As the semester winds down, the last section of the class has focused on productions projected onto the body. Lafrance simply wrote and could be summarized that there are two bodies that people have: one, our physical body that we are accustomed to, and second, the body we have after we add adornments and feel comfortable with the "first" body we have. Discussed further was the predicament that one is never content with the skin that one lives with.
Vail's writing explains that those who get tattoos are doing it more so for the creation of the body and skin telling a story that is associated with that individual, rather than getting the tattoo to simply look interesting or "cool." The collectors of the tattoos also explained that it was important to them to have their tattoos to commemorate something important to them. From the publication date of the Vail writing, 1999, society has also moved forward in that tattoos do not carry the same stigmatization around the publishing date. However, there are connotations around the group of individuals and word tattoo that arises. Further, the body that decides to have tattoos and piercings seems as a political statement in that the individual opposes societal norms and uses their body, and by default skin, to portray their message.
Extrapolating from the Lafrance piece, we can all relate to the pressures of having to "look good" and to look decent when leaving the house to go out into public because "first impressions matter." The phenomena of having to present oneself to be "pretty" or "handsome" has manifested itself in the stores where we buy our own cosmetics. Going down the aisle's to buy deodorant, body wash, tooth paste, lotions, etc there are so many products aimed to boost self confidence and the market tells us that one product can in fact aid in that depleted level of confidence. I can't help but think of the Queen song 'Under Pressure' when buying cosmetics because of the image to look "sexy" or "handsome" is so predominant and the advertising for specific products aids in that message that if you were to buy their product, you will feel comfortable in your skin once again.
Even looking at the comedic, ridiculous Jersey Shore, the need to appear tan and present the body in a new way (GTL) to feel confident is apparent. The need to be tan is to attract a sexual partner and when one of the cast mates did not feel "tan", they didn't feel comfortable. Tan skin --> comfortable and confident --> feeling better in the "second" body.
Even pop queen, world mega star Beyoncé writes of the pressure of being 'pretty' and the discomfort of not feeling good in the skin one is born into. Her video "Pretty Hurts" exposes the flawed messages society sends to individuals to look and act in an attractive way if they don't feel great in the skin the have. In all, because one doesn't feel good in the skin their in, society helps to perpetuate that message and makes one feel like they're not worthy leading the individual to purchase certain items, participate in diets, buy certain clothing, etc.
I think you bring up very good points about what pressure society puts on individuals to be pretty, and use all sorts of products to change the skins appearance in order to reach that look everyone is striving for. In the Lafrance reading he talks about how people in our society are spending so much money now days on skin lifts and face creams and things of that nature. This obsession with beauty and the appearance of the skin has crept into everyone’s lives it seems. Even I have worried about things like acne, the society does pressure us to do things to change how we look so we can achieve some unnecessary beauty standard. I think it’s not right, and can even be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI think you really hit the nail on the head with everything you're saying! In our modern society, appearance truly is everything. We are a people used to feeling uncomfortable in our own skin, as ridiculous as that sounds. I remember when I got my first tattoo. My mom, obsessed with me maintaining my "pageant girl" image of bygone high school days, was devastated. I never thought 4 itty bitty letters and 3 numbers on the inside of my left wrist would create such a fuss. Her mind immediately went to what people would think. She said I'd always have to wear a watch or long sleeves in the professional environment. Considering my future job ambitions are to be a lawyer, she's probably right on this one. But I think the real issue is not with the fact that I have a tattoo, which was my mom's concern, but with what it says: Phil 4:13. My favorite Bible verse. In a world of neutrality, such a blatant display of my spiritual leanings could be detrimental to me in numerous situations. Suddenly I have this immense pressure to conform, to hide my beliefs, to be ashamed at a display of my faith. Tattoos, and an individual's appearance in general, certainly have the power to create a system of privilege and power. As a teenager, my parents spent countless dollars on treatment for my troublesome skin, the main concern was that my acne would scar my skin, ultimately subtracting from my physical appearance and disadvantaging me and eliminating certain opportunities I may or may not have had in life. As you point out, no one is exempt from this! Even our beloved Queen Bey feels the pressure society to look good (not FEEL good) in her own skin. I think we should be more concerned with promoting feeling confident and comfortable and proud in one's own skin, even if that means tattoos, pock marks, or facial piercings. The importance is not in the aesthetics, but in the physiological wellness and feelings of the person.
