Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
93 The Tattooist "scratchers" turned out work that was technically incompetent, marked public skin with anti-social symbols, and threatened the physical well-being of their unsuspecting and unsophisticated customer/victims with their unsanitary equipment and work practices. A lot of the people who just get their Easyrtder tattoo kits are just into it for the money. For everyone that is coming up and trying to improve themselves and better things, there are probably half a dozen more that are just tearing down what other people are doing. I'm learning all the time and getting more aware. It gets spooky-I'm trying to bulld up my business and all of these people out here who are bootlegging are just making it worse for everyone else. A lot of people might start coming down with diseases or they're going to be tattooing people that aren't of age, getting people in an uproar. Maybe theyl1 try and close everything down now. Because of the stigma surrounding their occupation, tattooists are the focus of both formal and informal efforts to constrain or, in some cases, prohibit their activities. 15 Tattooists frequently recounted tales oflegal difficulties, police harassment, unannounced visits from health department inspectors, and other forms of negative offiCial attention. One interviewee, for example, described his experience in trying to open a studio in the New York metropolitan area: [Established artist) was interested in starting a business and asked me if I was interested in going in as a partner in the business. So we began dOing some research into [City) as a potential location. So we were trying to find out from the health department if they had any ordinances bearing on tattOOing. I told him that I had friends that probably could do the research without stirring up a lot of snakes so that we could find out exactly what the story was. So I was in the process of putting out all of the feelers I had trying to find out that information. He went ahead and called up the health department and just blatantly asked them if they had any ordinances on tattooing. They said, "Well, well call you back
94 The Tattooist tomorrow and let you know." So they called him back the next day and said, "Yes, we have an ordinance against tattooing:' He said, "Well, could you send me a copy of it." They said, "Certainly:' So they put it in the mail and when we received it it was dated the day after he called. So they had an emergency meeting of the city council, the mayor signed it and there was their ordinance banning tattOOing. Another tattooist spoke of the legal restraints on tattooing in his state as being the responsibility of a few legislators who were prejudiced against tattOOing. The legal thing is funny. In Massachusetts it's illegal. In Oklahoma it's illegal to do tattoos. You feel that laws that prohibit things should prohibit things that are bad for the public. Why is tattooing bad for the public in Massachusetts or Oklahoma but it is O.K. for the public in California? It's bad for the people in New York City but it is good for the people in the rest of the state. There's no other answer than what is being turned into laws is the personal preferences of the people who are making the laws at the time. If there were people in the legislature who did like tattooing at the time the laws would be much different. What it usually is is a couple of people who don't like it and the rest of them don't give a damn one way or the other. You don't get many votes saying, ''I'm for tattOOing:' It's the personal whims of a few people who happen to be in power. A third interviewee expressed a colorfully negative view of offiCialdom but, at the same time, recognized the financial advantages he enjoyed because tattooing was legally prohibited in an adjacent state. Tattoo artists are the most discriminated against group in the country. They aren't allowed to discriminate against the Jews or the niggers anymore so they have to get us. You can go right down the street here and get any kind of porno and that's O.K. because it is free expression. You can fuck somebody in the ass or suck their cock and that's O.K. because it is among consenting adults. You can go to this abortion mill and kill
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94 The <strong>Tattoo</strong>ist<br />
tomorrow and let you know." So <strong>the</strong>y called him back <strong>the</strong> next<br />
day and said, "Yes, we have an ordinance against tattooing:' He<br />
said, "Well, could you send me a copy of it." They said,<br />
"Certainly:' So <strong>the</strong>y put it in <strong>the</strong> mail and when we received it<br />
it was dated <strong>the</strong> day after he called. So <strong>the</strong>y had an emergency<br />
meeting of <strong>the</strong> city council, <strong>the</strong> mayor signed it and <strong>the</strong>re was<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ordinance banning tattOOing.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r tattooist spoke of <strong>the</strong> legal restraints on tattooing in his<br />
state as being <strong>the</strong> responsibility of a few legislators who were prejudiced<br />
against tattOOing.<br />
The legal thing is funny. In Massachusetts it's illegal. In<br />
Oklahoma it's illegal to do tattoos. You feel that laws that<br />
prohibit things should prohibit things that are bad for <strong>the</strong><br />
public. Why is tattooing bad for <strong>the</strong> public in Massachusetts or<br />
Oklahoma but it is O.K. for <strong>the</strong> public in California? It's bad<br />
for <strong>the</strong> people in New York City but it is good for <strong>the</strong> people in<br />
<strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong> state. There's no o<strong>the</strong>r answer than what is<br />
being turned into laws is <strong>the</strong> personal preferences of <strong>the</strong> people<br />
who are making <strong>the</strong> laws at <strong>the</strong> time. If <strong>the</strong>re were people in<br />
<strong>the</strong> legislature who did like tattooing at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> laws<br />
would be much different. What it usually is is a couple of<br />
people who don't like it and <strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong>m don't give a damn<br />
one way or <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. You don't get many votes saying, ''I'm for<br />
tattOOing:' It's <strong>the</strong> personal whims of a few people who happen<br />
to be in power.<br />
A third interviewee expressed a colorfully negative view of offiCialdom<br />
but, at <strong>the</strong> same time, recognized <strong>the</strong> financial advantages<br />
he enjoyed because tattooing was legally prohibited in an adjacent<br />
state.<br />
<strong>Tattoo</strong> artists are <strong>the</strong> most discriminated against group in <strong>the</strong><br />
country. They aren't allowed to discriminate against <strong>the</strong> Jews<br />
or <strong>the</strong> niggers anymore so <strong>the</strong>y have to get us. You can go right<br />
down <strong>the</strong> street here and get any kind of porno and that's O.K.<br />
because it is free expression. You can fuck somebody in <strong>the</strong> ass<br />
or suck <strong>the</strong>ir cock and that's O.K. because it is among<br />
consenting adults. You can go to this abortion mill and kill
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