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November 17, 2005
"The Skin Game" By Joe Queenan
Chapter Four of Seeing and Writing talks about how people identify themselves. It mentions that clothing, hairstyle, and body type all say something about who we are. Tattoos bring an interesting twist to this idea of identity in that they are permanent. Once you get a tattoo, you can't change it, and since tatoos identify who you are, in a sense you can't change that part of your identity. So I guess a person's opinion of tattoos really boils down to whether or not they feel comfortable enough with their identity to do something that will forever freeze it in time. People who don't like tattoos must not be sure enough about their identity to commit to something that will stay with them forever.
This essay also brought up a good point about the evolution of tattoos. They used to be much more common in males than in females, and they had an edgy or "bad boy" feel. Today it seems the opposite. Out of the people I know, I hear of more girls getting tattoos than guys, and these tattoos are usually anything but edgy. Most of the tattoos that girls get are butterflies or hearts. It's amazing how quickly the tattoo has evolved and I wonder if it will continue to evolve past its current state.
Posted by lcissullivan at November 17, 2005 03:44 PM
Comments
Brenna,
I agree with your post. I feel like tatoos have changed alot over the years, and it is now acceptable for anyone to have one. They are no longer as stereotyped as they where, instead they show more of a person's identity than their "category" in life.
Brenna
Posted by: Brenna at November 17, 2005 07:10 PM