The Tramp Stamp: A History in Words and Pictures

Whence the tramp stamp?  It has been a woman fashion thing for about ten years now, which means that it has accrued enough sociological import for Writers To Write About It.  Unfortunately, most of the journalism I’ve been able to dig up is along the lines of “girl, don’t you let anyone tell you your slutty tramp stamp tattoo makes you look like a slut, because empowerment and sexuality.”

“Small minded people” think that the larger the tattoo on a woman’s back means that she is looser or more promiscuous. Many men thinking that if a woman has this sort of tattoo that it insures [sic] he will have a good time.

Are the myths true?  Walk with me, through the journey of the tramp stamp from times prehistoric to the present efflorescence of tramp stamp art.  See, with your own eyes, tramp stamps of all shapes and colors, from Bible verses to Hitler’s face, some of them on hot girls.  

You see, it all started back in Indian times, when

a male would place his “branding mark” aka “tattoo” on his partners back to discourage other males. It was placed in area that would be seen during sexual acts.

I’m not sure if that means an actual tattoo or what, but that would suggest, ironically, that the tramp stamp was really more of a tramp wedding ring in the beginning.  It would be another 500 years before the white man discovered the tramp stamp.  Fast forward…  OK stop there.

During earlier times before the lower back tattoo a tramp stamp was also the derogatory term for a hickie that was placed on a girl’s body during a promiscuous act.

Nowadays, tramp stampers still face such dark-ages attitudes, alas.

“Those chicks with tramp stamps are the kinds of girls you take home to bang. Don’t get into relationships with them because they are often immature gold digging sluts who sleep with everyone. Oh yeah, make sure you use a rubber because you don’t want to end up with chlamydia trachoma (which 1 in 20 women have between the ages of 14-39 according to the center of disease control… probably much higher if they have a tramp stamp considering the scientific coloration [sic] between sluttiness and tramp stamps). Also, if they pop out a baby (which they often do), they may have issues getting epidurals through their tattoos in the lower back.”

Very specific facts mixed with clear non-facts!  A mystifying assessment, but to answer a few points: 1) women and their gold-digging!, 2) it’s always smart to use a condom, regardless of tattoos, 3) I have not been able to locate a study in which scientists proved a coloration between tramp stamps and sluttiness, perhaps because science funding is usually spent on science, 4) women and their babies!, 5) the epidural thing is actually false.  Ultimately,

Asserting yourself as a strong, independent, sexually confident woman means being able to carry yourself in a dignified manner despite negative reactions.

So it’s like this: maybe I want to wear a bib around everywhere because it makes me feel sexually confident and empowered and I just like the way it looks, but I should be aware, before getting that bib, that everyone is going to think I’m about to eat a messy dinner wherever I go.  So, girls, replace “bib” with “lower back tattoo” and “about to eat a messy dinner” with “a whore,” and understand before you go into that tattoo parlor that a lot of “small minded” folks out there are going to be like, that girl looks like such about to eat a messy dinner.

Tramp stamps around the world!  Other names for tramp stamp include “California license plate,” “b*tch tat,” “slut tag,” “slag tag,” “Arschgeweih” (German), and “gramp stamp” (for when all the tramp stampers grow old.  Tough.).

Can you spot, in the pictures below: Brooke Hogan, Hitler’s face, a plumber, a man-tramp, and two butterflies kissing a penis?

Holy Taco and RankMyTattoos have some more for your perusal.