Hw 32- Tattoos and The Presentation of the Self

After listening to Mr.Fanning story about his tattoos i thought that it was interesting how when he said that after his band broke up he decide to go more farther than this elbow more to his wrist. When he talked about his tattoos being armor i thought that was kind of significance, they were kind apart of him and like it was like his outer shell. When he said that America does not have the "formal right of passage" like in jewish reilgion when they reach thirteen they become a man or woman i agree. Maybe when people or young teens get tattoos, dye their hair, wear make-up or get piercing thats their own way of "formal right of passage" to grow or maybe not.

In my opinion, tattoos signify just you expressing yourself in art just as you do with hobbies or things you have passions for such as a sport, music, etc. Tattoos branch off to so many things. Depending who gets a tattoos it means different things such as age and race. If a minority got an tattoo they are considered hardcore and "hard life". On the other hand if a non-minority got an tattoo it means totally different.

Lots of time when people get tattoos they feel special and "cool". Its just very symbolic. When it comes to gendering tattoos, i think men get them on the triceps because it shows a sense of "i am a macho man! I am strong" etc as for the women getting them on their ankles and their cleavage its a sign of sensual and sexy. It crazy how we catergoizes us so that we are portrayed as this particular male or female.

I feel like back then tattoos were more like if you had one you were considered a rebel or like "oh my god you really got that?" to that degree. Nowadays when people get tattoos its common and its a not a "wow" factor but it also considered "cool". To me i like tattoos and think they are "cool". I actually want one myself. Seeing other people with tattoos makes me want to get one even more.