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Episode 5: Dig Me Out
52 Plays1 month ago
Shelly + Michael talk with tattoo artist Megan about the iconic Sleater Kinney album Dig Me Out as her root - one that helped solidify her lesbian leanings. We also talk about traditional tattoo symbols, pivotal years spent at Blockbuster, and the kinds of ways community connections make the difference.
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Transcript
00:00:04
Speaker
Thank you.
Introduction to 'Your Roots Are Showing'
00:00:34
Speaker
Hello and welcome to your roots are showing the podcast where Shelly and i Michael talk about being unapologetically queer and all the moments that got us and our guests to where we are.
00:00:45
Speaker
We're going to discuss folks' first inklings of a notion that they were queer or a moment when hindsight was 20-20. So keep that in mind today as we're talking with Megan. Megan!
00:00:58
Speaker
Yay! Who is ready to talk about music, music, and more musical roots? I think this is the first time we've had music as a root or an album as a root.
00:01:09
Speaker
And I love it, how exciting. It's going to be a lot of fun. Hello, Megan. We're so happy to have you. Hello. Yes. um Okay. So Megan, tell us who you are who you are how you are connected to either of us, how you identify, what you do, your pronouns, just like give us a whole vibe check and don't hold back. Like we want to know the highlights and all the fun facts, et cetera, et cetera.
00:01:39
Speaker
Okay. i am Megan Shelton. um I'm born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, still live here. um Let's see. i mean, I feel like Wichita is one of those cities where you kind of know everybody somehow, but Shelly, you and I have known each other for however many years now at this point. um But recently just kind of getting into queer book club and stuff like that, definitely kind of getting some more time together, which
Meet Megan Shelton: Tattoo Artist and Queer Advocate
00:02:08
Speaker
is awesome. Yeah. And
00:02:10
Speaker
yeah um and ah pronouns she her but really any work for me unicorn I'm not really like a anybody that's kind of pigeonholes myself into one specific category at all so I'll pretty much answer to whatever good and bad um or I just may not even know you're talking to me because I'm completely focused on something else ah Let's see. I am a tattoo artist. I've been doing that for the last 17 years of my life. um I'm 42. So um really, i mean, almost half my life now at this point. I've been working tattoo piercing shops since I was 19, pretty much right out of high school. I kind of had that focus on that was the direction I wanted to take in life and just kind of lucky enough that
00:03:08
Speaker
All that worked out for me. So just kind of been grinding until I'm here today. That's so exciting.
00:03:19
Speaker
Yeah. And I mean, and you are also the shop daddy of a tattoo parlor here in town. And that's so cool. um Yeah. I do want to correct after like seeing you and meeting you. I saw a shop daddy, but I need to correct you and say you are a shop zaddy with a Z. well Do we know the difference between daddy and zaddy?
00:03:42
Speaker
I mean, you should probably explain it for everyone else. so and i'm gave the way i understand it, zaddies are a little more spicy. They're a little more fresh. um They're a little more hip and cool. And you definitely have more of a zaddy vibe versus all right the daddy. Yeah. So just in case you wanted to know that. I will make sure to let everyone have a shot. Be like, correction. The gay authority on daddies told me I am a zaddy.
00:04:07
Speaker
Yes. well um Yeah. yeah um Yeah. The shop in town, Tenfold Tattoo, I co-own with a couple longtime co-worker friends. um We've been open for almost two years now. um I did not expect my role to be very much the dad figure in the group, but one of the other partners that we opened with Um, Shayla, she is very much the shop mom. And, I would say she and I have like the long, one of the longer standing relationships in my life, especially, um, I mean, we see each other 40 plus hours of, you know, hours a
Work Dynamics and Relationships in Tattoo Shops
00:04:52
Speaker
week. I think we've worked together for 12, 13 years, almost now. she is definitely has the title of work wife. And there are times where, You know, she gets sick of my dad jokes and she's ready to send me home to my actual partner. um but yeah, so she since tends to be the mom and I've filled the role as dad, kind of keeping everyone, i don't want to say in line, but, you know, just kind of providing a direction and trying to set a good example for what I want to see in the people that I work with.
00:05:30
Speaker
That's fantastic. You know, and for everybody listening out there, like work wife, work husband isn't a strictly like hetero thing. Like I i am, if if anything, I am a I am totally bi at work. I have a work husband and I have a work wife. Okay. For all of those listening out there, there are definitely people that i connect with more and who we kind of share a bit of like a,
00:05:55
Speaker
I don't know that duality where it's like somebody goes to me for these things. I go to this person for these things. And then like the person you are kind of like behind closed door or a doors, or if you're just like, can I just, I just need a hug right now. And it's going to be you because you're my work husband or my work wife and let's find each other at lunch. And
Musical Influences on Queer Identity
00:06:15
Speaker
um yeah. So yeah, for sure. For sure. i have um a work rock.
00:06:23
Speaker
And it's um Mark Bradshaw, who both Michael and I know. And yeah, I just like that dynamic at your workplace is so special and great. And I yeah i love that you have that.
00:06:35
Speaker
Yes, there's been times where, you know, I've come to work, I'm upset about something and just need to kind of talk to Shay about And same way, you know, for I try to be there for her as well. But um yeah, she's and because that she's seen all parts, you know, of me. yeah. I really enjoy that. I get to work with my best friends every day. i feel like I'm very fortunate for that. um So living the dream.
00:07:04
Speaker
Isn't that the goal? Yes, for sure. The goal? There we go. yeah Okay. So before we sat down to chat with you, Megan, you gave us the heads up that your route is the whole...
00:07:17
Speaker
Yes. Dig Me Out record by Slater Kenny. Is that right? Yes. Okay. Beautiful. I love that. I just want you to know that I've been listening to that record. Same. Since you told me that. And God, it's so good. Yeah. Yes, it is. It's such like. I agree.
