How Have Tattoos Become So Popular?

This is the first post in our new Discussion category, which is kind of a continuation of our old “Dr. Lee’s Talking Point” articles. Although we have discussed the pros and cons of tattoos many times before, one thing we haven’t discussed—and what is actually of most interest to me—is how and why have they suddenly become so popular? It seems that almost every new Asian American model has tattoos these days, and it’s rapidly becoming more commonplace amongst models from Asia itself too (especially Chinese). What’s more, the amount of tattoo coverage has radically increased too, seemingly overnight. And it isn’t just Asians either—it seems almost every other young person I see these days has them, and once again the amount of tattoo coverage seems to be increasing all the time. It’s as if young people are engaged in a kind of tattoos “arms race”. I’m reminded of King Missile’s brilliant song It’s Saturday—young people ‘rebelling’ and ‘asserting their individuality’, by doing exactly the same thing as most other people their age. Perhaps tattoos are the new cigarettes (that’s how young people tried to do these things when I was growing up). Does anybody know how and why this current tattoo craze happened?


 

  1. Avatar of arf

    Let me just say…I think I don’t really care either way. But there’s times I think the tattoos take a womans hotness to a different level. She’s more rebelious maybe. Count me in.

  2. Avatar of Subicman

    It may have it’s genesis in the hip-hop inspired graffiti and tagging culture. Just a guess.

  3. Avatar of Luke

    It’s a departure from the question but tattoos are pretty common in Thailand although of the traditional variety. I notice many men have very extensive tattoos, mostly for luck (if I understand correctly). They are also very common on the ladies. I get the impression these have always been popular and will remain so.
    As far as western tatts go I think it’s just a fad, in time it will go the same way as the frisbee and the yo-yo. As far as my opinion of them I think done well they suit some girls, unfortunately there is a lot of bad work out there.

  4. Avatar of arf

    I don’t really think hip-hop has much to do with it. Tattoos were around before that stuff was around.

  5. Avatar of LoveAsianWomen

    The question is…”how and why have they suddenly become so popular?” The first part is easy. Humankind has always had, to some extent, a “copycat” existence, trying to coexist with a desire to be different.

    The second part, I guess, is that in this case, the “copycat” part is winning out.

  6. Avatar of Subicman

    Of course tats have been around forever, the question was -why so popular on models now? I’ve seen references on TV recently that the “tribal tattoos” and the “tramp stamp” are recently deemed “uncool”. This reminds me of the lyrics in “What Is Hip”…”what is hip today might become passé’” Where these models are concerned, I hope so.

  7. wingsfan19’s avatar

    It seems to have taken on a life of its own. I concur with Luke that there is a lot of bad art out there. One would think that if you were going to have your body permanently marked, you would want it to be great (meaningful, colorful, and artistic) but it would appear many are getting tattoos without a lot of thought involved (my son, for example :-( )

  8. Avatar of Guest Poster

    It occurs to me that they may be treating tattoos like a form of clothing, given how little girls wear at night clubs these days.

  9. Avatar of wylde8

    I tend to believe that all it took was a handful of celebrities with them, and then many people wanted to imitate them. It seems that it might be starting to swing the other way though. I’ve heard of a few celebrities recently who have talked about wishing they never got them. Like the Jennifer Aniston hairdo, tattoos might have an expiration date.

    Anyone want to go into business with me on a laser tattoo removal business :-)

  10. Avatar of Guest Poster

    wylde8,

    I agree with you there—I think tattoo removal has a big future. :-)

  11. Avatar of Luke

    Dr. Lee,

    Extreme body painting!
    Count me in on the removal plan, there are some gorgeous women that need saving. I’d be willing to work on a barter system.

  12. Avatar of slackerking

    Haha, of course this is one of the first topics to rear it’s ugly head. I swear the only reason this is even a topic of conversation here is because the demographics skew older than the age of models. I seriously don’t know anyone under 35 who gives even a slight rats ass about people having tattoo’s at this point. It feels like a bunch of seventy year olds griping about how much better life was in the fifties here. I’m hitting 50 this year, and the only thing about tattoo’s I think is that I really wish I had gotten one back when I was younger. I won’t do it now because I’m too long in the tooth for it to look cool on me but I wish I’d done it years ago with something that was meaningful to me.

    Tattoo’s have gained quick popularity because they look hip, they tell stories, they’re edgy and they represent fringe culture just as long hair used to in the 70′s. The fact that a certain segment of society will always look down on them, means that they will always be relevant to artists, musicians, athletes, and anyone who likes to live a little on the edge. There have been tattoos for years, there’s just more now because more people can be who they want to be, whereas back in the day respectable society wouldn’t dare do it. Personally, I’m thankful we’re not so uptight and puritan these days. I’ll take a good tramp stamp and the girl wearing it any day of the week.

    Oh, and there isn’t going to be some mass exodus to tattoo removal. That’s just wishful thinking by the naysayers. I know tons of people within a decade of my age either direction who have tats and none of them regret or have any desire to remove them. Even the people who got them on benders don’t regret it. It’s a story that happened in their life. Nothing more, nothing less.

  13. Avatar of Guest Poster

    Actually slackerking, it appears you’re one of our older readers, judging from a discussion we had in the last post on the old site. You’re a fair bit older than me anyway.

    Even if many (or even most) people who got them back in the day don’t regret it, that doesn’t necessarily mean that many of the younger people today won’t—back then, it really was rebellious, so it required a fair bit of commitment to get one (and tattoo removal is already a sizeable business in any case). Now, it appears to mostly just be a fashion, and all fashions pass. Only this one can’t be easily removed later.

  14. dawk’s avatar

    Dr. Lee,

    Two words Levy Tran.

  15. Avatar of Guest Poster

    In spite of her tattoos, I think Levy has one of the most gorgeous and outright perfect faces I’ve ever seen, and her body certainly isn’t bad either. But I really don’t think she’s the reason for this current craze, just an extreme example of it.

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