Last week, local NBC 12 Anchor Curt Autry ran a post on his Facebook on body modification and the challenges some face when they decide they are no longer interested in some of the drastic changes they have made to themselves.
Here's the video Autry linked to:
And here's the comments he put on the post:
Gauged earlobes have been around since the ancient Egyptians, but this latest fad is disturbing...(and dangerous to your health). I did a story with my buddy, Dr. Joe Niamtu about repairing disfigured earlobe, but fixing this will be a surgical nightmare - and sure to leave a scar. Anybody find this attractive? Below is the link to the earlobe repair story (the story aired on the network, nationwide, there was a lot of interest)
The comments on the post erupted into a shitstorm of people fighting over the appeal of body modification. The opinions, much like assholes, were smelly all around. We're not usually the kind of publication to circle the modern echo-chamber media like so many vultures, but as RVA's leading Arts and Culture mag, we felt it was important to chime in.
Someplace between personal choice and freedom of expression there lies every action we do to ourselves and to others. Body modification, extreme piercing, tattoos, even particularly gnarly facial hair - all of these reflect on the individual. Sometimes this reflection is positive and sometimes not so much.
Autry, as a good journalist should, was starting a conversation about the subject and it was quite successful - 1000's of comments later, and even this post itself is a result of that conversation. Autry hoped to put a spot light on the employability of someone with some of these more extreme examples of body modification, but of course that got lost in the name-calling nonsense that is every comment section on every website ever.
One comment that stood out to us, though, and we felt it deserved additional credit. Take a look at what Jared Karnes, owner of One Tribe, a jeweler based in here in Richmond, had to say and let us know if you agree.
I was very disappointed to see my local news promoting judgmental and inflammatory shock-value journalism this morning when I ran across Curt Autry's comments about modification of the ear lobes and lip on Facebook. The photo chosen for the story was obviously pure shock value and his derogatory personal comments helped fuel the tirade of insults and disgusting comments about modified people.
I am a local small business owner and also the founder of a local non-profit serving the nutritional education and food security needs of residents in low-income areas of Richmond, and I am heavily modified. I do not appreciate the thought that NBC12 is only "On Your Side" if you fit stereotypical vanilla social or cultural norms, nor do I appreciate your reporter's derogatory remarks and blanket generalizations about body modification or his fueling the social fire.
I would be delighted to have a chance to answer some questions about body modification and speak to the fact that there are many wonderful people who do not look "normal" who lead happy and productive lives, are successful in their work, who give back to their communities, and who are generally quality tax paying members of society just like the other viewers and readers of NBC Richmond's media.
Thank you for your time,
Jared Karnes
Richmond, VA
We here at RVAMag are not really trying to get a job at Wells Fargo, and tattoos are very much a part of our office space and our lives. To each their own, friends, just don't be a jerk about it.