Chicks with guns... tattoo guns, that is...

July 12th, 2006, marked a very special day for me. It was the first time I ever felt the buzz of a tattoo gun, pushing permanent ink into my skin. Before my appointment, when I was talking to my parents about getting the tattoo, they did not tell me that I shouldn't get it, just that I shouldn't get it in the highly visible area I had originally planned. My parents aren't exactly conservative. My mother and stepmother both work in the car factories here in Windsor, and have the mouths of sailors, and my father rides a Harley and has his own fair share of tattoos. The problem they had with me getting a tattoo on my arm was that "It looks trashy on girls." (Not in general, just on girls.) "It's not lady like." This is where I wondered "What does "ladylike" mean, anyways? In this day and age, when women enjoy the same rights and privileges of men, and do the same jobs, shouldn't the gendered rules of etiquette be revised?

Since these statements, the idea of tattooed/pierced women in power has become very interesting to me. And who better to showcase this concept than the girls of LA INK?

Tattooing is an industry that, historically, has been heavily associated with males. At least in Western society, it has. (In some Eastern societies, it has always been women who do the tattoos!) This is something that the owner of High Voltage Tattoos and portrait-expert Kat Von D has spoken of in the past. It seems to be a common misconception that tattoo artists are always men. Kat Von D's shop seems to have broken the mold, employing three female tattoo artists (Kat Von D, Hannah Aitchison, and Kim Saigh) as well as a female shop manager (Amber "Pixie" Acia.) The only male employee is black-and-grey legend Corey Miller.

I think LA Ink is an important show because it helps to dispel the gender myths regarding tattooing. Not only are there female artists, but there are many female clients. And guess what, mom and dad? All four girls are heavily tattooed, including their arms! How unladylike! Tattooing has become an attractive career choice for creative women. There's even a female tattoo convention! Check out this link for some details.

Tattoos are becoming more and more popular, and more acceptable in society. Here's hoping that along with this popularity and acceptability comes a greater acceptance of tattooed women. And if not, so what? It's your body, use it like a canvas and feel beautiful, regardless of what others might think!