Emily Rini

The Medias Influence in Pop-Culture: Research On Tattoo Controversy

Turning on the television on a Sunday afternoon, a plethora of tattoos race across the

screen on the football field. Hundreds of celebrities and athletes accessorize with tattoos. The art

of tattooing has been prevalent throughout history for many reasons, from religious purposes to

identification and any other reason a person can come up with, in between. The public opinion of

tattoos has drastically changed over the years. Due to the overwhelming influence the media has

on shaping public opinion and jump-starting trends in pop-culture, the stigma behind tattoos has

tremendously disappeared, controversially, however, a negative influence from tattoos on

average people still prevails.

The introduction of tattoos in Pop-Culture began with the start of reality shows entirely

about tattoos. The shows opened the channels for the average Joe to look into this underworld

of tattoos. To realize that the art is impressive, beautiful, and attainable (Thobo-Carlsen (2014)).

Thobo-Carlsen is emphasizing the role of television shows with opening the eyes of people to

realize that tattooing is an art form that is beautiful. With the introduction of tattoos to any

household with cable in America, the average American had access to a new viewing of tattoos,

which they did not have access to before. The first tattoo reality show, Miami Ink, showed the

inside of the tattoo shop and the everyday lives of the tattoo artists at work. After seeing how

popular this show became, many other tattoos show came into creation, like LA Ink, New York

Ink, Black Ink Crew, and more.

Figure 1 Miami Ink Cast. Retrieved from http://kingofwallpapers.com/miami-ink.html

With the show, Miami Ink, came the inevitable fame of tattoo artists on Miami Ink,

leading to celebrities wanting to be tattooed by the artists. Famous tattoo artists Ami James and

Kat Von D, from Miami Ink, have tattooed influential celebrities, with major fan bases, such as

Lil Wayne and Lady Gaga. The increased amount of celebrities receiving tattoos led to an even

more prevalent viewing of tattoos in mainstream media. The increased visibility of tattooing in

celebrity society, who have significant power in shaping cultural norms regarding the appearance

and display of the body (Pitts-Taylor 2007; Shilling 2012; Van Krieken 2012) has, in my opinion,

been the most important development in challenging the outsider status of the practice (Rees

(2016) 160). Rees is saying that one of the most influential aspects to the changing view of

tattoos is the prevalence of tattoos on celebrities. This display of tattoos on celebrities leads to a

greater acceptance of tattoos, redefining the view in society, consequently having fans of

celebrities with tattoos also getting inked, in an attempt to mimic the those, they adore.
 The prevalence of tattoos in the media mainstreamed the once tabooed art of tattoos. The

media did not stop with just the television shows, as the reality shows were

only a seed for the popular art to blossom directly out of. After the television

shows, many roles in movies glorified actors with tattoos, for example

xXx, the popular film starring Vin Diesel, with tattoos present over his

entire body. Actors began to have to wear fake tattoos in more

shows, or the tattoos aiding their ability to be casted. The more

common Figure 2 Retrieved from

tattoos began to
http://www.lilwaynehq.com/forums/lil-
become wayne/21880-rolling-stone-help.html in the media, the

less stigma there was behind tattoos in Pop-Culture. From the new widespread acceptance of

tattoos, many companies began to sell the art of tattoos, even to young consumers. This is seen in

childrens toys like Tattoo Barbie and the Power Puff Girls Tattoo Book. Children are now

growing up in a tattoo filled society.

Another outlet for tattoos to become popular has been social media. Social Media is used

by millions of people around the world. With popular tattoo Instagram and Twitter pages, it has

been easy to view tattoos as a more common form of art among people. Enter social media.

Another game-changer for the tattoo industry. The same artists that gained celebrity status on the

tattoo TV shows are now followed by millions of people on these platforms. . . (Thobo-Carlsen

(2014)). Thobo- Carlsen is emphasizing the role of social media in the widespread viewing of

tattoos. Tattoos have hit a boom and have been seen by everyone on every form of outlet in the

media, on a daily basis. The art has become the central theme in shows, fashion, books,

newspaper articles, magazines and more. In Toronto photographer Jon Blackers new book,
Musical Ink, he displays extremely popular celebrities such as Kat Von D, Kerry King, Chad

Smith and more.

