Tattoos are a hot topic of late with everyone from the Manrepeller likening tats to “screaming with your body” to Marc Jacobs waxing poetic on the subject in New York magazine. As usual, Simon Doonan and I have the exact same opinion on the subject.

“In the past there was one reason, and one reason only, to ink up: A tattoo confirmed your status as a scary outsider rebel carny outlaw sociopath. “Don’t mess with me because I am insane,” was the intended message. And it worked. Remember Robert Mitchum in Night of The Hunter? When he cuts Shelley Winters’ throat we are hardly surprised: We knew trouble was on the horizon as soon as we saw the words LOVE and HATE inked across his knuckles. Tattoos meant mayhem. 

Cut to today: Having a tattoo has lost its original meaning. Having a tattoo now has no meaning. Having a tattoo means that you have a tattoo.While there is no longer any compelling reason to get a tattoo, there are several reasons not to.” 

Read the rest over at simondoonan.com. 

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