write your own... tattoo themed "news" story!

at 10:26

Wednesday 7 May 2008

Title: Must include the word "ink", a pun on the word "tattoo" or a reference to permanence. Sample titles: Written in Ink, Tatt's all folks, Tattooed for thought, A permanent part of the student body.

Photograph: Either a celebrity that has one or more tattoos (note, they do not have to be mentioned in the text), an exterior shot of a tattoo studio or fuzzy close up of a tattoo taken from flickr.

Article text: Take at least six of the following, in order:

[Comment on tattoos being a "hot new fashion trend", possible reference to reality TV show]

[Note on how tattoos are "no longer just for sailors and convicts" bonus points for implying sluttiness of women with tattoos by mentioning prostitutes]

[Statistic on number of people possessing a tattoo, bonus points if figure covers the "number of people under twenty five"]

[Tenuous link to college campus/workplace/city/demographic that article is being written about - sample text: "tattoos are now a common sight adorning the bodies of Princeton's students" or "more and more Mothers are now sporting tattoos"]

[Citation of celebrities who have tattoos. Bonus points for the following: Mike Tyson, current American Idol contestant, Avril Lavigne/Rhianna or celebrity that has had a tattoo altered or removed eg. Johnny Depp. No extra points for mentioning Angelina Jolie as this is a prerequisite to publication]

[Quote from semi-articulate person who has a tattoo, possibly on the nature of "personal expression" or "remembering milestones", must include comment about individuality for full editorial impact]

[Quote from tattoo artist about how people are starting younger and going bigger with their tattoo designs]

[Cursory explanation of the difference between flash and custom designs]

[Statistic concerning number of people who now regret their tattoos - bonus points if this is backed up with a quotation from an HR goon about hirability]

[Quote from a "doctor" specialising in laser tattoo removal, possibly referencing follies of youth, definitely citing patients who have had a spouse's name removed]

Factfile: Pick one of the following options:

Tips for getting a tattoo (including inspired gems such as talking to prospective artists, checking portfolios and being really sure of the design you want permanently etched into your skin)

Tattoo removal methods (cite physical abrasion for maximal shock factor and tattoo removal creams to be extra misleading)

Article Comments: Must include at least three of the following:

"Everyone has tattoos now, personally I think I'm being more of an individual by NOT getting one"

"I hire for a large company and you can call me old fashioned but I wouldn't employ anyone with a visible tattoo" (note: this must be followed by at least seven accusations of discrimination, bonus if one cites employment law)

"I think they're OK on guys but tattoos on women are trashy"

"I went to [good school] and now work as a [impressive profession] and I have tattoos, therefore I am proof that everything you have said is wrong"

"TRAMP STAMP"

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28" (three posts pointing out that this is taken entirely out of context are also required with this comment)

"I think a couple of small tattoos can be ok but the big ones are just nasty"

"You have to wonder what these people are going to look like when they're in their sixties. That tribal butterfly won't look so good then!"

[Note: for best impact just under half of comments should be poorly spelt and grammatically incorrect. The word "tattoo" or some variation thereof must be misspelt at least every other post, acceptable variations are "tatoo", "tatto", "tatood", "tattoo'd" etc.]

9 comments:

TK said...

Tatooes are for loosers. Your going to regret it when your old and ulgy. Your probbly ether a slut or a lesbean.

Alex the Odd said...

Hah. Superb Mr K!

The best explanation I ever heard for the tattoo:slut "correlation" is that if a woman is willing to have needles poked in to her then she must be willing to have other thinks poked into her. Ifyaknowwhadimean? It's all about the penetration. Freud would be proud.

Genevieve Burgess said...

I thought the tattooed girl=slut had more to do with the idea that no "good" girl would ever WANT men to look at her body and tattoos just draw all sorts of improper attention. Cause once you get guys closely examining your skin, they just think about you naked, and you wanting boys to think about you naked makes you a whore. Just like wearing short skirts and frilly panties.

It doesn't make any more sense than the penetration theory, but it circumvents Freudian logic, which is always positive.

Alex the Odd said...

Oh ITA Genny my dear. I'm all for the cirumvention of Freud (wow, future band name right there) also.

Wanting to draw attention to my body does indeed make me a whore. I think it's why I have so many friends ;)

The article with the above theory was commented on here http://feministing.com/archives/007773.html I especially enjoy the point re: toothbrushes etc.

Can you tell how bored I am today? Comments getting immediate and personal responses. This is a first.

Anonymous said...

Hee! It's like a slice of my daily life. You wouldn't believe some of the comments I get on other blogs where I have commented--all because of my blogger profile picture.

On second thought, you would not only believe, but completely understand.

Preach it to me girl. I sing in the choir, and still love a good sermon.

Anonymous said...

Now if we could only correlate tattoos and science....

Alex the Odd said...

But boo, don't you realise that your tattoo makes your body public property? Seriously. I'm pretty sure it's in the Big Book Of Insane And Random Universal Laws. The second you do anything out of the norm everybody gets to comment on it. Because you're asking for their opinion by being weird. Seriously. If you didn't want the attention you wouldn't do it.

Just like the short skirts.

One day I'll draw up a series of graphs comparing how tattoos compare to various other elements of personality. It's going to be awesome.

Anonymous said...

I am 43 years old and have 13 separate pieces of ink and two Ph.Ds (both in engineering). I can not stand the typical newsmonger attitude towards tattoos, especially since ink seems to be appearing on more and more people these days.My excuse was that I started getting mine when I was in the Army back in the early 80s, but these days so many folks (even my 72 year old mother) have gotten them.

Anonymous said...

I work freelance for a trashy-style newspaper, and I can't tell you the number of times that the requisite "new" "trend" of tattoos has been trotted out to fill up features space. This rundown is spot-on and hilarious.
Inspired to write because you touched on one of my all-time pet peeves: the biblical prohibition. Dunno if its the same in the UK, but here in New York, being both tattooed and Jewish seems to give almost-strangers the right to tell me that, oh no, now I won't be able to be buried in a Jewish cemetery, or at least somewhere off to the side, with the pariahs. Never mind that it is a false rumor without basis in either religious rules or cultural custom. Do they really think that this is the first time I'm hearing this, and now I'm wishing that I had met them before I got my tattoo, so that they could save my soul from damnation? Really?