00:07:34
Speaker
i mean, I feel like um a lot of younger people, um you don't get the full experience of listening to an album. Like when I was younger, first listening to that album, I got it on CD, had the Discman. soon as that was over, press play, you know, just start to finish kind of on repeat. And you really get the kind of full like storytelling feeling emotion of an album when you listen to it front to back, in my opinion.
00:08:06
Speaker
Well, and one sitting as well. Yeah. Yes. And you get an idea of like, Yeah, the arc. Because yes really good artists who do really great things, they have an arc. It's not just a flat line. And i feel like records that are great front to back Like, for example, for me, I know this is ridiculous, but it's Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins.
00:08:33
Speaker
I know that is a very long listen, but it has like such an arc, even between the two discs and- Movements, almost. Yeah, I love that. So you wrote that your, so Dig Me Out is the name of the record, and that you already had these, like, you wrote that you had- these lesbian leanings that you kind of understood prior to hearing Dig Me Out.
00:09:02
Speaker
I guess my question is, what was it about the music that solidified that recognition in you?
00:09:14
Speaker
um I feel like that was one of the first records that I listened to where I knew in fact that the singer was, female singer was singing about loving another woman. um I feel like just that starting track, Dig Me Out, like, you know, you go through all the emotions of like really, you know, loving someone and like um having that, i guess, um kind of arc of like you love someone, but you know things are about to end and just the raw emotion. And it's like, you know, um that kind of like,
00:09:54
Speaker
one more time together type of feeling, I guess. um And it's just like kind of a super extreme, um you know, um i guess,
00:10:07
Speaker
just raw emotion in the voice. Like I said, Corin Tucker, the way that the guitar kicks in just everything about it. Like I was a very like kind of angsty teenager. i mean, I think this album came out in 98, if I remember right. So I would have been a freshman in high school, um you know, and so just for me, like, yeah, just kind of knowing that what they were singing about was like, I guess,
00:10:37
Speaker
the love and the emotion that I felt or, like, thought that I felt towards, like, other girls, women, that type of thing. i love how you talk about how, like, you listen to the the the musician and, like, you knew that there was, like, they...
00:10:53
Speaker
they were queer or they got it. And for me, it was when Ricky Martin sang She Bangs. I was like, no, no, no. This guy's gay. yeah He bangs. And we know it. We know. I mean, I think what I knew them, Ricky Martin, like, dude, yes. we We resonated. Maybe. I don't know about Lance Bass, but... um Yeah, sorry. you do you know I had to hold in a giggle because the moment you said that, the first person i thought of was Ricky Martin. But there there is an interesting thing. like And the same with like one of my favorite artists of all time is Sufjan Stevens, who was super private. And I didn't even know he was queer until like five years ago or whatever. i don't think he's been very open about it. But there there is something in that like sonic space of like this person actually understands me.
00:11:40
Speaker
Yes. Well, and I also think like this whole notion of, I mean, Sleater Kenny was kind of um like in that fold of Riot Grrrl that, yes you know, that occurred in the late 90s, early 2000s and was very coastal.
00:11:58
Speaker
Right. So, Megan, how did you smack dab in the middle of the U.S. end up being a Sleater Kenny stan? Well, so, um you know, I definitely had a fight for a lot of to find the music that I wanted. um i don't know if you guys maybe remember these, but there used to be ah blockbuster music.
00:12:23
Speaker
Amen. Back in where, yeah, you could, you know, choose a CD and listen to it before buying or even just go and hang out and make them open CDs and listen to them. um But they have a pretty good little like section. And I've always been somebody who has like chosen music based on the album cover.
00:12:47
Speaker
So um I do judge an album by its cover. Yeah. yeah well Or just like, I guess, is this something that I might be interested in or intriguing or something like that? Yeah.
00:13:00
Speaker
And, you know, I was trying to remember if I had known who Sleater Kenny was before that album, um which I think that I might have. And then um we also had MTV.
00:13:13
Speaker
um So, you know there used to be i was trying to remember and I meant to look it up. But on Sunday nights, late at night, 11 o'clock, um they would play all the like alternative music videos. yeah um So I would um stay sleep in the living room those nights so that I could stay up late and watch, um, all the music videos. And, um, that's kind of like how I started getting into, I would say like, um,
00:13:41
Speaker
more ah alternative music that I was into that I was choosing. um You know, I ah was exposed to alternative music or just a wide variety of music as a kid. My mom was really a into music. My older brother had all kinds of like tapes and CDs and ah we shared a room growing up. So, you know, the moment he was off with his friends, I was over digging through his stuff like, ooh, what is this with an eyeball on it? Let me listen. Right. Use the Pixies. Yeah. You know, so and that type of thing. um But yeah, so Blockbuster Music, actually, it was right near the mall. So I would, you know, have my parents drop me off at the mall, walk over there, kind of look through and see kind of like, oh, there's there's a girl on the album cover, like maybe, you know, the female musician. um And because, you know, I
Family Dynamics and Coming Out Journey
00:14:38
Speaker
wanted to play music. And so I was just kind of always more gravitated to um female musicians and just kind of like, okay, what what can these women do?
00:14:49
Speaker
Were your parents like pretty liberal, pretty open-minded to like, to, you know, queerness or openness or alternative music? Like, I mean, there are there are people, I mean, think of Wichita, I think of the Midwest. Sometimes it's like, you know, you think the average, like, you know, mom, dad, church going folk or whatever, like, did you feel pretty open and and able to like explore the music and and bring it home and buy it and talk about it?
00:15:18
Speaker
Oh, yeah, totally. um My parents, I would say, are pretty liberal. um you know, as far as like my queerness, it wasn't something that I was comfortable telling them until I was a little bit older, like closer to 18.
