Although artist Bob Parr claims that wearing a piece of art is an amazing way to display the beauty of the image - one must not forget a very real aspect of tattoo culture - that which propagates and furthers racial hatred. One such group which is known very well for their display of hate tattoos is the neo-Nazi movement. This should come as no surprise, as the Nazi's themselves were key players in the development of visual propaganda. Scholars were greatly concerned with the potential impact of Nazi propaganda, so much so that the very field of mass communication owes much of its origin to this very topic. The hypodermic-needle theory developed out of this era. This basically states that the media had great power over our behavior and thought process - especially by utilizing powerful propaganda tools.Which brings us back to the nature of tattoos as a means of spreading fear - also giving a new meaning to the hypodermic-needle theory (pun intended). The power of the image is intense - pictures can move us and instill fear in us. More so when we see an individual who is not only willing to own a piece of historical propaganda and hang it on their wall - but to forever apply it to their body.
I wonder if the guy with the tattooed face wanted that reaction. It's safe to say I probably would not mess with him. I'd stay clear of him. He's scary.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad said a good reason not to get a tattoo is because they are "distinguishing marks," - I wonder if he thought maybe he'd get arrested or be hiding from something? Interesting, Dad...
I think it's interesting to think about the way the viewer interacts with the message of the tattoo, especially when faced with tattoos like this intended to spread fear or hatred.
ReplyDeleteWhile many of us may see this simply as frightening or upsetting, there are those who would view his tattoos as inspirational (if they hold similar views) or a challenge (if, perhaps, they are a member of a rival gang). One of the interesting things about propaganda research, to me, has always been that it persuades people. As much as we may criticize, for example, Nazi propaganda - it worked. At least to some degree. And how something so hateful could be persuasive has always intrigued me. I'd would be curious to see how those who are inclined to believe in the same manner as the man in your blog would respond to someone who "is not only willing to own a piece of historical propaganda and hang it on their wall - but to forever apply it to their body".
The first thing that goes through my mind when I see the guy with tats on his face is why? I realize there is a lot of hate in the world and people do crazy random things, but as someone who trys to respect everyone one, I just cant justify it. This man would scare the shit out of me if i ran into him. I guess his main goal was to inflict fear into everyone.
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