Make:

You shouldn't post this! This is a completely unnecessary surgical procedure that threatens life and health of the people undergoing it! This is a DIY site, if this type of completely crazy hysteria about stupid books and video games spreads, people are going to try it themselves or have an unskilled person try it. (It is hard to imagine that any qualified person would agree to doing that). And what is going to happen then? People are going to loose their ears because they rot off during a subsequent infection. Or even worse MRSA gets into the bloodstream and causes their organs to slowly dissolve. This stuff is completely insane and is about the same level of studidity like modding your cars airbag. Just have a look at how MRSA infections enhance your visual appearance:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/antibiotic_resistance/mrsa/picMRSA/tattoo_infection_staph_1_070810.jpg

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Not so sure that permanently tying oneself to the World of Warcraft porn industry is such a good idea.

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Posted by: Phillip Torrone on May 24, 2008 at 12:01 PM

@sicko - i doubt people are going to see this post and immediately do home surgery.

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Well, I feel offended not only by the consequences of such unnecessary procedure, but from the stupidity of some people. On the other side, if they die from MRSA, wouldn't be that evolution at work -- nature getting rid of those foolish genes?

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Posted by: jakeofalltrades.wordpress.com on May 24, 2008 at 12:58 PM

Finally, a body mod that actually looks good!

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Posted by: Phillip Torrone on May 24, 2008 at 1:24 PM

interesting - offended by what someone else did that does effect anyone what so ever.

does cosmetic surgery, tattoos, piercing offend as well?

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While I can see where sicko's coming from, I've got to disagree. It's pretty alarmist to assume that someone's going to get MRSA from this since it's already pretty rare to catch, and as Philip said, it's really doubtful that some kid is going to see this and think "MAN! I should go do that right now. I have thread, a needle, and scissors." If you're going to bring up such a fuss about this you should make a stink about Make reporting on people who make steam engines since a boiler blowing up is a lot more dangerous and easily requires as much knowledge to properly execute if not more than snipping out some ear and sewing up the ends.

Is it weird? Yep. Would I or anyone I know want to do it? Probably not. Do I have any problem with Make showing how someone tried to "make" a different self-image? not in the least.

It's like those people who get subdermal things or full body tatoos: odd to me, but nothing to get in a huff about, and it's interesting to know it's out there.

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"wouldn't be that evolution at work -- nature getting rid of those foolish genes?"

Evolution only works to eliminate bad genes when the the carrier dies before reproducing. The subject in the photos looks like she is old enough to reproduce...

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you can do almost exactly the same thing temporarily using super glue, cyanoacrylate for the geeks.

having worked a renaissance faire for seven years i've seen it many times. it would be a simple thing to do it every three days or so when the skin sloughs off. kinda like putting on makeup.

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Great post Phillip, maybe an article on silicon moulding ears would be cool.

To anon and sicko, do you really think there are things you do that don't offend me?

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I would totally do it. I wish they did this procedure at my local tattoo shops! It would be perfect for the renaissance festival wedding I will be planning! All you stick in the muds must be the same crappy people that stare at me like an alien for my blue hair, tattoos and piercings. Join the 21st century.

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@Theresa: You provoke attention by choosing an excentric appearance and really mind that people *stare* at you?

Thats like wondering why your bottom is wet after jumping into a lake.

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@Dirk - She's most likely attempting to provoke attention from people she wants to provoke attention from. It's like the women who wear skimpy outfits and complain that all these "pervs" look at them; if it were _insert sexy male celebrity_ here they wouldn't have a problem with it. In these cases apparently the uglies/norms/whomever are supposed to somehow read their minds and understand that they're not the intended audience, join the 21st century, and look somewhere else.

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I feel such things are not appropriate for this site. Unlike electronics, no one reading this is remotely qualified to perform home surgery. This is irresponsible and frankly I will stop buying copies of this magazine from Borders if it continues. Sorry, but self-mutilization is not DIY.

also your captcha is pretty ridiculous at this point.

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Posted by: Phillip Torrone on May 25, 2008 at 8:55 PM

@anon - how do you know who reads this site? i know for a fact that there are dozens of surgeons who read MAKE every day.

if you want to avoid the captcha, log in.

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Looks like it healed nicely. For the record there are many folks who have done this. It is a fairly tame body modification. If you bothered to goto the instructable you would have seen that she did it as reputable shop, not DIY.

