RETURN OF FARTMAN!

Inked, With Pride

Somehow or rather all my friends do not appreciate the beauty of the tattooed body. I cannot fathom why this is so, and of course they cannot fathom why I am so. It has to work both ways.

In any case, I've been telling my friends about the ideal woman that I want to marry. Well, not really ideal, but rather a fantasy of sorts. If I ever meet a girl with a full sleeve tattoo, or better still two full sleeves and a full back, I'll pester her every single day to marry me. Of course, there still has to be some stipulations. She CANNOT be someone's grandmother. She CANNOT be attached to a friend of mine. She DOES NOT need to be drop-dead gorgeous, for I am not that particular about looks, plus the fact that her tattoos already make her beautiful, and also the fact that I have to replace my mirrors almost every time I look into them. Not vey demanding, is it?

I guess it's rather difficult to seek out a fantasy like that. My parents, for one, will be so freaked out they'll probably never speak to me again, or at least never speak to the missus. I wonder how it would be like to be a couple like that in Singapore.

Obviously, our generation has grown to be more tolerant and even accepting of tattoos that it has become a mainstream fashion statement. The young chic Singaporean more often than not has a small little (well size is relative) tattoo tucked away underneath the cloak. It is also common to see people displaying their tattoos in more prominent places on their bodies. However, apart from a lot of gangsters and punks, or so they assume themselves to be, it is rare to find people who have such love for this art of body modification that their tattoos scream out from underneath their clothing. Respectable half sleeves, full sleeves, or full body suits are relatively hard to come by. I say respectable because all these gangsters and punks who sport full body tattoos have no pride in their bodies. Rather than be concerned with how their bodies are modified to look better, all they care about is how covered their bodies are.

Are our people ready to evolve? Are they ready to accept more extreme body modifications?

Of course, like all controversial issues, there will always be different sides. Some welcome the lifestyle even though they do not sport tattoos of their own while others just shun it. With the Asian tattooing industry burgeoning, it will be interesting to document the reactions of the various age groups and cultures. In any case, it would be gratifying to see our acceptance and tolerance levels equal that of Western nations. In my perspective, it will not be armageddon if that day ever comes, although some people would burn me on the stake for thinking so.

Granted, it is fair to be wary of the tattoo community, for many tattooed individuals were bikers, gang members and those disease-carrying sailors. However, today's generation more or less accepts the fact that anyone could sport tattoos. People from all wallks of life are getting inked, be it for the simple fashion statement or for the actual love of the art. It will be hard to believe that in a decade or two tattoos will still be frowned upon. Just for the record, the tattoo community does not churn out bad hats. It's society that gives a bad connotation to tattoos, and somehow these rotten apples pick up on that, and get inked just to show the world that they ARE indeed the dregs of society. It is a vicious cycle, and until society changes its perception, sadly, the stigma will always remain.

However, I truly believe that this will change, and in future my imaginary fairy-tale wife and I will be able to walk down the street peacefully, knowing that we are not topics of the hush-hush whispers that follow our trail.

Till next time, goodbye world.

posted by Da Buffalo! @ 5:07 AM