Piercings and tattoos are an important part of many cultural identities. You can see tribal tattoos in different cultures like in Waikiki where having abstract shapes shows a person’s bravery. We saw in Rome people getting different body piercings to show their social status. Now, different kinds of piercings and tattoos are used as a form of self-expression. Having piercings or tattoos comes with so much judgment, like the common claims of not being able to have a “real” job or saying that you’ll regret it when you’re older. The judgment comes in so many forms. So why are they judged by others?
A lot of piercings have meaning behind them and symbolize something more. For example, the most popular piercing, the ear lobes, were seen to symbolize a woman’s femininity. Septum piercings are used to show that you are proud to be unique, and this piercing also has a rich history within Native American warrior culture. Nostril piercings can be found in Middle Eastern cultures to signify a woman’s marital status, and people who practice Hinduism use this piercing to attract the blessings of their goddess Pavarti, the goddess of beauty, marriage, and the arts. In a lot of African cultures, they have their lower lip pierced and stretch it to show off the number of cattle paid as the bride price, which refers to when the groom/groom’s family buys the bride’s family livestock.
Almost every tattoo has some sort of personal or cultural meaning behind it. Tattoos are just another way for people to show their heritage or show off a symbol of a loved one who passed away. In the Philippines, the Ifugao people get what is called a Batok. Batok is to show their headhunting or their social status, the men had k on their chest, arms, legs, forehead, and cheeks. These tattoos were believed to have some sort of supernatural power to help warriors in battle. In Japan, tattoos are a way to show one’s deep connection to their culture, and many of the tattoos are from stories from folklore while some are to show their connection with the Yakuza, a famous Japanese gang.
Of course, other people get tattoos and piercings simply because they like the look of them. But, is this such a good reason to judge others for having them? I understand not liking some piercings but, you shouldn’t think of someone as less human because of what they chose to do. Tattoos are such a great way to show self-expression, show off your artwork, or get something really important to you. Piercings are such a great way to gain more confidence within yourself or even rebel against their culture. There are so many benefits of getting tattoos and piercings.
I think the real reason people look down on others with different facial piercings or different tattoos is because sometimes they can be seen as scary or intimidating. Some people associate tattoos with criminals because of the TV show stereotype of getting unsanitary tattoos with pen ink of things related to the crime they committed. Of course, some tattoos do show off illegal things, but it isn’t every tattoo that is linked to a crime. Other piercings that are not in the ear lobes can make some people look intimidating, but it usually all depends on the jewelry they choose for their piercings.
As I expressed before, having piercings and tattoos isn’t a very good reason to judge people, especially if you don’t know the real reason they have them. It’s like the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover”. Someone who looks intimidating because of their appearance could be the nicest person you will ever meet, you just have to get to know them.
