Brieanna+T’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2016


 * WHERE TATTOOS AND PIERCING THRIVE... **

In initiating my speech, I would like the audience to recollect on the amount of times you have seen an individual in a position of high authority whether it be a doctor, educational administrator, or someone in a highly ranked white-collar job displaying visible signs of any form of alterations to their skin?

*PAUSE 3 SECONDS*

Well, assuming that our observations and experiences of this type of interaction has been few and far between. Now consider the amount of the people at Foothill that have nose piercing or tattoos? That’s still few, but perhaps more than the amount of those working in higher ranks. Seeming since it’s becoming a part of the counterculture, one would think that its presence would influence itself more amongst those in the professional field. If not that, it would assumed that these alterations would be more socially acceptable. It is found that corporations and businesses find the presence of visible tattoos and piercing to be inappropriate and hurt the applicant's chance in the review process of a job when it’s solely based on the assumptions made from the worker’s appearance. In other words being an act of discrimination. However, if you spend ‘x’ amount of money why would you want to cover up your art or worse yet, remove it. Especially if you are paying $30- $80 for a piercing or depending on how big the tattoo is you are still paying about $45 to $100 an hour!! It’s crazy!! Plus, the majority of the time these glistening alterations are done for a reason, whether it considered serious in commemorating an individual or just for the sake of it. For instance, the main reason behind why I got my nose piercing is because I thought I would seem more punk rock and all of my favorite bands had at least one to two members possessing one. Plus, my parents would rather me get a piercing, as long as I didn’t dye my hair purple, since I wanted to do both. And still want to do both.

When considering the reactions of how frowned down upon this is, especially by elders and older conservative individuals defining it as taboo, which it once was a while ago, leads to the question “How taboo is it really”? Comparing it to tv programs like Naked and Afraid or Dating Naked on their sixth and third season, it does not make sense why as a society that we accept national televised shows like the such, and yet we continue to view piercing and tattoos on a lower spectrum. Does that mean we are defining and shifting our society to continue to see the world and its population and expectations through the lenses of prior conservative generations? This is not the 1920’s, and men and women alike are capable of viewing and expresses their own views and opinions the way they want without accepting others as their own. All in all, as a society maybe we enjoy getting tattoos and piercings and enduring all the pain that comes along. Maybe as a society we may say that we, as a counterculture, are all for it, but in reality are standing in some aspects still against it. Maybe we are still conservative and have been raising our prosperity to view it the same way, because this is an America that I do not want to thrive in. I want to live and grow old in an America where individuals can get as many piercing and tattoos as they want and don’t have to worry about figuring how to cover themselves up or removing them. I want to live in an America where piercing and tattoos are more socially acceptable. I want to live in an America where I can express myself however the hell I want and won’t have to worry about being discriminated against because of my appearance.

Thank you!


 * Sources and Statistics: **

[| Statistics on tattoos and piercings in the workplace]

[|How tattoos effect your chances in obtaining jobs]