After reading a few of the other blogs that individuals have
posted, I think I want to focus more on the issue of tattoos on women as a form
of branding in general. When Professor Peace showed us the image of the woman
who had been branded on the inside of her lip with the name of her pimp. By
doing this, that woman lost all sense of her own independence. Even years later
when she no longer was involved in prostitution, she still had the reminder of
her past with that tattoo.
Tattooing is a permanent form of body modification,
especially when placed in highly visible areas. When one chooses to mark
themselves in this way, it can be absolutely beautiful and expressive. But to
think that something intended to be art could be used as a horrible reminder of
the pain an individual has suffered is devastating. Instead of modifying their
body to make themselves feel better, these women end up feeling much, much
worse. Years ago, when tattoos were less common, women were scrutinized for
their brandings. They were seen as freak shows and often put on display for the
bodily markings they could not change. Nowadays, female tattoos are much more
widely accepted, but this branding is still an issue. Although not visibly
disturbing, these tattoos can still scar the woman who wears them.
I suppose I always knew that tattoos could have a negative
side to them. When I thought “negative,” I always leaned more toward the gang
and prison aspect. I never realized that they could be used to mark women, as a
form of dominance, as well. After this past week’s discussion, I am very
bothered by the use of these tattoos as a form of power of women. This week has
left an unsettling feeling in my stomach, specifically because we, as a class,
have focused so much on the forms of body modification that make individuals
feel better about themselves. Tattoos can be destructive, but not in the way
society would believe, and I feel that this should definitely be brought more to the forefront of discussion.
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