So I walk into a shop wearing jeans, hoody and trainers. I can feel the eyes burning in my back as I walk around the shop. These people are terrible at spying by the way. Either that or they wanted me to know they’re watching me. The guy behind the counter doesn’t even look at me and grunts when handing back my change. No “thank you please come again.” It was almost like he wanted to pay me to leave the shop. Few days later I walk into the same shop wearing a suit…loads of smiles, can I help you, have a nice day. Discrimination?
Why do we discriminate? Why do we immediately judge and place our negative stereotypical impressions on teenagers, people with piercings and tattoos? People with particular accents? I will hold my hands up and say that I find myself doing it at times. I have to give myself a telling off and tell myself not to judge. I don’t want to, but it just happens, like a reflex. Have I been brainwashed? Do I judge or discriminate because of my experiences, what I’m being subliminally fed through the media?
What do you think about people with body art and piercings? What do you think is ‘acceptable’? Would you employ someone with piercings and tattoos? would you employ someone you speaks with an accent or who speaks street? Would you cross the street if you were walking towards someone with their hood up and jeans half way down their leg? Would you go out with someone covered in ink and metal?
What’s wrong with having rules in schools and the workplace? Is it wrong to not want a blue haired, tattoo covered receptionist with his or her face riddled with metal studs and hoops greeting my corporate clients? Is it wrong to have a strict dress code that doesn’t include snap backs, ripped jeans or trainers and expecting my employees to wear their shirts tucked in and their trousers on their waists? Is it wrong to expect my employees to speak in a professional manner without the use of expletives and derogatory remarks while at work?
What’s wrong with expressing myself and my individuality? Why are you taking away my right of freedom of expression? Why are you preventing me from using my body as a walking canvas? Why are you stuck in the 20th century? I’ve got a degree. Why are you fighting against the youth? Why are you encouraging anarchy?! I will however, not wear a hat, tracksuit or trainers when I go the club on the weekend. Because they understand! They understand that I want to spend my money in their establishment so will follow their rules because I want to have fun!!! But I will throw the finger up at you because you are a boring, clinical, tattoo, piercing, sagging hating bastard! I am anti-establishment!
I have friends with tattoos and piercings. Friends who can talk for England and decorate their sentences with the many different variants of the f word. Friends who wear suits and use plenty of 4 plus syllable words. There are so many races between us we could be a walking advert for the UN. We all sit around one table. We all love each other…hopefully. I am not anti-tattoo or piercing. However, when it is overdone, I do end up thinking what the hell? In the workplace I believe there should be rules. I believe that a person’s attire will affect their mindset and their attitude. Don’t you feel different when you wear a suit or a nice dress? Dress professional, think professional. I believe that your tattoos should be covered as much as possible, and piercings minimal. But then of course it depends on the job. If I was running a call centre I would be more lenient. If I wanted to get a tattoo I certainly wouldn’t go into a shop where none of the employees had tattoos. I would want to go where they’re covered!
What do you think? One love 🙂
*Images taken from Google images.
Damiology 
I think our minds try to categorize things in order to process information faster. It works really well when we see a snake or a grizzly bear, but our brains do it with people, too, and that’s bad. Some people will blindly trust what their brain is saying. You said ” I have to give myself a telling off and tell myself not to judge and that’s showing that you are a higher life form – able to reason and override instinct when it’s misguiding you.
I think that using foul language around someone who might be offended by it isn’t “expressing individuality” it’s just plain being rude. What a person wears or does with their hair or skin is their own choice and often does express individuality, but at work, that choice is abdicated. When we accepted a job offer, we agreed to follow our employers’ rules (however stupid) in exchange for a paycheck. Work isn’t a democracy. We are under the thumb of a tyrant for 8 hours a day in order to feed the kids, but it is voluntary and we can take off the long-sleeved jacket and show off our gorgeous skinwork at the bar after we clock out.
Really a thought-provoking post – thank you!
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I couldn’t agree with you more Ann! I have no tattoos or piercings and still have to abide by some seemingly ridiculous rules. Like you said, “When we accepted a job offer, we agreed to follow our employers’ rules (however stupid) in exchange for a paycheck.” I chose not to have any but I like body art but as the saying goes…there’s a time and place….Great comment. One love sis 🙂
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I fully agree, professional is professional. It depends on the environment you’re working in ☺ like you said a time & place for everything.
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Thanks Julia, I think we’ve become so rights heavy that we sometimes think it’s our ‘right’ to question the rules of the people paying us and the institutions teaching us because we have a ‘right’ to be individual. Sometimes we cloud that right. Thanks for stopping by. One love 🙂
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Agreed.
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I would like to add that whether you like it or not, you represent the company as well. I assume that is why they can tell you what is and is not acceptable to wear to work. Our dress code states we cannot wear rip clothes, t-shirts with slogans or pictures, no stomach bearing t-shirt, no flip-flops and I even think beards are a no-go.
And you are absolutely right. When I wear something nice, I feel good about myself. When I wear a dress, I feel pretty.
I don’t have a problem with tattoos but if I were to come across that guy in the pic with all those piercings in the streets, I would not be able to stop myself from looking at him with my mouth gaping open. What would compel someone to do that to themselves? My own judgement would say that that person does not feel good about themselves, in their own skin.
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Thanks for taking the time to read the post and for leaving a comment Nicole. We share similar views. What I found interesting about your comment was your last sentence. It was very well put and I wondered if you wrote it that way on purpose. It is true that many people wear their insecurities on their ‘sleeves’. Do you think peer pressure, or the media play a part as well? I often wonder how people with body art and piercings will feel about them when they reach middle age. Thanks again for stopping by. One love 🙂
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I barely notice people’s piercings and I’m usually intrigued by their tattoos and what kind of story they tell. There is only one aspect of body piercing I have thought for a long time. At a certain point it seems to memore like self mutilation.
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There certainly are some great pieces of artwork on the human canvas these days Frances. Some strange ones too but to each his own I suppose. As for the piercings….likewise. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about that one aspect of body piercing you mentioned. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. One love 🙂
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