00:15:34
Speaker
But yeah I mean, you know, we got to like my mom would let us pick Sometimes like CDs or tapes in the car, like, you know, yeah um let me listen to that. um Also, i would go to the public library and ah check out CDs there. um So I got like ah PJ Harvey. i checked that out from the library. yes um Tribe 8. That was kind of like my first venture into like very like um like queer music. And it was honestly at the time a little much for me. i was pretty young. so i was like, oh, this is kind of aggressive. when you play
00:16:17
Speaker
When you say pretty young, what are we talking about? Like 10, 11, 12? ten twelve Yeah, I mean, middle school age. I don't know how, but yeah, I mean, around there. um So where I went to school, there was a rec center with a library in it right next door. So I'd walk over there, um hang out until my parents got off work to come and get me. So, you know, usually spend a couple hours every day at the rec center, looking around books, CDs, all that kind of stuff. um But I do remember like getting
00:16:50
Speaker
you know, checking out PJ Harvey and making my mom listen to it. And I think like, you know, in some way I was kind of like testing out like, you know, the waters of like, you know what does she feel about this? And yeah she was like, oh yeah, that's cool. You know?
00:17:05
Speaker
ah But isn't that really great? Like, like just the, the the moments of signaling to maybe you that, hey we can have these conversations girl you're good yeah girl good bye you're fine this is okay i got you yeah we need that yeah i remember my mom was so i didn't come out until much much much later and yeah 20. girl was like 26 27 but it's cool and it wearing like yeah But I remember I told my mom and i was like, mom, you can't tell, can't tell dad.
00:17:46
Speaker
oh wow. And you're like, my dad is like, honestly, just, I love him so very, very much. And I mean, he's always been super supportive of me, but I made her keep a secret for me because she was always the person I could go talk to.
00:18:01
Speaker
And I was so worried about what my dad would think because, you know, I'd never really like, push those boundaries. And i remember when I finally did tell my dad that I was dating Mallory at the time. No, he I was like, Hey, dad, you know, Mallory who comes over and plays Scrabble sometimes.
00:18:22
Speaker
Yeah, so we're dating. Okay, bye. And I left. And he was like, Scrabble's a euphemism. Bye. No, I didn't say that. ah He just was like, what? I was already in my car in reverse out of the drive.
00:18:36
Speaker
So how great is it that you had that opportunity to kind of just, you know, yeah, like you said, like test the waters to see. how a reaction would be.
00:18:49
Speaker
And I also love that you were getting them from the library. You guys yes i support your public libraries. Yes, please. You know, like, yeah, um yeah go ahead. was just to say it opened my eyes to a lot of things as a kid, just kind of being able to have that time of just like, okay, I've got hours and let me just look through books and and yeah all kinds of things.
00:19:12
Speaker
Well, the music of Sleater Kenny is sort of, you know, has like this like rebellious tone or this like, you know, like fuck the system kind of, you know, establishment. were you Were you, would you say you were like a rebel as a young person or rebellious even? um Yeah. i mean, I got into punk rock um middle school um So i definitely, you know, i was getting zines about like the truth behind, um you know, like um slaughterhouses and what really happens to your chickens before they're. You know, like, you know, stuff like food, k not bombs, all that kind of stuff. um So I was, you know, reading a lot of those things and, you know, kind of, I guess, educated on the bigger world. um I also, um i kind of felt the need to really um embrace how different I felt from everyone. And in that way, um
00:20:19
Speaker
i um
00:20:24
Speaker
Sorry, I kind of lost my train of thought. um But yeah, very time like I would say, yeah, I was super into punk rock. um And then, you know, just kind of like, I would not listen to the radio.
00:20:35
Speaker
Like, and that was the thing I was like, I don't want to be like everybody else. I don't want to be like all these other kids in school. yeah Like they all listen to the radio. Like, I i don't want to say i was like an elitist, but you know, I was just like, you know, I'm, I'm beyond that, you know, type of thing. Like, you know, like I don't listen to like the regular radio, even though like now, like, you know, I love,
00:21:01
Speaker
radio hits from the nineties, the two, thousand right like that's the, my good time, fun music, you know, but like, yeah as a kid, I just kind of felt like, you know, I needed to, I needed more than that. I needed something with substance. Um, um, I kind of started getting into, punk rock, I'd say seventh grade.
00:21:22
Speaker
yeah Um, okay and, um, one of the bands that my favorite band, was the Luna chicks, which is a female band from New York. And um they, that was like the TV show i was talking about it on MTV, how I discovered them was one of their videos from their pretty ugly album came on and it's a dating game, music video and their drummer chip. She, um,
00:21:52
Speaker
she um
00:21:56
Speaker
It was like our perspective dates were women. So i was like, oh, okay. All right. We got some, maybe, you know, some queer vibes with this band. Let me check them out. Found the CD at Blockbuster Music. um You know, I used to mow for my grandparents 20 bucks a week. So that was my CD money. Oh, yeah. That's awesome. And ah so, yeah, I got that CD. And then, yeah, I just got super into the Luna Chicks, um which kind of just...
00:22:26
Speaker
you know snowballed into more of that yes l seven um you know that kind of riot girl era bikini kill yeah um yeah was like madly in love with kathleen hannah too why wouldn't you yeah you know with lay t gray which was also like a very like queer heavy band like that was like my kind of fun high school dance music was lay t gray Yeah, their cover of Tonight's the Night Look. Yes. It's It's such good time be. It is. is. It's a band. They are such, like, just a feel-good, fun band. But also, you know, a band with depth. And, like, you know, there's the band, like, the songs about, like, you know, keep on living. You know, those are things that definitely, like, growing up in the Midwest, that music, like, gave me strength to just, like, you're not alone in the Midwest. You know, there's people...
00:23:21
Speaker
Maybe not that you can see in your own little bubble and circle, but there's people out there that feel the same as you, that are into the same things as you. you know it It made me feel, I guess, kind of connected beyond what I could see. 100%, because lives these people are living their lives like presumably happy or at least thrivive it thriving in a way and putting out art that reflects that and including the ups and the downs. And it makes it all the way to us in the Midwest where in the nineties, I mean, I'm five, six years older than you are. And like, yeah, in the nineties, it was on the peripheral, but it wasn't something that you saw,
00:24:10
Speaker
in town like yes right you you just didn't um it was still like very not talked about and uh yeah so it's nice to have those examples from outside of our sphere so that you can have that experience i love that i love that yeah Yeah, so um kind of like the rebel or the the what you saw in the music, who would you say also as like a outside of the music?