I don't see what all the fuss is about, after all don't you own you body, are are you not allowed to modify it? What next are you gonna be against folks that talk about the old methods to piercing ears with ice and a sewing needle?

Relax a bit folks. Why is everyone so uptight about what another person decides to do and shares. If you don't like it move along..

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Posted by: Rob Cruickshank on May 26, 2008 at 10:27 AM

Someone has to say it, so I will:
"hey, suture self."

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// Sorry, but self-mutilization is not DIY. //

Sorry anon, but literally, SELF-"mutilation" IS Do-it-YOURSELF

And learn to spell.

Also:
Self-mutilation is a general term for a variety of forms of intentional self-harm without the wish to die. Cutting one's skin with razors or knives is the most common pattern of self-mutilation. Others include biting, hitting, or bruising oneself; picking or pulling at skin or hair; burning oneself with lighted cigarettes, or amputating parts of the body.

An intentional act done to change how one looks is not self-mutilation. An act done without intent to provide pain (as a coping method) is not self-mutilation. Just because you wouldn't willingly do it to yourself, does not make it self-mutilation.

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I don't think any of the dissenting commenters actually read the instructable page. It clearly states there that one seeking this kind of mod should seriously think about it (as it is PERMANENT), go to someone who is experienced in doing that kind of mod, and strictly follow the aftercare instructions. As with any body modification there is a risk of infection, but MRSA infections are very rare.

Me? I think this post is inappropriate for the site, but only because Make isn't a body-mod magazine.

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Posted by: Phillip Torrone on May 26, 2008 at 7:34 PM

MAKE does have body-mods... RFID tagging and magnet-under-fingers have been covered...

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"MAKE does have body-mods... RFID tagging and magnet-under-fingers have been covered..."

I think the distinction here is that those mods actually have some technological use (RFID in your hand allows you to open your front door, etc.), whereas this body-mod provides nothing other than cosmetic change.

Lump me in with the "inappropriate for the site" crowd, not because I'm against it but because I don't think it's relevant.

P.S. Moveable Type seems to not want to let me log in, so I have to use the anon method for now.

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@sicko: Did you even read it? It's applying FAKE ears, retard.

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So if somebody does a body-mod that serves a purpose is that not mutilation? After piercing my septum my sinuses have never been clearer, I am currently stretching my earlobes to be big enough for small stash boxes, so i guess that that isnt mutilation. But does that mean that my purely aesthetic industrial and orbitals are mutilation. The answer is no!!! I have wanted my ears and nose pierced since the 4th grade, and i thought about it till i was 18. and yes it may hurt but as the people who who constructively build their muscles "no pain no gain"

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It's great! I love it! Is it expensive (pointing ears)?

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wow really? You are a beautiful woman, you didn't need to cut your ears up for attention--your eyes alone do that. I really wish that people as beautiful as yourself would realize that they don't need to do anything harmful to themselves to add beauty.

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though this isn't something I'd myself do, the girl in the picture looks really good with it done. It's definitly one of those things that some people will look good with and others wont. It doesn't specifially say she did it herself, though that may be the case, I'm new here, she did a good job, it healed very nicely and it looks good. They're not like obnoxtious 5inch points or anything. But I have heard of piercing studios doing this before, if that makes anyone freaking out over something stupid feel any better. Not sure why someone would waste their time on a site they don't agree with.

Either way, it looks awesome

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I cannot believe how narrow-minded some people are. People are arguing against this for all sorts of reasons but none of them seem particularly valid.

Her mod doesn't hurt anyone other than herself and even then I bet the pain was pretty minimal so I can't see why other people should be offended by it.

Someone said that she didn't need body mods to add beauty; did she say she wanted to add to beauty? What a sexist, vile thing to say; she just wanted elf ears. I want elf ears, not because I want to be more beautiful to others but because I would personally enjoy them. I guess it is vanity but for my own sake not someone elses.

As for the MRSA thing that is really funny. MRSA is generally found in hospitals not in plastic surgery clinics or body mod places. As for it being hard to catch, that isn't true either, it is easy to catch and I was actually told by a paramedic yesterday that "there are loads of people walking around with MRSA who don't know it".

People really should learn to let other people live the life they choose and be a lot less judgemental. How on earth can we expect people to accept the big differences like race and religion when we can't even accept someone dressing differently or having mods?

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