Analyzing Trends

Have you ever seen a tattoo on someone? Or do you have any tattoo on your body as you are reading this? Have you ever asked yourself, what is so trendy about a tattoo? What is so special about making some kind of body marks, drawings and/ or paintings? This writing is about some new trend called tattoo making and ringing body parts. A justified case study on tattoo, nose rings and lips rings may not be easily made in just a simple writing; however, I will try to do justice to this and still make it concise. Just before I continue, let me digress a little by saying that having had a diploma in General Agriculture plus another Bachelor degree in Agricultural Economics; I know to a large extent about branding and the essence of branding. To a large extent, It is solely for identification purpose…Among several other reasons. It is so that the farmers don’t misconstrue or mix up the breeds of flocks, so that they don’t make mistake in overdosing the same animal in the course of administering some form of treatment or the other. Also, it is for the farmer to be able to recognize the particular animal that has been mated on the farm. It is to also distinguish which animal has undergone artificial insemination from the ones that has naturally mated and so on. Right from the olden days up to now, farmers have engaged in branding their livestock so that they won’t get lost, mistakenly mixed up with another farmer’s flock, or get stolen or missing. Cattle are painted in ink. Some livestock and even dogs are hooked with rings in noses, ears, necks, et.al.

Enough on Agrology class! We are analyzing the common trends such as tattoos, nose and lips rings. Somehow it seems to me that we are really in the age of paradox. I mean, an age where what used to be contempt is now being celebrated. Slaves used to be branded with marks and rings in times of old. The slave masters do so in order to prevent their slaves from running away. Masters may design the ring in a way that will make it easy to see each slave from afar such that such slave becomes known, distinguished from the rest of the other slaves on sight. Today, what used to happen to slaves and beasts has become fashionable to man. The trend has begun where men are freely dressing up as slaves and beasts were compelled to appear in times of old. The reverse angle is that animals no longer have branded materials as the case was in times of old. There is no more slave trade yet we have the reminders of these experiences around us today. There is now such thing as Animal rights. So, men and women are now feeling the pains those animals used to feel. The rights of men to live a dignified life are now exchange for animals. Men are now taking on the experience which was once “animalistic”, animal-oriented and slavery oriented. Men and women are now branding their bodies like animals bodies used to be branded. They are now painting their bodies as animals used to be painted, ringing their bodies as slaves and dogs would have been ringed. We are stooping so low all in the name of being trendy through tattoos making and body ringing. What does it really mean to be fashionable? Is it only through tattoo fashion and body ringing that true trends can be quantified?

It’s now becoming “normal” and fashionable to have a ring in the tongue, nose, lips, and so on. There is always a difficulty identifying a man who dressed like a lady with so many rings in his ear, nose, and mouth, all in the name of trend. Those crazy trend pioneers who make people insert pins in the mouth, lips, tongues and some other parts of the body; were not dully informed about what they are doing and so can not inform other concerned people that there could be some dangers of infection or some possibilities of cancerous growth resulting from such holes that were made as a result of rings or tattoo designs. In asking why they do it in the first place. Some do these tattoos because they wanted to gain attention from other people. Attention seeking individuals could have resulted from having been a child without enough care. Such childhood programming arising from abandonment from parents which a child may be trying to reconcile, resolve as adult, could lead to tattoo and ring fashion endpoint. The worst scenario is this, that some folks don’t actually have any reason for painting themselves in tattoos. Some do it in order to blend in, out of peer pressure, and to have a sense of belonging. On the other hand, there are those who do not even know why they are doing what they are doing. I understand that there are new businesses arising from this trend. These businesses are devoted to making these tattoos for those who want to have it on their body. It’s regarded as a fashion business because some people believe that it beautifies them, and if it looks good on others, why not try it on. Hence, there is a need for someone to make it for those who want it on. There are some forms of competitions surrounding it. Somehow, whose tattoo is the best? The most pronounced tattoo? Which is the most complex tattoo? There is a group or the other on social networking websites which has emerged from tattoo fashion and trends.

As more and more people tend to celebrate how much branded they are. What do we see tattoo resulting into? Will more people begin to behave in part as animals? Will there be more slave mentalities? Or men and women would rise up to live a life of decency, moderacy, dignity and integrity? Will men live as men and dress like we want to be addressed? Think on these things.