And maybe that is all media-driven bullshit. I admit, I'm tempted. It's something Nice Girls don't do, something that would shock my mother. And because it would be permanent. If it were temporary, if it weren't painful, it wouldn't be meaningful.
Tattoos are a statement of power and control over a person's body - and by extension, self.
I have placed my mark, willingly chosen. If, however, I am tattooed as a result of someone else's will, they have made their mark. It's a more permanent link to another person than the symbolic tie of a wedding ring, and ironically, more easily and cheaply done. Possession, control, unity - where willingly chosen, these can be part of a satisfying situation for individuals. Where willingly chosen, of course.