onto another rant--the “saggin’” craze. You see this in the mall—kids wearing their oversized pants below their butt cheeks, as if it’s a privilege to see that they’ve been wearing the same pair of drawers for three days. Some municipalities have enacted fines against these baggy pants wearing buffoons. (In these jurisdictions it is a misdemeanor punishable by a fifty dollar fine).I say the offended party(ies) should be allowed to slip on a pointed-toe shoe and kick these people where the sun DOES shine. The sixties phrase, “Be yourself” has never been more relevant than it is today. But kids are bombarded by imagery that is impossible to live up to. Not everyone can be Halle Berry—that’s understandable. But there’s no need to feel bad about that and become “the reverse Halle.” That is, mutilating one’s self to such a degree that they now turn more heads than Ms. Berry ever could, and all for the wrong reason. Wake up young people! Stop messing yourselves up. And for God’s sake, pull your pants up! And if you feel that bad about your body image, don’t add graffiti to it: Break your mirrors and stay the hell indoors! ------------ About the author: Timothy Stelly is the 45-year old author of "Tempest In The Stone" and the upcoming, "The Malice of Cain". He resides in Pittsburg, California with his three youngest children Dante, Kimberly and Lawrence. I have a new website: stellbread0.tripod.com Email: stellbread@sbcglobal.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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