Covered in Ink: Tattoos, Women and the Politics of the Body

Alternative Criminology

by Beverly Yuen Thompson

A small dolphin on the ankle, a black line on the lower back, a flower on the hip, or a child’s name on the shoulder blade—among the women who make up the twenty percent of all adults in the USA who have tattoos, these are by far the most popular choices. Tattoos like these are cute, small, and can be easily hidden, and they fit right in with society’s preconceived notions about what is ‘gender appropriate’ for women. But what about women who are heavily tattooed? Or women who visibly wear imagery, like skulls, that can be perceived as masculine or ugly when inked on their skin?





Drawing on autoethnography, and extensive interviews with heavily tattooed women, Covered in Ink provides insight into the increasingly visible subculture of women with tattoos. Author Beverly Thompson visits tattoos parlors, talking to female tattoo artists and the women they ink, and she attends tattoo conventions and Miss Tattoo pageants where heavily tattooed women congregate to share their mutual love for the art form. Along the way, she brings to life women’s love of ink, their very personal choices of tattoo art, and the meaning tattooing has come to carry in their lives, as well as their struggles with gender norms, employment discrimination, and family rejection. Thompson finds that, despite the stigma and social opposition heavily tattooed women face, many feel empowered by their tattoos and strongly believe they are creating a space for self-expression that also presents a positive body image. A riveting and unique study, Covered in Ink provides important insight into the often unseen world of women and tattooing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2015

Reviews

[Denise Eggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading Covered in Ink by Beverly Yuen Thompson the other day and did not have time to review it. I made time today. I highly recommend this book especially for the personal stories of tattooed women like Thompson herself.

I am also heavily tattooed—depending on how you define heavily. My tattoos do not show past the “job line” (nothing on my forearms, hands, neck). Like many of the women in the book, I usually cover my tattoos with clothing.

I have watched the author’s documentary "Covered" and this book is on the same topic; tattooed women in our society. I anticipated the book and even ordered it before it came out. I was very happy when it appeared in my mailbox and when I read it. However, I gave it four stars.

So why not five stars? Here are my issues. The author believes that the increased numbers of tattooed women in the work place will change the mindset of employers who don’t like tattoos and would not hire tattooed women. That’s true, but Thompson states unions could help empower the change. Union leaders may not put a high priority on empowering people to show tattoos instead of other goals like wages.

Further, I had a problem with a union guy in a former job. While anecdote is not data, here is my story. I took my sweater off while walking to my car on a hot day and the union shop steward saw my half sleeve. Since then, he would sing the opening lines of “Lydia the Tattooed Lady” from a Marx Brothers movie and try to get me to show off my tattoos. Maybe some employee empowerment for tattooed women can be found in unions, but there are union people who just don’t get it.

I also found the concluding section, “Toward a Tattoo Etiquette” a bit weak. Society is more accepting of tattoos as Thompson points out. I differ with her opinion that non-tattooed people need to get over their problems with tattooed women (not her words and Thompson may argue with my perception).

Non-tattooed people are genuinely fascinated by tattoos. I think tattooed women can help non-tattooed people understand why we modify our bodies with needles and ink. Thompson mentions being too introverted to think of a response when people ask her about or even touch her tattoos. I too am introverted, but I have come up with canned responses. I explain that my tattoos are my history and I love them. I have helped several friends become inked because of questions they asked, including "did it hurt."

One final quibble is that New York University Press published the book as part of their “Alternative Criminology” series. C’mon, most of the message of the book is that we are leaving behind the stigma that only, sailors, bikers, and criminals had tattoos. One must publish, so the publisher’s choice has nothing to do with Thompson or her excellent work.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic ethnography on tattooed individuals. As someone writing on tattooing for this dissertation this was a perfect book to consume in about two nights but the language is open and accessible to all and shows the power of personal narrative

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My tattoo artist had this book in their studio and I was able to pick it up and finish it during the two sessions. Fascinating (and slightly horrifying in some cases) glimpse into the history and politics of tattooing for women.

[AnaConda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good breakdown of the intersectionality between the female body and tattoos

Was recommended to me by my lecturer in uni and it did not dissapoint

[soda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lightly tattooed woman (who wants more) I was asked "why" or heard "but you're so pretty". Oh, you mean I WAS pretty but not to you any more Mr. Manly. Seriously, this book is a great example in social studies. This book covers the origin and stigma of tattoos, how they make men more masculine, but somehow make women "less feminine". And what we're allowed to get (small, cutesy, hearts, butterflies, etc) and where (ankle, shoulder, wrist) and how women for decades had to be accompanied by men in order to get tattoos to how women became artists and the harassment that both the tattooed women and female artists face. Be prepared, because the sexism women face in regards to their own bodies and tattoos is quite prevalent. If you're a guy who can't handle women doing what they want with their own bodies, this - like birth control - will piss you off

Recommended to everyone to read - not just women.

[Dafna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a very interesting and probably under researched topic of heavily tattooed women in Western culture. Though the book indeed rises a lot of important questions and themes, overall it makes an impression of a bit uncritical and superficial piece. I really wish that the author would not use the notions of "beauty" and "ugliness" without critically discussing these concepts beforehand. But it seems like she takes them for granted. As she takes for granted the notion of an "inner self" that tattoos are expressions of - which is a hugely problematic concept in social sciences. On the positive side, I liked her adaptation of Bourdieu to the world of tattoos - how different tattoo styles are thought to be related to having a good or a poor taste, and how she discusses tattoo art in relation to the concept of art in general. I think that if the author had narrowed the scope of themes she discusses and had gone deeper in her analysis, the book would have been much better.

[Mills College Library]

306.4613 T4687 2015