00:24:43
Speaker
Who was an example of like a badass? Who was an example or who was maybe someone in your life who gave you that? courage to to to be different to speak up like to feel okay in your skin to um yeah be wholly fully megan um i mean i feel like i definitely i mean I mean, when do you really find yourself, right? You know, so um even i'd say that that's something that even now today as an adult, you know, where it's like, um you know, who am i um But i would say, you know, on a personal level, um my older brother was always, you know, very vital and like picking on me.
00:25:39
Speaker
pushing my buttons yeah yeah and basically like yeah making me a stronger person by doing those things. I know like bullying is bad, but without my older brother being a bully to me, there's no way i would be as strong and confident as I am today because like, you know,
00:26:00
Speaker
he and his friends, they were skateboarders. They'd come over and they'd make fun of the posters on my wall. And, you know, I'd i'd defend myself and, you know, like I'd threatened to fight him. Like I was really into professional wrestling. So, you know, I'm going to put in a chokehold or whatever, you know, the people's elbow. Here we go.
00:26:18
Speaker
yes Yeah. For me, it was the undertaker. Yes. i was just about to say yeah yeah yeah i want the makeup. I be the undertaker.
00:26:29
Speaker
Sorry, i don't want me to be a stereotype right now because I know every queer person lives for Halloween, but maybe I'll be the undertaker. oh my God, going write it down. Okay, make sure you write that down. But i I also love that, like, yes, bullying is bad.
00:26:43
Speaker
Yeah. But at some point, the people in your family's in our families, yeah sometimes they know us so well that that push or that pinch or that whatever is a way to make us either stand up for ourself or realize it's not a big deal and so I don't need to. yeah um And part of that is finding out who you are and how you are gonna respond to those things. And we learn by, you know,
00:27:14
Speaker
we learned by taking stands in those moments or not. Um, so yeah, I see that. I mean, and you know, skateboarder in the nineties and early two thousands, that's rough and tumble.
Tattoos as Expression and Identity
00:27:31
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. I mean, he was living the, you know, ah what it was it? Johnny Knoxville? Like that was his life, you know, Jackass, right? Yeah. Stories of what, yeah, they would do is just kind of wild and crazy. And, yeah you know, I got to kind of stand on the sidelines and watch it all. And ah so, yeah, it was definitely a huge influence into finding my own strength. Um,
00:28:02
Speaker
So yeah, thankful on that. Yeah. Well, and it's, it's so great to have like these people who are either like, you know, like the musicians that we have that kind of help us articulate some things that maybe we're starting to understand about ourselves and then also family members. And then, you know, and they push you one way and then maybe you hear something different and it makes you refine this idea and,
00:28:32
Speaker
Yeah. And I just remember how like absolutely very much all the like music yeah lyrics played such a huge role in my high school years. yeah um My mom and I used to fight all the time. And when I say fight, I mean like brawl like slapping was involved oh wow yeah pam and i oh my got into it um yeah pam oh she's a sweet pea um
00:29:05
Speaker
But I remember I would like, we'd get done with this fight and be so angry. And I would like stomp down stairs. Slam a door with every syllable. Slam the door and then immediately put on my Smashing Pumpkins record and yeah listen to Rat in a Cage. Like despite all my rage, I'm yeah still just this rat. I love that. Yeah.
00:29:27
Speaker
And I just, oh, 1990s. I don't know if this this band, I mean, it's from the 90s, but like you talk about like music and the things. And I had have my my brother older brother, Joseph, and he had a friend who'd made some like weird comment about me like having a high-fished voice or being effeminate. And Joe was like, well, he does... He's into Savage Garden.
00:29:49
Speaker
and it was like weird, it was like this weird understanding suddenly of like his friend stopped being an asshole to me. Like things changed. Like it was like this unspoken thing, like,
00:30:02
Speaker
Yeah, he really likes the Spice Girls. And then it's just like, oh, okay. Everybody's sort of under... it was like ah It was like a way to say something about somebody without making fun of them because they also like the Spice Girls and they also love Savage Garden truly, madly, deeply. Like, okay, Chicka Cherry Cola? Let's do this. like so there's But I think that there's a great...
00:30:25
Speaker
you know that that skater era too because i had like shaved under my head i had hair down to my my shoulders shaved under um jinko jeans i had rossi's um i totally did the wax and grind skater thing um until i saw someone's uh an external fracture uh steve kistner's arm bone popped out of his uh arm and I was like, I think I'm going to do theater. I think I'm done. think I'm done with skateboarding. I'm going to do theater. And rollerblading. Yeah. Okay. um So obviously for me, if I was going to get a tattoo of a song lyric in 1996, it would be, despite all my rage, I'm still just a rat in a cage. And I would be like, thanks mom underneath it. yeah
00:31:12
Speaker
So I'm curious, Megan, as a tattoo artist, as somebody who has tattoos themselves. Do you have any song lyrics on your tattoos? Song lyrics? On your body?
00:31:23
Speaker
Yeah. I don't. I don't. I have, like, tattoos of images that um kind of represent some song lyrics. But...
00:31:35
Speaker
um I'm like looking down. I'm like, do I don't. I don't think I do. Wait, are you wearing pants? so I don't think that I have much lettering.
00:31:51
Speaker
I don't think I do. and Okay. All right. Fair enough. I'll just, I was just checking because Megan, are you ready to play a game? bum Yeah, but let's go. Okay, okay, so we're going to play a game. But first, we've got the game music.
00:32:06
Speaker
Here we go. And it's game time. um So this is a segment that I am calling Tattoos in Time.
