Is it now “hip” to be tramp?

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Barbie turned 50.  That 10-inch, perfectly proportioned, blond bombshell of a doll is now packing an AARP card.  The latest to surface from Mattelwood, Barbie’s hometown, reports that the celebrity toy celebrated this milestone in a way most uncharacteristic of her wholesome past – she has tatted herself into the ranks of the lower “backy-tat” mainstream.  Yes, Barbie is tramp-stamped.  And now, single handedly, Barbie is transforming the urban tramp tat definition of the wild and sexually promiscuous to speak to the masses of the cool and hip – not to mention the wholesome as well.

As we all know, Barbie is no tramp!  Or is she?  Has age made her throw caution to the wind?  Unable to get permission from Mattel? to interview Barbie about her foray into the body stamped masses, I took the question to the people – my eclectic group of Facebook friends.  I asked about personal tramp stories and what they think of Barbie’s inclusion in the tramp sorority.  Ultimately, I wanted to know…now that Barbie is “stamping it,” is it cool to be a “stamp tramp”?

The personal stories I heard and thoughts on what a Tattoo Barbie means to today’s children in urban society are insightful.  Some may even surprise you.

LYNNE

Lynne is not your stereotypical female with a lower back tattoo.  I doubt there is anyone in this world that would put a “tramp” stamp on her.   She is a 46-year-old mother of two college age sons.  She has a Masters Degree in Reading and Language Arts.  She teaches 5th grade in a New Jersey Public School.

“My mom was married to my dad for close to 40 years. Shortly after he died, my mom wanted to get a tattoo.  She was 70 years old!  I almost died!  She wanted us to get identical ones.  She chose a symbol (from a shampoo bottle no less) that was circular and included a picture of nature, (we did endless nature walks together) water (we LOVE the ocean) and a sun.  We have always been close. I did not have the heart to turn her down so; of course, I said, “Let’s go!”

Inside I was panicking!  Where do I put this?  I’m an elementary school teacher for God sakes!  All I could think of was the lower back.  My mom put hers proudly on her ankle. We now have matching tats! It was a dirty secret to be shared with my husband (who did not know about this until I called him in pain!). He was quite surprised, and being a man, turned on as well.”

What would Lynne say to her children if one wanted a tattoo?

”Being a Mom and a Teacher, I would probably ask the standard, ‘Who, What, Where, When, and Why’ questions.

WHO are you doing this for?  If the answer is to please a girl or the ‘guys,’ then let’s stop right here. If the answer is for you, then let’s think about it. WHAT type of tattoo are you thinking of?  Does it reflect who you are or what you stand for? Is it something you can live with for a long time, if not forever?  WHERE are you planning to get it? Research at least 5 different tattoo places and if possible, talk to as many people as you can to see where they went and if the place was clean and reputable. (An amateur did my symbol tattoo, and the tattoo slightly scarred me. My mom’s turned out perfect!) WHEN do you want to do this? Think about it for at least 4-6 weeks. Sometimes we do things on a whim and regret it later.
This decision requires a commitment.   WHY are you doing this? Does it carry a special significance? Is it a decision that you will be proud of?  If you still want to get a tattoo after considering all of the information I have just given you, then go for it!”

Lynne had this to say to Tattoo Barbie:

”Dolls are made for children, and Barbie is a doll. Dolls should look as innocent and pure as children are. Putting a tattoo on a child’s toy scars the toy and takes away the innocence of a child. Children do not need an adult’s influence to cloud their world. There is plenty of time for that when they become adults.”

NIKKI

Nikki is a 22-year-old college student at Texas Christian University. Use the tramp stamp label with Nikki at your own risk!  Nikki was a member of the 2004 Olympic Judo team!  She has her back tat and is proud of it.  She is also capable of “stamping” into oblivion any guy that disparages her or her tat.

“I got my tattoo for making the 2004 Olympic team. The significance behind the tattoo is all the hard work I put in leading up to making the team. It is also kind of a tradition amongst the judo community. All Olympic team members get a tattoo signifying which team or teams they have made. In my case it was Athens. I came up with the Olympic rings and had my tattoo artist wrap the wreath in with the rings.

The stigma on the lower back tattoo does bother me because of what the title “tramp stamp” implies. To generalize and stereotype a person for having a marking on a location of the body is judgmental and ignorant.

I have heard that comment many times directed at others and myself.  It annoys me.  I would try and defend it giving reasons behind the tattoo and its significance. I have now learned that it does not matter what people think   I did it for myself. Comments like that are rude and inappropriate.

If people are really interested in knowing about what it is and why I got it they will ask or comment on it in another manner. Otherwise, simply dismiss them as ignorant.”

What does Nikki think of the “Barbie-Stamp” generation?

“I do not agree with the new Tattoo Barbie.  While I have a tattoo and decided on getting one as a young adult, I would never tell my 2 nieces and nephew and the kids I babysit for that it is okay to mark your body.  When they get old enough and they decide there is something so meaningful that they want to have it inked into their skin permanently, then so be it.

