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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/is-our-growing-obsession-with-true-crime-a-problem/

Is our growing obsession with true crime a problem?

Image caption Shows like Making a Murderer have given criminal cases worldwide attention

From series like Making a Murderer to podcasts like Serial – true crime seems to be everywhere these last few years.

I put my hands up and admit it – I’m an addict.

For reasons even I don’t understand, crime documentaries have become my default way to unwind.

If I have friends over, I might make an embarrassed joke about my streaming suggestions – but the evidence suggests I’m not alone.

The genre’s growth is inescapable. Almost every week there seems to be a new documentary released and not without controversy.

Some warn we risk glamorising notorious killers and erasing their victims with the coverage. Others have accused programme makers of being selective with evidence.

So is our fascination with true crime problematic? I spoke to victims and the communities directly affected to try and find out.

The survivor

Kathy Kleiner was only 20 years old when she was attacked by Ted Bundy.

He beat her in bed with a piece of wood in the Chi Omega house at Florida State University in 1978.

Before entering her room, Bundy had murdered two of her sorority sisters as they slept.

Image copyright Kathy Kleiner

Image caption Kathy with her son Michael (left) and husband (right)

Kathy was left with a shattered jaw and severe facial injuries. Her mouth had to be wired shut, forcing her to leave college.

Now 61, Kathy says she hadn’t spoken about the experience much until US media recently tracked her down.

This year marks 30 years since Ted Bundy’s execution. You can probably tell because the serial killer seems to be everywhere in 2019.

In February it was reported that Netflix had paid millions to secure US rights to a new movie starring heartthrob actor Zac Efron as Bundy.

The announcement came as the trailer caused uproar online, with some accusing it of sexualising the killer.

Netflix, who had also just released a series focusing on interviews with Bundy, even weighed in on social media.

I ask Kathy, as one of a handful of survivors, what it was like to be continually reminded of Bundy in popular culture.

“I did not ask to be put on the journey with him in his life – with his killing and his abuse,” she says in a phone interview from New Orleans, where she now lives.

Image copyright Sky Cinema

Image caption Efron’s portrayal of Bundy won praise when it debuted at Sundance Festival

But for her, knowledge has meant power.

“I read every book and saw everything I could read and see about him,” she says, while acknowledging others may have coped differently.

Efron has adopted Bundy’s curls and signature smile for the role – and bears an uncanny resemblance to the killer.

“When Hollywood makes a movie they want it to sell, they want people to see it,” Kathy says about his slick portrayal.

“Bundy showed them what he wanted them to see – he was always in control… Zac Efron – he’s playing a part – he’s an actor. He’s doing this the way he was, the way they perceived Bundy.”

You can hear more on this story on the Beyond Today podcast on the BBC Sounds app or online on the podcast’s website from 16:00 GMT on 1 April.

Kathy says she attempted to contact the studio when she heard about the production, but assumes the email was lost among general enquiries.

She admits that she can’t imagine watching as a relative of one of the 30 women and girls he is known to have killed.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Kathy went on to testify against Bundy at trial

“To me they’re the heroes during this, having to endure this publicity,” she says.

She hopes the movie reflects the victims more than the trailer alludes.

“I don’t know how far they dive into the victims,” Kathy says. “So without seeing it and if they don’t do the victims right – then maybe I’ll be pissed.”

The community

Wisconsin has the unenviable reputation of being home to some of America’s most notorious ever crimes.

Manitowoc County sits on the state’s eastern shore. It houses 80,000 residents but is famous around the world for just one – Steven Avery.

Image caption A mural welcomes visitors and celebrates the city’s heritage

Image caption Manitowoc borders Lake Michigan and is a hub for manufacturing

A Netflix series charting Avery’s wrongful conviction on sexual assault charges and re-incarceration for murder became a sensation on its December 2015 debut.

Hundreds of thousands of people have since signed petitions demanding his and his nephew’s acquittal. A second series has already been released and legal appeals are ongoing.

I travel to Manitowoc at the start of March, when a hangover from an unusually cold winter means snow is still deep on the ground.

Before travelling I try to reach out to local officials – but there seems to be an understandable reluctance to speak to yet another journalist coming to town.

The international spotlight has brought uncomfortable attention to the county and its city namesake.

