PRINTPhysical graffitti
A subtle stigma for getting inked remains after tattoos' mid-’90s rise to Main Street.
PHOTO: STOCK.XCHNG
Perhaps a strategically placed butterfly tattoo has personal significance to this girl, but society has associated such lower back tattoos with promiscuity. Dubbing it the “tramp stamp” has only solidified the stigma.
June 3, 2009 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Often considered the mark of criminals and social deviants, tattoos have a long, sordid past in contemporary society. Fathers have forbidden daughters to permanently blemish their bodies and invite judgment. Prisoners decorate their biceps with gang signs and hate messages. Yet people continue to inscribe names, music lyrics, works of art and other sentiments on their bodies, and the popularity of tattoos is growing. The stigma, however, is slower to die.
Women with tattoos attract especially derogatory stereotypes. The lower back tattoo, or “tramp stamp” as it is commonly referred to on women, is loaded with sexual innuendo. Granted, the lower back is a sexy part of the body, but not everyone with a tattoo in that area is a wanton hussy. “It makes me laugh,” says Adya Crawford, a tattoo artist at Living Canvas, 520 E. Broadway. Crawford thinks the lower back is a perfect spot for a tattoo. People prone to judge cannot see beneath the skin. If they did, they would see that Crawford was an honor roll student and is now an accomplished artist with a warm smile and friendly disposition — she’s not disgruntled, wild or promiscuous, as the stereotype of tattoed individuals may indicate.
Not surprisingly, there is no equivalent of the tramp stamp for men. If anything, a man is considered more macho when inked. Consider the strength and manliness of Popeye — yes, the sailor man — and his skinny, nearly incompetent arm candy, Olive Oyl. Constantly rescuing Miss Oyl from brawny villains, Popeye, and his bulbous forearms complete with anchor tattoos, is an archetypal representation of masculinity similar to the strong, burly men who ride Harley Davidsons and don black leather vests.
The dubious nature of tattoos, however, is a phenomenon of recent centuries. The ancient Egyptian art of tattooing was almost entirely relegated to women. When examined, female Egyptian mummies were found to have tattoos on their thighs, stomachs and breasts, which were apparently talismans to protect the women during pregnancy and childbirth, according to an article on Smithsonian.com. Many American Indian tribes tattooed both their men and women. The Lakota tribe traditionally believed that a proper tattoo is required to enter the afterlife.
Like the Egyptians, modern women often use tattoos to mark a significant time or person in their life, a personal triumph or an inspirational and meaningful quotation. Gabe Garcia of Hollywood Rebels Tattoo, 11 N. Tenth Street, remembers one woman who wanted a small tattoo on her shoulder, and when he finished she started to cry. Having just ended an abusive relationship, this was the first time she did something for herself. “‘I’m finally moving past that and moving on with my life,’” Garcia recalls the woman saying. “For some people, getting a tattoo is a sense of freedom,” Garcia says.
Although the stereotype is fading, there is still a generational disparity in the attitude toward tattoos, says Garcia: “We live in a society where everybody judges people.” However, Garcia also says that people with tattoos should be prepared for any back lash. The un-tattooed, who may be quick to make assumptions, might want to stop and think again. “Maybe look a little deeper than somebody’s outward appearance,” Garcia says.
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