Miss Kansas shows tattoos at Miss America pageant

[earthside]

33. Our 60s influence.

I too am in my late 50s and I grew up in a time when 'natural' was what young folks aspired to convey and extol.

So, I have always found this tattoo fad to be against my tastes. But it just goes to show that even older people, especially in these days of heavy advertising, commercialism and materialism have a tough time resisting participating in what is 'popular'. Of course, all the tattoo 'reality' shows on cable demonstrates just how corporate this fad is at its heart.

I know a guy just a year young than me that had Joe Montana's face tattooed on his chest to show how fanatical a 49ers fan he is.

It all reminds me of being in fourth grade, being bored during arithmetic, and writing 'The Beatles' on the back of your hand with a magic marker ... then everyone knew you liked The Beatles (till you got home and your mom made you scrub it off).

I know it is my prejudice, but I think 90 percent of this tattoo craze is rather juvenile ... how more adult it it to get a tattoo of "I love my wife" than is scribbling "I -heart- Sally" on my arm in seventh grade with a ballpoint pen?