Michelle Zauner ’11 describes her current tattoos: a little girl holding a big spoon, the result of three sterilized sewing needles and India ink, and a larger piece on the back of her neck of Ferdinand the Bull, a bull who preferred to smell flowers than participate in bullfights. She talks about how people react when they see her tattoos.They not only expect them to mean something, you to have some sort of articulate answer too,” she says.
Getting a tattoo at young age has become more and more popular especially because of its incorporation in the mainstream media and pop culture with TV shows like "L.A. Ink" and "Miami Ink." Although the stereotype that tattoos are reserved for Hells Angels or people on the outskirts of society has lessened, there are still people that judge others for their tattoos. What is it like being a woman with a tattoo, and how do people react? And maybe a more important question, what is it like being a Bryn Mawr woman with a tattoo?
Leman ’11, like Zauner, also felt like people expected a profound reason for her tattoos in order for them to be justified.It’s not necessarily judgmental," she says, "but after a lot of people see my tattoo they’ll say, Oh, I’ve always wanted to get one too, but I would only get one if it really meant something to me because it’s there forever.
All the women interviewed had some sort of story behind their tattoo, but all of them were different. Erin Doppelheuer ’11 got one of her tattoos to represent a time in her life that was difficult for her. Nicole Gervasio ’10 has a bird on her arm as a memorial for a close friend who passed away. The small fish on Sitara Chowfla 13’s wrist represents her cultural heritage.
However, no matter what a certain tattoo means, other people always seem to have an opinion. “I think a lot of people see it as a sign of rebellion, but I just think they’re art,” Doppelheuer says. Zauner talks about how people in her life reacted when she first got her tattoo and she said her mom was the person most upset over her decision to get a tattoo.She was not happy about it," Zauner says. "I wasn’t punished over it, but I do remember her saying ‘What are we going to do at your wedding? You won’t be able to put your hair up.
Many times, it is a gender issue for parents. Women feel like their parents are more upset about their tattoos because they are female. Doppelheuer’s parents even offered to pay to have one of her most visible tattoos, two Chinese symbols on the back of her neck, removed.I guess it is because I am a girl and because I’m their ‘baby girl,she says.They once told me not to get anymore because they don’t want me to destroy my body.
Many of the women agree that because they were women they felt as if they were judged more harshly for having tattoos than a man might. Gervasio said she felt people were surprised that she had tattoos because she does not fit the normal stereotype of what a person with tattoos might be like. She explains how she has already gone through more alternative phases when it came to her appearance. Now she chooses to dress a little more conservatively. It is as if her ballet flats and the paw prints on her feet don’t add up.They expect something different from me," Gervasio says. "I am supposed to be more put together, more proper.”
Liana Donahue ’12 says that many people expect her to be a certain way because of her tattoo, especially because it is placed on her upper arm. She’s heard people say that she looks tough or scary when they see her tattoos.I even had a girl in my customs group admit to me that she had been petrified of me. oppelheuer mentions how an ex-boyfriend’s mother disapproved of their relationship because of her tattoos.His mom said I wasn’t worthy enough to date her son," she says. "She talked about how moms can’t have tattoos and that her grandchildren’s mom was not going to have tattoos. To her, I was not presentable enough to friends and family.”
People’s poor reactions to their tattoos sometimes caused the women interviewed to feel as if they have to cover them up, but not one person felt like they had to cover them up in class or when interacting with professors. In fact, Professor Juan Arbona of the Growth and Structure of Cities department, said he never judged a student because of a tattoo she had.Why should I have a problem with them?” he said. “I think everyone should have control over their own body.
Most of the women agreed that the only times they’ve really felt pressure to cover up their tattoos is when they are interviewing for a job. Even here at Bryn Mawr there are certain jobs where Mawrtyrs feel pressure to cover up visible tattoos. Donahue, a tour guide, says she is constantly reminded that she has to cover up her tattoo when she gives tours.
“I guess I understand that they are trying to have this image of the ‘Bryn Mawr Woman’ who is very academic and empowering," she says. “Honestly, I really think there shouldn’t be this set image of what a Bryn Mawr woman is.”
But Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Rachel de Simone, who trains tour guides, agrees that there is not one singular type of Bryn Mawr woman. She says that there is no set rule that Bryn Mawr tour guides cannot have visible tattoos. She did, however, make it clear that tour guides need to look professional and that certain kinds of clothing that would reveal a tattoo are not appropriate.
Although Donahue understands why it is stressed to look professional or as de Simone says, “Not like they’re going to the beach,Donahue says,The fact that I have to be conservative kind of depresses me because my tattoo is such a large part of who I am.”
This article is © 2008 The Bi-College News. The material on this page is free for personal or educational use, but may not be reproduced, reprinted, republished, redistributed, or otherwise transmitted to a third party without the express written permission of The Bi-College News, 370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041.