More and more, we see Korean-Americans getting stupid tattoos, especially on their fore/arms. Some Korean-Americans might justify their decisions as a form of self-expression in a free society, but we can't help notice that many Korean-Americans are simply are getting stupid tattoos because 'everyone else' is doing it. Koreans and Korean-Americans have a tendency to act like lemmings. Even when they claim to be for freedom, individuality, and 'empowerment', they slavishly imitate whatever trend or fashion that happens to be prevalent at the moment. And of course, these trends and fashions are almost always hatched and disseminated by non-Koreans. So, non-Koreans come up with 'new shit', and Korean-Americans just follow and imitate like a bunch of lemmings and monkeys in a monkey-see-monkey-do way.
Tattoos are mostly ugly and stupid. It's ugly because the human body is not a canvas. If you want to draw stuff, get a coloring book or a painting canvas. Don't use your own hide. Tattoos are also an extreme form of expression because they are permanent. Why would you want to do something at a spur of the moment that will stay with you til the day you die?
We often do stupid things, and thankfully, we can put our past thoughts and actions behind us. But tattoos remain like the Mark of Cain. If tattoos came off after a week or month, I suppose it's okay to goof around with that stuff. But doing something that will stay with your forever? That's really dumb.
Just look back on your life. What you thought was important when you were 5 yrs old didn't seem so important when you were 10 yrs. What you thought was most important when you were 10 yrs old seemed stupid when you were 15 yrs old. Your main obsession when you were 15 was meaningless by the time you were 20. Imagine if you got a tattoo of Mickey Mouse when you were 5. Would you want that to stay with you forever?
When you're 20, you might think such-and-such is so important, but it may mean nothing to you by the time you're 30 or 40, let alone 50 or 60. So, why would you want to put graffiti on your skin at 20 that will remain with you for the rest of your life?
Tattooing is an extreme activity because the tattoo remains on you forever. So, tattoos should never be done casually as a fashion statement. Fashions change. You change. Why do something at one moment that will mark you forever? It says something about the infantile nature of our age that so many young people mindlessly think their youthful impulses(which are mostly imitative and slavish) will define them for the rest of their lives. Grow up, people.
We should approach our bodies as precious gifts given to us by our parents. We shouldn't use the skin as a canvas for graffiti. Graffiti is ugly on properties. Why spread graffiti all over your skin? When you hold your newborn baby in your hand and look at his or her beautiful skin, do you want the kid to grow up to be some trashy fashion-slave-hog who will one day desecrate her own skin with ugly pictures?
There are cases where I can understand the significance of tattoos. If you've been through a great ordeal--like soldiers in war--and if you want to use tattoos to memorialize your great trial and survival, your motivation would at least understandable. It'd be a case of extreme expression(tattoos) designating one's rite-of-passage through an extreme experience.
But if you're just some spoiled brat who's had an easy life and never knew danger, what does your tattoo signify? That you merely FELT LIKE getting one for the hell of it because everyone else seems to?
If you want to do something for the hell of it, go get an ice cream sundae or listen to some music. Don't get a meaningless tattoo that will be stuck onto you forever.
Grow up.
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