There is a reason you must be 18 to get a tattoo and making a product for children that condones body art should be banned.  It is sending a message not suitable for children. Barbie should remain ink free.”

KIRSTEN

Kirsten is a 36 year old stay at home mother of two in Dallas, Texas.

“From 24 to 26 years of age I was living in Tampa. I was going to a lot of bars and clubs. I never liked tattoos but “beautiful” people made them look good.  After two years of being a part of this scene, I got my belly button pierced. A few months later, a friend and I went back to the same piercing/tattoo parlor when we were drunk. We both got tattoos.

I had no forethought on the idea and picked one right off the wall.  It was a medium-sized blazing sun with red, orange, yellow and black.  I told the guy to put it on the small of my back because I thought it would look good in a bathing suit.  I woke up the next morning and couldn’t believe I did it. I talked myself into liking it for a while.  A few years later when I met my husband he dubbed it “my white trash tattoo.”

The name stuck and so did the stigma. I have had the tattoo for 10 years and have finally decided to get it removed.  To me it represents a cleansing of the past and putting my wayward 20s behind me.  It’s a small price to pay for the freedom from the stigma of the “tramp stamp.”

What would Kirsten tell her children if they wanted to get a tat?

“As long as they are of age I would say get one if (and only if) they’ve thought it through carefully and either designed one of their own or found one through some research that means something to them. ”

Does Kirsten think Barbie is a tramp?

“I was surprised when I saw the Tattoo Barbie (we have one) but I rather like it. I think it shows the sign of the times. It takes away a little of the stigma of having a tattoo for women. In other words, it’s not bad having Barbie back up the concept that having a tattoo doesn’t make a woman a tramp.”

RACHEL

Rachel is a 25 yr old degreed professional living in Dallas, Texas.

”I always wanted a tattoo. When I was born the physician handed me over to my mother and told her that I was an “old soul”. My mother has called me an old soul ever since. I’m a free spirit to say the least, so when my first tattoo was so big nobody was surprised. I used to say that my first tattoo was going to be a pair of boxing gloves flanked by “southpaw” ala Rocky Balboa (I’m left handed and he was a weird hero of sorts). I am very glad to report that this never came to fruition but four other tattoos did. The first one was the “tramp stamp” on my lower back.

When the phrase popped into my head my sophomore year of college, I knew it wasn’t going to be my first tattoo.  The fact that it was in gangsta old English script was slightly more surprising. I’ve likened it to a reverse Tu-Pac. (like the one on his stomach, but on my back). I take great care of all of my tattoos because three out of four are font so I don’t want them bleeding from sun damage. The floodgates opened after that and the amount of time that has lapsed between each tattoo has gotten smaller and smaller.”

What does Rachel have to say about “Tramp Stamp Barbie”?

”I do not like it. Young girls are bombarded by sexual images more than my generation.  The difference was- that I was thinking, “One day I want to be that cool.” These images are directly marketed to very young girls.  The Bratz dolls were the first time I noticed it. I was slightly disgusted. While moms now have tattoos I don’t think it should be portrayed as the “ideal”- which we all know is exactly what Barbie is. On the other hand, Barbie herself should be done away with.”

Is Tattoo Barbie turning us into a “Tramp Stamp Nation”?

Hmmm…one has think long and hard whether Barbie could actually influence every little girl.

Maybe, just maybe, we’re all getting a little paranoid because tattoos and little girls just don’t seem to go together.  At least, that’s what we have been conditioned to think.  After all, little boys (and some progressive little girls) have been sporting washable tattoos for years.  They are fun, removable and no one has ever made real mention about them.

So, who knows why Barbie did it.  Perhaps, one day she will hold a news conference and tell us what her stamps mean to her. In the meantime maybe the paparazzi will track down Ken and question him since Barbie’s not talking.  I’m sure his comments will be very enlightening.

©2009 Brian Cuban

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It was clear that San Antonio had a different game plan from the start.  It was actually kind of bizarre to see Tony Parker consistently step off open three point shots to dish it in to Tim Duncan or another Spurs player.   While Tim generally hits his patented bank shot, it also resulted in several turnovers on Parker’s part.

Parker, while trying to create plays for everyone else, became tentative in his own aggressive style. With Parker not playing the style that makes him great, no one else was able to consistently step up.  Michale Finley, while a great guy and a great shooter, was a brutal defensive liability.  He never really got it going from the shooting side either.  In the end Tim Duncan scored 30 and Tony Parker had 26 and other than Finley,  I could not tell you who was even on the court.

