By definition all piercings are unnatural - even ears.
(Freakmandu, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 14:55, 1 reply)

I disagree...
Just as it's natural for birds to build nests, it's natural for humans to create things, including jewellery - actually the oldest kind of artifact that pre-humans are known to have made. So, tattoos and piercings are entirely natural, for humans -- as indeed are iPods, heart transplants and even b3ta.com.
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 15:05, closed)

that's quite interesting. I never thought of that.
What about wars and rape and animal cruelty then?
(shanterbabs, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 17:13, closed)

Yep, all natural
That's not to say that "natural" equates to "good" (for any given value of "good").

Of course, I'm being difficult, as distinguishing "man made" from "naturally occurring" is still useful -- even if it's meaningless when examined closely. Just as it's useful to say "The sun sets" or "You're letting the cold in", even though we know it's arrant nonsense.

</pomposity>

OK, back to the knob gags...
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 17:28, closed)

I get that, I just mean, doesn't it therefore cover everything we do and become a meaningless phrase?

I guess that's fine though. You weren't saying otherwise...

*Goes away*
(shanterbabs, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 17:48, closed)

This ^
Also, since all body parts are natural, 'piercings in unnatural places' can only bring to mind somebody chasing a ghost with a cannulated needle, or getting their septum pierced on the island from Lost, or the bolts through Franky's neck (which isn't his natural neck, obv).
(Falstaff's Spiritual Successor, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 17:13, closed)

you're probably thinking of that thing that looks like a fat lady in a beaded hat - which is actually fairly recent, as these things are considered. As a religious icon (so says concensus, anyhow) it cannot be considered art - and certainly not jewelry. Also, no prehumans are known to have created jewelry or art of any kind; only actual humans(members of the genus Homo, and only the later ones) have managed this. No prehumans whatsoever. The oldest known prehuman artifact is, in fact, a haphazardly-bashed rock.

If tattoos are piercings were entirely natural, you'd have seen them consistently across the board, throughout history and across the globe - it wouldn't be tied to specific groups, times, and places.
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 17:45, closed)

Ah...
Does that mean humans are unnatural then ?
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 18:01, closed)

No. Well, sort of. Our advanced brains and developed societies allow them to create things that are not otherwise seen in nature, and can therefore not be considered natural(/ly occurring).

Much of what has allowed modern humans to become everything they are today cannot be considered natural, any more than any other learned behaviour passed down and modified by social groups. Various apes are capable of learning sign language - and then teaching it to other apes. Although this behaviour could feasibly take hold, and feasibly alter the species, given enough time - it is not a natural behaviour. It is an exaptation made possible by their comparatively large brains - which were developed for an entirely different purpose.
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Wed 15 Sep 2010, 18:03, closed)

Memetic evolution.
Don't you just love it? Chances are the great apes have similarly sophisticated communication systems anyhow, but we just can't understand them. Same goes for dolphins actually.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Wed 15 Sep 2010, 19:14, closed)