These days, it seems that in every crowd of people you can find someone sporting at least one tattoo. Once the “mark” of criminals and sailors, body art today has become increasingly more accepted in mainstream society. However, the very act of getting a tattoo separates one from others who have eschewed permanently marking their bodies. The reasons for getting a tattoo are varied, with the common underlying urge for self-expression and individuality as the main impetus. There are approximately 20 million Americans with tattoos, more than 13% of the population (Brown, Perimutter, and McDermott 355). While tattooing has become increasingly more popular and seemingly accepted, it still evokes strong negative reactions in some. Many people may
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Tattooing is an ancient practice; with the earliest known examples of tattooing coming from the 12th century in Egypt. The Polynesian word “tatau” is the root of our English word tattoo. During the 17th and 18th centuries, sailor’s encountered tattooed men and women during their travels through the Polynesian islands. Tattooing popularity increased in the 19th century in the United States and Britain, due in part to the invention of the electric tattoo machine that made the practice more efficient and accessible (Brown, Perimutter and McDermott 355). The act of permanently inking your body had varied social and cultural purposes. New Zealand’s Maori tribe’s facial tattoos, or mokos, were direct representations of identity. Each tattoo was unique and distinct to the individual and used as a signature instead of a name. At one point only warriors and the elite were tattooed in Japan, the marks visual emblems of rank and social status (Bell …show more content…
One theory is the rise of pop culture through mass media. MTV was born. Rock stars adorned with tattoos graced our lives through television and magazines. We saw images of these rock stars, models, sports heroes and movie stars much more frequently, and often times sporting tattoos. Tattoos somehow became symbols of the elite, the powerful, successful and the creative. “The cultural status of tattooing evolved steadily from an antisocial activity in the 1960s to a trendy fashion statement of the 1990s. Florida’s Palm Beach Post, in November of 1997, explained that the local tattoo industry that once catered almost exclusively to “bikers, sailors and topless dancers,” is now applying ornate artworks to the skin of “lawyers, accountants and homemakers” (Levins www.tattooartist.com). The rich and famous’ propensity toward tattooing their bodies lent a new respectability to getting “inked,” attracting suburban moms and teens alike. Within this respectability lies the ever-present urge of expressing one’s individuality. In her article, “Not Just for Bikers Anymore”, Margo DeMello theorizes that tattooing is a fight for individualization in a world that grows more and more impersonal (37-52). Shannon Bell in her article appearing in the Journal of American Culture tells us, “The act of being tattooed is, in itself, confrontational to the status quo” (53). In James Gardner’s article, “Ink-Stained
Tattooing is an ancient practice; with the earliest known examples of tattooing coming from the 12th century in Egypt. The Polynesian word “tatau” is the root of our English word tattoo. During the 17th and 18th centuries, sailor’s encountered tattooed men and women during their travels through the Polynesian islands. Tattooing popularity increased in the 19th century in the United States and Britain, due in part to the invention of the electric tattoo machine that made the practice more efficient and accessible (Brown, Perimutter and McDermott 355). The act of permanently inking your body had varied social and cultural purposes. New Zealand’s Maori tribe’s facial tattoos, or mokos, were direct representations of identity. Each tattoo was unique and distinct to the individual and used as a signature instead of a name. At one point only warriors and the elite were tattooed in Japan, the marks visual emblems of rank and social status (Bell …show more content…
One theory is the rise of pop culture through mass media. MTV was born. Rock stars adorned with tattoos graced our lives through television and magazines. We saw images of these rock stars, models, sports heroes and movie stars much more frequently, and often times sporting tattoos. Tattoos somehow became symbols of the elite, the powerful, successful and the creative. “The cultural status of tattooing evolved steadily from an antisocial activity in the 1960s to a trendy fashion statement of the 1990s. Florida’s Palm Beach Post, in November of 1997, explained that the local tattoo industry that once catered almost exclusively to “bikers, sailors and topless dancers,” is now applying ornate artworks to the skin of “lawyers, accountants and homemakers” (Levins www.tattooartist.com). The rich and famous’ propensity toward tattooing their bodies lent a new respectability to getting “inked,” attracting suburban moms and teens alike. Within this respectability lies the ever-present urge of expressing one’s individuality. In her article, “Not Just for Bikers Anymore”, Margo DeMello theorizes that tattooing is a fight for individualization in a world that grows more and more impersonal (37-52). Shannon Bell in her article appearing in the Journal of American Culture tells us, “The act of being tattooed is, in itself, confrontational to the status quo” (53). In James Gardner’s article, “Ink-Stained