Tattoos: Not Just For Bikers Anymore

In the distant past, tattoos had the smallest modicum of acceptance, primarily based on the people who wore them. When military men came back to the States after serving overseas, it was difficult to express too much negativity about the names of their sweethearts or "Mom and Dad" emblazoned on their arms. It's likely that the acceptance was more for the wearer than the tattoo, though, for tattoos had not attained a degree of respectability with the American public in general. As syphilis became more widespread, and with the less-than-sanitary tattooing procedures adding to its increase, New York City eventually banned tattooing, and did not make the practice legal again until 1997.

As disdain for the military began to spread across the United States, so did a new counter-culture. To most Americans during that time-period, the word "tattoo" was synonymous for those who were outside of the mainstream of America, thumbing their noses at society. It brought to mind the fringe-element of undesirables, from the widely-movie "Easy Rider" to the infamous Hell's Angels. Greasy individuals who rode motorcycles and displayed obnoxious artwork on various parts of their bodies-- bikers were only "cool" amongst their own kind, and thought of in a very unfavorable light by most of the American population. In general, tattoos were limited to that range of individuals; and both the bikers and their "sleeves" was something the population at large preferred to do without.

Although in some locales, especially those with Navy bases, tattoos continued to enjoy a moderate degree of acceptance throughout the 'seventies, they still were not considered a respectable means of personal expression within the mainstream population. The younger generation who lived in these areas, with the usual curiosity of youth, often frequented tattoo parlors and began to make tattoos a part of their lifestyle. As these were usually young adults whose lifestyle included drug use and too much alcohol, their embracing the practice of tattoos did not assist in convincing the older generation that there was anything positive about it. One tattoo artist who practiced in the Navy town of Port Hueneme, California, remarked that the types of individuals whose lifestyle included tattoos were the kind of people who "don't usually make it to forty years old."
Also commenting that tattoos are "a fever," he shed some light on the most negative aspects of this practice. Even though by law artists were not supposed to do such artwork on individuals who were in any state of intoxication, his clients were usually in either of two categories: those who requested tattoos while seriously under-the-influence, and the fainters. His tattoo studio had a large couch for the benefit of the latter. Young drug users and Navy men made up the majority of his customers.
It was not until the early eighties that tattoos began to gain positive exposure. With the Long Island based band "The Stray Cats" appearing on the cover of the music magazine Rolling Stone, not only did this bring the rockabilly music style back into popularity it was also one of the first steps in helping tattoos gain widespread appeal. In stepping away from the coarse music of that particular time-period, the Stray Cats' scope was that of good clean music and good clean fun; and tattoos were a part of that image. Suddenly everybody wanted to be a part of it all, including the tattoos; and although it was often to the chagrin of the older generation, tattoos began to have less negativity attached to them.

As tattoos ceased to be solely connected to the counter-culture, they started to appear on everybody. In the following years they started showing up on average Americans all across the United States. Tattoo studios sprung up in cities that had colleges and universities, making tattoos an accepted part of life for students. As the people in that age group became older, their tattoos remained, as well as the interest in tattoos developing amongst the newer younger generation. In most parts of the United States they are now commonplace, and considered to be just a basic form of self-expression.

Tattoos Around The World

As tattoos are slowly but surely gaining acceptance and popularity amongst most of the American population, it is interesting to note how widespread the appeal of this practice is becoming in other countries around the world. It is also interesting to consider how various other cultures view this practice, and whether those views have changed over time as has been the case with the United States.

Although it may be surprising to Americans whose main source of familiarity with Oriental symbols and other artwork comes from viewing this lovely, traditional art in tattoo studios all across the United States, due to the significant influence of Buddhist and Confucianist religions both the Japanese and Chinese societies take a very negative view of tattoos. In these societies, tattooing was a means of branding criminals; it was not acceptable for citizens to engage in the process. In today's society, tattoos are still unacceptable. Although their younger generation usually takes a more liberal view of tattooing, the youngsters who have them generally keep them covered.

Tattoos have long been a part of life for royalty in Great Britain. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors King George the fifth and King Edward the seventh, one of today's most well-known royal figures, Prince Charles, also sports a tattoo. Unlike in the distant past, however, tattoos in Great Britain are no longer limited to the class of royalty; during the past few decades, tattoos showing up on their rock stars has brought the practice to the mainstream population. What was once a status symbol for wealthy public figures has become a widespread part of everyday life for the younger generations.

In Mexico, tattoos were originally thought of as a symbol of courage. The early explorers who arrived in Mexico in 1519 believed the practice to be the influence of Satan. In a recent survey, more than half of those polled who were over age thirteen stated that they would consider getting a tattoo. While most expressed a preference for designs such as flowers, religious symbols, or names, some said they would like a tattoo of their favorite brands of soda or beer. This is assisting in marketing to some degree, as many people in Mexico City now consider tattoos to be a fashion accessory, not only widely acceptable but in style.

In Vietnam, tattooing is still currently illegal, and is rarely done except in prisons. For those who insist on having some type of body modification in light of the laws against tattooing, cigarette burns are used instead. It is rare that anyone other than gang members utilize this practice.

Considering both the Biblical prohibitions against tattooing and the still-present memories of the Holocaust, it is not surprising that most of the older generation in Israel continues to hold a negative view of tattoos. It is a little surprising, though, that the younger generation not only does not always share this viewpoint, and actually considers the practice of getting tattoos of religious symbols to be a visible sign of pride in their Jewish heritage and identity.

