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144 The Tattoo Relationship
In recent years tattooists have also become more aware of the
physical risks inherent in working in such close proximity to the
blood of strangers. The possibility of contracting hepatitis.
herpes. AIDS. and other diseases transmitted through contact
with blood is of increasing concern to tattooists (cf. Becker et aI..
1961: 317-318). Most will refuse to work on customers with
rashes or obvious skin lesions. It has also becoming conventional
for tattooists to wear surgical gloves while working on clients. 9
Finally. tattooists typologize recipients on the basis of their
moral acceptability. Objectionable personal hygiene. choice of
overtly socially deviant symbols. and requests for tattoo placement
on genital areas or highly visible and stigmatizing body sites are
the major cues used by tattooists to make negative judgments
about the values. lifestyles. and attitudes of certain clients. It is
common for tattooists to refuse to service those individuals who
overtly appear to violate standards of good taste and propriety.
Given the close physical contact involved in the delivery of the
tattoo service. it is understandable that cleanliness is one of the
most common characteristics tattooists mention when asked
about the differential acceptability of clients. One of the more misanthropic
interviewees put it this way:
On the negative side of tattOOing you have the scum element of
the public; the ones that don't think it is necessary to bathe.
or change their clothes. or whatever after work before coming
to the tattoo shop. They think dirt is flne. There's the asshole
biker types who thrive on dirt and want to talk about their
motorcycle life constantly while you are tattooing them. These
are the ones I dislike the most because I could care less about
their motorcycles or their biker life-style. But when you work
with the public you have to expect a certain percentage of
geeks. filthy people. and scum in general because a large
percentage of tattooing is done on this type of person.
As discussed in a preceding chapter. the tattoo recipient's
choice of design and body location reveal much about his or her
interests. values. and attitudes. Tattooee choice is. therefore. an
important indicator tattooists use to evaluate the taste and moral
acceptability of their clients. Under most circumstances. most