Language Development of Tattoo 1

Nonverbal Communication: The Language Development of the Ancient Art of Tattoo

Paper Outline & Annotated Bibliography

Katie DuPree
COMM 200-02
Perspectives on Human Communication
6 April 2009
 Language Development of Tattoo 2

Paper Outline

I.) Intro
A.) Attention getter
1.) Suppose you’re at the grocery store in the bread aisle and a 30-something
mom with two kids in the cart bends over to get to the Wonder Bread. You notice
that a bit of her lower back tattoo peaks out. Are you surprised? Well, current
research is showing that you shouldn’t be too surprised because in fact, a survey
showed in 2001 that 20% of Americans were tattooed (Kosut, 2006).
B.) Thesis
1.) What was once a nether-art of the Ancient Polynesians to show cultural pride
and later a marker of social outcasts and criminals has become a cosmetic process
that people of all socio economic statuses are consuming. This essay (or paper
outline in this case) will discuss this phenomenon.
C.) Transition
1.) So is this mother of two secretly a criminal, a freak off her leash or of
Polynesian descent? Although any of these scenarios are possible, it is more likely
that she is just a mom who wanted a tattoo, whether it has some kind of personal
meaning to her or she just thought it would look good.

II.) First Topic (Discuss origins of tattoos)

A.) Intro
1.) So how did this metamorphosis happen? It is common sense that in order to
get a good idea of how one reached their destination, they must first know
where they came from.
B.) Iceman had tattoos (5300 years ago) and there are records of tattooed people dating as
far back as 6000 BCE (Doss & Hubbard, 2009)
C.) A five day interview describes the tatau process by a tufuga. This Samoan master
craftsman does his work according to ancient practice, with the exception of sterilization
of materials, which Tulouena has adopted. A traditional Samoan tatau is an excruciating
and extensive operation requiring many sessions. The client picks an area to be given the
tatau and the tufuga decides on the design. During prep, all materials are stabilized and
strips of white cloth are dipped in hot water to clean up free flowing pigment and blood.
The procedure takes place in the client’s home where family and/ or friends are present
for moral support. The tufugas assistants hold the skin tight as the client lays on the floor
in a position suitable for the area being done. Using a needle comb ( au ) and a tapping
stick (sausau), pigment made from soot and water is taped into the skin in various
designs. After the first session, the craftsman gives the client tapus (restrictions) to keep
out infection and evil spirits. Once the final session is complete, a ceremony called the
samaga pe’a is held. This is much like the Jewish bar mitzvah because it is an initiation
of true man/ womanhood for Samoans (even though many who have the procedure are in
their mid-late adult life. During this ceremony, the Samoans eat, drink, and practice
merriment. In the original ceremony, the newly tattooed person is supposed to engage in
intercourse to display their new adulthood. This is not commonly practiced anymore. The
balance of the bill is also paid to the tufuga (Va’a, 2006).
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1.) Make the point that the ceremony that follows is where tattoos get their
association with sex and this is why christian religions do not like tattoos.
2.) Make the point that America was founded on the Puritan religion, which is a
strict sect of Christianity and this is why Americans see tattoos as taboo.
3.) Make the point that the excruciating pain is what makes the men out to be
“macho” in our society.
4.) Rape has been justified on the grounds of a girl having a tattoo (Braunberger,
2000)
C.) Transition: Christianity’s views on women and sex have helped determine tattooed
women as exceptionally taboo.

III.) Second Topic (Discuss tattoos and women)

A.) Intro
1.) Speak only when spoken to has been the rule for women since the beginning of
time. They have been limited to roles that meet the needs of men whether it is as a
sexual object or a supporting role. Women with tattoos are viewed as rebelling to
these societal norms.
a.) Support: “As symbols demanding to be read, tattoos on women produce
anxieties of misrecognition…In a culture built on women’s silence and bent on
maintaining silence as a primary part of the relationship between women’s bodies
and cultural writing, the rules have been simple. The written body may only speak
from a patriarchal script that tries to limit women’s voices and bodies to
supporting roles and scenery. Soon a woman’s body any tattoo becomes the
symbol of bodily excess” (Braunberger, 2000).
b.) Support: “From the 1770’s on, when Capt. James Cook re-introduced
tattooing to the Western world from the Polynesian islands, tattooing has
primarily been done by men for other men, and has functioned like ahundred
other rituals implicitly designed to keep men together and exclude women”
(Braunberger, 2000)
2.) So to society, despite the meaning a woman may intend for her tattoo to have,
society will view her as a feminist who is trying to tread into “male territory” for
having one.
B.) Women began getting tattooed so they could be in circuses and freak shows and
beauty contests (Braunberger, 2000)
1.) This is another reason why women with tattoos are seen as taboo. This is also
a reason for why tattoos are interpreted as belonging to social outcasts and
criminals for all kinds of people.
C.) This begins to change when women are tattooed without their knowledge for
cosmetic purposes. The fact that upper class women got these done begins to break down
the idea that tattoos were for those of lowly social status
1.) Many women got rosy cheeks, red lips, etc. tattooed on their faces without
realizing the process was actually a tattoo. This scandal even filtered into the
upper class women (Braunberger, 2000)
D.) Transition: So it is because of women who were initially attempted to be excluded
from tattooing that tattoos have started to send negative messages to society.
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IV.) Third Topic (Discuss Commodification)

