Gud Fudz

Tired of being afraid of that extra few bites of cheesecake that will go straight to your thighs? Here is the part of our blog focusing on women with healthy relationships with food for a change. Check it out and try one of the delicious recipes!

http://gudfudz.blogspot.com/

Tattoos For Women By Women

Here are a few examples of tattoos done by Carrie Davini, a local artist at Evermore Tattoo Gallery on Main street. Share your tattoo stories in a comment!

http://www.evermoretattoos.com/home.html

Girls Gone Inked

Tattoos are often met with mixed reviews, but when they are on a woman they cause even more controversy. Why is this so? Tattoos have been a part of history. The art of tatooing dates back over 5,000 years to the "Otzi the Iceman". There has been evidence of women having tattoos since the time of Jesus, everywhere from Greece to China. Some of the earliest known tattooed women were from 2,000 years ago in Egypt.

The first American woman to receive a tattoo was Olive Oatman, born in 1837. When she was 14 she was traveling with her Mormon family when they were attacked by Native Americans. They killed nearly her entire family and took her captive for 5 years. In captivity she was given a blue tattoo on her chin from the Mohave tribe. She returned to civilized life but was forever changed by the experience.

The woman often credited with being the first tattooed American female is Betty Broadbent. The beautiful voluptuous woman nicknamed "The Tattoed Venus" was the first woman to be covered head to toe in tattoos and worked for Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus for 40 years. She said in an interview "I decided to get tattoos. I want to be independent and take care of myself". In her time, tattoos were almost exclusively reserved for sailors and scumbags. As such she took pains to project herself in a feminine and refined light.

Here is an excerpt from BBC News Magazine entitled "So why do "normal" people get tattoos?" found at the link below.

"For the women milling around the convention the most popular explanation of the motive for getting a tattoo is about "reasserting control over your own body". In a Western world where body image, plastic surgery, anorexia and the depiction of women is a topic of daily debate, tattoos represent a different current of thought.

It is a sentiment that Margot Mifflin, author of Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo, believes dates back to the 1980s.

"In the 1980s it was a real body decade," she says. "There was a lot of body anxiety. Women wanted to reassert control over their own bodies."

Christine Whittington, co-author of Body Marks: Tattooing, Piercing, and Scarification, got her first tattoo in her 40s and traces the change in tattoos to the rise of proper artists in the 1970s. "It was moved out of the danger zone," she says.

But the political thread is still clear at London's convention. Leah Schein, 23, who has a tattoo of a Wiccan moon goddess, says: "It's a lot to do with having control over your own image and control over your own body."

Laura, a student nurse, says it is all about the art for tattooed women. "They don't see it as a sailor tattoo or slaggish. Our culture has changed."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7034500.stm

Carrie Davini: Professional Tattoo Artist

At First Glance, Carrie Davini might seem menacing with tattoos from her ears to her ankles holding a needle that pierces skin at thousands of times per minute, but as soon as she opens her mouth you soon realize she’s one of the friendliest people you could meet. She works for Evermore Tattoo Gallery in downtown Edwardsville and is has made quite the name for herself as a well-respected artist. For a full 4-hour appointment with Carrie you’re going to have to wait about 15 months. But she is well worth the wait; her tattoos are recognizable as large pieces full of many vivid bright colors. I personally have tattoos from her and gladly wait in line for more. I sat down with Carrie to ask her a little about what it’s like to be a woman covered in tattoos, which has long been seen as taboo until the last 30 or so years.

Would you consider yourself feminine?

No. I consider myself classy. I’ll wear dresses now and then, but I’m not a big fan of the high heels.

What were you like as a kid?

I was a bad kid. I was an only child, I loved artwork, drawing was my favorite. I had a vivid imagination and I played more by myself than with other kids

Did you ever play with a Barbie doll when you were little?

Oh yeah. I was so into Barbie. I would play bondage Barbie, it was awesome. I would also cut the crap out of their hair. So I guess I didn’t play with her in the traditional sense.

What is the “girliest” thing you do?

I’m addicted to bath and body facial products. I like to cook, and I’m a vegetarian. I don’t like what meat looks like when it’s raw, it just grosses me out, I guess that’s girly.

Is tattooing a hard industry for a girl?

absolutely. the one thing I notice a lot is that people look right past me and go straight to the guys because they think I don’t know how to tattoo. it makes me laugh. One time this guy came in right before 2000. he said he needed a red cross. he said he wanted it for the end of the world and he said “I don’t care who does it as long as it’s not that woman” I thought he was a nut bag and I was glad I didn’t have to deal with him

Have you always wanted to be a tattoo artist?