00:32:18
Speaker
Okay. You know, i'm noticing and I'm noticing a thread with all these games. It's a little historical. um So we are going to be talking about sailors' tattoos and their meanings. And...
00:32:30
Speaker
Yes, and we're part of the reason we chose this is because Megan, on Tenfold Tattoos website, it says that you love classic yeah ta tattoos and like the the classic ideas of those. So we thought, what better way to test your knowledge than sailor tattoos? All right.
00:32:55
Speaker
Okay. Here we go, number one. What did a swallow tattoo traditionally represent for sailors? Was it a A, lost loved one, B, safe return home after a voyage, C, their rank in the Navy, or D, crossing the equator?
00:33:16
Speaker
Okay, well, I'm going to trick you with this one because it actually does kind of depend on placement. But usually, what was the one with the safe boy or the returning home from a trip, right?
00:33:28
Speaker
Yes, that's actually the correct answer. So keep going. Yes. um But a lot of pickpockets would get swallows tattooed on their hands for fast, swift hands. Oh, wow.
00:33:40
Speaker
But also, fun fact, the reason why that is, as far as why swallows represent um returning safe from home, is because they fly close to land.
00:33:51
Speaker
So, you know, when you see the birds, you're getting closer to land. So a fun fact was that it meant you also traveled at least 5,000 nautical miles away from home okay and came back.
00:34:04
Speaker
All right, number two. A sailor with what? Is anyone thinking of 5,000 miles right now? If I could walk them. If I could walk 5,000 miles, right? Yeah. Yeah. more I don't even know what they're saying. there's time but about but moment but but but um and And something about Haverin. you know what Haverin means? Is it an Australian thing? No, it's UK. It's British. shit It means like um to lie or to like joke around with.
00:34:33
Speaker
Yeah. Behavioring with you. Joshin. Yeah, just Joshin. Let's dance. Let's Josh. Oh, I love... Okay, this is dangerous to have a musically-themed episode. Okay, anyways. um A sailor with a fully-rigged ship tattoo usually meant...
00:34:49
Speaker
A, they survived a shipwreck. B, they were a captain. C, they sailed around Cape Horn. Or D, they were part of a pirate crew. um This one I don't know confidently, but I'm going to say Cape Horn.
00:35:09
Speaker
That is correct. Woo! Wait, let's get the cheer. oh Did I click it?
00:35:18
Speaker
ra
00:35:20
Speaker
Yes, Cape Horn is one of the most dangerous sea routes in the world.
00:35:26
Speaker
Yeah, cheers for being very dangerous, Cape Horn. Yeah, start over, Michael. Free stormy, and waves that mean business. So it means you had an an amazing accomplishment. All right, question number three of five.
00:35:40
Speaker
Oh, four, it lies. Four. What was the meaning behind a pig and a rooster on a sailor's feet? Was it good luck in gambling, protection from drowning, loyalty to their crew, or experience in farming before they became sailors?
00:35:58
Speaker
Protection from drowning. I forgot this was multiple choice. I was like, oh, and was like, oh, yeah. But it's also correct. Hooray! Yay! Okay, I'm not going to play the music because I feel like it's out of control. Yeah, it's wily tonight. These animals were often shipped in wooden crates, which meant they float they floated whenever there was a shipwreck. So sailor believes having them tattooed would also keep them safe. It wasn't science, but superstition is definitely part of a sailor's job. All right. You've been three for three. All right. One more to go Here we You can do this.
00:36:33
Speaker
An anchor tattoo most commonly symbolized A, time spent in port, B, religious faith or stability, C, a completed voyage across the Atlantic, or D, membership into a secret society.
00:36:53
Speaker
I mean, think I'm going to go with time spent in port, No. Yep. Yes. what are you going for Final answer. answer. It was wrong.
00:37:04
Speaker
It means a it was
00:37:12
Speaker
means a very stable faith So interest symbolizes stability. yeah right Many sailors also tied to faith. um they A lot of sailors had their own sort of superstitiousness. so um
00:37:31
Speaker
um ah Three out of four, though. Three out of four. You're the first to do three out of four. So you're on top. Yeah, ah you crushed that 100%. And just feel like I don't know if I could give you a pen or like a high five virtually. I don't know. Here, I'm going in for one. There we go. Okay. High five virtually. I felt it. felt it. It was good. Yeah. So, okay. So you have been um working at Tattoo Parlors since you were 19, right?
00:38:00
Speaker
Yes. um Do you feel like the Tattoo Parlors were like the place or was it before Tattoo Parlors? Like when did you start? When did you feel like? you were living your most authentic queer self, like out in the open, in your everyday, in in the majority of spaces?
00:38:23
Speaker
um i mean, I... honestly ive
00:38:31
Speaker
i probably felt a little bit more like that before. mean, I came out in high school. um so really for me, like, you know, my junior, senior year of high school was really kind of the beginning of like exploring, um i guess, kind of like who my authentic self was. um You know, working in the piercing shop, which is where I started when I was 19, was a little, they used to be called shop tarts. Um, so I would, uh, yeah, clean the shop, um, handle like tart, like as in, like you kind of, you're kind of like a bouncer almost, you know, you gotta, to um, handle the crowd up front, um, take money, keep people sorted, all that. Um, so working in that environment, I had, um,
00:39:29
Speaker
you know, a few queer co-workers. So i would say that was the first experience where being around people who were like adults and like, you know, in adult relationships with, you know, in their queer relationships and, um you know, kind of seeing their experience, getting advice as I went in and out of my, you know, early 20s and those relationships and the choices I made. I also, fun fact, ah worked far back at Fantasy before I started tattooing on the weekends. I worked every Thursday, Friday, Saturday for, man three or four years, I think. I started out working the door. um So working at Fantasy, you know, too, that was a place where I really kind of also felt
00:40:24
Speaker
um Like I was kind of like living my best life as far as like getting to be around other queer people. I saw a lot of crazy wild happenings yeah at fantasy, um good and bad, um you know.
