When thinking about tattoos, the first picture in someone’s head is a heart with an arrow through it with “MOM” printed over the front. While this may be a proper tattoo for a sailor or someone from the 30’s, today’s tattoo culture has changed drastically from tattooing crosses on people who barely identify as christian and grunge-rock fans who feel the need to have every inch of their body inked.
There are two apparent reasons for people thinking tattoos are for the devil: Misinformation and sheltering parents.
The first time someone usually sees a tattoo is on their grandfather’s arm who was in the navy during WWII, and one’s parent says, “He got inked because he was young and stupid”. If I were someone that didn’t know it they’re coming back from battle, I too would want to have a matching tattoo inked on my arm with the unit I fought with.
Kids that are not exposed to sensitive content in their everyday lives, they may think that the things their parents sheltered them from are purely dangers and have no beneficial value. Tattoos are not only for bikers and incarcerated gang members; the new craze is to get matching mother-daughter tattoos on their 18th birthday.
As someone that just spend an hour and a half sitting in the artists chair Monday, getting a tattoo can be one of the most freeing and empowering decisions in your life. If you’re willing to commit to the permanence, then what ever you want tattooed is worth the cash and couple hours of pain.
I really wish that you would expand on this more and maybe give more examples. I get the feeling there are a few personal stories that are behind this post and I would love to hear them. Specifically, I would love to know why YOU got a tattoo, what that tattoo is, and what it represents to you.
Yeah, I don’t know if I can get a tattoo. It’s not because I think they are bad or anything, in fact, some people can really rock a tattoo. I just don’t think I can get one because I don’t even know what it should say or be. I have not come across a phrase, a word or an object that is so important in my life that I need it to be inked on my body. Maybe tomorrow I’ll come across something or maybe in 10 years, who knows? But for now, I’m gonna pass.
I actually have three tattoos as of now. Two have special meanings (one’s for my parents, one’s from the first zine I ever bought). But the third was just a ‘screw it’ kind of tattoo, and yeah my mom hates it, but I love it. Oh, I guess I have four if ya count the stick-and-poke. I think the history and art form of tattooing is very overlooked and disregarded due to stigmas, but should really be examined and documented as a cultural phenomenon.