Now, tourists drive over to the Avery family’s Salvage Yard to take selfies. A firefighter tells me the local police have been forced to moderate Facebook comments because of abuse. I’m told threats have forced other officials off social media altogether.

Image copyright CALUMET COUNTY/SUPPLIED

Image caption The entrance to Steven Avery’s property has become an attraction for visitors

One Manitowoc resident determined not to stay silent is Jason Prigge.

As a businessman working around the country, he says the final straw came when a client introduced himself and asked: “Well, did he do it?” in reference to Avery.

Since then, he and his wife Tina have made it their mission to change the outside world’s perspective of Manitowoc. They set up an online web series, The Coolest Coast, to showcase positive aspects of the community like local businesses.

Tina describes the Avery case as a “freak anomaly” and like others I spoke to, points out the Avery property is actually miles outside the city of Manitowoc.

“Reporters come in or somebody from Hollywood comes in to make a show and they get to leave without delving in and really learning who this community is or what it has to offer,” Tina says. “To them it’s just a name, it’s just a story.”

“Imagine if you have a bunch of TV crews park outside of your house and they look at your house and they judge you because of one cracked window,” Jason says about the negative attention.

“They never talk to people that live in the house, but they just look at the house from the outside.”

Image caption Tina and Jason come from a background in civil service and marketing

Image caption The city has seen reporters come from around the world

The couple show me around the area, keen to show it off.

In the cold weather, much of the river is still frozen and has a sparkly glaze. The city’s skyline is dominated by industry and a historic courthouse I recognise from the show, but is otherwise full of quaint local businesses like coffee shops and boutiques. It’s a postcard image I didn’t expect.

They urge people like me not to judge the county and all of its residents from the documentary.

“The cameras and reporters leave but what they’ve left here is a stain which we’re trying to scrub,” Jason says of the lasting damage.

The business

Eighty miles south of Manitowoc is Milwaukee – a city known best for its beer and baseball.

But it is also a destination high on the list for America’s biggest true crime fanatics.

The Cream City Cannibal tour takes visitors around Walker’s Point – the area where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer lured some of his victims from gay bars.

Its website boasts the tour is “so gruesome that it was banned from Groupon twice”.

Image caption The tour’s owner insists nothing could change his mind about his business

When it launched, local media covered a protest by victim’s families. Critics said it was too soon because the crimes were still in living memory for many.

The tour leaves from Shakers – a bar in the centre of the old gay district. Once owned by the Capone family as a speakeasy and brothel, the location has a dark history of its own.

Current boss Robert Weiss bought it in the 1980s and runs a number of ghost tours from the venue. He says he got the idea for a Dahmer tour when people he met travelling made reference to the killer after he introduced himself as a Milwaukee-native.

Bob also knew the crime well because local police frequented the bar and Dahmer even visited himself.

“I served him drinks for five or six months as he periodically came in,” Bob tells me.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Dahmer was arrested in 1991 and was murdered in prison three years later

About 12 people take the tour on the Saturday night I attend. The weather is freezing cold and it rains and snows throughout.

Those attending are mostly true crime super-fans, but also include a family and a couple celebrating their anniversary.

Our guide talks us through the serial killer’s upbringing, alcoholism and journey towards violence.

Dahmer, who admitted killing 17 boys and men, is considered one of the most heinous criminals in US history.

His murders and cannibalism are described in grisly detail by our guide, who points out infamous locations along our walk.

Image caption Organisers says some family members of victims have been on the tour

The information is disturbing, but not worse than what you may hear on any Dahmer documentary.

Bob insists the tour has historical and educational value, but I notice his bar also sells T-shirts, which feels at odds with that.

“Of the thousands of shirts that we have sold with that likeness on, have we had anyone complain? We have not,” Bob says.

He rejects the assertion they are incendiary, and insists they only started making them because of unprecedented customer demand.

“I think if you are talking about things that are in poor taste, there’s any number of other things that would go above and behind what the shirt is,” he says, pointing to people who buy morbid artefacts like Charles Manson’s artwork.

He also says that he rejected other bad-taste merchandise options, like cannibal-themed food.

Image caption Their “Milwaukee Cannibal” shirt also has “Dahmer 17” on the back

Those attending the tour reject the assertion that it’s in bad taste or comes too soon.

