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athletes, culture, tattoos in Editorials
athletes, culture, tattoos in Editorials Mr. Ron is taking laps, and they call him Roto-Rooter
slash plumber, fast runner, and he fly on them computers
Entries in tattoos (6)
De-Inked
by, Mr. Wonsil | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 8:00PM
Mr. Wonsil | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 8:00PM SNL "Turlington's Lower Back Tattoo Remover" from Alexander Serpico on Vimeo.
Ah, tattoos. It's a popular topic in the Wonsil household these days as well as the Champions Club website. I read Emma's post and all of the comments and I just wanted to share the perspective of someone who is almost three times older than a high school senior. I'm going to respond to both the points made in the post and in the comments.
Tattoos Are Divisive.
This was apparent from the comments. Even people who get them know this. Tattoo placement is a very important decision because deep-down people know that it may limit opportunities if a key decision maker discovers that they have one or more. There are people who are for tattoos and those who are against them but there seems to be few people without an opinion. The person with the widest audience of acceptance is the one who isn't closed to the idea of a tattoo but doesn't have one yet. That person has made no enemies!
Risky Business
Getting a tattoo is still considered "risky" behavior by health care professionals. Any practice that involves needles exposes one to blood-borne diseases like hepatitis or even HIV. The industry has responded by adopting safe needle practices and by getting artists and parlors licensed. The American Red Cross used to refuse blood donations from people with tattoos but now only limits blood donations until a certain amount of time passes after getting the tattoo. For someone with a rare blood type (like mine), getting a tattoo could mean taking potentially life-saving blood away from a desparate patient.
CrossFit Subculture
Are tats unique to the CrossFit subculture? Uhhhh, no. Tattoos are popular across all sports. One will find tattoos on many athletes in professional Baseball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, and certainly in Basketball. Getting tattooed has become a fairly common activity among elite athletes and not just CrossFitters.
Athletes across all sports have tattoos.
I'm 18...
You're free to choose young adults! Just don't make me pay for it.Yes, when one achieves the age of majority, society considers one an adult. One has the freedom to make adult decisions and to do adult things. More accurately though, one joins the group of others who also have the right to make adult decisions. Someone may learn of your ink and decide not to hire you, not to let you be around their kids, or not to go on that first date with you. Then again, he or she may hire you, let you be a role model for their kids, and go on that first date with you. It just all depends on that other person. However, once you get the tat, you've chosen a side and run the risk of being excluded - fairly or unfairly.
A potential employer may wonder, "Why would I trust a young person who made a life-long decision on very limited life-experience with the management decisions of my company? Why should I hire someone whom I will have to shield from my customers just in case some of those customers are offended by tattoos? Even if the kid is very talented, is it worth the hassle?" Employers are also over 18 and have to make these kinds of adult decisions all of the time.
Consider parents, especially those who have sacrificed vacations, nicer cars, summer homes, etc. to create as many opportunities as possible for their children. They may decide to limit further resources (read: cutting off money) if they believe that their kids are squandering those sacrifices by getting a tattoo too early in life and reducing their opportunities. Parents are (well) over 18 and they have to make adult decisions about how to balance their children's futures with their own.
Many entertainers (who are also over 18) get tattoos and say, "This is who I am. Take it or leave it!" More thoughtful entertainers like Lena Headly of Game of Thrones and 300 fame (Interview with Craig Ferguson - listen carefully what she says at the 5:00 mark), and Kevin Durant (Kevin Durant has Ink. Lots of it), basketball's nice guy, understand that if they ink up the way they want to, it will limit their marketability -- even though they are already wildly successful.
So you are free to do what you want but that doesn't mean you're free from the consequences of your choices. Welcome to adulthood my friends.
Consider parents, especially those who have sacrificed vacations, nicer cars, summer homes, etc. to create as many opportunities as possible for their children. They may decide to limit further resources (read: cutting off money) if they believe that their kids are squandering those sacrifices by getting a tattoo too early in life and reducing their opportunities. Parents are (well) over 18 and they have to make adult decisions about how to balance their children's futures with their own.
Many entertainers (who are also over 18) get tattoos and say, "This is who I am. Take it or leave it!" More thoughtful entertainers like Lena Headly of Game of Thrones and 300 fame (Interview with Craig Ferguson - listen carefully what she says at the 5:00 mark), and Kevin Durant (Kevin Durant has Ink. Lots of it), basketball's nice guy, understand that if they ink up the way they want to, it will limit their marketability -- even though they are already wildly successful.
So you are free to do what you want but that doesn't mean you're free from the consequences of your choices. Welcome to adulthood my friends.
Art
Are tattoos considered art? You betcha! I have seen some beautiful tattoos and the skill required to do them is simply amazing. However, unless you are a tattoo artist and you do your own tattoos, you're only the canvas - you are not the artist. Even if one designs their own tattoo, it is still a commissioned piece. As the son of an artist, I can totally respect that. But like the great hair stylist or a brain surgeon, the talent of the tattoo artist generally shows up on other people's bodies and those people shouldn't lay claim to someone else's talent.
Toughness
Are tattoos getting more popular? Yes, and there has been a marked rise among women. There has also been a corresponding rise in the popularity of tattoo removal. You think getting stabbed by a pen for a couple of hours is tough? Try getting burned for eight to ten weeks in a row just to diminish a tattoo. People who get laser tattoo removal to improve their job prospects can spend up to ten times the amount of money for the original tattoo. Those who have had laser tattoo removal say it is extremely painful. Maybe as far as toughness goes, almost anyone can get a tattoo but it takes a real badass to have one removed. :-)
Decisions, Decisions
Everyone lives two lives: a short-term life and a long term one. We constantly make decisions that affect each of these lives. Should I save for retirement or spend my money now? Should I eat healthy or have a cheat day/month/decade? Should I smoke or not smoke? Do drugs? Have unprotected sex with multiple partners? Should I do CrossFit today or just watch TV? Any of these short-term decisions leads to outcomes in our long-term lives. This is certainly true for getting a tattoo. One should balance short term desires with the long term ramifications. The ability to discern when to act and when to delay gratification has a name. It's called maturity. I know I didn't have it when I was 18. Sometimes I wonder if I have it at 51! But I can tell you this, it is a struggle to balance these two lives and it is much harder to do when you're younger. The good news? As you get older, the two lives come together and the choices become much easier.
