Tattoos today are more common now than they were in the history of tattoos. Today, we can se kids starting at 16, with the consent of their parents, getting their first tattoos. Even then, the yo get one you more than lay want another. But do the number of tattoos or having tattoos in general dictate the kind of person you are? Tattoos have such a negative correlation because of the bad attention they get from people associating someone with several tattoos or certain tattoo like sleeves or face tattoos with being affiliated with a gang.
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I think the perception of tattoos is so interesting, and also differs between race, gender, etc. I feel like bigger, older men get a bad rep if they have big tattoo sleeves even if they are one of the nicest people ever. I also think that some “mean girls” get cutesy little tattoos that people then see them as sweet, polite people, when in reality they are unkind to others. Myself, I got my first tattoo at 18, second at 20, and third at 21. All three of my tattoos have some sort of familial meaning, from my grandpa’s motto to my immediate family’s favorite sea animals. I think all of my tattoos for my life will be something that means something super important to me, but I also understand why people just want tattoos. I think tattoos are something of expression and a form of art that should not be as stigmatized as they are.
I do think it interesting how people perceive you based on your appearance. When I was growing up I viewed people with tattoos as tough or intimidating, and sometimes even bad. I now have 3 visible tattoos and the connotation in my mind behind them is very different. However, I wonder how people see me or what they think when they see them? My own mother cried when I got my second one, and I thought she was on the progressive end of things like this.
Great topic Kirlus,
As a person with a lot of tattoos, I definitely have to agree with you that once you get one tattoo you become pretty hooked, although I’m sure there is a population of people who can sit through their first tattoo than never return for another “punishment ” again, because they are so painful, some like that pain and some people will never put themselves through it intentionally ever.
The question regarding tattoos being only for gangsters is purely cultural and I’d like to think that in the Japanese culture that “gangster stigma” has dissipated but I’m sure it still stands with moderate backing.
Thanks for the article post!