The influence of the media on the redefinition of the popular opinion of tattoos is

undeniable. This is further exemplified in a series of interviews conducted by Walzer and

Sanjurio. The people interviewed were of all backgrounds, aged from 21-35, both men and

women, and had tattoos or were tattoo artists. The interviews main purpose was to answer the

question of whether or not the media was seen as influential in regards to tattoos acceptance in

popular culture. One woman with tattoos claimed that tattoos became a fashion statement

through the media and compared tattoos to a dress. She claimed that just as rich people have

exclusivity in dresses to the point where only one or two people have the same dress, poor and

average people can find exclusivity in tattoos. An artist agreed with the correlation of the media

and making tattoos a fashion statement. This artist compared a tattoo to that of stickers, saying

they were so common it could be compared to such an easily accessible item, but the sticker is

personalized when it comes to tattoos, and with the creativity in the art, a person can own

something that no one else in the world has. (Walzner, Sanjurio (2016) 70). The consensus of the

interviews summed up to stating that the media heavily impacted the practice of tattooing.

In the past a person with tattoos was seen as a delinquent, tattoos can now be attached to

celebrities and professional athletes, directly influencing the opinion to change. When watching

David Beckham play, no one connects him to anything negative, because he is a star athlete. The

opinion of tattoos changes, when viewing who has them. The definition of tattoos has been

redefined with the new generation, due to the media. The art has become more common, for

many reasons. It is not only for thugs and menaces of society, but seen as an art form now and a
way of expression. The ink individualizes people and this can lead to the want of a tattoo. This

along with it being a new trend, or the simple fact that people like the look of it.

Figure 3 Tanya Ray Fox http://www.sportsgrid.com/real-sports/nfl/did-odell-beckham-jr-get-a-planet-of-

the-apes-full-back-tattoo/

Due to the media, people have been able to separate past taboos of tattoos from the

current popularity of the art. According to Adams (2009), by separating the tattoo clientele of

the past from their contemporary counterparts, these accounts characterize tattooing as a

middle-class art form distinct from the stereotypical tattoos of sailors and gang members of an

earlier era (110). Adams is saying that the middle-class no longer has a lesser place is social

class of society, like gang members and sailors. People with tattoos do not have to be distinctly

placed as lesser, and it is now more average to have tattoos, completely differing from past

opinions. Adams believes this is due to media representations of tattoos. There is now no

deviance in connection with being tattooed, when being talked about in the media. Although it is

true that the media does not connect current tattoos with negative connotation, when discussing
the history of tattoos, the recurring theme of tattoos being

linked to menaces of society shows through, somewhat

keeping the stigma of tattoos in effect. If the history of

tattoos consistently shows how the opinion used to be

negative, then this taboo can never fully disappear, leading

to a slight negative connotation still alive.

The media undoubtedly glorifies tattoos among

figures in Popular Culture: athletes, singers, actors; which

Figure 4 Retrieved from
http://tattoo-journal.com/45-tough-
popularizes the art form itself. While this statement is prison-style-tattoos-and-their-
meanings-most-widely-types/
definitely factual, it is misleading in the subject of the average person with tattoos. The

glorification of tattoos makes the art extremely popular, but controversially, this glorification

cannot be fully relieved of being critical towards the average person. The mixed messages the

media shows celebrities versus showing a normal person lead to some insecurities with tattoos,

also leading to average people being more self-conscious with what they get and how they

portray their tattoo to the public. This is shown in overwhelming amounts with people being

aware that it is almost necessary to get tattoos in places that can be hidden from the public. The

media has shifted views, but has not led to the full acceptance of tattoos yet. The media's

shifting views of tattoos have been linked to greater participation in tattooing, but the sanctioning

of tattooees by nontattooed individuals shows that American culture has yet to fully embrace

tattoos--even those which espouse culturally valued middle class traits and aspirations (Roberts

