The most recent publication of a local alternative digest, The Tucson Weekly in Arizona, is causing quite a stir among the members of the tattoo community. Writer Tom Danehy manages to alienate and insult as many groups of people as he can in this one article entitled, "Flesh Wounds: Tattoos and Triple-Digit IQs Don't Mix." He goes on to "report" that women with tattoos, men with piercings, and Harley riders to mention just a few, are unintelligent and unfit for modern society. In his outspoken statement on tattoos in general, he says, "And yet, tattoos are popping up all over the place. It's like...an epidemic of Stupid swept over the country."
As if that isn't derogatory enough, he goes on to make particular comments about women with tattoos, saying, "I think I speak for all men living, dead, and those yet to be born when I say that in the matter of tattoos on women, I quote the immortal Martin Lawrence in saying: 'That s--t don't look good.'" Excuse me, but when did Martin Lawrence become "immortal" and an authority on women's fashion?
If that's not bad enough for you, next he goes on to say that the only men out there that would be attracted to a woman with tattoos would be a handful of fat, toothless "guys wearing Harley-Davidson shirts stretched dangerously--and in vain--over their 68-inch guts and their nine strands of hair tied pathetically into a scraggly little ponytail." About pierced males, he writes, "no boy should be made to wear an earring until he reaches an age where he can make an informed decision as to whether he wants to look like he's in Depeche Mode," then goes on to claim that a boy with earrings is destined to be an inbreeding, lower-than-"white trash" menace to society.
Jason Marek is a professional piercist at Hardcore Tatu in Tucson, which is one of the businesses that is being directly affected by this article. Jason states, "The majority of business for all shops in Tucson is from very conscientious people who worry about what current 'trends' are being viewed as acceptable, and even those individuals that are die-hard bod-mod enthusiasts say that the have lost a little faith in the open-mindedness of what was (once) Tucson's Art District...We have a lot of conservative parents that send their kids to school here; I can only assume that this will only fuel their views of tattoos being trashy and not a form of self-independence and expression."
Not only does this supposed "alternative" publication print such blasphemy, but they are, in essence, biting the hand that feeds them. The digest is free to the public and it relies on its advertisers for revenue. Local tattoo shops and other establishments in Tucson that advertise in this weekly are outraged and are pulling their ads. They have also started a campaign against the publication and are encouraging all members of the tattoo community to contact the Tucson Weekly in protest of this article. (See end of article for info.)
Debi Kienel, professional female tattoo artist of 23 years and owner of The Illustrator Tattoo in Dallas, Georgia, comments on the article. "I find this very interesting since tattoos are so mainstream now--this sounds like a very old, worn attitude. In the 70's this may have been the view because tattoos were not the 'norm,' but now, even commercial companies such as Calvin Klein are using tattooed women in their advertising. Tattoos are not totally 'accepted' these days, but we are no longer in the times when the only women who get tattooed are bikers, sleazy women, or heavy waitresses...It's ridiculous. This is the year 2000...There are people that find tattoos attractive, but not everyone does it to be attractive. Many today get tattoos to mourn the death of a loved one, to celebrate their health after cancer, or to profess their religious faith. How dare anyone tell them they don't have every right to do this? I don't understand why one man can speak for the whole male race...I find it offensive."
