Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo
105 The Tattooist There is a common perception among the general public that many of the people who receive tattoos do so because they are drunk and pressured into it by similarly intoxicated associates. Actually, most tattooists are extremely careful to avoid working on people who are obViously under the influence of alcohol (or other drugs). Drunken clients tend to generate conflict in the shop, and tattooists are aware that tattooing someone who is not entirely free to choose the procedure has the potential for causing trouble. In a business that continues to labor under the reputation of being on the margins of respectability, at best, this is to be avoided. Most shops have a prominently located sign that states the cardinal rules of the establishment-"PAY IN CASH, NO TATTOOING OF DRUNKS OR MINORS:' While most intOXicated clients use alcohol as an analgesic in anticipation of a painful process rather than a deinhibiting motivator,they are roundly disliked by tattooists and are often the object of humorous disdain. The following exchange is drawn from my fieldnotes: [Quote from fieldnotesl the artists get into talking about how hard it is to work on drunks. Mttch:-These fuckers come in here drunk and they're no good at all. You can't get them to stay still. Theyjust keep on falling over. Bob:-When I was working down in Georgia this guy came in real drunk and wanted a pattern put on. I got him shaved and put the stencil on and the guy got up, looked at it in the mirror, paid his forty bucks and left. (Laughter.) M-The other day I was working on this guy and he was drinking soda. But he was getting loaded-he had booze in the can. Finally he started to fall of the stool and his brother had to come over and we leaned him up against the wall. His brother was real pissed. Apologized all over the place. Some clients are defined as troublesome because they do not exercise an acceptable level of care over their personal hygiene. Working in close physical proximity with the client's body, the tattooist demands a certain minimal degree of cleanliness.
106 The Tattooist I refused a guy last night because he was too dirty. It was about 100 degrees out and he works in a body shop all day and he comes in straight from work and he was filthy. I just told him, "Look, I don't give baths here. Go home and clean up and come back. I'm not working on you like that:' The other day there was this guy in here getting a coverup, and he was filthy and sitting here farting. A real pig. That was real obnoxious. I was about ready to tell him to leave and go take care of his gas problem. I don't like it when people come in here and you spray their arm with alcohol and all this dirt comes off like they never took a bath before. You think about going to the doctor ... most people I know shower before they come in. Finally, customers who shop for tattoos solely on the basis of price ("What can I get for $25?"), complain about the cost of the piece they select, or attempt to bargain with the tattooist for a lower price are also negatively defined. These clients are seen as not being respectful of the tattooist's expertise ("You wouldn't bargain with your dentist about how much he charges for fixing your teeth") or as not displaying sufficient commitment to tattooing ("They don't want a tattoo, they just want to be tattooed"). It pisses me off when someone doesn't even understand what I am doing. I draw something for someone that is highly detailed, intelligently colored, a very exciting piece, real nut-busting type of work and I give him a price-say eighty bucks or whatever-and the guy rolls up his sleeve and he says, "That's too fuckin' high because I got this in the Philippines for thirty cents in 1952:' How do you combat that? Look jerk. don't you see that there is a difference. There is a difference between 1952 and 1985. In those days it was a dime for a bottle of beer and now it is a buck and a quarter. When people are so blind that they don't know that there is a difference I find it very frustrating. All I can tell them is to go back to the Philippines and go back to 1952. I don't ask people to agree with me-just to understand.
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105 The <strong>Tattoo</strong>ist<br />
There is a common perception among <strong>the</strong> general public that<br />
many of <strong>the</strong> people who receive tattoos do so because <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
drunk and pressured into it by similarly intoxicated associates.<br />
Actually, most tattooists are extremely careful to avoid working on<br />
people who are obViously under <strong>the</strong> influence of alcohol (or o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
drugs). Drunken clients tend to generate conflict in <strong>the</strong> shop, and<br />
tattooists are aware that tattooing someone who is not entirely<br />
free to choose <strong>the</strong> procedure has <strong>the</strong> potential for causing trouble.<br />
In a business that continues to labor under <strong>the</strong> reputation of being<br />
on <strong>the</strong> margins of respectability, at best, this is to be avoided.<br />
Most shops have a prominently located sign that states <strong>the</strong> cardinal<br />
rules of <strong>the</strong> establishment-"PAY IN CASH, NO TATTOOING<br />
OF DRUNKS OR MINORS:' While most intOXicated clients use alcohol<br />
as an analgesic in anticipation of a painful process ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />
than a deinhibiting motivator,<strong>the</strong>y are roundly disliked by tattooists<br />
and are often <strong>the</strong> object of humorous disdain. The following<br />
exchange is drawn from my fieldnotes:<br />
[Quote from fieldnotesl <strong>the</strong> artists get into talking about how<br />
hard it is to work on drunks.<br />
Mttch:-These fuckers come in here drunk and <strong>the</strong>y're no good<br />
at all. You can't get <strong>the</strong>m to stay still. Theyjust keep on falling<br />
over.<br />
Bob:-When I was working down in Georgia this guy came in<br />
real drunk and wanted a pattern put on. I got him shaved and<br />
put <strong>the</strong> stencil on and <strong>the</strong> guy got up, looked at it in <strong>the</strong><br />
mirror, paid his forty bucks and left. (Laughter.)<br />
M-The o<strong>the</strong>r day I was working on this guy and he was<br />
drinking soda. But he was getting loaded-he had booze in <strong>the</strong><br />
can. Finally he started to fall of <strong>the</strong> stool and his bro<strong>the</strong>r had<br />
to come over and we leaned him up against <strong>the</strong> wall. His<br />
bro<strong>the</strong>r was real pissed. Apologized all over <strong>the</strong> place.<br />
Some clients are defined as troublesome because <strong>the</strong>y do not<br />
exercise an acceptable level of care over <strong>the</strong>ir personal hygiene.<br />
Working in close physical proximity with <strong>the</strong> client's body, <strong>the</strong> tattooist<br />
demands a certain minimal degree of cleanliness.
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