Tattoos and other body modifications are still frowned upon in society. Many who indulge in such endeavors are often subject to bias and different treatment. But why do people think those who get tattoos or wear piercings are different from any other normal person who doesn’t? Why are they treated differently? Britain’s most tattooed man shares his experience in this regard.
Wherever a person has a tattoo on their body shouldn’t matter to anyone but the person who has it, but Britain’s “most tattooed man” says he has been treated differently because of all the art on his body, which includes his eyes.
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A man who calls himself “Britain’s Most Tattooed Man World Record Holder” said management “hid” him because of his appearance. People who want a tattoo are often told to be careful about where they get it, especially if it will be their first. Arguments like “Do you want it to show on your wedding day?” and “What will it look like when you’re all old and wrinkled?” are things that other people, usually parents, like to bring up. Most of the time, the person who wants the tattoo will get it right where they wanted it in the first place.
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King Body Art has tattoos on 90% of his body. He says that when he worked at a call center, he was treated differently and moved around so that management couldn’t see him. The 42-year-old was born Matthew Whelen, but his friends call him B-Art. Among his many body modifications are a dyed eyeball and a Jeremy Kyle Show head tattoo. King Body Art has had “close to 1,600 hours of tattooing” and many sessions to get rid of tattoos. He has wanted tattoos since he was nine years old. He explained, “This has become a lifestyle and my identity.”
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In an interview with the Daily Star, the 41-year-old man talked about problems he had while working at a call center and said, “you bring ultimate restrictions upon yourself by looking different.” He said- “That’s not just alternative people. Basically, the reason why you won’t get a job is not that you look totally different, it’s because people won’t give you a job. It also depends on what industry is and their dress code. I think a dress code should just be that – clothing.” King Body Art said that “extreme alternative” looks like his can “restrict” people, no matter what he wears. “It has restricted me in the past, even when I’ve been in employment,” he said.
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The man with ink on his face said that when he worked in a call center, he told his bosses that he was going to get his first visible tattoo on his throat. Even though his coworkers didn’t believe him when he showed up on Monday with a new tattoo on his throat, he proved them wrong.
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During his job, King Body Art said he was “shuffled around from one office to another.” He said: “The managers were coming up, so they decided to have a move around in the office. The person they got to move was me. I got shifted from one end of the office down to the bottom when the managers come up.”
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Since then, the 42-year-old has had a lot of work done. He says that Ripley’s Believe It or Not gave him a certificate for his many tattoos in 2013. He now works as an actor and model, but he says that his looks are once again holding him back “I’m not gonna pop up in Downton Abbey as an actor, am I? Unless having an alternative scene or someone’s tripping out or something I suppose.” King Body Art has also been in the BBC show Doctors, where he played a prisoner.
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B-Art went on to criticize employers for not giving people who are different a chance. He also said that dress codes should only apply to clothes and not to how people look. He has also called women “shallow” who turn him down or even ask him out because of his tattoos.
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In 2017, Britain’s most tattooed man was stabbed in Birmingham. He said: “The reactions can go from amazement to hate crime. The stabbing showed me that every day is a bonus and humans are only here for a limited period of time.” Even so, his extreme look has given him some chances. The Birmingham-based tattoo addict managed to land some acting jobs thanks to his appearance.
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He wants to cover up what little blank skin he has left, and he often posts on social media about his tattoo journey. His other modifications include a forked tongue and getting rid of his nipples. He almost lost an arm when his body rejected a knuckle-duster-shaped implant.
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