“I’ve always grown up knowing about it,” says one tour-goer named Alex who is in his 20s. “I think it’s just part of our history and rather than hide it and keep it in the background, I think it’s important for people to know about it so they can try and avoid it in the future.”

Another, Melissa from Illinois, had already been on the tour before.

“I don’t think it’s disrespectful to the families,” she says. “I think it’s more of a way of remembering the victims instead of them being forgotten.”

She, like me, admits watching a lot of true crime. She believes the addictive nature of streaming services is behind the boom in their popularity.

The experts

Deborah Allen has seen a “huge jump” in audience interest over the last few years.

She is vice-president of programming at Jupiter Entertainment – one of the biggest producers of true crime television in the US.

The company started making murder shows back in 1998, despite initial hesitancy from TV channels.

“It used to be that the networks saw true crime shows as their dirty little secret,” she says.

Image copyright Jupiter Entertainment

Image caption Jupiter Entertainment’s shows include titles like Snapped – which has had 24 series

In the last decade a number of dedicated 24-hour crime channels have sprung up in the UK and US.

High-budget series may have gone mainstream but there is still a mass of other content made to fill these network schedules too.

The demand means Jupiter now makes about 200 hours of crime shows a year – fuelled by researchers who comb through news stories from around the country.

Deborah says they only cover cases that have been resolved in court, and thinks many viewers take comfort in seeing justice served.

She also says their company listens to victims’ families if they object to a case being covered.

But the recent public distress from the mother of James Bulger about a film made about her son’s murder shows the family’s view does not always prevail.

How controversial James Bulger film was made

Serial’s Adnan Syed loses retrial bid

It’s a similar story behind other popular shows too.

The McCann family did not contribute to a new series about their daughter’s disappearance and Theresa Halbach’s family have never taken part in Making a Murderer.

The loved ones of 1999 murder victim Hae Min Lee said the attention from Serial “reopened old wounds” for their family. Despite this, HBO have adapted that case into a new documentary series – The Case Against Adnan Syed – which follows on from where the record-breaking podcast took off.

Serial, like many other popular true crime series, focuses on casting doubt on a conviction.

This format has an obvious draw for any audience – allowing them to play detective for themselves.

Some programme makers, including from HBO’s The Jinx, have even uncovered new evidence that prosecutors say have helped with cases.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption The Case Against Adnan Syed started in March on HBO

True crime’s growing popularity means big business in other areas too. There’s now young YouTube influencers covering stories and in the UK, a new glossy monthly crime magazine was recently announced.

In the US, thousands attend CrimeCon every year – an event where fans pay hundreds to see experts and presenters from their favourite series.

A reporter from the New York Post pointed out most of last year’s attendees were female – and Bob in Milwaukee has found the same with his Dahmer tour. He describes his average customer as college-educated women aged 25-37.

So why is it that we are so intrigued – is it pure morbid curiosity?

British psychologist Emma Kenny, who regularly features agrees that we have a natural tendency to be voyeurs and be attracted to darker things.

This, of course, is nothing new and can be seen throughout human history.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Historical cases, like Jack the Ripper, have long-captured public fascination

She points to crime’s prevalence in other forms of entertainment too – including the dramas we watch and the books we read.

Emma says that watching crime shows can trigger chemical reactions in our bodies while we watch, while also affirming our moral views about right and wrong.

She says an interest in the genre is nothing bad but warns people, including myself, about watching too much.

“I think that for anybody who’s watching this kind of stuff you really need to know why you’re watching it, I think. Because you don’t want to desensitize yourself too much,” she tells me.

“Life is best spent around good people doing good things, exposing yourself to the best things in the world that you can expose yourself to… we should never be desensitized to the horror.”

All photographs copyright

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gingerambition · 8 years ago

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Ginger vs. Do I Have a Type?

If you gathered the small group of guys I’ve been in relationships with you’d quickly realize they don’t look anything alike, and personality-wise I’d say the only thing they have in common is being very smart, but annoying drunks. I’ve been in Facebook official relationships with a ginger who had varsity letters in five sports, a West Point grad who wanted an industrial bar piercing, and an introverted software engineer.