A.) Intro: What women started as far as commodifying tattoos, the media has certainly
taken over. In this present day, there are several famous people with tattoos. This list
includes actors/ actresses, models, musicians and sports figures. I’m sure the list does
not end there either. With the media being our source of knowledge of the
fashionable, it makes perfect sense that tattoos have finally broken the barriers of
being just for freaks and criminals.
1.) Support: “At the very least, the celebrity tattoo phenomenon contributes to
new understandings of tattoo and elevates its social status” (Kosut, 2000).
B.) It is also a mistake to think that media only influences youth culture as well. Tattoos
have been used as an advertising strategy aimed at adults of the upper classes as well.
1.) Support: “Besides the youth culture market, tattoos are utilized in advertising
campaigns geared toward more established adults, particularly those interested in
expensive luxury goods. In a frequently reproduced print ad campaign for
Versace’s 2002 summer beach collection, russet-skinned, well-slickened models
reveal large portions of their bodies from under tiny bathing suits highlighting
carefully positioned tattoos. That tattoos are appearing on models bodies’ and are
being used to target the present-day leisure classes indicates an elevation in their
cultural status” (Kosut 2000).
C.)In the same sense, what happens when too many people have tattoos? What happens
when people like Carrie Fischer (Princess Leia), who is a middle-aged mom get tattoos?
2.) Kosut comments, “How much longer can tattoos keep their lingering status as
emblems of rebellion if obviously uncool, middle aged women chattily
discuss them on a major network morning show owned by Disney” (Kosut,
2000)?
D.) Transition: However, it is evident that tattoos have come a long way if established
middle aged mothers are openly speaking of their ink on National Television.

V.) Conclusion
A.) So when you see that thirty-something mom reaching for the Wonder Bread in the
bread aisle, don’t be alarmed. She’s not a freak or criminal, she’s just a mom with a
tattoo.
B.) Thanks to Ancient Polynesians, women and the media, her tattoo is not a mark of
criminality, it is evidence that she just pays attention to fashion or maybe just has
something to say.
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References

Bengston, A., Ostberg, J., & Kjeldgaard, D. (2005). Prisoners in paradise: Subcultural resistance
to the marketization of tattooing. Consumption, markets and culture, 8, 3, 261-274.
Talks about how the subculture that primarily and traditionally practices tattooing do not
approve of their practice/art becoming mainstream and commercialized. Subculture
recognizes that demand for their service is necessary for their success. Therefore, the
subculture views commercialization as bittersweet. The subculture also does not approve
of brand tattoos but realizes it has a duty to comply with the desires of the customer.
Discusses how even brand tattoos can be made personal by the artist/ customer by using
personal meaning to transform brand into identity.

Braunberger, C. (2000). Revolting bodies: The monster beauty of tattooed women. Nwsa
journal, 12, 2, 1-15.
This essay examines what the author will call “The aesthetic revolution of monster
beauty” and how it has developed. She talks about how women have both gained and lost
power over their own bodies as a result of this revolution by gaining employment in
circuses and freak shows and being termed as branded and/ or requesting rape because of
their tattoos. Cosmetic tattooing plays a part in this revolution as well because women
were unknowingly being tattooed. This fact does positive things for the acceptability of
tattoos among women. She compares the stigmas/stereotypes associated with tattooed
men as opposed to tattooed women. She mentions how tattoo is considered a sexual act
for a woman but not for a man.

Doss, K. & Ebesu Hubbard, A.S. (2009). The communicative value of tattoos: The role of public
self-consciousness on tattoo visibility. Communication research reports, 26, 1, 62-74.
Examines how effectively tattoos are used as a means of artifactual communication by
using impression management principles. This study also discusses the phenomena where
as tattoo visibility increases, communicative value of the tattoo also increases. It also
examines the inverse relationship between tattoo visibility and public self-consciousness
of the tattooed person. This study was done via survey of sample populations from
parlors and universities.

Kosut, M. (2006). An ironic fad: The commodification and consumption of tattoos. The journal
of popular culture, 3, 6, 1035-1048.
This article is an analysis and evaluation of the acceptability and popularity of tattoos.
Pop culture and consumerism are two factors that are explored. Idolizing celebrities with
tattoos and the growing need to be associated with a brand are two explanations given to
the rising popularity of tattoo. The relevance of this article is that it gives insight into how
tattoo has/ is transforming due to media exposure. It’s gone from an ancient nether-art
belonging to the Polynesians, to a practice and symbol of social deviants of all sorts, to a
a fad item not unlike Versace swimsuits (example used in article) that is purchased by all
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socio-economic classes. It’s main focus seems to be on who is consuming tattoos and
why.

Unasa, L.F.V. (2006). Five days with a master craftsman. Fashion theory, 10, 3, 297-314.
Examines the orignins of tattooing through Tulouena Peni Faamausili, a Samoan,
traditional tatau artist. It discusses the need of Samoans to acquire a “Samoan identity”
through getting a tatau. This article is the product of a five day interview of the master
craftsman. The articles main focus is to analyze Tulouena’s clients in regards to
aesthetics and identity. This article also discusses the history of tattoos. Gives various
accounts of clients. Describes the majority of the traditional tatau process.