First, a judgement and a command from Finland:

From: Mikael Erickson <[email protected]>
Subject: is this for real

are yuo mad or sik i am sorry iv saw this sik page take it out fast from the net stupid

I don't know if perhaps I am too open minded, but I always am confused when someone comes to BME, but draws the line at a certain point as to what is globally acceptable. I understand how someone can have personal limits, but I don't see how someone who's into one type of piercing can judge someone for being into another kind. That's why I was especially surprised when I got the following emails from Dragulla24, claiming to be a piercer at Motors Tattoo Shop in La Crosse, WI -- Later he admitted that he was not:

l have looked at your site.. and l am dissapointed.. l am dissapointed in how people abuse the privliges of body piercing.. body piercing is an art.. and it has been disgraced.. some people dont deserve piercings.. l am a body artist.. and that is just uncalled for.
all l am saying is that people go to extreme.. like get lots of ring hanging off them selves, then the people that do get piercings that look good get shit cause other people make it look bad.
why the hell does a guy want 30 rings on his cock and balls? l dont get that its just sick.. tell me why.. why do people do that. l got parts pierced but only once.

All I can say is, yes, you may be a body artist, but that is just uncalled for: body piercing is an art and it has been disgraced. (On a side note, using a lower case "L" in place of the letter "i" indicates to me a fairly deranged individual!)

It's a bit easier to understand when someone gets freaked out by the castration and nullification stuff, but people never seem to realize that all of these modifications are voluntary and entirely different than various cultural attrocities that are happening in various parts of the world -- this email is written with the best intentions, I'm sure, but please understand that any concern is misguided:

I enjoyed your site tremendously... [snip]
There were only one thing that disturbed me deeply and I question your putting it in your zine because I truly don't consider it part of the culture you are trying to promote. Now I want to preface this by saying that I am extremely open minded and am rarely judgmental of others lifestyles. But this just disturbed me to the deepest cores of my soul. But I looked at it any ways and was just truly disgusted and didn't understand it. I read the articles and viewed the pics that were available to a first time viewer of your site and still I do not understand it. The thing that I am referring to is what you called "Nullo" or Nullification. I think it was totally abhorrent, in both sexes. Do you realize that in certain African and Islamic nations that they do clitoral or labial Nullifications without the consent of the woman and many times it is done with unsanitary conditions on minor woman, children, little girls. Many men and woman are trying to have that particular form of nullification in woman outlawed because the woman don't want it. And its not like there going into an operating room were its sterile some of these savages use glass or dull rusty knives to remove the clitoris. I strongly urge you to remove the Nullification from your site.

As always, the "ME TOO" and "SEND MORE FREE STUFF" people never give up. Anyone who wants to help, here are some one-handed typers in desperate need:

From: ali amo <[email protected]>
HI! everyone.
please send me some nude pix of gay sex pix/male nude pix.
THANK'S

From: [email protected]
send me some good pics or info on other sites

From: "Ramon Sambo" <[email protected]>
Please send me free CD-ROM NO CHARGEON SHIPPING.
[mailing address followed]

I don't know if this next one is a joke, but if not, it wins the stupid question of the week award:

From: [email protected]
Subject: question

I have a questio about the LOWER LIP piercing..
that is: "Does it HURT?"
please respond A.S.A.P.

This next one wins the "ASKING FOR A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL" award. As it turns out there's more to the story, but at first glance it seemed like a really bad idea:

Subject: CASTRATION
I am looking for a female cutter in Reno NV. aera. no experience OK. Can you help?

Next we have the "DAMN YOU AOL USERS" award. First I got the following email:

From: [email protected]
Subject: HELLO THIS IS SO WRONG BME
HI THIS THING IS MESED UP IT WILL NOT LET MEBACK TO THE PEICINGS PAGE

I replied that no, it was working just fine so there must be a problem on her end. Here is the reply I received:

god ur mean, and this is your problem and if you keep having this attitude ill find a way to get your buut fired
thanks have a great and whatever you want to call it
mandy

I repeated that there were no problems on this end of things and she must be having difficulty on her side of the connection:

you mean on my end?? : )

Arrrgh....

Here are another two that you don't even have to look at the email address of to know they're from AOL:

Subject: tHIS SHIT DONT WORK!!!!!!!! wHAT THE FUCK.....
[email body left blank]

Subject: (no subject)
if anyone is there now please im me. thanks

There are some AOL users that I don't even bother to answer. I get hundreds of emails daily, so if you write, please try and do it legibly. If you write in CUL HA3K3R L1NG0 or in SHORT 4M CUZ U B A SLO TIPER you're wasting my time and yours. I don't have time to translate:

From: [email protected]

HI IM A FELLOW BODY PIERCER AND IM ENCOUNTERING WUT I DEEM TO B A PROBLEM I HAVE HAD A NAVEL PIERCING FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 WEEKS AND THERE WUS NO PROBLEM TILL JUST LAST WEEK WEN KELOIDS FORMED AT ALL FOUR ENTRY POINTS WHILE IT IS NOT SERIOUS I TEND TO WANT IT TO NIP IT ON D BUD B4 IT GETS ALOT WORSE ANY RECOMMENDED FORMS OF TREATMENT AS I HAVE LOOKED OVA UR WEBSITE AND IT ONLY ADDRESSES PREVENTION RATHER THAN TREATMENT ANY HELP WOULD B GREATLY APPRECIATED !
RAY =)

Here's another person who doesn't really get it, but for altogether different reasons:

Please cancel my subscription immediately. My computer was hacked while I was on your site. A virus was planted and my personal address book was pulled out. I don't know what kind of site you're running but I want my account canceled immediately.

Folks -- there is just NO way that this could happen. BME does not, and can not, place a virus on your computer, let alone steal your address book! BME will not plant a virus in your hardware or software... although it does its best to place one in your wetware.

Finally, this last one is just weird:

From: GENICA

You are hot, i just want to eat you up. As if you were a chocalate chip cookie