Apparently the guys I’ve been attracted to the past couple of years tend to look younger than their actual ages. I realize how super fucking creepy that sounds, but before you call Benson and Stabler, picture actors in their mid to late 20′s that play like college students, that’s what I mean. Maybe that’s from years of flight seatmates asking which colleges I’m applying to, years after graduation, or how prone my fair (read: super pale) skin is to beard burn. Regardless, the “hot” guys I literally point out to my friends look like they could be running for homecoming court or proofreading their valedictorian speeches. I’m talking tall, stick figure like builds, skin so soft they must only watch Jennifer Aniston’s Aveeno commercials, topped off with a full head of boyband-esque hair and a curfew I assume is 2 a.m. Now I’m really trying to treat single life like one big opposite day.

I’m also trying to lower my standards. Not like slutty college peak where I’d sleep with guys for their air conditioning in the summer, low standards. I used to live in a third floor glorified closet that was legally not allowed to be leased as a bedroom. So it was whoever maintained eye contact with me even after they’d seen me dance, or I would sleep on the fire escape half-naked. Either way someone was seeing my boobs whether they wanted to or not. Maybe I should phrase that as expanding my standards. When I was younger (I know I’m still young, by the time I’m 80 we’ll all just be half robots anyway) I thought smoking or too many tattoos would be a deal breaker. Now I think my only deal breakers are maybe not be a devil worshipper or one of those guys that dances with glow sticks in parking lots.

In terms of physical type, I don’t think I have one. Just be taller than me and have four limbs. I don’t have a hair color or eye color preference – you know, all the stuff you decide with a custom American Girl doll. Glasses? No. Freckles? Maybe, if I can connect them with a marker. Prior to my prom king flub, I just preferred guys with what I call, ��that baseball player forearm muscle thing,” where if a dude rolls his sleeves up any further the seams would bust open romance novel style. (This is where I have to remind myself to breathe.) Also if your jeans are tight on me, that’s kind of a bummer. Luckily I only wear leggings now, so if I pick up your leggings instead of mine, I think we have a bigger problem.

Traditionally, I avoid facial hair after a bout in college where my skin would get so red it looked like I sucked face with a box of cherry popsicles. I have recently discovered a bizarre attraction to 80's-inspired police officer mustaches – not the real gun toting cops that let me out of speeding tickets when I cry, I mean the kind in porn (I’ve heard) or most Will Ferrel movies. At first I was worried that something happened in my childhood and I needed to seek professional help. After much soul searching and La Croix cut with white wine, I think I’ve just fallen asleep to so many episodes of Blue Bloods on Ion that Tom Selleck has replaced the good decision making portion of my brain.

My parents have always thought I’ll ultimately end up with someone older. Apparently I've always erred on the side of being “a bit much” for guys my age. I had wanted to be married before 30, but change that to “just before I die” sounds like a far more realistic and obtainable timeline. When it comes to men and marriage I think it’s a lot like musical chairs. They all kind of dance around and when the music stops some random morning, whatever chair they were inside last is who gets a ring. I think I’ll backslide into my childhood dream of having a boyfriend in every country and just travel, while also being world a famous artist / professional volleyball player. Personality wise my lineup is longer than the Duggar’s grocery shopping list, so let’s leave it at asshole with a heart of gold. I need wit, I need ambition, I need passion, and I need to be able to take a guy places without feeling like I’m rushing him for a sorority or I’ve just adopted a puppy.

Allow me a brief departure from my usual pessimistic and overall negative outlook on, well, most things, and let me voice a small starry-eyed and hopelessly romantic fantasy I cling to late at night when I’ve convinced myself I have restless leg syndrome and can’t sleep. This may sound crazy, but I do have a heart that craves more than vodka sodas and writing hilarious Yelp reviews. I want someone who finds me indescribably fascinating, who never stops asking me questions, who has the most infectious laugh, and looks at me like he’s trying to remember every thing about every moment. A mutual affinity for Taco Bell is also preferred. And now back to your regularly scheduled biting wit and sass.

Luckily I’m basically a pass / fail kinda gal, so as long as a dude has a more pros than cons I can temporarily overlook things like cocaine or describing hiking as spiritual. You could always slip me a $10 and everyone’s a winner. Wait, does that count as prostitution? Kinda into that. Christ, time for another Coors Light fueled and Sherlock Holmes level self-examination. Until next time.

