NBC ran a kicker at the end of our 6 AM newscast today about a man who covered his body with over 200 tattoos about the Olympic games. They covered his face, his arms, his chest…and who knows where else.
One of the anchors made a comment at the end that essentially remarked on his prospects of getting a job with such body art. We then received an email from an angry viewer who took offense to this, saying,
Such remarks are driven by the same fear and ignorance of unfamiliar customs that drives racism and other forms of bigotry: to the contrary, the appearance of a person, including heavy body modification, says NOTHING about his or her character or abilities…
I’m inclined to both agree and disagree with this viewer.
I recently got my first tattoo last week, on my foot, and everyone who knows me guessed right away what it was before they even saw it, because it epitomizes who I am: the interlocking NY symbol of the New York Yankees.
I chose to get it on my foot because it is easily covered up by certain shoes, but shows when I want it to. And unlike the viewer, I do think body art can say something about a person’s character and abilities- isn’t that, uh, the point of it?
I’m not saying everyone with a tattoo is a punk-rock loving, satan-worshipping, rebellious druggie. But obviously getting a tattoo can mean a few things.
For some, it’s cultural. Not so much in this country, but in other places. Here, I think it does speak to a bit of rebelliousness. I think it says a person is relatively outgoing, because they are displaying something they have chosen to show the world on their body.
I think it’s ridiculous to say tattoos don’t speak about a person’s character. Gang members get tattoos of tears on their face to represent loved ones killed. Parents sometimes get tattoos of dead children. Military personnel get tattoos representing some aspect of or person in military service. People like me get tattoos of their number one passion in life.
To compare judging people on their tattoos to bigotry and racism is absurd. Tattoos are a choice; people know when they get them, they may be judged. Race is not. I’m not saying discrimination is right in either case, but don’t insult the victims of racism by comparing them to those with tattoos.
It’s hard to look past someone with their entire skull tattooed; I mean, that’s why they did it- to get noticed. Especially having been raised by parents who tried to get me to subscribe to their conservatism, it’s sometimes hard to shake the judgmental habits I was raised by, and I’m sure it is for others, as well.
My father was less than happy about my new body art choice, despite his love of the Yankees, as well. As a former Marine, he thought since he never got a tattoo (in an environment where many do), there’s no reason I should have. While I disagree with him there, I do agree with him that people who choose to get their entire bodies tattooed subject themselves to judgment.
Honestly, I don’t think I want a person literally covered in tattoos babysitting my (non-existent) little kids. I don’t think I would want them to be a television reporter, or a U.S. ambassador. Why? Is it because I doubt their abilities? No. It’s because it would serve as a major distraction, if not a frightening factor, in all of those professions. I don’t think that’s discriminatory; I think that’s normal. I wouldn’t want the two year old I nanny for to cry or have nightmares because he can’t stop staring at his caregiver’s inked skull. I know I wouldn’t be able to focus on the news, and I’m not sure how other countries would respond to one of our representatives looking like he got caught in the swirl of bad decisions after a drunken night at a 1985 Motorhead concert.
But wait, Nikkee! You just stereotyped! Yes, I did, only to show that many people will think similarly. Tattoos on an accountant don’t mean he can’t compute numbers; tattoos on a doctor doesn’t mean he can’t save your life; and tattoos on a mechanic doesn’t mean he can’t fix your car. I don’t think people with tattoos should be automatically discriminated against in most professions. But for professions where appearance matters- like television, modeling or child care- those with tattoos will be judged just just as those with green hair, weird piercings or other distracting body art will be.
Where and how large you choose to get your tattoo can affect how people view you, as well as your employment opportunities- and I think that’s something people need to understand when they choose to permanently ink their bodies.
Nikkee Porcaro
(Newly Tattooed) Production Assistant
