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Madelynn Long
English 101
Professor Alicia Bolton
November 10, 2014
The more Ink the Better, or The Worse?
Throughout history body art has been seen in every culture, dating back to prehistoric times.
Today, however, it seems that the idea of having tattoos is clouded with controversy. Society sees this
topic of debate in multiple ways. On one side it seems that people are willing to overlook tattoos, some
may even appreciate them as a form of art and notice that they are becoming more prominent in media.
On the other side though there are people who connect tattoos with juvenile behavior, certain crude
symbolism, or just plain tackiness. Even Doralba Picerno acknowledges a time where tattoos were
regarded with suspicion and the people sporting them were invariably assumed to lead colorful lives
( 7). These issues can affect someone getting the job they want, if they can apply for a loan they may
need very badly, or even how they are just generally treated by others. Women and men are both
judged for the amount of tattoos they may have as well, women especially. Ultimately what is at stake
here is the fact that people who find an outlet of individuality in tattoos are shamed for it, when really
they are just trying to express themselves. Society should see tattoos as a form of self-expression, not as
something inappropriate for a person to have.
One department that sees tattoos as either unacceptable or tolerable would be the workforce.
According to a recent Forbes article online most employers today would agree that a persons
appearance is nowhere near as important as his or her professional skills(Hennessey, par. 3). In some
work fields they are overlooked according to how well and professional an employee is at their job.
Usually though employers will ask that all tattoos be covered up before a shift begins, whether by using
makeup or just covering with clothing. The reason for this is because tattoos can be a distraction to

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coworkers and also can make some people feel intimidated .One example of where this is enforced is in
the medical field. Patients want to be as comfortable as possible when it comes to their doctor visits.
Having a doctor or nurse covered in tattoos might make a patient uneasy, so that is why covering them
up is mandatory. The fact that tattoos can be overlooked by employers nowadays is just another way
that they are becoming more socially tolerated.
Another contributing factor that is making tattoos more acceptable is how much attention they
have been getting from the media and celebrities. Thanks to a newspaper article in the Los Angeles
Times, the relativity of tattoos in the media is really explained. According to the article, the trendiness of
tattooing is all thanks to reality shows like Inked where tattoo artist come together to compete for a
cash prize. With the release of this show to the public many people began to realize that tattoos were
not just a stereotype for bikers and sailors, but they are really for anyone who appreciates them.
Celebrities have a large influence on this topic as well, by turning tattoos into luxurious items of artwork.
In the same article a tattoo artist named Mario Barth says that he has a two-year waiting list for clients
who pay a minimum charge of $10,000; some of his work can command hundreds of thousands of
dollars (Abowitz, par. 11). These clients include celebrities Usher and Tommy Lee. Even on social media
tattoos are being shown off by favorite celebrities, enticing fans to partake in the movement. Because
that is what happens when fans see someone they look up to getting a tattoo, they are enticed to do the
same. The more coverage that tattooing gets the more popular it seems to become, leaving more
people to believe that they are now passable in society.
Self-expression has a lot to do with why a person might be interested in getting a tattoo. For the
most part, tattoos are meant to have some kind of meaning behind them. In a magazine article
dedicated to the sociology aspect of tattoos it is said that researchers find that people use tattoos to
express who they are, what they have lived through, and how they see themselves in relation to others
and to their social worlds (Kang, Millian and Jones 42-47). However, it is also stated in this article that a

