If you’re a teen who wants to get her belly button pierced and your parents don’t understand, you may have heard the comment that belly button rings are rubbish. But with the popularity of body piercings and a variety of body adornments available, is it time to let go of that outdated notion?
This is a question that has been asked and answered by many people of all ages. There seems to be an ongoing debate about the morality or intent of a woman who decides to express herself through a belly piercing. The type of belly button rings available range from very elegant, to very cute, to very suggestive. But that could be seen as something very subjective. After all, not all women are the same, and I don’t think we would want it to be that way anyway.
Some argue that the choice to wear navel earrings, a nose piercing, or multiple ear piercings is simply a statement of style and individuality, much like the choice between wearing tennis shoes or thick-soled boots. This camp would argue that there is just as much harm in belly button rings as there is in choosing a hot pink tank top over a conservative white top.
On the other side of the coin, navel earrings are seen as a sexual piercing whose sole purpose is to focus attention on one of the most sensual parts of a woman’s body, the stomach. By extension, these people believe that if a woman pierces her belly, she is only doing it to attract more sexual partners.
For those who see no harm in belly button rings or other body piercings, I would argue that opponents of this type of self-expression are simply motivated by fear. But this is not really new. Every generation has had a debate about what is considered “good” and “bad.” Remember, rock and roll was seen as “bad” by generations past, but it’s still fine and alive today.
Perhaps the best advice for a young woman considering belly button piercing comes from this young woman: “Not everyone is going to think the same way. If you’re not feeling tacky, forget what other people say. You know who you are.” . ..express it!”
