I don’t know what surprised me more: that I even noticed the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine or that I immensely enjoyed what I saw, which was a short-haired, tatted-up visual of Pink.

Normally, I make a concerted effort to avoid looking at the dozens of magazines, mainly women’s interest, fitness, and tabloids, that litter the check-stand aisles. But the June 2010 issue of Cosmopolitan, perhaps the most hated lady mag of all, caught my eye at the neighborhood Shopper’s. And I couldn’t look away.

There was Pink, a bad-assed, foul-mouthed, tattooed singer after my own heart, covering a publication most known for their bizarre sex tips. She looked completely different from their average cover girl who is almost always sporting a bright, solid dress, long flowing hair and a perky smile. (They even made Lady Gaga a version of this.) That average cover girl, Beyonce, Rihanna, Lauren Conrad, or Jessica Simpson, is who women “should” want to be: Smart but not too geeky, sexy but not slutty, professionally successful but not threatening. And if one of them should become too much of a good thing, she should be apologetic about it. Or, as Beyonce has done, create an altar ego whom may bear the brunt of her smarts, independence, and sex appeal.

Pink isn’t that chick. Her prettiness isn’t the big-boobed, long-haired, fake teeth variety. Her body isn’t perfectly proportioned to appeal to the largest number of men possible. And she has tats. Not tattoos, which can be small and traditionally girly, like the cute little stars Rihanna has everywhere. Tats, by contrast, are big, gothic, and meant to make a statement other than sexuality.

There is a debate among women about what type of woman willingly inks herself to the nth degree; the verdict is normally slutty, trashy, and some synonym of masculine. The author of a blog post on Sandra Bullock’s soon-to-be ex-husband’s tatted mistress, Michelle McGee, wrote, “I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly it could be that James would find attractive about McGee. This is just my personal opinion, but people with tattoos all over their face and body just don’t look good to me. Especially if they’re on a female. Ew.” The blog, “The Glamazons,” followed this assessment up by fawning over celebs with itty-bitty tattoos in provocative places, like Britney Spears’ tramp stamp.

This type of thinking is another, perfect example of “enlightened sexism.” Tattoos, historically body decoration for males in the Western world, are fine for women as long as they contribute to her sexual appeal to men. A tattoo on, say, your lower back or near your boobs achieves this, while one on your forearm, bicep, or wrist may not.

This may be why the January/February 2010 issue of Women’s Health, which I also bought on a whim because Pink was on the cover, only featured the two smallest of the singer’s tattoos. Cosmo, though, decided to show off Pink’s left arm sleeve — “sleeve” means an arm entirely covered with tattoos. And they didn’t try to soften up her hair, but actually made it even more androgynous-looking.

It’s too early to tell how successful Pink’s Cosmo cover will be, but I hope that it might show the magazine industry (which Pink accused of telling her she wasn’t pretty enough for other covers!) and other image-based businesses that not all women want to be the strangely disciplined, archetypal girly-girl women that their products generally promote. There’s nothing wrong with the way those women personify femininity and sex appeal, but it is limited. Pink’s appeal isn’t better, but it is different and rings true for some women.

By Whitney Teal Whitney is a freelance writer based in the suburbs of Washington, D.C and is a frequent contributor to a variety of national and regional publications and websites. She regularly writes about women’s rights.
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So what’s the deal with The Shhh…Tattoo? Is this a tattoo trend on the rise, like Chinese characters, swallows, and nautical stars?

The singer and the Mean Girls star both had the word “Shhh…” tattooed on their index fingers during an impromptu visit to Shamrock Tattoos in Hollywood.  But it was only after Allen showed off the design on her online Twitter page that she realized fellow pop star and tattoo fan Rihanna had the same body art inked in 2008. Lily Allen gave an interview where she admits to  regretting her “Shhh…” finger tattoo. Allen explains, “I’ve since found out Rihanna’s got the same thing, so it’s not really… I mean she’s very cool – but I thought I was being original!”

But here is an idea from BodyIllustrated to make it… let’s just say more special…

what if she had ‘…ittt’ on the other finger?

In today’s society a lot of people tend to misjudge tattoos.  A lot of people who see someone with a lot of tattoos will automatically think negative thoughts.  Those who have tattoos are just like anyone else – except for the fact that they wish to stand out and broadcast who they are, simply because they have a strong sense of who they are.  Those with tattoos aren’t afraid to show them, as they put them on their body to let others know who they are and what they are about.

