Orion Scribner (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
frameacloud) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
otherkinnews2011-04-08 10:43 am
frameacloud) wrote in otherkinnews2011-04-08 10:43 am
Ear-pointing surgery
Trigger warnings for this article: voluntary surgical body modification, links to web-pages that include photos of the gross stages of the process.
In the past few years, at least five people have had a kind of body modification or cosmetic surgery called “ear pointing” to make their ears have a pointed shape, like an elf.
In October 2007,1 Kimberleigh “Kimmie” R., had her ears pointed by a professional body modification artist, Russ Foxx. They took a couple of weeks to heal, and she posted photos of it in various stages of healing.2 With Kimmie’s permission, her friend “Laminterious” posted some of photos of Kimmie’s ear-pointing on Instructables.com a few months later, with commentary explaining the importance of taking time to decide and do research before getting any kind of body modification.3
Also during the time of October 2007, a website purportedly that of a cosmetic surgeon named Dr. Lajos Nagy claimed that Nagy had performed over a thousand ear-pointings, but Nagy’s site appears to be a hoax.4
In January 2010, Russ Foxx posted before-and-after photos of more ear pointing on at least two unnamed people,5 and put out a request for other people who wanted ear-pointing surgery.6 He hasn’t posted anything about it since then, so I don’t know if he’s done more ear-pointing.
On the seventh of this month, the ABC Good Morning America show talked about ear pointing.7 They showed two more people who’d had ear-pointing: Jordan H., who explains that she contemplated the surgery for eighteen months before having it done, and an unnamed woman with a Mohawk. Both of them had their ears done not by Foxx, but by another body modification artist, Steve H. of Phoenix, Arizona. (If the above video is no longer available, the Daily Mail wrote a summary of some of the key traits of the episode.)8
The commentary provided by ABC includes some exaggerations that could create confusion. They claim that ear-pointing is a craze sweeping the nation, the latest fad popular among the kids.
However, as far as I can see, five adults constitute neither a craze, nor kids. The two ear-pointed people who have publicly talked about their ear-pointing have said that they thought about their decision for over a year before they did it, and that they were well aware of the risks involved. All five of them had their ear-pointing performed by expert body modification artists. The five ear-pointings happened over several years. So long as ear-pointing is not an impulsive choice performed on minors by unskilled people—as ABC was trying to suggest—then I don’t see anything to worry about.
I have not seen any articles where these ear-pointed people openly say that they are otherkin. Surprisingly, despite our unusual self-identifications, extreme body modification seems very rare in our community. Over the years, I’ve seen the topic come up for discussion many times, and I’ve often heard otherkin musing about or making plans for such things, but I’m not aware of a single otherkin who has written publicly about any extreme body modifications they’ve had, including ear-pointing. (That is, not counting tattoos or piercings. Those aren’t rare among otherkin.) I’d like to be proven wrong about this, but I’m also not interested in outing anybody’s private life.
- O. Scribner, 2011-04-08
Sources
1. Kimmie, “MY NEW BODY MOD!!!” 2007-10-10 http://thenaiadmuse.livejournal.com/134053.html
2. Kimmie, “The healing process.” 2007-10-23 http://thenaiadmuse.livejournal.com/134612.html
3. Laminterious, “Body mod: Elf ears.” Instructables. 2008-05-16 http://www.instructables.com/id/Body-Mod-Elf-Ears
4.David P., “Cosmetic surgeon will point your ears?” BoingBoing. 2007-10-26 http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/26/cosmetic-surgeon-wil.html
5. Russ Foxx, “Ear pointing” n.d. http://russfoxx.com/gallery/ear-pointing
6. Russ Foxx, “Ear pointing volunteers wanted.” 2010-01-12 http://russfoxx.com/blog/ear-pointing-volunteers-wanted
7. “Surgery for elf ears newest trend?” ABC. 2011-04-07 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/surgery-elfin-ears-newest-trend-13317282
8. Mark D., “Ignoring the ‘elf risks? Sci-fi fans undergo operations to get ears like fantasy film characters.” Daily Mail. 2011-04-08 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374473/Lord-Rings-fans-undergo-elf-ear-operations-look-like-fantasy-film-characters.html
In the past few years, at least five people have had a kind of body modification or cosmetic surgery called “ear pointing” to make their ears have a pointed shape, like an elf.