#gingerambition #tinder #bumble #online dating #app dating #dating #20-something #kellyannwargo #walkofshameshuttle

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hottytoddynews · 8 years ago

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Warsing with her family on graduation day

After growing up in Manhattan, Avery Warsing was only 17 when she arrived in Oxford four years ago. Before stepping onto the Ole Miss campus, the young lady had never been to the south. She has now completed her undergraduate career at Ole Miss, but her story is far from over.

HottyToddy.com: Avery, thanks for meeting with us on a Saturday. I always enjoy meeting other Yankee fans (LOL). (The same day we met, the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 4-1 in 16 innings at Fenway,)

Avery Warsing: Thanks for inviting me for this interview. I hate to disappoint though, but I’m actually a Red Sox fan! (Boooo Yankees!)

HottyToddy.com: How does a girl who grew up in Manhattan find and then select Ole Miss?

Avery Warsing: Well, my high school was very small and liberal arts focused, and I did not excel in that environment, so I started my college search by looking for bigger schools. I also looked farther from home because I wanted a place to start new and forge my own path. Add my potential interest in Greek life and all the pieces added up to Ole Miss.

HottyToddy.com: Describe life as a juvenile/teenager growing up in NYC.

Avery Warsing: Growing up in a city gave me a lot more freedom at a younger age than I think most kids experience. I could walk or take the subway to anything I wanted to see or do. The city is also a very diverse environment, in terms of ethnicity, culture, and opinions, and I loved being exposed to so many different things.

HottyToddy.com: Returning to the Sox, as much as I dislike to, who was your favorite player in Beantown and why?

Avery Warsing: I think my favorite has to be Big Papi, David Ortiz. He’s just such an absolute legend and the Sox were lucky to have him.

HottyToddy.com: Apparently the “Broadway Bug” bit you at an early age. Tell us about some of your favorite plays.

Avery Warsing: I think my favorite Broadway musical has to be The Lion King. Everything about it is spectacular from start to finish; the music, the set, the artistry of it all, it’s quite breathtaking. My other favorites are Wicked and Dirty Dancing, which I actually saw in London in the West End before it came to the US.

HottyToddy.com: When you and your dad arrived here for the very first time (orientation), what was it like?

Avery Warsing: Hot!! And crazy humid, I was not prepared! But the campus was obviously super beautiful and the people were so nice that I loved it here immediately. It’s a nice town and a good community and it shows.

HottyToddy.com: We understand you had a mutual love affair with your sorority. Living in the house apparently agreed with you.

Avery Warsing: Yes! I lived in the house my sophomore year and I wish I could have lived there longer! It was so much fun being surrounded by sisters all the time; there was always someone to help with Organic Chem homework or talk about a rough day with or eat snacks and watch movies with. And the food was amazing!

Warsing with her sorority sisters

HottyToddy.com: I cannot imagine someone spending four years here without a car, however, you showed the University that it can be done.

Avery Warsing: Yeah, it’s not the easiest thing living here without a car but it definitely can be done. Being from the city I had no use for a car or drivers license, so I didn’t get one before I moved here. I have a learner’s permit now though, so I’m making some progress, haha!

HottyToddy.com: Tell our readers what you like most about the school.

Avery Warsing: That’s a hard question because there are so many things I love about Ole Miss! Football season and tailgating in the Grove is an experience unlike any other so that might be my favorite thing. That being said, I also love the campus, the people, and the traditions that make Ole Miss so special.

HottyToddy.com: Were there any negatives?

Avery Warsing: There aren’t many I can think of. Going through sorority recruitment was one experience that had many positives and negatives. Overall it was a hard week for many of us to deal with. The environment grows competitive and toxic when there’s no reason for it too, the women searching for homes are all beautiful and bright and we shouldn’t have to tear them down during the process.

Warsing working during her time in Oxford

HottyToddy.com: Politically speaking, how did you find the leaning of your classmates as your senior year coincided with the presidential election.

Avery Warsing: I think this election year was destined to be crazy no matter where you lived or what your political opinions were. But I was surprised to find so many people my age were conservative. In New York, the only conservative people were older people. But that’s one of the reasons I chose to move away from home for college, to experience different viewpoints and understand other people.

HottyToddy.com: You are now headed to DC to advance your education in Speech Therapy. What does the future hold?

Avery Warsing: Right now I’m about to start my Master’s program in Speech Pathology in Washington, DC, which I’m really excited about! I hope to do well and become a certified SLP in a few years. After that? Definitely visits back to Oxford to cheer on my Rebs!

