Customizing the Body (PDF file) - Print My Tattoo

54 Becoming and Being a Tattooed Person
almost always be someone who reacts with a show of disgust.
"How could you do that to yourself?" No wonder I usually feel
more relaxed and at home with bikers and other tattooed
people.
I think tattoos look sharp. I walk down the beach and people
look at my tattoos. Usually then don't say anything. (When they
do) I wish they would say it to my face ... like, "Tattoos are
ugly." But, when they say something behind my back.... "Isn't
that gross:' Hey, keep your comments to yourself! If you don't
like it, you don't like it. I went to the beach with my father and
I said, "Hey, let's walk down the beach," and he said, "No, I
don't feel like it." What are you, embarrassed to walk with me?
Given the negative responses that tattooees encounter with
some frequency when casual associates or strangers become
aware of their body decorations, most are selective about to whom
they reveal their tattoos. This is particularly the case when the
"other" is in a position to exercise control over the tattooee.
Usually I'm fairly careful about who I show my tattoos to. I
don't show them to people at work unless they are really close
friends of mine and I know I won't get any kind of hassle
because of them. I routinely hide my tattoos ... I generally
hide them from people who wouldn't understand or people who
could potentially cause me trouble. I hide them from my boss
and from a lot of the people I work with because there is no
reason for them to know.
Tattooees commonly use the reactions of casual associates or
relative strangers as a means of categorizing them. A positive reaction
to the tattoo indicates social and cultural compatib1l1ty,
while a negatively judgmental response is seen as signifying a
narrow and convention-bound perspective.
I get more positive reactions than I do negative reactions. The
negative reactions come from people who aren't like me-who
have never done anything astray. It is the straight-laced,
conservative person who really doesn't believe that this is
acceptable in their set of norms. It seems as though I can