Vladimir Guerrero
Section 29
Rough Draft
November 8, 2010
The fans become victims
Tattoos seem to be the latest trend. The press, the media, and even the music industry with songs like “Ink my whole body” or television shows like “Miami Ink” which promotes and advertises tattoos, influencing the younger generation. It has become the fashion and not only has it become the “new” style but it’s also become addictive. After you have one tattoo you seem to justify the need to get another and before you know it one turns into two and two than becomes twenty. Today’s society encourages permanent ink but most of today’s society isn’t aware of the lasting effects of tattoo or how addictive it seems to get.
Dwayne Carter most known by the name Lil Wayne is a remodel of more than a million fans. People thrive to meet him, line up to buy his tickets, and riot in a crowd to reach the position closest to the stage. He is an idol and someone people look up to and just like an observant fan or idolizer they want to become more like their hero. The same way a little brother mimics or copies his elder sibling is the same effect Lil Wayne has with his fans; he is the elder sibling and the fans are the little brothers. To add to his influence amongst fans he is a man with a whole body filled with tattoos. So without even directly telling people to ink their body’s just by being in his fans presence he makes millions of people want to get tattoos just so they can be like him. So just like I mentioned above after attaining one tattoo the addiction begins and the number multiples. Reason for this action is because you become use to the idea. Just like your first time drinking or doing illegal activities with your friends you are first wary and cautious, but after you get away with it you realize that you can do it with no consequences. Since you already did it one time and it went smoothly you become less submissive to the idea and relax when repeating the event. Before a person gets the tattoo they are cautious of the outcomes whether it’s a health issue or how they are viewed by society but after no major consequences come just like the illegal activities, you became less wary and more relaxed to the idea.
Now that people are influenced by society to getting tattoo less people are aware of the actual health consequences of getting tattoos. Once someone gets a tattoo they are exposed to a number of risks. For example allergic reactions caused by tattoo dyes- especially red dye- can result to itchy rashes that may even occur years after you get the tattoo. There are also skin infections caused by local bacterial infections and signs of it are swelling, redness, and pain. There are other skin problems but there are also more serious health issues such as blood borne diseases, along with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) complications. So although becoming more like your Idol may be cool at the moment people need to be aware that there may be lasting effects to your health that may become more permanent than your new tattoo.
