Tattoo or Taboo?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

All of my tattoos are hidden; wearing a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, no one would be able to tell that I have any tattoos at all. That same sentiment applies to many of my friends who have easily hidden tattoos. If you ask any of them why they’re hidden, they’ll give you very similar answers: “so I can hide them from my grandparents,” or “so I can still get hired.” 

This brings up two questions for me: why do older generations care so much about tattoos, and why are tattoos considered such a career-ender?

Tattoos have been around for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, the Maori, and many Native American tribes used them as symbols of protection, love, religious piety and even symbols of status. So, when and why did society decide that they were taboo?

The answer, unfortunately, lies in the cultures they came from. Tattoos were never popularized among early Western European societies, so as those European countries began to colonize Africa, Asia and the Americas, they viewed the people there as inferior and savage, which were the precise traits they then associated tattoos with.

As we moved into the 19th and 20th centuries, tattoos became more common, but not among groups that were generally respected. You would most often see tattoos on people like circus performers, sailors, prostitutes or gang members. This perpetuated the narrative that people who had tattoos were considered to be on the margins of society.

Based on this belief, tattoos remained intensely frowned upon until the last few decades, when Millennials and Gen Z decided they were done criticizing personal art and expression, especially because that criticism is rooted in generational oppression.

To answer my earlier questions, tattoos started as a symbol of culture, and when those cultures became demonized, they became a symbol of rebellion. For older generations, that is a deeply rooted standard, and as those generations currently dominate the workforce, so does that belief.

The good news is that stigma surrounding tattoos is on the decline, and as a society, we are moving away from judging this art form. As they become more accepted as part of our culture, we will all be freer to express ourselves in the way we choose, without having to consider the judgment we might receive.