VII

sailors

1

ELECTRIC ELMER used to say:" Some of the men

I turn out are as proud as a turkey with two tails. They'dlike to go around with their coats off in the winter time justto show my clever work."

Exhibitionism plays a tremendous role in tattooing. Notalways is it exploited for material gain. Outside the com-mercial sideshow tattoo- exhibitionism is most often encoun-tered among sailors, those bold extroverts. It is among thesailors that the forearms are tattooed more frequently thanother parts of the body. It is not only because the designs aresubconsciously thought to give strength to these importantmembers, but also because the forearms are more easilyexposed at their owner's will. They are the best venue of hisexhibitionism. There have been cases where sailors whocarried on their chests the words and music of such songs as" Home Sweet Home" or" Where Is My Wandering BoyTonight?" stripped in convivial company and had the songsperformed for them, ostensibly for the sentiment of thething, but in fact because it gave them an ingenious oppor-tunity to draw attention to themselves.

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