ReplyDeleteYou never really notice that your skin is one of the most prominent ways to convey a message (besides things like clothing). It usually becomes the biggest tool that corporations and society use against people. Shoving skin care products in your face with guarantees of increased confidence and vitality. When you and Vail discuss the connotations of tattoos, it seems the skin becomes perceived much in the same way weight is. Too many tattoos (too much weight) makes you some type of irresponsible person. Like Lucas, everyone at some point, whether conscious or not, is trying to achieve some type of beauty standard. Skin can be one of those ways to manage first impressions that seem ever so important.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that society pressures individuals when it comes to beauty and what it means to be beautiful. These pressures obviously lead to modifications of one's body, specifically their skin. However, I find tattoos to be something that is so difficult to analyze that it is hard to make conclusions about someone's personal intentions that they had when getting a tattoo. I agree with Vail about collectors becoming passionate about tattoos because they see it as an art form that is very expressive, but when focusing on people who only have one or two tattoos it is much harder to see someone's personal reasoning for modifying their skin. Social class is, in my opinion, the best indicator for understanding why someone get a tattoo and the impression they want to give off. For example, someone of lower economic means may be tattooed to show strength and power and may be more concern about the visibility of the tattoo. On the other hand, someone coming from a wealthier background may have a tattoo that has a lot of personal meaning and is hard to publicly see. Obviously, there are exceptions to this opinion I have (athletes, performers, etc.), but I think it is an important factor to consider when talking about people in the "affinity" stage of tattooing.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that pressure to look a certain way comes from society. You also make very compelling points with you examples of Beyonce and Jersey Shore, but I think there is more to it when it comes to tattoos. A lot of people will say "you won't get a job if your tattoo is visible during the interview", and things along that nature. This is another pressure from society that conflicts with where people might originally put a tattoo. Because tattoos are permanent, I believe this is an issue. The way society is constructed can really restict where we can get our tattoos to a couple of places, especially girls, and it shouldn't really matter. Tattoos should not be a way of showing professionalism or intelligence.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you that pressure to look a certain way comes from society. You also make very compelling points with you examples of Beyonce and Jersey Shore, but I think there is more to it when it comes to tattoos. A lot of people will say "you won't get a job if your tattoo is visible during the interview", and things along that nature. This is another pressure from society that conflicts with where people might originally put a tattoo. Because tattoos are permanent, I believe this is an issue. The way society is constructed can really restict where we can get our tattoos to a couple of places, especially girls, and it shouldn't really matter. Tattoos should not be a way of showing professionalism or intelligence.
ReplyDeleteLaFrance does bring up good points in the reading but what stuck out to me was hid opinion about why people get tattoos. I agree with him about tattoos because I didn't just get them to look cool or become a part of a crowd. I got my tattoos like he said because I feel like it tells a story about myself by just looking at my physical appearance. Too me if wasn't because I felt uncomfortable in my skin or unattractive, I just wanted to have some meaningful things about me marked on my body that were permanent. And I also agree with the Jersey Shore reference you made. it just shows how so many people are focused on the way their skin looks just to feel comfort with themselves and that's what the media portrays so everyone is persuaded by it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with several of your points and many of the concepts and points in the Lafrance reading. However, i think this whole conversation of the beauty standard goes back to the western idealized version of beauty. What makes things interesting is the taboo subculture of taboos, which totally contradicts the western ideal of beauty. For example in Somoan culture men receive tattoos as a rites of passage, with warrior meaning .Unlike Somoan culture and society, tattoos in ours represent a sense of stigmatized behavior. However, the culture of tattoos is being accepted in our generation particularly. Like Brooke said, even though there allowed, were still restricted on where we can put them, because if there in a “wrong” spot then you labeled as incompetent or weird.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying Jihad. I would also like to go one step further than that and talk about how tattoos are viewed differently on men than on women. For the most part now that tattoos are more widely accepted in our culture if a guy gets a tattoo or even a few, its no big deal as long as he can cover them up for a job. If a woman gets a tattoo though, like Shelby said, people freak out that you are ruining your body or you are seen as a bad girl. There are even different regulations in the military for men versus women. Depending on which branch of the military it is, men can have 2/3 of the body part covered with the tattoo, but women can only have 1/3 of the body part covered with a tattoo. So tattoos even have gender connotations on what is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteI personally have two tattoos that for the most part stay covered up and I see the gender difference that Charity described. For guys tattoos have become socially normal, for the most part, they are considered masculine and kind of the "bad boy" depending on the ink they get. For girls its not so deviant but it's still seen as different, look at celebrities girls have whole spreads in tabloids about which tattoos they have and why (which I haven't really seen for male stars minus justin beieber and one direction). Tattoos placement are also more socially criticized on women, "tramp stamp", and something that is acceptable for men, chest tattoos, takes on a different tone for women. There are so many messages that a tattoo can take on just based on the context and placement. In a subculture, tattoos/body modifications, that was once deviant and is now becoming more socially open and normal the social constructions are evolving with the times but there are still a lot of blurred lines and ideas about how we use this particular method of altering ourselves and skin.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of what Charity said, I think tattoos offer an interesting point of study. I think we have all witnessed in our lifetime the shifting acceptance of tattoos. I remember when I was younger I thought tattoos were scary, that they were only meant for the criminals and outcasts of society. As I got older it seemed that more and more people were getting tattoos. We're at the point now where I would venture to guess that the majority of our class has at least one tattoo. It's interesting to observe how the stigma of tattoos has changed.I think Vail's writing may have lost touch with our modern day. It seems to me that there are plenty of people who not get tattoos simply for the art of the tattoo. We've moved past the point of requiring there to be some sort of story or symbol behind a tattoo.