00:40:41
Speaker
I don't know if you heard our first episode, but there was definitely, we talked about fantasy. We talked about rain, um, for all those Wichita queers. Um, I think that that's, those two three places are definitely staples in like the journey through well it. through it Fantasy doesn't even exist anymore. nice It is a top, it is about time and a place. Um, there's a book that was just recently published, um,
00:41:08
Speaker
called like LGBTQ in Wichita like images in Wichita published by it's great book a local press and it's just a bunch of images from like what the 60s 70s 90s early 2000s and yeah like it is such a great book because it's like oh this is what the back 40 looked like at fantasy south 40 that's what i mean south yes yeah but like yeah oh i cannot believe you are a bar back there i'm jealous um jey yeah so and you know fantasy was 18 to enter so i started going as soon as i turned 18 um go and dance with my friends um
00:41:56
Speaker
And so um really, you know, that I would say would kind of be like where I kind of started to like explore who am. was like what identity I had as a queer person. um and all over the map, we joke about my double polo cargo shorts fantasy days, because I did for some reason make that fashion choice. um and you know, and it was just like, you know, yeah, i was just very much trying to find like, who am I a
00:42:30
Speaker
A lesbian. And as I've gotten older, like, you know, it's like, I realized that it doesn't matter what haircut I have, what clothes I have on, right like, I'm queer, and just me existing as me, whether that's long hair, short hair,
00:42:49
Speaker
You know, anything like that, that that's my true authentic queer self is just like me. You know, I don't have to do any sort of, you know, very much in my early 20s. Like I wanted everybody to know, like, hey, I'm a big old dyke. Like, you know, like all kinds of crazy haircuts, like Tegan and Sarah were like a big, you know, part of my life at that time. So the swoopy mullet, you know, I had that for a while.
00:43:16
Speaker
um i So we've kind of hit on that before of like this performative piece of yes queerness where it's like we all kind of go through it maybe or. Yeah, totally. Maybe that's something that's like of an age or younger people who may might not have to to do that, you know, hope and pray. But like there's definitely a bit of it's this thing where it's like, I am like this outwardly appearing for those of you who can't see right now, I'm, I'm marching for some reason. yeah But like the performativeness of queerness.
00:43:49
Speaker
Well, because it's, because it's harder to say out loud in words than it is to show up with your double polo shirt, your cargo pants and your gym Sarah haircut. I mean, like it really is. I mean, it's called signaling for a reason it's without,
00:44:06
Speaker
saying or like wearing a sticker you know right yeah hi i'm a dyke or hi i'm you know like a lipstick lesbian or i'm just open to anyone just come say hi like no you can you can show it in certain ways also megan imagining you with double polo shirts yeah it's just i'm smiling ear one is your one is teal i can see it yeah Yeah. Yeah. It was a very short phase. I think just out of high school, i may have still been in high school, 18. So yeah it was, yeah you know, just definitely trying to fit in. And yeah, like i said, just trying to find like, okay, like what group do I belong to in the queer community? And yeah, because there weren't a lot of like alternative queers that I knew of, you know, it was very much like mainstream. We listened to
00:45:00
Speaker
you know, when I bar backed at fantasy, I would make like mixed CDs to play, like, cause I would be there at eight o'clock to open the bar. So, you know, I'd play them over the speakers before anyone got there. And, you know, i'd try and do a few nights where I'm like, I'm going to play late Tigray and see if anybody's interested and nobody cared, you know? it's just like, all right, cool. I guess, you know, ah very small ah percentage of the queer population back then. But, you know, um
00:45:31
Speaker
you asked ah originally about like in tattoo shops and how I found that. And, you know, so it was definitely a ah much more comfortable environment when, before I started tattooing. When I did start tattooing,
00:45:45
Speaker
Um, I would say that that's when I kind of realized that maybe I needed to kind of be a little bit more quiet about who I was. interesting Um, it was kind of an unspoken, like, it's fine that you're queer. We don't care. but you know, just don't make it your whole personality.
00:46:05
Speaker
Or, you know, was that was that your boss, like the shop owner telling you that? Or was it more like a vibe you got off clients? um My boss, I would say, you know, is never outwardly said, but, you know, just kind of yeah much like unspoken kind of Not everyone loves Savage Garden.
00:46:30
Speaker
Yes. Not everybody likes a Spice Girls microphone. Message received. Yeah. um But, you know, dealing with when I was doing my apprenticeship, it was on the west side of town and we were tattooing a lot of like small town people got it where, you know, people were choosing me because a guy's like, I don't want no man touching my wife.
00:46:55
Speaker
And was like, okay, well, what about a dyke? And they're like, I'm just not going to say anything because I'm just out trying to get paid right now. um And... ah Or, you know, if he said something, then, you know, the guy would look at you a different way or, you know, like almost like kind of like, oh, kind of getting these like fantasy type things because I mean, it's a very intimate setting. I mean, I'm yeah pretty much making person to person contact with people for several hours. So, you know, back, I mean, I started tattooing in 2008. So, you know, things felt a little different. They didn't feel as safe.
00:47:31
Speaker
to kind of just be as out, um even like, you know, talking to clients, like, I always made sure, like, you know, when speaking to women, like not to be like, Oh, hey, baby, or anything like that, because I didn't want them to think that I was, you know, hitting on them you know, kind of crossing a line. So I always kind of kept that part of my life very much in check. And it wasn't really in until this last couple of years with opening our shop that, you know, I've felt more comfortable. Well, one, I'm my own boss now. So, you know, I don't have anyone to answer to like if. That's big.
00:48:11
Speaker
Yeah. So it's like, you know, now um being very like outwardly like queer, like, yes, this is who I am You know, this is my partner, um you know,
00:48:23
Speaker
Being very open about that is kind of newer, which, you know, I feel like Witch Shaw is always about like, what, 10, 15 years behind the curve. Just a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Which makes sense. You know, I've been, so you yeah yeah, now we're kind of where people were 15 years ago, as far as feeling comfortable with, you know, our reality.
