Tags
Ann Arbor, body jewelry, body modification, cheek piercing, cross contamination, discrimination, ear piercing, genital piercing, Harrison Ford, homosexuality, J.C. Potts, jimmy Fallon, manvel, Michigan, nipple piercing, nipple piercings, Pangea, Pangea Piercing, piercing techniques, The Modified World, The Tonight Show, Youtube, Youtube channel
The Modified World is a weekly web show hosted by J.C. Potts – senior piercer at Pangea Piercing in Ann Arbor, Michigan- and its piercing staff. It aims to educate and the public by providing helpful information about different aspects of the piercing profession.
The Youtube channel began in May of 2011 and currently, a new episode of the show is uploaded every Monday. Topics covered on the show include different kinds of piercings including, cheek, genital and nipple piercings, types of body jewelry, discrimination against people who choose to modify their bodies, interviews with other body modification artists, Pangea Piercing staff profiles, and more.
Potts has stated that he started the web series as a way to present correct piercing information on a platform that that continuously spreads misinformation. He states “I saw a need and answered it”. Before his videos, there was not a well-known professional voice speaking about this. Any videos about piercings on Youtube were basically just people talking about their experience as clients and what “works [worked] for them”.
Potts also uses the space to speak out on issues considering the modification community. In November of last year, comedians Jimmy Fallon and Harrison Ford pierced Fallon’s ear as a part of a skit on The Tonight Show. The duo jokes around as Fallon says he’s scared to have his ear pierced for the first time. Ford, who pierces Fallon’s ear, even takes a shot of alcohol beforehand. Potts made a video response to the skit stated that he had “a lot of issues with what was portrayed [in the video]”. These include:
- Everything was cross contaminated.
- The ear was not draped to protect it.
- The ear was pierced at an incorrect angle.
- Potts disliked the fact that Harrison said “left is right” when helping Fallon decide which ear to pierce. This goes back to the old idea that getting your right ear pierced as a male is a sign of homosexuality. Potts looks at this as homophobia and shaming of gay people.
Other videos speaking out on social issues include one where Kenny, a piercer at Pangea pierces a male’s navel and discusses how a man getting this piercing, sometimes called a manvel, won’t make him gay.