(2012) 155). Roberts is saying that even people that embrace the traits of the middle class may be

subjected to not participating in the tattoo wave created by Popular Culture, and when it comes

to the real world, this may negatively influence the average person.
 The taboo of tattoos has been mostly seen in the workplace and areas of study. Due to the

ties of tattoos once being seen as a link to delinquents and gang-like behaviors, the stigma is hard

to shake. Jobs and places of study have a degree of professionalism to them, which is why tattoos

can still be looked upon as negative. There are many influences to the negative stigma created

when thinking of tattoos. A persons choice of imagery, location of the tattoo, and whether or

not to cover it are all influenced by that persons social context (Kang, M. & Jones, K. (2007) 44).

Kang and Jones are saying that the choices that need to be made when getting a tattoo depend on

the individual persons life. The choice a person has when deciding what art to plant on their

bodies permanently is one to not be taken lightly. What a person decides on and where a person

decided to put that tattoo directly affect the opinion of others, as well as how opportunities will

be affected for that person. If a person is average, not a celebrity, they are held to a limit in

regards to tattoos, which is why the details of the tattoo affects them more deeply. Although

tattoos have become more accepted through the media, this is mostly aimed in terms of Pop-

culture and not average day life.

There are studies to test this theory of the continued negative effects tattoos have in an

everyday persons life. When looking specifically at the workplace and potential employers,

studies show again and again the negative view of tattoos. Despite tattoos becoming more

accepted and mainstream in society, studies show that individuals with visible tattoos are often

hired at a lower rate than people without visible tattoos (Foltz (2014) 590). Again, this reiterates

the fact that tattoos are still giving off a viewing of being unprofessional, making normal people

have to watch where they put tattoos, making sure they are easily covered. Studies have also

shown that people with tattoos go out of their way to make sure the tattoo is hidden from a
potential employer being able to see, in order to ensure an opportunity is not missed due to the

ink.

Figure 5 Monica Sklar. Retrieved from http://www.wornthrough.com/2008/06/tattoos-in-the-workplace/

The viewing of tattoos in society not only negatively effects the

workplace, but in some cases, affects how people are viewed by others. In a

study done by Rosenhoeft, Villa and Wiseman (2008), random people of

all ages and backgrounds were asked to form opinions based off of two

pictures. In one picture there is a model with no tattoos and in the other the

model has giant tattoos in different areas on the body. People were more inclined
Figure 6 Retrieved from
to say negative things about the model with tattoos, not only in reference https://www.pinterest.co
m/mkepel/ink-chick/?
lp=true
to the appearance of the tattoos, but also forming opinions to the

personality traits of the woman with the tattoo (593). The study shines a light on peoples

opinions on tattoos, not only appearance wise, but their automatic negative thoughts on the

person with tattoos personality.

 The media definitely has a great impact on the formation of opinions, being able to sway

peoples minds on the viewpoints to tattoos, but this is controversial when looking at the average

person. Whereas celebrities are praised for their tattoos, normal people can be missing

opportunities due to having ink on their body. With the tattoo wave, actors receive more

opportunities, celebrities are featured in books, a newfound fame throughout social media outlets

has been seen, and much more. As normal people are influenced by the media to jump on this

trend and follow the fashion statements tattoos have been seen to have, as well as follow in the

footsteps of their favorite celebrities and the people they look up to and adore, the normal people

are more inclined to be looked at negatively in society. There is no glorification for the average

person in the media. This can lead to a misinterpretation of how tattoos can look, where people

think its a trend they can be led down a path of not being accepted and missing out on chances

to succeed in life.

