It seems the stigma around individuals with tattoos is dwindling at a faster rate than ever. These days 1 in 3 Americans have a tattoo, but even with so many of us getting tattoos it seems there are still a few barriers for us to overcome.
Tattoo stigma is still a part of our every day.
We tend to appreciate celebrities who showcase great art on there bodies, but with social media growing as rapidly as acceptance it also seems a lot more people have an opinion about what we choose to do with our bodies. As members of the tattoo community we tend to consume all news surrounding our art and just a couple weeks ago we read about Victoria Beckham’s so called mom-shaming social media event. Posh Spice was criticized for her adult son’s choices. Naturally, her son Brooklyn Beckham has taken a liking to tattoos. Which is interesting considering no one tells his father, soccer star David Beckham, what to do.
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Why are we so obsessed with what others do with their bodies? Tattoos are a wonderful form of self-expression. In the “tattoos” episode of the Netflix series Explained, a man said fittingly said, “this is my inside on the outside." The clear conclusion is that as humans we absolutely love to criticize. Although we might think tattoos are great and even have some ourselves that won’t stop us from criticizing others. The tattoo stigma and history of tattoos with negative connotations will continue to disperse over time. As more of us get tattooed this so-called taboo will soon be a thing of the past. These days chances are if you’re not tattooed many of the people you know are and that is a testament to the changing climate. There is an incredible diaspora of tattoo styles all emanating and developing from influences of the past. The mixing and melding of classic and contemporary styles has given us all something to admire. New technologies have also made it faster and easier to get a tattoo. As tattoos continue to become more common and widely acceptable the art will continue to evolve.
Point is… we are all critics now and then, but tattoos are a choice we should all respect. If you don’t like them, don’t get them. As they say, to each their own.
