Miss Kansas shows tattoos at Miss America pageant

[earthside]

31. The sociology of the current tattoo fad.

I've thought about this and I think it has a lot to do with a sense of alienation from the mainstream culture, a sense of being just a cog in the great machine of the corporate economy.

So, tattoos have been a sort of way for some folks to say "I'm an individual" ... a permanent mark of some particular belief.

To tell the world that you are a Christian it isn't enough to convey this through actions or behavior, it can be permanently displayed on a person's arm of neck ... a cross, a prayer, a bible verse. Or, to show my commitment to being a football fan, have little footballs marked indelibly on upper arms.

The problem, of course, is that it is permanent and very superficial (indeed, isn't a tattoo almost definitional of 'superficial'?). The tattooed Christian at 25 years old maybe a Muslim at 40 years old. Young people especially have always had a tough time understanding how much they can change as the years go by.

I personally think this tattoo phenomena is a rather sad manifestation of the state of our culture -- thankfully, it does look like it is finally slackening.