I don’t think that tattoos are supposed to mean anything to anyone else but the person who got them. In our society we usually look down upon people with many tattoos or what looks like meaningless tattoos. Why do those people care? How are someone else’s tattoos affecting them?
Not just having tattoos but also how many or where they are. Tattoo’s on a woman’s lower back is called a “tramp stamp” and it comes with a negative connotation of the woman being sleazy. There is a similar connotation for when a woman gets a tattoo on her chest. I understand that that woman may get them to attract people to those areas but at the same time maybe they get it on their chest because it symbolizes being close to their heart.
My sister has two tattoos. One on each foot and as the picture shows of the symbols of love and peace and the words in English, Chinese, and Arabic. Pictures mean more than words, which is one reason she got the symbols. Then she got the words in English because English is her native language, in Chinese because she speaks Chinese, and then in Arabic because she studied in Dakar, Senegal. My sister is a very worldly person. She wants to live abroad for most of her life and work to improve the environmental conditions. She is a very peaceful and loving person. Hence the pace sign and heart.
In “Teenagers and Tattoos” Andres Martin says that by having interest and not disgust about someone’s tattoo could actually help to connect with them. That is true with anyone who has a tattoo. It doesn’t even have to be a tattoo but showing interest in anything they have or love can make a connection. He also says that we may find that it doesn’t have to do with disfigurement but actually figurement. I don’t think anyone gets a tattoo with the intention to disfigure his or her body.
In “The Decorated Body” insert author explains that throughout time people have been covering their bodies in artwork in an effort to connect them to a group of people. He doesn’t mention tattoos and how they make a person unique. People may use tattoos to show their individual personalities.
I don’t think we should try to judge tattoos so quickly. I think maybe we should just admire the artwork and move on.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post and the fact that you used a picture of tattoo that someone you know has. I mentioned tramp stamps and whole chinese symbols in my post, and I discussed how I often pass the judgment that tattoos, especially of chinese characters, are pointless. Despite the fact that it is human nature to make a judgment about someone else's without asking people about their tattoo and why they have it, it really is important to refrain from such actions and, if nothing else, to find out why a person got the tattoo they got before you judge. I liked the fact that your sister actually knew what the symbols meant and that the tattoos had more of a story than "well, i liked how this one looked." Additionally, I know someone with a tattoo on her chest and I always wondered what would possess anyone to get a tattoo there; I know the idea of being right on your heart should have been obvious, but I never thought of the location of a tattoo meaning something like that before. Your post made me think a more about how I should definitely not pass judgement as quickly in the future as I have in the past. Thanks for your post!
James