My, What Big Earlobes You Have

Those on the cutting edge of fashion took another hit in Arlington, TX yesterday:

The Arlington school district has expanded its dress codes to include bans on mouth jewelry known as "grills" and the earlobe-stretching practice known as gauging.

"The district is having to respond to fads because they've become distracters or a safety hazard for those around them," said Malcolm Turner, the district's executive director of student services.

The nearby Irving, Grand Prairie and DeSoto districts also ban grills, and some also address gauging -- the process of placing increasingly large items in the ears to stretch the lobes.

But students said the body modification is simply self-expression.

"Really, a grill is just like an earring. It's fashion," said Sam Houston junior Devonte Wright, 16.

Others said it was unfair to ban such jewelry after students had purchased the expensive items, such as a $200, six-tooth white-gold diamond-cut grill. The price ranges from $180 to $3,000 at J's Grill in Arlington.

It probably won't be long until they start putting plates in their lips and the high school yearbook photos will look like a 1950's National Geographic.