I thought about going to culinary school before I tattooed but I don’t think I would enjoy cooking as much anymore. A lot of people say you start to hate it when you get paid for it. I love my job now and am extremely thankful for it. It was hard to get, especially for a woman. I definitely had to work a lot harder than most men in the field and it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Do you tattoo a lot of girls?

The number of girls getting tattoos has definitely increased. My female clients’ average age ranges from 20 to 65 years old. The majority of tattoos I give are on people 30 and older. I think I get more of those people because I’m a woman, I might be a little more inviting than the huge scary guys in the back

What are some of the more typical tattoos you give to girls?

Butterflies, flowers, stars, birds, guys do more lettering. Only about 30% of girls will go for more masculine things like skulls and guns. Girls tend to stick to childhood memories and things relating to family members.

Do girls have a harder time getting tattooed than boys pain-wise?

Sometimes. Girls can usually sit longer, boys tend to get antsy. Girls are built for pain, just think about labor.

Do you think there is a stigma against tattooed girls as opposed to boys?

Yes. I find that middle eastern men tend to frown upon it especially because they think women should be more feminine, but the reaction I get from other women is more of respect me because it’s something they wish they could get away with. I think it’s getting better as the older generation becomes more accepting after being exposed to it more on reality TV shows. Elderly people are actually the sweetest to me, they want to stop me and talk about my artwork.

Are you treated differently when you cover up your tattoos?

I have neck and ear tattoos so people almost notice and look at them more when I’m covering up the rest, but it depends on where you go. I get treated differently around the higher social classes, I make yuppies sick to their stomach. I don’t really cover them up often but I feel more respectful and feel better about myself when I cover up at things like weddings, funerals, and fine dining restaurants. And airports, for some reason I get “randomly” searched a lot.

Do you regret any tattoos?

I regret who I got tattooed by, but not the tattoos I got. I got a black lizard on my ankle that is not covered up with a coy fish.

YouTube - A Woman Should Know Her Place

YouTube - A Woman Should Know Her Place

Lisa Johnson
SIUE Police Officer
By: Kaytlin Day

In today's workforce women only make up 11% of police officers, but I had the pleasure of interviewing a female officer via phone who is currently employed by the Southern Illinois University police force. On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, Lisa Johnson made time for a conference call with me. Lisa had a young, but certain voice. She spoke with confidence that showed strength and assurance that was definitely admirable. Lisa attended Eastern Illinois University. I asked her if she had always intended on becoming a police officer, and she answered with a no. She said she originally went to school for speech communication, but later changed to law enforcement. When asked what had influenced her career choice, she simply said her father. Her father had served as an officer for 30 years, and she said "sometimes it's just in your blood." Which I completely agree with as my mother is a teacher, and I have been positively influenced to follow in her footsteps and become an educator as well. Lisa has been working on SIUE's police force for the past four years, where she says she really enjoys her job. Her favorite part of the job is the fact that every day is different, she stated "you never know what to expect and I really like that about the job." She talked about the challenges of her job as well though, where she says that it's definitely a struggle to balance work with three children. We also talked about how her male co-workers interact and treat her. Luckily for her she says that she has been well respected by her male co-workers, but she unquestionably felt as though there was a trial period for her to prove herself in her line of work. I also asked her about others reactions towards her when she tells them what her line of work is, where she says that she has never had any negative comments made towards her, and that most respect her when she tells them her line of work.

Questions about Body Image

Are you happy with your body and/or do you feel sexy?
"Yes I am happy with my body, I've recently lost some weight and I'm happy with how I look"

Favorite Body Part
"My arms. My mom and I recently joined a fitness class and my arms are getting more toned. It's important to be in shape as a police officer."

How do you feel about Barbie? If Barbie was a real person she would be 5'9 and 110 lbs, do you think this is positive and realistic for young girls?
"Haha no. I laugh because I am 5'9 and that weight would be unrealistic. I would love a more realistic image, maybe somewhere between the Barbie now and GI Jane. I have girls and I want something that's more reasonable for them to play with or be influenced by."

Any advice for young girls about body image or about going into a career that's not typically female?
"I think that parents need to help their children be active and help influence them. Staying active is important and makes you feel better. About choosing a career I recommend them not being in a hurry to decide their career. Sometimes it takes a bad job to know what a good job is, but don't be discouraged. But mostly YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!!!!!"

This is how we are raised.

The pictures below are from a 1970s childrens book. They are proof that "appropriate" gender roles are taught at an early age.

If this is the way we were raised, then it is no wonder why women in the workforce often work twice as hard for half as much.