ReplyDeleteFrom the reading published in 1999, the author talked about how society's views about tattoos are changing and i believe, 15 years later, they have changed even more. Society now deems tattoos acceptable, but only a certain type of tattoo, in specific locations, and they always have to carry meanings. Like the small eHow piece that explained what each placement meant when you get a tattoo, society is obsessed with an underlying meaning for everyone who gets a tattoo. If you didn't find yourself on an emotional journey under the hot desert sun through the Sahara, you should not have that sun tattoo on your foot evidently. This is where mainstream society, and the group identified as "collectors" in Vail's piece differ significantly. Being a collector, you can have a tattoo purely for the artwork or because you want something done by that artist, but being someone who "has" tattoos means that yo u must have significance attached to it for an excuse to blemish your body. If I hear one more time "Cool tattoo, what does it symbolize?" I will probably explode.
ReplyDeleteNot only is it necessary to have meaning behind your tattoos, there are only certain locations to get them that are deemed highly socially acceptable. Take tramp stamps for example, if you get one you are automatically deemed a "slut" or "easy" purely on the placement of your tattoo. If you get a tribal ring around your bicep, you're a douchbag (although I've mainly found this one to reign true). It is easy to see how many preconceived notions society places on external appearance by analyzing people who have tattoos and people who are viewing these tattoos.
Everything you just said is right on point! I think that in today's society we have all these products on the market to make us look better such as skinnier, prettier ect. These products give us the chance to be able to get that look we all want on a daily basis. Although something's may be more expensive than others people in our society still gets these face lifts done or even pay more than enough money for product. I definitely agree with you that our society pressures people to look a certain way, on magazines, commercials you name it there's always a product line trying to take out wrinkles or acne or even diet pills to try and get you to slim down. Some of these things can be very unhealthy for you if abused. I also agree to LaFrance and why people get tattoos, but you will always have those certain individuals getting tattoos just because everyone else has them and they merely mean nothing to them.
ReplyDeleteYou mention how the article regarding tattoos lets those who are not educated on tattoo culture know that tattoos aren't just something people get because they look cool, oftentimes there is a story attached to it. The article also mentions that in order for someone to be known as a tattoo collector they must embody the "tattooed" person. A question I have is, if someone places their tattoo in a location that i rarely to be seen by others, can they still consider themselves to be a tattooed body if they are not outwardly portraying themselves as such? Also, in conjunction with your "Pretty Hurts video, I made the connection with how some people will literally hurt themselves via cosmetic tattoos like tattooed blush, eyeliner, lipstick, and eyebrows, to look like more of a natural beauty. Would these people be considered tattooed bodies? or if they were women would they be succumbing to the pressures of beauty for the "female body"?
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ReplyDeleteI think an important aspect of tattoos that many people, Branden included, have pointed out is the shift in social perspectives on tattoos since Vail’s work was published. I would note that the placement of a tattoo and what it represents DO continue to be determining factors in the degree of “deviance” associated with each display, but there are even exceptions to this rule in some cases. I can recall both high school teachers as well as college professors who have instructed with consistently visible tattoos, and I do not think anyone in our classes ever questioned their professionalism based on that aspect alone. With that in mind, having a tattoo on the forehead or the face would probably never be perceived in the same non-derogatory way. I agree with the Dove commercial that, for better or worse, looks are a powerful tool for obtaining benefits in the social world. Since tattoos that cover the face or a similar area are usually taken as hampering one’s appearance, they would most definitely serve as a detriment for those pursuing professional careers.
ReplyDeleteThe Beyonce video you included does a great job of explaining the pressure society puts on people, especially women, in looking beautiful. Lafrance mentions the idea of having two bodies like you have stated; the first is our natural born body we are accustomed to and the second is a body in which we apply tattoos, piercings, and make up to portray specific messages to others in society. Historically, in western culture tattoos were seen as an act of rebellion towards society. They are starting to become more acceptable as many tattoo shows such as "Miami Ink" become very popular on TV and in the media. As Brooke stated, having visible tattoos in a job interview is still seen as immature and irresponsible by societies standards. Most people see others with tattoos as rebellious even though in certain religions and societies, tattoos represent hierarchical status in their tribe etc. In the end, we are born with a pure body that will never be accepted for how it naturally is because of beauty standards society pressures individuals with on a daily basis.
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