HottyToddy.com: We almost forgot to ask you about the one semester you spent in Spain.

Avery Warsing: Yes, I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain for part of my junior year. I went there speaking no Spanish and I think my program director thought I was a little crazy for doing that. Luckily my host mom spoke some English and I was able to learn the language, the culture, and travel around Europe in my free time. 10/10, would absolutely recommend studying abroad!!

HottyToddy.com: Let’s do a lightning round:

“South”……Avery….”Warm” ��Travel”….. “…..”Plane” “Food”……..”……”Biscuits” “Animals”…..”……”Dog” “Movies”…….”…….”Wonder Woman” “History”……”…….”Important” “Math”……..”…….”Hard”

HottyToddy.com: Avery, in wrapping up, if you had to do it all over again, would you return to the Magnolia State?

Avery Warsing: Without a doubt, yes. Living here has shaped me in ways I never expected and I’m going to miss it terribly when I move to DC. I’ll be back to visit as often as I can though; where else is a girl supposed to get her chicken on a stick??

I would love to be this “Wonder Woman’s” agent as this young lady is headed for stardom. Even if she didn’t obtain a drivers license while at Ole Miss, she proved you really don’t need one. It would be fascinating to fast forward 15 years to see what she is doing. 2016 might not have been the year for the First Lady POTUS, but watch out for Avery. I wouldn’t bet against her!

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at [email protected] or call him at 985-852-7745.

The post Oxford Encounters: “Avery Warsing – The Girl From NYC Who Made The Ole Miss Adjustment” appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

#hottytoddy #olemiss #oxfordms #oxford ms #mississippi #university of mississippi #the grove

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anso105-4-documentaryprojec-blog · 8 years ago

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13: So my first tattoo is this one, the text on my collarbone. It says, this is really tacky, but it says “love conquers all” because I had just come back from this backpacking trip in Romania. I was 18 and tbh I lost my virginity on the trip and it was fascinating to me. I became really attached but I knew I would never see this guy again when I come back home. I was just obsessed with the idea of love at the time because I was also fooling around with some other people, it was when I first delved into the “game.” So yeah, I decided to do that in Romania and soon after I got it I felt really stupid. I was like “Man, this says love conquers all, that is the tackiest thing I could have come up with.” And now I’m totally fine with it but for a while I was just like “Aw damn…” This was also the only tattoo I passed out on. When it hit my collar bone, I didn’t realize it would hit my bone, and yeah, it hurt so bad. I'm very sensitive. I don’t know why I keep getting them. The second one I got was this rose right underneath the quote. It’s basically one piece now because I just added onto it. I was still 18 and for every one of my tattoos I’ve gone alone because I don’t like people waiting for me and I feel pressured. So this rose is just complimenting the text because it’s a symbol of love and for my senior year art project I did a bunch of paintings with roses in them.

So I think those were all the ones I got in high school. And then I went on this trip for art students, it’s an art convention kinda deal, and I was walking around with a shirt that was kinda low and some guys would be like “Oh nice tattoo” when I walk by and they were making fun of me. I guess cause it was high school they were all like “Oh you think youre so cool.” And I felt really sad and ashamed then. I hid it from my parents for the first 3 months until graduation when my mom saw it because it peaked out a little from my dress. She didn’t talk to me for a week. After that she started yelling at me and telling me how ashamed she was. Both of my parents are from Taiwan, they grew up there and then they came to America when they were 30. And in Taiwan, and most of Asian culture, they all believe that people who have tattoos and piercings are part of a gang or they deal drugs. So they assumed everyone in America thought the same way. I felt really bad. She asks me “so when are you gonna remove it” every time she sees it. Even now. Dad even more so. It was worse when my dad found out. It was on fathers day. We were out at a really nice restaurant and he saw it and was like, “Alison, what is that?” He actually yelled at me in the middle of the restaurant and it got really tense. He was very serious about. He is a lot more aggressive than my mom is, more direct. There was one time, this is somewhat unrelated, but I was about to go to this public middle school. We were at the orientation and a bunch of the parents there had sleeves or just tattoos here and there, and that was common for that area, even though it was a really nice area. My parents were like “We are not sending you here” and that was a week before school started. So they transferred me to a private school that was small where none of the parents had tattoos that they knew of at least. So that’s how badly they think of tattoos.

