‘I do apologize to all the blue collar men out there‘: Woman keeps seeing the same wedding ring on men. Here’s what it means
Wedding rings are signs of love, commitment, and fidelity. While most of us probably conjure a mental image of a simple gold band when we think of a wedding ring, particularly if the wearer is male, there are a wide variety of styles of rings to suit every taste.
One woman recently expressed her dislike of the thick, black, rubbery rings that are particularly popular with blue collar men.
She says they looked “tacky,” like “plastic,” and opined they can’t be more durable than metal bands.
In a TikTok, Josie (@josieohh) says she can’t figure out why anyone would wear such a thing, even assuming that men are more apt to lose their rings.
“Maybe they just want to act like they don’t care about jewelry,” she muses.
“Bring back a nice gold ring. I think that looks so classy and timeless.”
People in the comments wasted no time letting Josie know the very real, very scary reason behind those ring’s popularity.
What’s up with those wedding rings?
The type of ring Josie refers to is actually made of silicone. The rubbery substance is used in sealants and adhesives, lubricants, cooking utensils, and, today, in wedding rings.
Silicone rings are flexible yet breakable. As Jimmy Fallon can attest, silicone rings’ breakability is the root of their appeal.
A decade ago, the host of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon tripped in his home. As he fell, his metal wedding caught on the edge of a table. As he reportedly explained it, the force “almost ripped my finger off.”
Fallon wasn’t playing it up for sympathy or laughs. The injury he refers to is called ring avulsion. This relatively common injury can cause serious tissue damage, avulsion, or even amputation. (Look it up and click “images” if you dare.)
Fallon’s stumble is just one of many ways ring avulsion can happen. Getting a ring caught in machinery or while performing other types of manual labor common among blue collar workers are other ways that a man’s wedding ring can be weaponized against him.
Rings made of gold, silver, platinum, or titanium are far more likely to cause ring avulsion than a silicone ring. That’s why silicone wedding rings are popular among blue collar men. It’s simply safer for the type of work they do.
Workers of the world weigh in
Reactions to Josie’s TikTok about the rings were swift, but polite. Many of the top comments are from people who say they’re blue collar workers.
“Look up ring degloving,” one explained.
“It’s for work. In my line of work if your ring get caught in machines or moving parts you could lose your hand or worse. It meant to break. They are silicon rings. Safety thing,” wrote another.
Several noted that the rings are also safer for people who do electrical work, as metal conducts electricity and silicone does not.
“Electrician here. I don’t want to get electrocuted,” wrote one.
Others pointed out that the rings are less expensive and some men don’t particularly care about jewelry aesthetics, as Josie surmised.
She clearly hit a nerve. As of Monday, Josie’s TikTok has racked up 1.5 million views.
The creator reacts
It didn’t take long for Josie to post a follow-up to her wedding ring TikTok.
“I do apologize to all the blue collar men out there,” she says in a stitch of her initial post. “I was not familiar with your game.”
“Keep yourself safe. Wear the ring. I appreciate you.”
@josieohh ♬ original sound – Hosie
The follow-up post has 13 million views, so clearly people got the message that she now understands the reason behind silicone wedding rings.
Josie didn’t immediately respond to a direct message seeking comment.
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