If there is one sticker I can guarantee you would have noticed before you started reading this blog, it's one by the people behind tonight's sticker. Of course I can't do things the simple way and I decided not to feature one that I think you'll have actually seen. It's a little hard to see but the shop behind this public service announcement is Jester's Court, a tattoo parlor with locations in Oakland, Southside, and Etna. The two more common stickers are of a jester with his hands held out, which is actually the logo in the left corner when you go to their page, and a skull. Both very clearly state Jester's Court in some way and are pretty hard to miss. It doesn't matter what neighborhood I happen to be exploring, I know that at some point I will come across one. I'm fairly certain that you could probably devote an entire blog or collection just showcasing their frequent appearances around the city. Not that this is a negative thing, if you want to make sure your name gets out there this is probably one of the more successful tactics. Which probably why I decided to feature tonight's sticker. While it's still a Jester's Court sticker, this was the first time I've see this particular one. I also find the sentiment behind it an interesting one. Granted there's no way to really figure out how old this actually is but I do have to wonder when it was placed up there. The whole sticker reads "Tattooing is not a crime" and has a brief message between the larger lines stating that Jester's Court is behind it. Now tattoos have far too interesting and rich of a history for me to really properly delve into it here, but I have shared a fun little TED-Ed video below for your perusal. However one thing that is pretty clear is that tattoos have had a social stigma associated with them for a while, which this sticker is clearly addressing. Only certain types of people were supposed to get them and having one showed that you weren't as respectable as people thought. Having visible tattoos were always supposed to be a deterrent to employers and I even had a couple of jobs that required people that had visible ones to cover them up while they were working. When I was in college, I had more than a couple of friends who went and got their first tattoos in secret, forcing them to creatively hide it while they were home during breaks to avoid being chastised. My parents certainly weren't too pleased with me when I showed up with the one I got shortly before I graduated, giving me the roughly the spiel I glossed over above. Granted these stigmas have died down a bit over the years, you certainly see more people openly walking around with their tattoos. Part of me is still always a bit surprised by the number I see every day in the office that I work in. One guy I see almost every day even has most of his bald head covered in a tattoo. Some of the numbing in public perception could just be the fact that recent generations have gravitated towards a greater need for self-expression over the need to fit in with the accepted societal norms, although in a way they are still seeking to fit in. I think tattoos have also taken on a far more artistic acceptance over the years, often creating some truly beautiful and unique pieces for people. While I'm sure I could continue to wax on about what the draw of tattoos are, especially looking at what draws me to it, I feel like this is a conversation better left for another night. In the end there will probably always be a bit of a social stigma surrounding tattoos and the people who get them, but I don't think there are too many out there who would consider it a crime anymore.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Maggie Ondrey
An amateur photographer and writer capturing a small portion of the city. Archives
August 2017
Categories |