M: Wow and it’s still like this? Do they know about all of your tattoos?

13: No not all of them. I never tell them when I’m going to get a tattoo because I don’t want to disappoint them even more. They tell me that I’m going to ruin my life and I’m never going to get a job. They're very adamant about it. And I understand it, with where they come from. But at the same time they don’t understand how American culture sees it differently than Asian culture.

Alright so third tattoo is this [lotus flower] on my back. This is embarrassing, but I got the idea for it from Tumblr in high school. I also got this one in high school. I went through a phase where I was obsessed with yoga and meditation and being zen. Which is why I got the lotus flower, plus I thought it was really pretty.

Next one is this gun on my hip with a heart in the middle. I’ve never actually shot a gun before. But I got this the day before coming to Rhodes my freshman year because I was like “fuck it, this is my last day here” and I really like the artists in Austin. I thought of it the night before. I was worried it was a little too masculine, especially since I don’t shoot guns, so I thought I'd just add a heart in the middle and I thought it was really cute.

The first tattoo I got in Memphis I hated it. It was just a really bad job. Don’t ever go to Tattoo Spot on Highland. It's this one on my ribs, its says “eat me” and it looks like a pizza but it's supposed to be the cookie from Alice in Wonderland. I drew it myself, but this is not what I drew. The artist just drew it himself freestyle on me. I thought to myself “Oh he's a pro it'll be ok.” And this was the most painful one other than my collarbone because it was on my side. I cried. It was the only one I’ve cried for. So yeah I really hated it. It looks nothing like what I sketched out and everyone thinks it’s a fucking pizza. But I got it because Alice in Wonderland is my favorite one, it’s very artistic in my opinion. Now I like it, -ish. I've learned to appreciate it. It has hearts on it too. I don’t think I'll ever get it removed or add onto it because it was so painful. I don’t care about it now.

My next tattoo was this one. It’s a little grim reaper. I got it on Friday the 13th. I've always wanted a grim reaper so I drew this one on the back of my lab report in chem class. I thought it was pretty boring at first so I added a heart. I didn’t realize how many hearts I have until talking about it just now. I put it on my ankle because I wanted to even out my body and also I didn’t have any leg/feet area tattoos.

Last one is the lucky cat. I thought of this two days before. I'm very impulsive I guess. I got it sophomore year. I told the lady, I really want a lucky cat and I want you to make it look really kawaii and I want it in color. I wanted to get this one because the Chinese letter in it is “Fu” it means prosperity and luck. So I wanted that for rest of my life as confirmation for myself. The heart wasn’t there originally but it looked incomplete so I added another heart.

So people's reactions. In high school I got a lot of negative attention like I mentioned before. None of my friends in high school had tattoos, but all friends at work at café E had a lot of tattoos and they were all really into it and supportive. I think that’s why I got so invested in them. A bunch of people at Rhodes have been really supportive of them. Not purposefully, but they always compliment my tattoos if they see them. And that’s really nice because that is a huge change from how it was back home to hear. And I didn’t expect that because Austin is really liberal and Memphis is like, Bible belt. But at the same time a lot of people on campus aren’t from Memphis or the bible belt. So coming here it was like, thank you, I can finally feel better about these now. I can actually be proud of them. I think it had a lot to do with the environment I surrounded myself in. And I didn’t purposefully do that. I didn’t expect Rhodes kids to be all for it. Now I don’t even realize they're there, I see them so often. There is still a lot of stigma in certain places though. I used to be in a sorority which I didn’t really like. And I've heard from other sororities too that during rush they hide girls with visible tattoos or colored hair. So I was really surprised by that, like you can't shame someone for something that is permanently on their body that probably means a lot to them and you're telling them it’s worthless and stupid. And if you accepted them in the first place why are you trying to hide them. I got this last one (the cat) during rush actually. The chair of rush came up to me and said, “I'm going to fucking kill you.” I also had colored hair and I don’t think they liked that either. The greek culture on the female side is pretty strict and most of them don’t like that idea. Guys don’t really care.

I feel like I found my group of people outside the srat world that are more accepting and cooler and more fun and are like “you can do whatever you want just don’t hurt yourself and take care of yourself and actually be in control of your life. But still do whatever you want!” and they will support me in every positive aspect of my life.

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