Bree Capel
bic001@marietta.edu
Bzzzz. There was a faint hum as I watched Justin Hofmeister glide a needle across Cory Wasmund’s left shoulder. Cory was completely serene and didn’t wince while Justin etched the mandala tattoo into her skin.
“My mom wasn’t very pleased about it, and my sister said ‘stop tattooing yourself’,” Cory said of her body art. “My dad liked them, though.”
Over the blare of rock music Justin described the story behind his first tattoo, which involved “bribing” his mother.
“She had a couple of tattoos that were hidden and my grandmother didn’t know about them… I basically said ‘I want a tattoo’ and she said ‘no, not at all!’ and I said, ‘well, I’ll tell grandma about yours.’”
Justin is a tattoo artist at River City Tattoo on Front Street. He and his girlfriend Cory have given me a firsthand view of a routine tattoo appointment and insight into their experience as people with unique body modifications. During my time with the couple, I watched Justin outline the curving lines of black ink and wondered why there are such polarizing views on something seemingly benign.
Last month, several outraged peers responded to an anti-feminist “men’s rights” article which detailed why the writer believed women with tattoos are damaged. Anyone who was skeptical of the image of the “broken slut” that this article offers are encouraged to consider the tattoo stories of a group of women students here at Marietta.
“My first tattoo is ‘laugh often, dream big, reach for the stars,'” junior Shauntiel Oliver-Smith said. “I’m the oldest of six, so there’s 5 stars with it as well…I’m the first to go to college and I’m a big role model for [my siblings], so whatever I do, I have to take it to new heights for them (to make it better for them).”
The early childhood education major has three tattoos, all of which are strongly inspired by her family.
Familial connections are a common theme among tattooed women. Take sophomore vocal performance major Elle Sage, who has a tattoo of her favorite Disney princess, Jasmine, on her leg as a reminder of her father who lives in Belgium and their bonding over “Aladdin.”
Of the stigmas and controversies surrounding the tattooed community, one is the debate on its professionalism.
“If you have a tattoo, cover it before an interview,” Career Center Recruiting Coordinator Natalie Wood said. She continued in saying that new employees should always gauge their work environment before revealing tattoos and other dramatic expressions of dress. According to Wood, for those reasons, the career center facilitates “dress to impress” sessions.
However, McCoy Associate Professor Jolene Powell said the presence of large, visible tattoos would not deter her from hiring someone and that she has taught brilliant tattooed women.
“It’s this huge, passionate declaration in their lives,” she said.
Back at River City, Cory’s tattoo looked almost complete. She asked me what I usually write about and mentioned her son, who writes for his high school newspaper. There was a smile of pride on her face and a twinkle in her eyes as she spoke of him. At that point, as I packed up my equipment, I could only feel reassured in the depth of character behind the dark hair and inked skin of this woman, and I laughed at the idea that some stranger on the internet could judge her and others based plainly on their surface.
