Are tattooed women a threat to Men’s Rights? Last week, the editors of A Voice for Men decided to promote “compassion for men and boys,” as the site’s old motto had it, by publishing a long and exceedingly creepy jeremiad against young women who taint their “radiant” young skin with icky tattoos, thereby ruining things for the men of the world.
In a post titled “Tattoos, good judgement and women,” Doug Mortimer, a self-described Man Going His Own Way of long standing, reminisces at length about the good old days, when the dancers at his favorite “topless bar” were as free of tattoos as they were of tops.
I used to occasionally pay a visit to one of the many local topless bars – pardon me, gentleman’s clubs – so I could wallow in a state of beer-buzzed, middle-aged, semi-arousal.
Sorry to put that image in your head so early in the day. (Or, whenever you happen to be reading this.)
By the late 1990s, tattoos were all the rage. It was almost impossible to see a dancer without a tramp stamp or some other symbol or picture, meaningful or meaningless (to me if not to her). I simply could not fathom why a young woman, with her skin at its peak of radiance and health, would do anything to detract from it.
Readers with sensitive stomachs may want to skip the next bit here.
Flat-chested or full figure; statuesque or petite; blond, brunette, or redhead, healthy skin tone is a key component of neoteny and nubility.
I’m not sure I really needed to hear a dude who was already middle-aged two decades ago wax poetic about the “neoteny and nubility” of women young enough to be his granddaughters.
In 1998, Mortimer tells us, he grew so frustrated by the tattoos adorning the “female flesh” he was paying to ogle that he quit going to “gentlemen’s clubs” altogether.
Despite Mortimer’s bold and principled stand, the young women of America continued to get tattoos. Today, Mortimer reports with horror, one survey found that “25% of all men under 25 have at least one tattoo; for women in that age group, the number is 47%.”
He warns young men to think twice about getting into relationships with these terrible tattooed women.
After all, you’re going to be looking at them every day, possibly till death do you part. Do you really want to cuddle up long-term with a dickless Queequeg?
Mortimer goes on to suggest that the popularity of tattoos amongst young women suggests that maybe they really don’t deserve freedom after all.
Ultimately, you have to seriously question the judgment of a young woman who would make a permanent commitment to something as trivial as body art. Of course, good judgment is only rarely associated with young women, which is why young women are kept on a short leash in traditional societies. When young women are given freedom, they often fuck it up.
Mortimer doesn’t address this directly, but presumably he believes that young men handle their freedom far more wisely, despite considerable video evidence to the contrary.
Mortimer is quick to assure his readers that he is well aware that young women without tattoos can also be terrible freedom-abusers who should probably be kept on a “short leash” as well.
That doesn’t mean a tattoo-free woman can’t be fucked up, but one who is tattooed…well, no matter what the design, it might as well be a big red warning flag.
Well, no. But, given the disgust that Mortimer and many other denizens of the manosphere feel towards tattooed women, tattoos could perhaps be better described as magical talismans offering protection from a certain kind of creepy woman-hating shitbag.
In any case, it’s pretty hard to imagine Mortimer’s post convincing any self-respecting woman, young or old, to cancel an appointment at the local tattoo parlor; I suspect that, if anything, it could have an opposite effect.
Dammit, I’d been doing so well placating the blockquote monster lately, too.
Queequeg was also the name of Scully’s Pomeranian that she had in the 3rd season of the X-Files (who got eaten by a mysterious lake monster GOD DAMN IT X-FILES I HATE YOU I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU KILLED A HELPLESS LITTLE DOG uh, sorry, still a little emotional over that).
Ooh definitely compliment tattoos if you’re comfortable with it. As much as I get my tattoos just for me, it’s almost always nice when people appreciate them (the exception being when strangers compliment you on how sexy your tattoos are).
One of the people who just needed to tell me how awful tattoos are on women was actually a woman. I just looked at her blankly for a bit and said, “ummm, don’t get one then?”
I’ve got 12 tattoos, many of them big pieces. My legs are half covered, my back is totally covered. My hips and part of one butt cheek is covered. But it’s not until I started the sleeve that entitled people started losing their shit. I quite enjoy horrifying them by telling them I’m going to be working on my ribs and chest next year when the sleeve is finished. They hate it so much that their opinion has zero effect on your self worth.
http://collegetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/listening.gif
http://media.giphy.com/media/zYRwFQ9DJ0R44/giphy.gif
Well Ishmael didn’t have any problem at all with cuddling up to Queequeg!
“How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends. Man and wife, they say, there open the very bottom of their souls to each other; and some old couples often lie and chat over old times till nearly morning. Thus, then, in our hearts’ honeymoon, lay I and Queequeg—a cosy, loving pair.”
Check out Rockwell Kent’s “The Counterpane” for an illustration.
Hugs and kisses for the people who had rude people go up to them and talk bad about their tattoos.
Brian
There’s nothing wrong about having preferences like for example I’m not attracted to hairy guys but that doesn’t mean I should trash talk them and want to take away their freedom that’s stupid.
Queequeg was a great character, and does not deserve to be referenced by the OP.
My dad came back from WWII with a tattoo. He and his best Army buddy got roaring drunk in Honolulu, and well, mistakes were made. It was a good tattoo, though. My husband has a great one on his left upper arm. I haven’t heard anyone dis tattoos in quite a while. Haven’t missed it.
Sarah
“Queequeg was also the name of Scully’s Pomeranian that she had in the 3rd season of the X-Files (who got eaten by a mysterious lake monster GOD DAMN IT X-FILES I HATE YOU I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU KILLED A HELPLESS LITTLE DOG uh, sorry, still a little emotional over that).”