In assessing both the historical aspects and present-day points of view, it's not difficult to see that for many countries around the world culture plays a significant role in whether or not tattoos are thought of as an acceptable form of self-expression. In most cases it is also clear that with or without cultural influences, times change and with the changing times comes different ways of looking at the subject of tattoos. What took a very long time to gain widespread popularity in the United States has proceeded in a similar fashion in most other countries also.

What Do The Religions Say About Tattoos?

One subject on which the major Biblically-based religions agree is that getting a tattoo is wrong. Fundamentalist Christians, Catholics, and Jews all agree on this. They do, however, hold very different viewpoints on why it is wrong. It is interesting to take a look at the beliefs and viewpoints of these religions-- not only what each one believes, but what each one bases that belief upon.

For Fundamentalist Christians, the generally-expressed opinion is that people should not get tattoos because tattoos are "a pagan practice." Fundamentalist leaders state that this is a good enough reason for not getting tattoos, although they also add that there is nothing in the Bible which states that a person should not. Potential confusion regarding this standpoint is explained in terms of the Fundamentalist belief that the whole of the Bible consists of the New Testament, and the New Testament contains no references to tattooing, either positive or negative. Describing the practice of tattooing as something that was, or is, done by pagans, constitutes their main objection to the practice.

As Catholics believe that the Old Testament is as relevant as the New Testament, the general Catholic negativity toward the subject is covered by such Scripture passages as Leviticus 19:28, which reads "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead, nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves..." For most Catholics, though, it is still usually considered to be more a matter of personal interpretation and personal choice. The usual modern-day Catholic interpretation of the subject is that while tattooing is indeed wrong by Biblical standards, it is not necessarily sinful.

The Jewish faith takes the subject, and negativity about it, even further. As the Books of the Old Testament are taken to be the word of God, and commandments to be adhered to, in the Jewish faith tattoos are something which is simply not done. This commandment against any desecration of the body has been proported to be one of the main reasons tattooing was done on observant Jews at the concentration camps during the Holocaust; it was not merely a means of identification as many people assume. It was an attempt to separate observant Jews from their God, albeit unwillingly.

In the Jewish faith, desecrating the body with tattoos is considered to be such a violation of the commandments that a person who has tattoos is sometimes denied burial in Jewish cemeteries. While this used to be the standard practice, modern times reflecting fewer prohibitions has resulted in this being less of a concern than in the past. Although today few but the most orthodox consider it to be a serious issue, it is still indeed an issue.
The general consensus amongst these three major Biblically-based faiths is that it is wrong to get tattoos, although each one's reasons and points of view certainly differ. Whatever one's personal faith may happen to be, the two main factors involve both what one's religion teaches about tattoos, and what their specific reason is for it. These are important factors regardless of how observant an person is of his or her particular religion; and makes it clear that one should consider both factors in order to make an informed decision on whether or not to get a tattoo.

Problems Associated With Tattoos

Although getting a tattoo is generally safe, there are a few risk factors and potential problems which one should be aware of. The largest risk factor is that of acquiring a communicable disease. While more strict health regulations and most tattoo artists' compliance with these regulations has significantly reduced these risks, it is still important to be aware of them. In the distant past, lack of appropriate sanitary conditions in some tattoo parlors led to an uprise in communicable diseases, primarily syphilis, which in turn led to some locations banning tattoo parlors and making the practice illegal.

These days, tattoo artists are required to be licensed, and the cleanliness of their studios must be maintained. In the interest of keeping both the artist and the customer safe from contracting disease, ever since AIDS began to be well-known and feared, most artists have taken on the practice of wearing sterile gloves while tattooing their customers. As acquiring a tattoo does involve some degree of bleeding, wearing these gloves is an important safety-precaution for both the customer and artist alike. Preventing the spread of AIDS and other diseases is also why reputable artists use disposable tattooing needles, as well as disposing of any leftover ink which has been taken from the original tube; whatever was not used on the specific customer must be thrown away.

One risk which is always present is that of infection. Having a tattoo done only by a licensed artist is the most important way to reduce this risk. Unfortunately, the so-called "jailhouse tattoos" popular with inmates has become common amongst other people also. People who cannot afford the high cost of having a tattoo done at a studio frequently attempt to tattoo themselves. Regardless of whether they know what they're doing or not, they do not have the same sterile conditions as a licensed studio. Even more distressing is that this is also in practice amongst the younger generation-- kids who are not old enough to have a tattoo done legally at a studio attempt their own artwork, not only without appropriate sterile conditions but also without the necessary professional equipment. This practice significantly increases one's risk of serious infection, and can also lead to blood poisoning.

Not knowing the facts about proper care of a new tattoo can also cause problems. Reputable artists caution their customers to not allow a new tattoo to be saturated with water from bathing or swimming, nor to expose it to direct sunlight for a certain number of days. Many either provide their customers with special skin-care solutions or advise them to purchase and use it. Although there are products specifically designed to promote the healing of tattoos, the triple-antibiotic topical cream called Bacitracin is still one of the most widely used and effective means of protecting and healing skin which has been damaged by receiving a tattoo. The proper care of a new tattoo is not difficult, but neglecting to do so can increase one's risk of infection and permanent damage to the skin.

Although health complications would generally be considered the most important risk, many people who decide to get tattoos do not think about the potential impact on one's everyday life. Regardless of one's personal opinion on the subject and how affected one may be by it, it is a fact that having tattoos can be detrimental to a person's success in the business world, and also have an effect on one's personal or social life. In most areas, and in most lines of work, having visible tattoos can be a barrier to getting hired for a job. The common sense way of dealing with this is to simply adopt a professional attitude and wear clothing which covers the tattoos. In some locations, where tattoos are thought to be something favored only by particular groups of people, for others to have tattoos may cause them to be wrongly judged or categorized. Keeping a positive attitude is the key.