Tattooed
Has our Nation become a tattooed one? According to Mary Kosut in her article “An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos”, the answer is yes; tattoos have been pulled from their subcultural roots (blue-collar, deviant, underground) and replanted in the mainstream, and this is confirmed by a plethora of books and toys marketed to the youngest consumers. There are tattooed Barbie’s, color-in tattoo kits, and temporary tattoos for kids to apply to their bodies. Our children are growing up in a tattoo-friendly culture (2006).
Tattooed Entertainment
Tattoos in the entertainment industry today are very prevalent, action heroes such as Vin Diesel, in his movie XXX, is depicted as a tattooed hero; not unlike Roger Moore, yet composed and fierce, getting the girl and saving the world too. Profession sports figures are filling up with tattoos, it is estimated that fifty percent of the National Basketball Association are tattooed. Musicians of all musical styling’s are tattooed from country, pop, R & B to Goth what ever you like, it would take much to find a star tattooed.
Fad
When conducting the research on the tattooed culture, Kosut said, her colleagues questioned the significance of the project because it appeared to be “just a fad.” However, tattoos decorate and permanently modify the body, for this reason tattooing is an “ironic fad”. It cannot be easily discarded like a pair of jeans; you just have to hope that they come back into style again some day (2006).
Process
Tattoos are individualized and personal, the actual tattooing process is explained by Kosut as, permanently re-inscribes the living body-thinking, breathing, sweating, wrinkling; tattoos invite a level of engagement because they become a permanent addition to the body/self. Sounds poetic, she also described, depending on the size and design of chosen tattoo and the pain threshold of the individual it may take numerous visits to complete a tattoo. Then there is the healing process that lasts for a week or so, with a wound that resembles a brush-burn that bleeds and scabs and eventually peels away (2006).
Media
The media has helped in mainstreaming tattooing by conveying tattoos as a legitimate cultural form, instead of distasteful. Boys as well as girls from all economic backgrounds and ethnic groups are getting tattoos and good grades. Tattoos are no longer only associated with the punks, gang members and bad kids from bad neighborhoods. I recently wrote an article on Abby from the television show NCIS, Abby is the Forensic Specialist for a team of investigators. When you first look at Abby, she is gothic all the way, jet black hair, black clothes, black platform boots with spikes all down the sides of them, a spiked necklace, listens to punk rock music and has tattoos all over the place, her neck, arms, back; well you get the picture. The typical stereotype of a person at first glance, that you would expect to have tattoos, however she is not typical she is extremely motivated, successful and bright, never stumped by forensic evidence and is religious about her field of study, she is energetic and bubbly. I brought this up as an example of the media mainstreaming tattooing and shedding a new light on an old stereotype.
Conclusion
Is our Nation a tattooed one? Yes it is; it’s tattooed with all walks of life; breathing, thinking, sweating and wrinkling; a level of engagement that is permanent.
References
Kosut, Mary. (2006, Dec). An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos The Journal of Popular Culture, 39(6), 1035-1048. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/journal.cgi?issn=00223840
Has our Nation become a tattooed one? According to Mary Kosut in her article “An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos”, the answer is yes; tattoos have been pulled from their subcultural roots (blue-collar, deviant, underground) and replanted in the mainstream, and this is confirmed by a plethora of books and toys marketed to the youngest consumers. There are tattooed Barbie’s, color-in tattoo kits, and temporary tattoos for kids to apply to their bodies. Our children are growing up in a tattoo-friendly culture (2006).
Tattooed Entertainment
Tattoos in the entertainment industry today are very prevalent, action heroes such as Vin Diesel, in his movie XXX, is depicted as a tattooed hero; not unlike Roger Moore, yet composed and fierce, getting the girl and saving the world too. Profession sports figures are filling up with tattoos, it is estimated that fifty percent of the National Basketball Association are tattooed. Musicians of all musical styling’s are tattooed from country, pop, R & B to Goth what ever you like, it would take much to find a star tattooed.
Fad
When conducting the research on the tattooed culture, Kosut said, her colleagues questioned the significance of the project because it appeared to be “just a fad.” However, tattoos decorate and permanently modify the body, for this reason tattooing is an “ironic fad”. It cannot be easily discarded like a pair of jeans; you just have to hope that they come back into style again some day (2006).
Process
Tattoos are individualized and personal, the actual tattooing process is explained by Kosut as, permanently re-inscribes the living body-thinking, breathing, sweating, wrinkling; tattoos invite a level of engagement because they become a permanent addition to the body/self. Sounds poetic, she also described, depending on the size and design of chosen tattoo and the pain threshold of the individual it may take numerous visits to complete a tattoo. Then there is the healing process that lasts for a week or so, with a wound that resembles a brush-burn that bleeds and scabs and eventually peels away (2006).
Media
The media has helped in mainstreaming tattooing by conveying tattoos as a legitimate cultural form, instead of distasteful. Boys as well as girls from all economic backgrounds and ethnic groups are getting tattoos and good grades. Tattoos are no longer only associated with the punks, gang members and bad kids from bad neighborhoods. I recently wrote an article on Abby from the television show NCIS, Abby is the Forensic Specialist for a team of investigators. When you first look at Abby, she is gothic all the way, jet black hair, black clothes, black platform boots with spikes all down the sides of them, a spiked necklace, listens to punk rock music and has tattoos all over the place, her neck, arms, back; well you get the picture. The typical stereotype of a person at first glance, that you would expect to have tattoos, however she is not typical she is extremely motivated, successful and bright, never stumped by forensic evidence and is religious about her field of study, she is energetic and bubbly. I brought this up as an example of the media mainstreaming tattooing and shedding a new light on an old stereotype.
Conclusion
Is our Nation a tattooed one? Yes it is; it’s tattooed with all walks of life; breathing, thinking, sweating and wrinkling; a level of engagement that is permanent.
References
Kosut, Mary. (2006, Dec). An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos The Journal of Popular Culture, 39(6), 1035-1048. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/journal.cgi?issn=00223840
3 comments:
This was an interesting article. I'm a huge fan of tattoos, and I love watching those shows, like Miami Ink. I think it's amazing how talented tattoo artists are, and how creative people can be when they get tattoos. Good choice and nice analysis of your article.
Your analysis was very easy to follow. I really like the quotes that you pulled from the article; they were very effective. Great job! The article was very laid back without characterizing those that have tattoos now; which I think was the whole point!
Tattoos are "living" art. I enjoy seeing photos of them and I even have one. I got it many years ago and I often regret having it done. My life has changed drastically in the past decade and I often see the tattoo as not being a true part of who I am. I like tattoos on other people just not me.
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