A "pearl necklace" is
slang for a
sexual act in which a man
ejaculates semen on or near the
neck or
chest of another person.[1] The term originates from the way the deposited semen resembles a
necklace of translucent white
pearls.[2][3]
A pearl necklace can be used as a form of
erotic humiliation or degradation of the person receiving the semen. Receiving a pearl necklace is an activity that
sex workers use as a
safe sex alternative for people who prefer not to wear
condoms.[4][5]
In popular culture
George Carlin used the term in his "Incomplete List of Impolite Words" joke as early as 1984, on the album Carlin on Campus. The term was also used in the
stoner comedyHalf Baked (1998). The
ZZ Top song "
Pearl Necklace" drew attention for its lyrics which were alleged to objectify women.[6] The term appears in episode 69 of the
HBO sex comedy Sex and the City, first broadcast in 2004.[7][8][9]
The term "Pearl necklace" is mentioned in the 2014 musical
Heathers in the song "I Love My Dead Gay Son".[10]
^Saunders, Michael (April 5, 1991).
"Blues-driven Boogie of ZZ Top to Fill Miami Arena for 2 Shows". Sun-Sentinel.
New York Daily News. Archived from
the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2012. ZZ Top is not without its booing section. They have been knocked for the woman-as-bimbo image by decorating videos with long-legged beauties. And critics have charged that sexually oriented tunes such as Tush, Pearl Necklace, and Velcro Fly also portray women as sex objects.