On the other end of the court,  Dirk Nowitzki had his best game of the series scoring 31 pts.  It was clear from his first few shots that his patented fade away had the range that night.  It was  a solid contribution from starters all around.  More importantly was that our role players played solidly. We did not give anything away when Dirk or other starters left the floor.  Josh Howard capped off an outstanding series, with 17 points, 8 rebounds and three steals. He had my permission to blow it out for his birthday!  This birthday celebration was probably more joyous than 2008 when he incurred the wrath of coach Avery Johnson after allegedly passing out birthday fliers in the Mavs locker room after losing to the New Orleans Hornet in the first round last year.  While it would be great to see a re-match in round two as we would have home court,  I would be shocked if the Hornets recover from the playoff record tying Civil War style beat down at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in game 4.

From a AT&T Arena standpoint, the Spurs fans were very subdued from the start almost if, while hopeful, dreading what they ultimately expected when the clock ran out.  Despite a valiant effort from The Coyote, the arena energy never got anywhere near game 1 or 2.  One gentlemen in the suite next to ours wagerd me a bottle of Cristal against a Mark Cuban autogrpahed ball  that the Spurs would take the series.  I usually do not wager but as he was willing to make the wager with the Mavs up 3-1 in the series as well as leading at the half,it seemed like one of the safer wagers I would make in my life.  As someone who has not won in Las Vegas since Bugsy Segal threw down a bet, I could not pass it up.  I will be shooting him an email that I don’t drink and to keep it on ice for the next time the Spurs win a championship.  How long does Cristal keep?  It could be a long wait.

The hate emails have been pouring  in since I allegedly maligned Texas Wesleyan School Of Law in my post, “Think Law School Rankings Don’t Matter?”   I have nothing against Texas Wesleyan.  Other than their tier ranking,  I admittedly know very little about the school.   I know several attorneys who graduated from there. I know several law student currently matriculating there.  They are all smart, good people.  I have never dated or asked out a Texas Wesleyan law student. I have no idea if they are “easy” or not.

The piece was a satire of law school tier rankings, nothing more.   I had  hoped the highly educated would have a little bit more of a sense of humor and notice that I also poked fun at my own law school , University of Pittsburgh as well as my undergraduate school Penn State.  I however, am willing to admit that not everything I intend to be funny actually plays out that way.

So to any Texas Wesleyan, University of Pittsburgh, Southern Methodist University law students and any attorneys/graduates of those schools who may have been offended by my attempt at satiric humor, my sincere apologies.

The 2009 U.S News And World Report law school rankings are out.   The good news is that my alma mater, University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law rose 2 spots from 73 to 71.   Does  this tiny ranking upgrade matter?  If Penn. State grads can take to the streets and yell “We are number 66!” after winning the NIT basketball tournament, why shouldn’t  I proclaim  proclaim Pitt Law’s  academic #71 status to all those who care.

Who does care?  I actually wrote a complaint email to the Dean of Pitt Law after our Dow Jones like drop last year from  57 to 71.  You can read that email and her  response here.

Pitt was and always will be a regional school regardless so why do I care where we fall in rankings?  I graduated in 1986.  I have no idea where Pitt was  ranked at that time.  Since 1997 it has ranked as high as 47 and as low as 93, almost out of the 1st tier.

Maybe it’s just ego.  Living in Dallas, Texas I wanted to at least be able to brag to the local regional Tier 1 law school, Southern Methodist University, that my school was less “rank” than theirs but alas this is not the case.   SMU School Of Law,  while dropping a couple spots  still put a rankings “beat down” on Pitt coming in at 49 this year.   When I come across a grad from SMU Law, I just say that I went to law school “back east”.  It sounds better than bragging on #71.

I should not complain.  Another Dallas-Fort Worth law school, Texas Wesleyan University Law School does not even rank a number.  They are simply labeled “Tier 4″.   In fairness to Texas Wesleyan, they are a relatively new law school.  However, regardless of what they report in terms of legal employment numbers for their grads,  I know several Wesleyan grads  that are either not working in their chosen field or working the dreaded  “contract hourly” at 20 dollars an hour, reviewing and summarizing depositions and other legal documents while  dreaming of an opening in the Jack In The Box  management training program.

Then there is the other “local” school, University of Texas.  While it is in Austin, 225 miles away , the Dallas legal community  is full of U.T.  grads so I consider it local.  University of Texas Law School is in the haughty rarifed  highly ranked air of number 15.  Pretty good stuff when you are sitting in the black hole of Tier 4 looking up or a number 71 wannabe.   I even asked a U.T. Law grad out once.  She told me she did not “slum it”  with  anyone attending a  law school lower ranked than 50 and I should give her a ring next year when the new rankings come out.  Those SMU law guys have all the luck, at least until they drop to 51.  No worries though, I hear Texas Wesleyan law girls are easy.

All is not lost for Dallas however.  The rumor is that we will soon have a new state law school.   Another “Tier 4″ school giving students a low cost education that they  will be  unable to pay back they enter the ranks of the ever growing number of legal unemployed.  The upside is that I hear the new Dallas law school will be offering a dual degree in conjunction with The Gap.

Think Rankings Dont Matter? Think again.