00:48:47
Speaker
in work and in everyday settings. But I also think it's got to be such a, like a boon for the queer community that there is a queer owned tattoo parlor that, you know, like while that also respects boundaries and ideas and like,
00:49:10
Speaker
all aspects of things. And I know that you also do gender affirming tattoos at your at your shop as well. And so I just feel like it's such a great thing to herald for the community as well. So i I'm both thrilled and happy that you get to be who you are at your shop, like in all aspects of your daily living. But I also like as somebody in the queer community just in general, so happy for the community because your shop exists. And I think that's beautiful.
00:49:48
Speaker
Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. I agree. i And when Shelley and I first had our meeting, kind of our production meeting about this interview, the first thing, it took me a moment to kind of articulate what I was thinking at the time, but you know, I used to teach creative writing. I used to teach English. And one of my favorite prompts was like every, every scar is a story. And the more I started to think about like tattooing and kind of contemplating like what you do in your work, like tattoos are these, like they're painful and they are also meaningful. um And there's somewhat like a scar, but like they also, each one carries its own story. Do you have a tattoo in particular that has like particular meaning for you or that is like um a favorite of yours? Not that not that one is better or or worse than the other, but like one that has some meaning for you.
00:50:52
Speaker
Yeah, so I am... In the process of getting um my back and torso tattooed, like Japanese style, like neck to back of the thighs on my back. And then it wraps around onto my stomach and ribs. And um it's not even necessarily the imagery. that's It's a big hawk on a pine tree on my back. But really, it's been more about the process.
00:51:21
Speaker
um The process of... this huge commitment. We started actually the day the shop officially opened was the day that um I was in Denver getting my back outlined. um Yeah. Dedication tattoo. So, um and I live in Denver, so yeah. Yes. Yeah. And so I've been now for almost two years making almost monthly trips out to Denver to get this worked on. We have two more sessions left. Wow.
00:51:52
Speaker
And um it's just been more about the commitment of like, okay, every month I'm doing this, I'm healing a part of my body. And the great thing about tattoos is it's almost like shedding skin. I mean, it is literally shedding skin. You're beating up a layer of skin to put pigment in, and then that old skin falls off. And, um you know, traditionally like a Japanese back piece, um, it's full coverage. So there's, you know, I, uh,
00:52:24
Speaker
butt crack included, you know, very, very close to my nether regions and yeah everything. And, um, you know, so just kind of that like full coverage of like being in a mental place where like you're getting tattooed by someone and, um, it's like, this hurts so bad. i don't want to do this, but then surviving it and being done and being like, yep, I just did through that. Or, you know, I sat through that. Yeah. And then the transformation of like the way that, you know, your body looks too. Like I have so much more confidence. Like I would have never worn a crop shirt until I got my back and stomach tattooed. And now it's like, who cares what my fat looks like because now it's tattooed and, you know, that's what you're seeing. You're not seeing what I see, which is, you know, the-
00:53:14
Speaker
fat rolls that may overhang or whatever, you know what i mean? yeah Yeah. Yeah. And that's the great thing about, you know, we, and the tech, you know, tattoo world, we call it like psychic armor, you know, it's like this kind of like shield that you've got on you permanently that, you know, it's like, it's a mental challenge to sit through that pain for, you know, hours at a time. And then take care of it. And then to back.
00:53:43
Speaker
Yeah. And choose to go back. Yes. yeah And, you know, i i just I will say that the, you know, person doing it for me, Sam, has been made this the best experience as well, you know, made me so incredibly comfortable.
00:53:57
Speaker
It's the first time I've ever been naked in front of a man. And like being naked in front of a group of men, you know, yeah everyone was very cool, very respectful. So for me, that was kind of like, you know, a huge part of it was like getting over that. And then it was like, okay, now the pain wise or pain factor. And then, you know, also the factor of like, yeah, being ass out in a tattoo shop, you know, that's open to the public, you know, but yeah through that, I just became more comfortable and confident in my body. And I think that that's the great thing about tattooing is that, you know, from something small to a giant piece, it's going to change the way you look at yourself.
00:54:42
Speaker
yeah And, um, I think, you know, going back to music is like, you know, those early bands, like the Lunachicks, they were heavily tattooed. So seeing those people, the undertaker, he had sleeves, like that's when I decided like, I need to be heavily tattooed.
00:55:01
Speaker
And the way that i reason that out of my brain is like, well, i have to be a tattooer. That's the only, yeah I mean, in the nineties, it's like, if you want to be full coverage tattooed, there wasn't a whole lot of job opportunities for you. So it was just like,
00:55:14
Speaker
you know what, this is my path in life. That's where I'm headed. And I'm just, you know, lucky it all worked out.
Sleater-Kinney: Rapid-Fire Round
00:55:20
Speaker
um Because yeah, I don't know, I guess, probably doing something else and still just trying to get tattooed on the regular.
00:55:31
Speaker
No, I was just going to say that i like the whole point of like the shedding of the skin. Yes. And that it also being psychic armor. We are on the same page. Yes. it exactly comment on Oh my God. That is so true. I mean, yeah, I have a few tattoos and I remember when I got, so I have a half sleeve of William Shakespeare on my arm.
00:55:52
Speaker
And I remember I got it outlined in one day. And it was like, four hours approximately. And was just everything about me kind of itched. And like, but I was so excited about it too, because it was like, I get to represent this other thing about me.
00:56:10
Speaker
um You know, something that I love, something that meet is meaningful to me, yeah you know, as an English teacher who was also born on Shakespeare's birthday, blah, blah, blah. yeah But um I, so you made the comment about wearing a crop top.
00:56:26
Speaker
When I was a kid, it was always like, I never want to show my arms because my arms aren't toned. You know, it was just like this silly yeah weird stigmas on showing different body parts. And now it's like...
