I'm just getting over the food and ouzo orgy that was this past weekend's Greek Easter celebration, a Brooklyn backyard bacchanal where chasing around unsuspecting guests with a lamb tongue on BBQ tongs is not only encouraged but specifically laid out in the Bible, right next to promoting "opposite marriage." [See the gory Greeky pix on Facebook.]Lucky for me, the news was not as juicy as our giblets, so I didn't have too many headlines to trawl through, but I did catch a few tasty treats on the net. Here goes:
More people are getting medic alert tattoos, prompting the medical community to address the legal and ethical issues behind them. Over the years, I've seen A LOT of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) tattoos, particularly on people over 70 -- like this fiesty Kiwi who sparked debate worldwide last year over the enforceability of DNR ink. In the US, a mere DNR tattoo generally won't cut it. You need to back up your wishes with a valid DNR Order. Better use of those tattoos would be alerts of serious allergies, pre-existing conditions and even blood type, but hell, the jewelry has been doing a good job at that, so save ya skin for art.
As the deadline for my book on blackwork tattooing -- like that of the fabulous Jacqueline Spoerle above -- fast approaches, I'm grateful that the boys got my back and this blog to bring you the Tattoo 411, but some of the tattoo news was too important to let it pass.
The most important: 18 Douchebag Celebrities and their Douchebag Tattoos.
No, I jest.
The Washington legislature finally has passed a measure that requires body piercers and tattooers to be licensed by the state. Up until now, there have been no regulations, so any kitchen table scratcher can scar up anyone with a low tattoo IQ. One of the people behind the measure is bod mod artist Troy Amundson. I wrote about Troy's lobbying fight for BME in 2007 and his efforts to bring safe and fair regulation of the industry. And today I toast him for securing representation "as stakeholders in body art related issues" as he calls it. Cheers to Troy for getting shit done.
In more tattoo law news, the search is on for some garbage who tattooed a gang symbol on his 7-year old son. It's a heartbreaking story of how the child returned home to his mother, distraught and ashamed after spending Easter break with his father. He tried to hide the tattoo when taking a bath but his mother saw and called the cops when he told her the story of how his father held him down while another gang member forcibly tattooed a dog paw on his hip. Justice for this gangbanger would be some big jail daddy forcibly tattooing bitch on his ass. I know, not highbrow commentary but this just makes me sick.
It's these type of stories -- the negative associations with tattooing -- that perpetuate stereotypes and result in, say, idiot zoning regulations, like this one in Vista, CA that says a tattoo studio can't be located near parks, schools or child care facilities, as well as 1,000 feet from other parlors. Imagine passing a similar reg for nail salons or barber shops. Yeah, I can't either.
And of course it leads to personal tattoo discrimination, as Pat blogged about yesterday on Joel Madden having to cover his tattoos before boarding a flight because British Airways found them "offensive." [I love this Perez Hilton comment: "... Joel was embarrassed because 'all the people were staring and laughing! No, Joel, they were laughing because you're in Good Charlotte."] *giggle* Eonline.com says Joel did cover up to board to plane but will be complaining to BA. I won't be giving BA my business. If you'd like to voice your opinion to BA about this, here's their complaint form.
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