5 May 2006
Psst! Reader! Do yourself a favour and find some more wholesome entertainment than here. You don't want to be listening to anything by someone like me. I am filled with self hate and twisted with destructive impulses, psychologically damaged and wracked with emotional pain.
Pain, hurt, self-harm. And we call this art?
No superficial charm can conceal the darker truth: that tattooing is a close cousin of self-harming, and that distorted self-image, eating disorders and destructive urges are now being made manifest in the tattoo parlour. Quite simply, body art is a projection of unhappiness and self-loathing.I have tattoos. Plural. And not the 'flower on the upper arm, a butterfly on the tummy' which the author states is such a reliable indicator of delicate mental health. One covers my back from my neck to my thigh. At my request, someone took a scalepl to my arm and carved thick, swirling scars from shoulder to wrist. I have paid someone to pierce the flesh of my back with thick hooks and hang me from them. The diagnosis is not a novel one to me. But you don't need to do this to be unwell. You just need a Winnie the Pooh on your ass.
Psychologists believe today's intelligent, privileged young women are seeking the very real pain of a needle in their bodies to distract them from the vague, ubiquitous hurt of their emotionally damaged lives.Not one to dismiss any theory out of hand, however riddled with personal prejudices and fear masquerading as fact it is, I popped into the loo at work to check myself out in the mirror for a bit, see if I could identify and come to terms with this bodily loathing of mine. I peered closely.
Elbows somewhat bony.
A grey hair! Oh no, it's a streak of Tippex.
One tooth possibly a bit wonky, if I squint hard.
Green tongue, but this will happen if you have ice pops for lunch.
Bruise on my leg where I accidentally hit myself with a fridge.
It was no good. I tried to find myself disgusting for as long as I could, but eventually a colleague came to bang on the door and ask if I was alright in there. I was forced to conclude, that no matter what the article said, I was. You probably are, too.
The author of "Pain, hurt, self-harm." appears to be wearing an earring. Even if it's a clip-on I'd consider that self-harming (by her definition), those things hurt.
posted by Sarah | 6 May 2006I am fascinated that people do not understand the concept of:
1. Pain as pleasure (obviously never had really good sex)
2. Alteration of the body to achieve a presentation to the world (nose job or breast implants comparable? Is orthidontia included?).
What about tribal tattoos? It would be more interesting if someone did a study comparing western society's trend towards tattooing in the young to the Mauri traditions. Or maybe someone already has and I just don't know about it (not up on all the latest tattoo literature).
Every third person I know has a tattoo now, but then I'm from Los Angeles so I guess that doesn't count. We all have self loathing out here (don't you listen to the knews?).
posted by Tom | 6 May 2006Don't these people realise that self-harming is usually hidden from the world, a secretive act that the purveyor really doesn't want anyone to find out about, whereas tattoos are all about show?
posted by Kat | 7 May 2006Anyhow, how can it be self-harm when someone else is doing it?
Some folks truly are IDIOTS! I may not have any tattoos, but considering them a sign of self harm is just ludicrous Way to go! You found the humor in their stupidity.
posted by Liz | 7 May 2006I have already e-mailed The Herald with my thoughts on Melanie's pisspoor piece. I will add here though that self harm, for me, is a term used by people to label an activity (or activities) they don't understand. The body may be a temple, but it is each curate's job to tend to that temple as they see fit. Why condone a practice that brings a lot of people solace?
posted by StuntGirl | 7 May 2006I suppose this is inevitable. I've not even had an ear pieced, and I figure what you do with your body is pretty much your choice (and some of it looks quite nice, thanks) so I don't understand the issue. It's a freedom of speech issue, but then, there are people who'd take that away from us all at the drop of a hat. So, we can all think each other idiots in this endeavor, and as long as now on acts on it, I'm okay with both sides. But I do like looking at a good tattoo, even if I don't have one.
posted by coldboy | 7 May 2006Heavily tattooed, silently seething and wishing to shout from the roof tops that there is a line between mental health 'issues' and body modification. Sure, it blurs, there are cross overs, but for everyone I know it's one of the things that makes them happy, that are at ease with, that is a good thing for them...
GAAAAAAAAAH
J
x
posted by JG | 8 May 2006Exsqueeze me? Is she for real?
The reasons why people get tattoos are many and varied. My reasons differ from yours, or yours, or yours. Sure, of 20 people who have tattoos, 1 or even 2 may be in the self-harm category but the rest of us .. well that's a personal thing. Right?
Hmmm I've been toying with extending one of mine.. this might give me the spur I need.
posted by Gordon | 9 May 2006Awesome blog. Peace out until next time TabathaOster
posted by TabathaOster | 18 May 2006I could say that promoting a negative view about something that you don't understand, which represents freedom of expression and personal choice betrays a bigger need for psycho-analysis. But hey!
I got my first tattoo two years ago. I'm so glad I did, it's been liberating and a process that continues to evolve in a positive, flowering of my identity. For me the pain makes the result more meaningful.
posted by martin | 25 May 2006