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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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Category: Art
Posted on: October 17, 2007 1:38 PM, by PZ Myers
Is there any circumstance under which a manly gentleman like myself can wear a lovely enamel cloisonne pin?
Is it OK if the pin is of an an octopus armed with guns and knives?
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Comments
Absolutely. That circumstance would be when you replace the word "lovely" with "kick-ass!";)
Posted by: Chris Simeur | October 17, 2007 1:46 PM
I believe that's what Billy Connolly would call an arsehole detector. The idea being that, when attending an event with lots of strangers (e.g. a wedding), the biggest arsehole in the group will be the first person to approach you and shout "why are you wearing a brooch?!" You can then avoid that person for the rest of the evening.
Posted by: VWXYNot? | October 17, 2007 1:49 PM
I think the proper question is "when is it NOT appropriate to wear a pin that depicts an armed cephalopod"??
But that's just me....
Cheers.
Posted by: Fastlane | October 17, 2007 1:59 PM
If I correctly recall the Miss Manners I've just made up, a gentleman may wear such a pin at any event wherein he is neither seeking political office nor paying respects to any person who has recently revised his or her established predilection towards living. At all other events, such a pin is not only permissible, but heartily encouraged.
As it is contextually relevant, one is advised that the above guidelines do not extend to pins depicting sad-eyed koala bears with fairy wings. These are wholly inappropriate to any person in possession of a Y chromosome regardless of event, age or sexual orientation.
Posted by: Gelf | October 17, 2007 1:59 PM
Obviously, you should be using it as a tie tack for this little lovely (oops, I mean "this kick-ass manly neckwear".)
Posted by: Stwriley | October 17, 2007 2:15 PM
Buy two pins, than you can wear one in each lapel. In fact, further down that same page is the perfect choice. It has the words: SEX plus TIME equals EVOLUTION.
Posted by: Ray M | October 17, 2007 2:20 PM
nothing wrong with a guy wearing that, but it should be worn on a jacket instead of a blouse ... er, shirt
Posted by: skyotter | October 17, 2007 2:21 PM
Pin in on your lab coat. Pins look great on lab coats! Gender of the wearer makes no matter.
Posted by: ctenotrish, FCD | October 17, 2007 2:33 PM
PZ, you may be interested in http://squidfire.com/. They have quite a few shirts, polos, and whatnots that are themed with octopuses and squid.
Posted by: Greg | October 17, 2007 2:42 PM
#4
well if he added an American flag as one of the other carry items of the Octopus (I am sure he'll have one tentacle left for that), he might even be able to use it if seeking political office...
Posted by: negentropyeater | October 17, 2007 2:48 PM
Hrm. If I wear that "armed & Cephalopodic" t-shirt to the airport, will I get sent to Gitmo as an Evolutionist?
Posted by: tikistitch | October 17, 2007 3:20 PM
"Never bring a knife to a gun fight" ?
Posted by: Reginald Selkirk | October 17, 2007 3:23 PM
Reginald --
I believe I heard Sean Connery's character in "The Untouchables," deliver that line.
And, PZ, you'd be a sissy if you didn't wear that pin.
Posted by: inkadu | October 17, 2007 3:34 PM
You can wear your lovely and appropriate pin on either your hat or your messenger bag.
Posted by: Ann | October 17, 2007 3:38 PM
My husband regularly wears an enameled pin - it's a stylized flower design that he uses as a company logo. It's somewhat smaller than the octopus you link to, but not much. If he's wearing a denim jacket or some such, it will go on the collar, if he's wearing a white button down without a jacket, it goes on his shirt collar or on the pocket, where a button might be if the pocket buttoned. He usually gets curious-interested questions, and really no negative comments. Go for it!
Posted by: oliviacw | October 17, 2007 4:05 PM
Consider the T-shirt. Many T-shirts that have a large design on the back have a small version of that design where? On the left breast. Which is about where a lapel pin would go. Same goes for whenever a polo shirt has a logo. So don't think of a lapel pin as a piece of jewelry, think of it as an Izod alligator. Which only the manliest of men wear.
Posted by: Rey Fox | October 17, 2007 4:30 PM
A truly manly gentleman can wear whatever he damn pleases, as he's firmly grasped the notion that manliness isn't defined by what he wears but by what he does and how the thinks. The same thing goes, of course, for womanliness.
Posted by: Liz D. | October 17, 2007 4:57 PM
A true macho, on the other hand, can also wear whatever he damn pleases, but for a different reason: nobody can possibly dare to make fun of a true macho, and he knows it.
Now, concerning true Scotsmen...
Posted by: David Marjanović | October 17, 2007 5:04 PM
A truly macho man will forget about the jacket, lab coat, hat, or t-shirt, and just stick it directly into his skin. Try the face. That should resolve any doubts.
Posted by: Sastra | October 17, 2007 6:42 PM
If you ever dress up as a dapper gentleman for formal occasions, then you could wear it as a pin for your cravat.
PS You'd better not let Skatje do any of the tying and skewering if you've been poisoning her with chilli though.
Posted by: SEF | October 17, 2007 6:46 PM
A gentleman may wear a large pin on the lower front apron of his kilt. What, you don't have a kilt?
Posted by: JeffL | October 17, 2007 7:00 PM
To paraphrase a line from Playboy some decades back, "What kind of candy-assed [atheist] cares what other people think?"
-- CV
Posted by: CortxVortx | October 17, 2007 7:58 PM
If you don't want to wear it as a lapel pin, I gather most accessories are fair game (hat, tie, backpack or valise, perhaps even your belt.) The backing may be technically wrong for a tie pin (two butterfly closures on a pin less than 4cm across?), but I'm sure you can work something out.
Posted by: David Harmon | October 17, 2007 9:04 PM
That is the most beautiful sentence I've read in years. "Established predilection towards living" -- marvelous!
Posted by: folderol | October 17, 2007 9:53 PM
@23 - I actually have the Octopus Pin in question, and having the two pins makes a huge difference - it's too oddly shaped to remain stable with just one pin centered.
Posted by: LadyEridan | October 18, 2007 12:42 PM
To paraphrase Terry Pratchett - the manly man is brought to a room filled with all sorts of clothing and jewelry, and asked which outfit is the most manly. The correct answer, of course, is "Whatever I put on."
Posted by: BobApril | October 18, 2007 3:13 PM
#25: Very well, experience trumps speculation.
#20: Now I'm imagining an octopus armed with chili sauce...
#26: "I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay..." ;-)
Hmmm. Maybe time to get ready for bed, my comments are getting silly.
Posted by: David Harmon | October 18, 2007 8:58 PM