Mature members of the North American bourgeoisie have many occasions to shake their heads, deeply puzzled why tattooing has become such a widespread phenomenon. There seem to be many explanations – social, aesthetic, psychological, religious, tribal, sexual – but obviously each case is unique, even if there must be common denominators. This is such a complex subject that more is required to understand it than mere maturity – the full arsenal of professional social science research.
Take the extent of the practice alone. In June 2006 the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology published the results of a telephone survey that took place in 2004. It found that 36% of Americans ages 18–29, 24% of those 30–40 and 15% of those 41–51 had a tattoo.
In September 2006, the Pew Research Center conducted a telephone survey that found that 36% of Americans ages 18–25, 40% of those 26–40 and 10% of those 41–64 had a tattoo.
In January 2008, a survey conducted online by Harris Interactive estimated that 14% of all adults in the United States have a tattoo, just slightly down from 2003, when 16% had a tattoo. The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (25%) and people living in the West (20%). Among age groups, 9% of those ages 18–24, 32% of those 25–29, 25% of those 30–39 and 12% of those 40–49 have tattoos, as do 8% of those 50-64. Men are just slightly more likely to have a tattoo than women (15% versus 13%).
Will even social scientists ever understand it?
What’s the proportion of adult male Polynesians of different age groups who have tattoos? How about the subset: male Maori?
Then: what other statistically significant correlations are there between these populations and North American populations?
Take any statistical universe you like – the more offbeat the better – relative income, family and relationship status, sexual orientation, artistic productivity, number of boats owned, formal education level attained, has a beard or not, favourite videos, books, music, and movies, number of scholarly articles or novels written about this subgroup, presence or absence of affirmative action programs that target this sub-group, does Stats Can gather info on this group in the long census form, etc.
I will convey your question to them. Thank you.
How many bedtime stories can they tell children off by heart? Can they swim?
Historically, the “civilized” thought only the “uncivilized” had tattoos. In the journal of George Robertson, the Master of H.M.S. Dolphin, his account of the dicovery of Tahiti in 1767, wrote:
“They have a very peculiar Custom in this country, which is this: at the age of Sixteen they paint all the men’s thighs Black, and soon after paint curios figures on their Legs and Arms, and the Ladies seem not to exceed the age of twelve or thirteen when they go through that operation. …”
A footnote explains that ” Tattooing was executed by rubbing soot into punctures made by a serrated instrument.”
I will look for the tattoos Mr. Robertson described in Gauguin’s Tahiti nudes.
Regarding tattoos you asked a question: who has them and why? But you said nothing, absolutely nothing as to why. I was once told by a police detective with extensive international experience that tattoos were one of the things that criminals had in common the world over and historically as well. Not all criminals had tattoos and not all people with tattoos were criminals but there was nonetheless an amazing correlation. So is that the Why? a signal that they are outside the law at one with the internet?
Dick
What an amusing thought! However, if a tattoo raises the prima facie assumption of criminality that puts them INSIDE the law – unless they commit their crimes on the lawless internet.
I feel that I would be remiss if I failed to remind you of the wonderful song by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, “Lydia, the Tatooed Lady” from the Marx Brothers Movie, “At the Circus”, performed by Groucho Marx. The performance can be heard and seen by resorting to Google.
Thank you. Now you are no longer remiss. I did not know either of those performances.
Now listen to my story, boys, I need your sympathy;
The tattooed lady at the circus fell in love with me,
And to prove her love was sweet as sugar candaddy
She had my picture tattooed on her bo-o-ody.
She had the landing of the pilgrims on her shoulders,
Across her back she had the sunset in the west,
And right beside her dimpled knee she’d a great big apple tree,
And the pyramids looked lovely on her chest;
So when she went to find a place to put my picture,
She simply couldn’t find a vacant spot, you see,
So she tattooed my poor face in the most peculiar place,
And now whenever she sits down she sits on me.
The only time that anyone can see my picture
Is when the tattooed lady takes a bath – O gee!
I get black and blue, of course, every time she rides a horse,
‘Cause now whenever she sits down she sits on me,
In Bermuda,
Whenever she sits down she sits on me,
On the beaches,
Whenever she sits down she sits on me.
– song learned in the 1950s at the knee of Malcolm, a Princeton graduate with a guitar and a fund of sweet and saucy college songs, filled out by performance pieces like Alfred and the Lion, Noah and the Ark, and any number by Tom Lehrer. He liked my mum, and came around to visit and help at an old ski cabin after my dad died.
Terrific! Thank you.
The Kingston Trio recorded a song on tattoos that went, if memory serves me (and I passed a lot of time listening to that group while I was misspending my youth):(well, I just checked via Google and updated a couple of minor errors)
We went to town to see that old tattooed lady
She was a sight to see, tattooed from head to knee.
My Uncle Ned was there, he came to gape and stare,
“I’ve never,” he declared, “seen such a freak so fair!”
For on her jaw was the Royal Flying Corps,
On her back was the Union Jack, well could you ask for more?
All up and down her spine marched the Queen’s own Guards in line,
And all around her hips sailed a fleet of battleships.
Over her left kidney was a bird’s-eye view of Sydney,
But what we liked best was upon her chest,
Our little home in Waikiki.
To listen, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21c-v3TDf6Y
You (and/or) Google cleaned it up!