OMGoddess that’s awful! Poor pooch.
@Brian
Nothing wrong with having preferences. Those only become problematic when you start expecting everyone to conform to them. I think that that’s what MRAs don’t get. They claim that we’re attacking men for having preferences when in reality, we’re pushing back against the idea that every woman everywhere has to work to fit your preferences.
Personally, I love tattoos. A well-done tattoo is one of the most attractive things a woman can have (apologies if that’s veering too close to ladyboner update territory, but since we’re on the subject). I don’t have any myself YET, but only because the only tattoo parlour in town is… Of iffy quality, to be nice about it. =P
For one, I’m planning on getting a full back piece of GLaDOS (the same picture as my avatar). It’s going to be awesome.
I’m pretty sure I’ve posted this before, but here’s the two tattoos that I want:
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af354/Valin_Carsis/Tattoos_zps7471f054.png
The first one I designed for myself, the second is an anagram of every letter and number in the English language, which is just damn cool.
Other tattoo ideas:
The chain tattoo that the protag of Bioshock (I believe his name was Jack) has
The Outsider’s brand from Dishonored
Possibly something from Psychonauts
Something Pokemon related
I want lots of game related ones.
Tattoos and their stories
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/29/photos-of-womens-tattoos-and-stories-behind-them_n_7266226.html
I am strangely fascinated by people who believe their personal preferences should dictate life for the rest of us. If that’s not pure egocentric solipsism, I don’t know what is.
This is so ridiculous. Plus, I’m sure when women are picky about appearance like this, MRAs see it as proof of women’s inherent shallowness.
NicolaLuna, that sounds really cool!
@Paradoxical Intent:
Fortunately, a tattoo of Raz would count as both Raz and Goggalor.
You see, tattoos wouldn’t match the more conservative dress code.
@sparky:
Were you here for the filibuster in the Stumbling Block post? ‘Cause my eyes glazed over and I lost track of who was actually arguing against Mr. Smith, there.
Who was that ninja? The only clue is this page from a documentary on Soviet combat pilots!
katz: That particular troll is exactly who I was thinking of.
Falconer: Yep. I was at work when the thread exploded, but yep.
I really have no good response to people like this, other than, “Seriously?”
Hmmm, never wanted a tattoo before, but I’m starting to see the appeal!
Zen nurse
That was beautiful I cried until the comment section killed the mood.
“Behold, I am a man listen to me of what I think about this!” It’s even sad to see a woman joining in.
Good thing there are other commenters who stepped in and stood up against them.
@Paradoxical
Yeah, his name is Jack. That’s what it says on the present in the beginning.
There’s a certain protagonist’s tattoos I really, really like but the one I like the most is a little troubling because of the connotation. He’s also one of my favorite video game characters (or at least one I’ve really liked in a long time) and reminds me a bit about myself. The tattoo of his is highly visible and, well, people would probably misinterpretation all the things the tattoo means to me.
I also quite like some of the tattoos in GTA V. Trevor has some of the best, I’ve always liked and get him the blackjack cards on his left pec, the ace card on his left hip, the Fuck Cops across his stomach, and the lucky tattoo on the back on his right shoulder, the dagger and Muertos on his right arm, the dope skull on his left, and the freedom tat on his left leg.
I particular like the Fuck Cops and Blackjack ones. I like blackjack and until there’s a major overhaul of the system, fuck cops, man. I know they aren’t all bad but you know the ones I’m talking about. Fuck ’em.
And, you know what, there’s a lot of Rockstar themed tattoos I’d get, specially Red Dead Redemption and Bully ones (some of my favorite games there). Rockstar is just, like, the one game company that hasn’t disappointed me…as much as other game companies. Sure, their games aren’t 100% kosher and right, but fuck are they fun to play. And such details they put into them. S’awesome.
Oh, also, a Double Fine tattoo, or at least a Brutal Legends or Psychonaut tattoo. Ormagöden would be bitchin’…I can use bitchin’ if it’s positive, right?
Is “won’t match the conservative dress code” the new DIRECTLY ON THE BEACH?
(Nothing will ever beat the horse of superior Aryan intellect!)
I got a tattoo to commemorate finishing my first comic strip. My husband likes to kiss it. I was 28 when I got it, though, which is probably disgustingly old and wrinkly by this guy’s standards.
Here I am driving off men with my tattooed neotenic skin and my hair in a misandering bun: http://www.narbonic.com/swanky_shaenon.jpg
@Paradoxical Intention – Also really cool! They remind me of the graphic on the cover of this book, which is formed from the shapes of the vowels: http://archives.chbooks.com/online_books/eunoia/text.html
Oh oh, speaking of this, it reminds me of when a student from tutoring said to me, “Why do you like poetry? Poetry is boring.”
He was about eleven, and the idea was “I don’t like this so I don’t understand why other people would,” not “I don’t think it’s pretty when other people read poetry books and everyone should conform to my whims.” (A step in maturity above Doug Mortimer, in other words.)
And now I’m wondering which books make women appear more sexually attractive and/or youthful? Mystery and romance paperbacks are usually small, so they’ll make women’s faces appear bigger while they’re reading them, and bigger is not “neotenous,” so that’s out. Poetry books, too, are usually too small. Cookbooks show the Evo-Psych crowd that a woman is a good provider, unless she’s just being an evil trickster trying to trap a man. Fantasy books are often heavy, and lifting heavy things is unfeminine; “literary” books can be metaphorically heavy, so that’s unfeminine too; and sci-fi is inherently unfeminine.
I guess the ideal is something light but with large pages, like a magazine or art catalogue. 🙂