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person cannot control the meaning of their tattoos fully because of how they represent themselves may
lead others to misinterpret their actual meanings. Where there is a push toward self-expression there
are the teenagers that back it, making them the rising leaders of the tattooed generation. At this stage
in life teenagers are all about showing their independence and being in control of their own bodies.
Although tattoos have been seen as a sign of rebellion and criminal like behavior, studies have now
shown that now it may actually be the opposite. Since the 1980s, tattooing has won a following among
teenagers and college students, who have altered the reputation of tattooed people from that of
criminals and laborers to that of artists and free thinkers. (Kang, Miliann and Jones 42-47). This shows
us that self-expression is a perfectly good reason to why people are interested in getting tattoos and
also that tattooed people are not just in certain stereotypical group.
The rise of tattoos becoming more accepted in society has also lead to more adults getting them
as well; leaving more room for judgment from others who see them as wrong , especially towards
women. Men are negatively judged by the amount of tattoos they have, but according to "Introduction
to Body Piercing and Tattoos: At Issue, society is more accepting of tattoos on men than on women
(Bahadosingh, par. 8) Why is this? Well according to this excerpt, women with tattoos seem to be
violating gender roles and also going against the social norm. One of the most common reasons to why a
woman might want to get a tattoo would be to show that they are in control of their own bodies. Also
they use them as a way to show that just because they may have limited roles in being a mother or a
wife, that doesnt mean those roles define who they are. Yes it is true that many tattoos women get are
usually in sexualized places and have a feminine charm to them, but in some cases they can be more
symbolic. For example women who have recovered from breast cancer have been known to get tattoos
to cover their mastectomy scars as a way to show how they have overcome the disease and also to feel
more confident. Not only do women use tattoos to show how they might have overcome trauma like
disease and abuse, they also use them as a way to feel more connected to others who might have

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shared similar experiences. Men and women today are getting more tattoos and showing the public that
there really is not anything wrong with these actions.
On the other hand, some people see tattoos in a negative light. It is said that people with
tattoos should be aware that they are more likely to face complications when getting a job than people
without tattoos. This is because most of the time they are seen as a distraction in the work place and no
employer wants that going on. Also when it comes to students trying to get accepted into college, some
campus recruiters see too many tattoos in a negative way and may be hesitant in deciding on whether
that student will be accepted or not. It is true that many people, especially elderly people, see teens
with tattoos as troublemakers, gang members, or criminals. The fact is though that some people do get
inappropriate tattoos that encourage these beliefs especially when they are on places like the face. How
could someone not see that as intimidating? I know that I would be a little uncomfortable if I saw
someone with a gun tattoo on their forehead. That is the thing though, all kinds of people get tattoos
and there is a mix of the good along with the bad when it comes down to it. But these viewpoints are
what stereotypes have done to the art of tattooing. I do think that some tattoos are a little extreme in
some cases but I still believe that everyone is entitled to express themselves however they want.
Finally, we now know that tattoos are seen in multiple different ways depending on what a
persons viewpoint on them may be. The negativity towards them does not change the fact that the rise
of tattooing in our society is increasing more than ever before. May it be thanks to the media promoting
the act or just people wanting to express their individuality. Slowly but surely they are becoming more
and more prominent, just the fact that professions are accepting workers with tattoos based on their
work ethic and not their body image goes to show that things are changing. That is why it is important
that we as a society must attempt to accept people with tattoos, both men and women equally. They
are just another way of expressing oneself and showing that something is so important to a person that
they decided to permanently remember it. Without self-expression in the world, nothing separates us

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from one another. It is important to remember that everyone is different and just because someone
may have tattoos that does not define who they are as a person.

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Work Cited
"Introduction to Body Piercing and Tattoos: At Issue." Body Piercing and Tattoos. Ed. Sharon
Bahadosingh. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Kang, Miliann, and Katherine Jones. "Why Do People Get Tattoos?." Contexts Vol. 6, No. 1.
Winter 2007: 42-47. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Abowitz, Richard. "Tattoo Trendiness Has the Strip Awash in Ink." Los Angeles Times (Los
Angeles, CA). 11 Oct. 2009: D.10. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Hennessey, Rachel. "Tattoos No Longer A Kiss Of Death In The Workplace." Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Picerno, Doralba. Tattoo Art: A Photographic Sourcebook. London: Arcturus Publishing Limited,
2012. Print.