Is That a Tattoo

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Is That a Tattoo
October 25, 2011
Jamie Clift
The Rotunda

How many people do you know with tattoos? I know plenty of them, and they represent almost every different ethnicity, age group, level of education and set of interests you could think of. According to a 2003 survey by Harris Interactive, more than 16 percent of Americans have tattoos. With over 300 billion people living in the U.S., that rounds out to at least 48 million tattooed Americans. That's a lot of people.

But what are the first images that come to mind when you think of tattoos? Even though I think they are incredibly cool, I tend to think of large and intimidating people, sketchy tattoo parlors and gang activity. This isn't accurate, and I know that. So why do I think that way?

Maybe it's because both of my parents disapproved of tattoos and raised me that way, or maybe it goes deeper than that. There is some sort of strange stigma attached to tattoos in our society that is difficult to explain.

Recently, for instance, there has been a bit of outcry from the public about a tattooed Barbie doll. A recent model came with a sort of toy tattoo gun, and a collector's edition Barbie with pink hair was completely covered in them. Parents threw a fit —Barbie was corrupting their precious daughters. I just want to know why this is such a big deal to some people.

First of all, this is no new thing. I had a tattooed Barbie when I was a kid. She was a just as unrealistically proportioned and scantily clad as any other Barbie doll. It was the ‘90s; she had crimped hair, the world's tiniest denim mini skirt, a neon woven bikini, and a sheet of sparkly flower and butterfly transfer tattoos. The fact that she came with tattoos only made her more interesting to me than her more "conservative" counterparts.

Barbie, while she may not be so good for promoting positive body images among young girls, is definitely a positive influence in one way. Barbie can be anything, from a veterinarian to an astronaut to a race car driver. So, if Barbie also wants to have tattoos and pink hair, who should stop her? No one. It only makes sense that there is a Barbie to represent the millions of women with tattoos out there, even if it is a ridiculous stereotype.

It bothers me that tattoos still carry such negative connotations, and that when they are portrayed in a positive light, they have to be shown as edgy or rebellious. It is only logical that if more than one in ten people are doing something, it's not all that edgy. Tattoos are more of a fashion statement than a mark of toughness.

Today, it seems the purpose of tattoos is to stand out from the crowd, or to mark yourself with something unique and important to you. It's not necessarily about being a rebel, though some people might feel that way. Whether someone gets a lucky cow in rain boots tattooed on their arm, or a crying angel tattooed on their back, the important thing is that whatever they get makes sense to them and has some sort of significance in their life.

Maybe it's just because I'm in college, but it seems that every time I turn around, someone I know is getting a new tattoo. Even my roommate has tattoos, and she is probably the sweetest, least intimidating person I know.

Though I want to get one myself, I have reservations. It's not because I'm worried I won't like it, but because I'm worried what other people will think of me. Often, I feel like people are quick to judge others based on their skin —especially if that skin happens to be covered in artwork.

In the early 20th century, a woman could make a name for herself by covering herself in tattoos and joining a freak show. Now, tattoos are common enough that this is no longer a possibility, but someone covered in tattoos would still have limited job options. Even at the moving company I worked for this summer, tattoos were supposed to be hidden from the eyes of the customer.

It's definitely true the wrong tattoo could keep you from getting the job that you want or drive certain people away, so you have to be really careful when making any sort of tattoo-related decision. But considering the incredible popularity of the practice, these stereotypes and stigmas may begin to disappear. It will probably never be that a majority of Americans will have tattoos, but the practice is definitely growing and expanding far beyond its initial following of sailors, bikers and gang members.

The important thing to realize about all of this is that tattoos don't hurt anyone except the person who gets them, literally. So, what images they choose to display on their body are no one's business except for their own.