What exactly has society seen in tattoos which wins such a high level of approval? Self expression of course. People who are full of them regularly tell anyone willing to listen (which is the main reason they probably got them in the first place) it's an outward expression of their personality. Out of every option of expression available, this was the best way of showing the world a uniqueness of character.
Here's a reflective thought for just how vile a tattoo is. Remember those days when you were at school, wandering around happy and optimistic. Class time spent on art work often involved the fantastic colours and pictures landing on the clothes and skin, rather than the white canvass. Tattoos are merely an evolution of these carefree art days, except you've got some labouring lout drawing the picture into your skin.
The thought of getting a permanent drawing in your skin, which you pay some stranger to do, in full knowledge this alleged "artwork" will never wash off. The next gets better. Everyone needs to see it; everyone must know about it. For what a great tragedy such art isn't shown to the masses. Everyone must be impressed by it because in today's society, getting drawn on like a graffiti wall is cool and hip. Lest you be accused of being odd or strange, accept it and marvel at it. If anything it'll encourage children to think it's OK to deface their own skin. After all, thousands of people have done it already. Tattoos add a certain hideousness to a person's appearance. It removes more beauty than it adds, degrades one's skin and however small, alters appearance.
A study conducted found that a majority of people get a tattoo because it makes them feel rebellious, look sexy or make them feel attractive and strong. http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_facts.htm. If people want to go and "ink their skin" to look like a fragmented piece of the Berlin Wall, they can by all means do so. If regret seeps in, which it seems to be doing now, then it's a costly fix. Dr. Scott Karempelis of Atlanta Dermatology Associates says that over thirty people a day visit him wanting to remove their tattoos. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/09/10/hm.tattoo.removal/index.html. Costly and expensive, maybe the message will be sent clearly through to anyone wanting to deface their skin.
Many people may cite cultural, spiritual or personal reasons for getting a tattoo. Anyone who does it can't just say "Because it's cultural." Far greater ways to show appreciation to pay tribute to one's culture, personality, family or God exist than getting pictures drawn all over the body. Poetry, in whatever form has a much greater potential to soften the heart and draw out the beauty of self expression. Personal letters (which are disappearing alarmingly fast), sculptures, paintings, even meditation touch the hearts of others and the self more so than the most abject form of art.
Just like many passing fashions beforehand, tattoos will one day cease to be unfashionable. Hopefully soon. The tolerance many people have of friends and families showing off the ghastly drawings is fast diminishing.
4 comments:
this is a very one sided comment on tattoos i feel. Sure not all people like them and some of the ideas of tattoos may not be entirely appropriate but your not forced to get one so it is of no concern to those who chose not to do this to themselves and their for can not and have no right to judge. To say they are vile and ghastly is very condescending to those that do this, If anything this is just bullying. it dose not matter at all what you or I think about someones tattoos, its down to the person who got it. they are the ones who have to live with it. to think of it as a phase is miss guided its been around since an unknown time, its only now that culture have intertwined that its really been visible to everyone, this is not phase so it will not disappear. it will simply evolve.
My opinion is that tattoos are an amazing art form that requires courage and commitment of those who wear it. every tattoo means something to that person, no matter how small the meaning maybe. So instead of shunning the person who wears one, ask them what dose it mean to them, you may be surprised on the story that follows.
While Stubborness shelters one from reality, openmindedness reveals all of life's truths.
To Mark Reid. Who said it had to be a neutral viewpoint. This is an opinion news column. I think it is a concern and there is a discussion to be had about this because more and more people are getting them with the reasons becoming more and more vague. When I look at someone, who has an area of blotched skin, it just does not seem beautiful. I notice how you either missed (or didn't want to read) why I don't like tattoos. They don't seem to add beauty at all, rather they remove a person's true beauty, almost as if to say "I'm not good enough in my own skin so I have to go get a drawing on my body to improve my self image." The phase was a hyperbole, so you can be excused for misunderstanding it. This figurative expression was used to show how it's only been in the latter part of the 20th century and the 21st century where tattooing has become a very popular mainstream movement, whilst previously, it was a associated with slavery, prisons, and squalor.
How can you be so sure that this will evolve? People in the 1960's said Rock n Roll will never die yet its becoming less popular by the day, being overtaken by modern mainstream music. Many people thought the Roman Empire would never collapse yet it did. It's a very big claim to say this phase will not disappear as only time will tell.
There still seems to be a high level of sentimentalism in your opinion, as if these tattoos are war medals and worthy of praise. Nobody should be treated any differently or given any more praise for getting drawings on their skin. I've spoken with plenty of people with tattoos already, long before writing this post and many of them give the same old stories of "It makes me confident" "It's self expression." As mentioned in my post, there are plenty of more lasting forms of self expression and ways to increase confidence than paying someone to draw on you.
As much as you think I haven't looked at this topic with an open mind, I have and arrived at the conclusion that tattoos are the most abject form of art. No evidence or reasoning has been brought forth to convince me otherwise.
regarding your comment on previously tattoos "associated with slavery, prisons, and squalor". this is indeed the case in some cultures, but in others its a sign of nobility and heroism. and like i said its because we are more aware of our surroundings that is seems popular, if anything its declined because of cultures dying out.
And yea sure Rock n Roll may be losing its edge but music always changes and will remain for ever, so sure maybe an aspect of tattoos may die out but its fundamentals will remain, so as i said it will simply evolve.
there is nothing wrong with doing this, it harms no one.
Nore do they need to be treated different ether, its just who they are. my tattoo may mean nothing to you or anyone around, but for me its full of meaning; of past, present and my hoped future and that's all that counts, even before i had a tattoo I loved them because of my passion for art and self-expression. And there is no way anyone can say that they are not artistic because the simple fact is they are. Not all forms of art are for everyone liking, but to one person it just may be a master piece. but in the end all it is an expression of who they are. this is their life to live and its their body the choices they make are theirs and theirs alone. No matter what one dose to themselves we have no right to judge.
Tattoos have been sIgns of nobility and heroism in the island and Maori cultures.If you are using hyperbole it's rather ineffective because the entire western world and many parts of the eastern world associated tattoos with poor people and the prisons so it's no good being vague and claiming other cultures. Again you are very limited in your rationality and you allow your emotions to get the better of you.to me artwork adds beauty to the world,it creates beauty and makes an object look wonderful such as the sistine chapel and the Mona Lisa(the women being drawn was certainly no beauty).Your expression "no one can say they are not artistic" is a straw man argument.I said tattoos were the most abject form of art, and unattractive too.if you're in favor of political correctness and secretly holding back an opinion have a read of my blog post about it.It amazes me that you and many others feel as if it's a personal attack against you for having a tattoo.It's not.The critique (no it's not bullying so stop pretending it is) is against the tattoo movement and the vague reasons behind the tattoo mania.In case you missed,there are far greater methods of self expression than drawing pictures on your skin.
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