The media has also shown how average people with tattoos are viewed. In a popular

show, King of Queens, this is seen. In an episode, the main character introduces a couple with

tattoos to his wife, and when the wife is asked if she has tattoos, she responds saying no because

she has a job. This further shows the idea that tattoos are unprofessional to people who work

normal jobs, non-celebrity jobs. Another example of the viewing of tattoos in the media has been

seen in almost any show with the law. When portraying gang members and people who have run

ins with the law, fake tattoos are places all over the bodies of the actors, on their face, neck,

arms, anywhere that can be seen. This further implants the negative idea of tattoos on a non-

celebrity, and connects back to the past correlation of tattoos and delinquents.
 This is especially detrimental to the youth in America. As seen, children are growing up

in a powerful media driven society, that completely praises tattoos. Children are growing up with

dolls, meant to have children look up to and adore, that are covered with tattoos. They are given

temporary tattoos and coloring books specifically of tattoos. As these children grow up, they are

given the impression that the shame of a tattoo is in the past because their favorite celebrities are

adored for their ink. The media controversially implants false ideals in the heads of people in

society, leading to an idea that a tattoo is so popular that it will no longer affect the outcome of

their life.

Figure 7 Elmira Bayrasli. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/elmirabayrasli/2011/10/24/the-

ink-on-tattoo-barbie-so-what/#72d7c0a65be6

While the taboo of tattoos has dramatically changed since the past, it is still seen that the

media does not glorify tattoos for the average person like it does for celebrities. People should be

aware that they are not held at the same degree of nonchalance as a celebrity is, and the effects of

getting a tattoo may still be common and lead to holding them back and missing opportunities in

life. The medias role is very controversial in many issues, and is confusing in terms of being

able to differentiate whether the changes in trends applies to a normal person or just the wave

that would be followed by celebrities.

 Bibliography
Adams, J. (2009). Bodies Of Change: A Comparative Analysis of Media representations of Body

Modification Practices. Sociological Perspectives, 52(1), 103-129.

doi:10.1525/sop.2009.52.1.103

This is a journal article analyzing the way the media represents body modification and the

altering of the way people have thought about body modification over the years. The author

is Josh Adams, a director of research at the ACA, and has had over 10 years experience as a

social scientist and researcher. This article is helpful in providing examples of how the

media has changed the viewing of tattoos.

Brean, J. (2013). From Counter-culture To Mainstream: Why The Red-hot Tattoo Boom Is Bound to

End.

This is a news article in the National Post. The author, Josh Brean, is a journalist for the

National Post and writes articles mainly about changes in society. This article helped point out

specific parts of pop culture that have influenced the changing idea of tattoos.

Foltz, K. A. (2014). The Millennial's Perception of Tattoos: Self Expression or Business Faux Pas?

College Student Journal, 48(4), 589-602.

This source is a journal article with the intent to inform Millenials of the negative

connotation of tattoos, as well as, give insight on the opinions of tattoos from two

viewpoints, the millenials and an authoritative figure. The author is a professor at the

University of Tampa and an attorney, showing the relationship between a college

atmosphere and a professional workplace. This source shows perspective of an authoritative

figure, but the millennial viewpoint is research based and written by an authoritative

figure, showing the bias against tattoos even more within the text. This source provides

ample opinion on the thoughts of tattoos to authoritative figures.

Handwerk, B. (2002). TattoosFrom Taboo To Mainstream.

This is an article from National Geographic discussing pop cultures influence on tattoos

changing opinions. The author is Brian Handwerk, a freelance writer from New Hampshire. This

article goes into detail on how pop culture is influencing the viewing of tattoos, discussing the

role of celebrities.

Thobo-Carlsen, M. (2014). How Tattoos Went From Subculture To Pop Culture.

This is an article from the news website that discusses the different roles of parts of pop culture

and how they led to the popular opinion of tattoos changing, and why a tattoo boom has

formed. The author, Mik Thobo-Carlsen, is an entrepreneur who recently cofounded a website

called Tattoodo, which is a public forum for people with tattoos or wanting tattoos can go to

search for ideas. The article had examples of television shows that led to the changing opinion

of tattoos, and how social media has influenced the opinion.