In October 2007,1 Kimberleigh “Kimmie” R., had her ears pointed by a professional body modification artist, Russ Foxx. They took a couple of weeks to heal, and she posted photos of it in various stages of healing.2 With Kimmie’s permission, her friend “Laminterious” posted some of photos of Kimmie’s ear-pointing on Instructables.com a few months later, with commentary explaining the importance of taking time to decide and do research before getting any kind of body modification.3
Also during the time of October 2007, a website purportedly that of a cosmetic surgeon named Dr. Lajos Nagy claimed that Nagy had performed over a thousand ear-pointings, but Nagy’s site appears to be a hoax.4
In January 2010, Russ Foxx posted before-and-after photos of more ear pointing on at least two unnamed people,5 and put out a request for other people who wanted ear-pointing surgery.6 He hasn’t posted anything about it since then, so I don’t know if he’s done more ear-pointing.
On the seventh of this month, the ABC Good Morning America show talked about ear pointing.7 They showed two more people who’d had ear-pointing: Jordan H., who explains that she contemplated the surgery for eighteen months before having it done, and an unnamed woman with a Mohawk. Both of them had their ears done not by Foxx, but by another body modification artist, Steve H. of Phoenix, Arizona. (If the above video is no longer available, the Daily Mail wrote a summary of some of the key traits of the episode.)8
The commentary provided by ABC includes some exaggerations that could create confusion. They claim that ear-pointing is a craze sweeping the nation, the latest fad popular among the kids.
However, as far as I can see, five adults constitute neither a craze, nor kids. The two ear-pointed people who have publicly talked about their ear-pointing have said that they thought about their decision for over a year before they did it, and that they were well aware of the risks involved. All five of them had their ear-pointing performed by expert body modification artists. The five ear-pointings happened over several years. So long as ear-pointing is not an impulsive choice performed on minors by unskilled people—as ABC was trying to suggest—then I don’t see anything to worry about.
I have not seen any articles where these ear-pointed people openly say that they are otherkin. Surprisingly, despite our unusual self-identifications, extreme body modification seems very rare in our community. Over the years, I’ve seen the topic come up for discussion many times, and I’ve often heard otherkin musing about or making plans for such things, but I’m not aware of a single otherkin who has written publicly about any extreme body modifications they’ve had, including ear-pointing. (That is, not counting tattoos or piercings. Those aren’t rare among otherkin.) I’d like to be proven wrong about this, but I’m also not interested in outing anybody’s private life.
- O. Scribner, 2011-04-08
1. Kimmie, “MY NEW BODY MOD!!!” 2007-10-10 http://thenaiadmuse.livejournal.com/134053.html
2. Kimmie, “The healing process.” 2007-10-23 http://thenaiadmuse.livejournal.com/134612.html
3. Laminterious, “Body mod: Elf ears.” Instructables. 2008-05-16 http://www.instructables.com/id/Body-Mod-Elf-Ears
4.David P., “Cosmetic surgeon will point your ears?” BoingBoing. 2007-10-26 http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/26/cosmetic-surgeon-wil.html
5. Russ Foxx, “Ear pointing” n.d. http://russfoxx.com/gallery/ear-pointing
6. Russ Foxx, “Ear pointing volunteers wanted.” 2010-01-12 http://russfoxx.com/blog/ear-pointing-volunteers-wanted
7. “Surgery for elf ears newest trend?” ABC. 2011-04-07 http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/surgery-elfin-ears-newest-trend-13317282
8. Mark D., “Ignoring the ‘elf risks? Sci-fi fans undergo operations to get ears like fantasy film characters.” Daily Mail. 2011-04-08 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374473/Lord-Rings-fans-undergo-elf-ear-operations-look-like-fantasy-film-characters.html
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Though does Stalking Cat count as an otherkin? His reasoning for his extreme modifications does seem based in some sort of therian beliefs.
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- Earth Listener
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I don't find this very surprising actually. Surgery costs a serious enough amount of money. That means unless the individual has a job that pays well enough, it's going to be difficult affording the cost. Especially considering that there are a fair number of people in the community who are trans and want to transition (costly), or have a mental condition that impairs their life (difficult to hold a job at times), it may lessen the chance they have the resources for "extreme body mods". Sporting an "extreme body mod" may also put them at risk of losing their job if they do have one; not everybody has the privilege to hold a job that enables them to wear whatever they want, or present however they want.
Beside, I'd guess that anyone under age 18 is unlikely to get permission from their Mom to undergo the surgery, which removes yet another part of the community for likely candidates. ^^