Most who decide to look into the psychology of those with tattoos seem to associate them as criminals and study them like they are common rats in the cage.  Contrary to this opinion that many experts have, those who have tattoos aren’t in any type of cage.  Instead, they are out there expressing their freedom.  Whether they are going by what they believe, showing that they belong to a certain group or clan, or paying homage to the dearly departed – there are always meanings behind tattoos.

The psychologist who studies those with tattoos will normally try to get into their frame of mind, which is hard to do.  For hundreds of years tattoos have always been a question from a psychological standpoint, with most people associating tattoos in the past with criminals.  Even though criminals may have tattoos, there are just as many if not more people out there who are some of the friendliest people in the world who have them as well.

To look at tattoos from a psychological standpoint can sometimes be hypocritical.  Although those who don’t have tattoos will try and figure out why someone would want them, it can still be considered a psychological point of view.  Those who have tattoos had a reason for getting them, or they wouldn’t have got them in the first place.

No matter where you look these days it’s a common thing to see someone with at least one tattoo.  This doesn’t mean that society is dwindling in any way, nor does it mean that mankind is becoming a bunch of clones following after one leader.  Tattoos have built there own reputation over the years, gaining in popularity.  Over the years more and more people have decided to get them – which only goes to show the phenomenon that is tattoos.

When you decide to look at the psychology of tattoos, you must first understand some of the meanings.  A tattoo can tell you a lot about the individual and his past.  Although some tattoos may be a bit frightening, that individual may have got the tattoos in his past and turn out to be nothing like that now.  Like others out there – the tattoos that were obtained in the past may be left as a reminder for the future.

One certainly does not need to be a sociopath in order to get tattoos, nor does the appearance of a tattoo mean that a person is one.  However, numerous studies have shown that most sociopaths do indeed have tattoos as being one of their strongest common factors.  In addition, a well-known crime writer stated in an interview that every single one of the many serial killers he had spoken with had had multiple tattoos.  For many people, tattoos hold no negative connotation;  for those who already have serious personality defects, tattoos are often a very visible symbol of it.  For those in the latter category, everything about tattoos has an entirely different purpose and meaning than it does to the majority–  why they feel the need to get them, and what they represent.

Psychologists tend to refer to tattoos as “body modification;”  and most have both very strong opinions and knowledge about how tattoos are connected to those who are in the minority.  On the most clearly defined side, psychologists state that for those who already exhibit signs of personality defects, tattoos are but an extension of their anti-social personalities.  It is said that these types of individuals who engage in drug use, promiscuity, and violence, merely make tattoos a part of that particular lifestyle.

Psychologists state that these traits, coupled with tattoos, are linked to sub clinical psychopathy.  In clearer terms, for this segment of the population, getting tattoos is yet another means of “thumbing one’s nose” at society, and of displaying one’s sense of self-importance.  As one of the foundations of sociopathy is to refuse to adhere to what is generally considered to be acceptable behavior. Given that tattoos still have some degree of negativity associated with them, they are of special allure to those who already have serious personality problems.  For these people, acquiring tattoos is primarily an aggressive means of defying what is conventional.

In using tattoos in this manner, one also presents a “tough” image.  The problem with this is when one uses what to most people is relatively harmless to portray a sense of toughness, it is rare that the individual in question will stop at artwork.  For one who connects tattoos with toughness, aggression in his behavior is also a very real possibility.

While this fact is relevant to sociopaths in general, and cannot afford to be overlooked, it takes on an even darker side for those who commit serious violent crimes. In research regarding serial killers, a much worse connection comes up about tattoos. Continuing with the factors already evident in sociopaths, there are the additional factors of causing bodily harm and of refusing to let go. In plainer terms, these types of individuals gain tattoos–  often by their own attempts– both as a means of expressing hatred and as a means of permanently holding on to the objects of their hatred.

On a slightly lesser but still important scale, as most of the individuals who fall into the categories of sociopaths and violent criminals were subjected to severe abuse in childhood, it is relevant to note that it is not unusual at all for them to display, in their adult life, tattoos with the name or some representative symbol of their abusive parent.

When facts like this are taken into consideration, even if much of the population isn’t aware of it, it’s no wonder tattoos have such a negative reputation.  While it is true that most people in the United States of America choose to get tattoos for no negative reason and no underlying motives whatsoever, learning that tattoos are a common standard amongst sociopaths and serial killers does tend to lend a less-than-desirable quality to the entire subject.