John Roberts, D. (2012). Secret ink: Tattoo's place in contemporary american culture. Journal of

American Culture, 35(2), 153-165. doi:10.1111/j.1542-734X.2012.00804.x

This source is a journal article discussing the redefinition of tattoos in society as time has

gone on. It details the thoughts of tattoos in the past, as well as the controversial thoughts of

tattoos now, being both good and bad. The author is a sociologist, who focuses on the body

and its connection with culture and social class. This source discusses the negative

connotation of tattoos in the past and the thoughts of connection between tattoos and

deviance. The journal also shows the controversy between societys opinions of tattoos now,

ranging from negative and positive, depending on class and jobs, and medias input on this

topic.
Kang, M., & Jones, K. (2007). Why Do People Get Tattoos? Contexts, 6(1), 42-47.

This source is a journal article discussing why people get tattoos. The authors, Millian Kang and

Katherine Jones, are both professors at UMass and work in the field of women studies. This

article touches on the changing opinion of tattoos and how the new generations are growing up

in a world that is extremely tattoo prevalent.

Kosut, M. (2006). An Ironic Fad: The Commodification And Consumption Of Tattoos. Journal of

Popular Culture, 39(6), 1035-1048. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00333.x

This is a journal article discussing the the commodification of tattoos as a popular art form. The

author, Mary Kosut, is a professor at Purchase College, with a PHD in social sciences. This

article goes into detail about children seeing tattoos all over the media.

Rees, M. (2016). From Outsider To Established - Explaining The Current Popularity And

Acceptability Of Tattooing. Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung, 41(3), 157-

174.

This is a journal article about the changed viewing of tattoos as an art form. The author is

Michael Rees, an artist that studied at UC Berkely and Yale. This article talks about how tattoos

are seen now by people that are considered admired.

Resenhoeft, A., Villa, J., & Wiseman, D. (2008). Tattoos Can Harm Perceptions: A Study And

Suggestions. Journal of American College Health, 56(5), 593-596.

This journal article details a study done about the opinions of tattooed people. The authors

of this article are health researchers. This article touches on the sociological aspect of

tattoos. The study shows the opinions of random people on a model with tattoos versus a

model with tattoos. When asked to picture the personality of each model, most asked

characterized the model with tattoos more negatively. The study shines a light on peoples
 opinions on tattoos, not only appearance wise, but their automatic negative thoughts on the

person with tattoos personality.

Walzer, A., & Sanjurjo, P. (2016). Media And Contemporary Tattoo. Communication & Society, 29(1),

69-81. doi:10.15581/003.29.1.69-81

This article discusses the medias role in the expansion of the occurrence of tattoos in

society. The authors of this article are both assistant professors in the department of

journalism and faculty of humanities. In this article, interviews of tattoo artists and people

with tattoos are done to see what purpose there is in tattoos and how the idea of a tattoo is

executed. The results show a direct link between the media and tattoos and how this has

affected the increase in tattoos. This article provides information on opinions of tattoos to

tattoo artists and people with tattoos, the purpose of tattoos, and the role the media plays in

the spreading of the tattoo trend.

Photos

Elmira Bayrasli. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/elmirabayrasli/2011/10/24/the-

ink-on-tattoo-barbie-so-what/#72d7c0a65be6
Picture of Tattoo Barbie.
Miami Ink Cast. Retrieved from http://kingofwallpapers.com/miami-ink.html

Picture of the Miami Ink Cast.

Retrieved from http://www.lilwaynehq.com/forums/lil-wayne/21880-rolling-stone-help.html

Credit: ImTrill Picture of Lil Wayne.
Tanya Ray Fox. http://www.sportsgrid.com/real-sports/nfl/did-odell-beckham-jr-get-a-planet-of-
the-apes-full-back-tattoo/
Picture of Odell Beckham.
Retrieved from http://tattoo-journal.com/45-tough-prison-style-tattoos-and-their-meanings-most-
widely-types/
Picture of gang member.
Monica Sklar. Retrieved from http://www.wornthrough.com/2008/06/tattoos-in-the-workplace/
Picture of professional.

Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/mkepel/ink-chick/?lp=true

Picture of model with tattoos.