00:56:41
Speaker
You know, I was in my friend Scott's wedding and i was like, well, I definitely want to wear something with a like either sleeveless or with a mesh sleeve so you can still see my tattoo. And like, you know, just those silly kinds of, they're not silly. They're not silly at all. But those kind of affirming moments that because you let yourself go through something that is i that is painful, that is your choice, but that also is something to have this great,
00:57:10
Speaker
pride about yeah i fucking love that yeah that's and it's a beautiful metaphor of for like any walk of life whether you're queer or not queer like all of us have psychological armor and seen unseen yeah that that was so poignant and perfect to I'm i am looking and thinking about tattoo body modification, whatever it might be with a totally different set of eyes.
00:57:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's great. And also love, go ahead, Megan. Oh, I was going to say there's a lot of like queer history that, you know, intersects with piercing, tattooing. confusion so Right ear, left ear, right ear, left ear. Yeah. Yes. Yes. More of that signaling. No nose ring. Yeah. Yeah. Handkerchief back pocket. Where? What's going um going on? Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I also, I think it's interesting that you mentioned like the Luna chicks and their heavy tattooing and like just how this was a, like a representation that you could also,
00:58:22
Speaker
make for yourself right does that make sense like that you're also that you see it that you have a connection to it musically because they're saying things that maybe you know about yourself but they're articulating it and then tattooing goes on with that and beautiful and guess what megan Now it's time for rapid fire. shit. Okay. Yeah. No, you got this. Okay. So it's going to go all back to music and it's going to be Sleater Kenny.
00:58:52
Speaker
Okay. So I want you to think, hold in your head, the band members from Sleater Kenny. So we've got Corin Tucker. We've got Brownstein.
00:59:05
Speaker
Carrie. Carrie Brownstein. And we've got, now they had like three different drummers, right? But Jenny Weiss was the primary one. Janet. Janet Weiss, sorry, Janet Weiss. Yes. Yes.
00:59:17
Speaker
yeah Janet Weiss. So here are my questions. Your answers are one of the three. One of the three members of the band. so Okay. So are you ready?
00:59:29
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. So you're on a deserted island. Who are you taking with you? Corin Tucker. Corin Tucker. talkcker Why? Why?
00:59:40
Speaker
Um, that she's just been my girl. Yeah. Okay. yeah She's my 100%. She's my go-to gal. Okay. You want play a long ass board game because I know you are a board game fan. So you want to play a long ass board game? are you playing with?
00:59:57
Speaker
Corin Tucker. Okay. Okay. So, okay. I guess, I'm guessing question number three. I see a theme here. Question number three is you're taking a road trip cross country to a new tattoo parlor where you may or may not be getting like a full leg situation. yeah a but Who's riding a shotgun?
01:00:18
Speaker
Corin Tucker. Okay. Who made the playlist for that long truck, long across country haul? Um, I'd let her make it. Well, no. Yeah, I'd let her make it.
01:00:33
Speaker
Okay. yeah Would it be mostly music or would it be podcasts? Oh, fair. Um, I would say probably mostly music. Good. Okay. Would you want it to be music that you already knew so you could screen sing it at the top of your lungs with Corin Tucker? Or would you want her to introduce you to new stuff?
01:00:56
Speaker
I would want a little bit of both. Because, I mean, you've got to have those moments where you're kind of bored, the road looks all the same, and you've got to have that sing-along to kind of get you that second wind.
01:01:07
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. um Or share, you know, just like Jesse James. That's the two- What was it? Punk bluegrass. Yeah. yeah yeah um And um then, yeah. You know, I think that that, for me, as when I was younger, i was very against...
01:01:25
Speaker
listening to music and that like, I guess I didn't already know or anything like that. As far as I, that sounds contrary to what I was saying before, but like, you know, if it wasn't in the genre of what I was into, I was like, I don't not even interested. But now as an adult, i love hearing all kinds of music. i love like just kind of everything that I'm like, you know what, this is not something I would normally find myself into, but I'm, you know. But why not? Yeah. Ear candy. So yeah yes. Yes. As an adult, I would do the adult thing and listen to new things. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Look at that.
Creating Welcoming Spaces in Tattoo Parlors
01:02:02
Speaker
Hashtag growth. Okay. yes Last question.
01:02:04
Speaker
Well, second to last question. Penultimate. Who's cooking for you? Ooh. oo
01:02:14
Speaker
Um, I mean, I think I have to just also say Corin Tucker. Okay. Yeah. And she's probably singing while she does this. Yeah. I hope so. Yeah. Now, okay.
01:02:25
Speaker
Now bonus question. So tattoo artist, shop co-owner, is Sleater Kenny on constant repeat at your shop?
01:02:37
Speaker
Um, they do play. Yeah. I wouldn't say constant repeat. Uh, um, repeat. But yeah, I mean, that's one of the best things about also, I mean, not to rub it in as far as the best things about the tattoo shop is that, you know, now we can listen to whatever we want. I mean, where we were at before we were, you know, with some older guys who very much were like what I was like, we can only listen to metal. We can only listen to, Judas Priest, which I love Judas Priest, but you know, after a decade of the same album, you know, you want a little bit more. So I think that that's kind of awesome.
01:03:18
Speaker
Being in that situation to where we are now, that's where I learned the growth. And actually, so full circle, um for the gender affirming event that we did this past summer, um we made a playlist called Tenfold Made Me Gay.
01:03:36
Speaker
And it was supposed to be like a collaborative playlist. Of course, I was the one that added like 20 some hours of it, you know, and everybody was like, oh my God, this music is really good. Like whoever's got this playlist is on point. And I just, every time yeah, yeah. So, you know, the younger queers that I was trying to influence 20 years ago now were like into it. And so, yeah, it felt awesome.
01:04:05
Speaker
Okay, serious question. Not that these haven't all been serious questions. But do you like, now that we're getting a little bit older, like I would say we are precisely in our middle decades, right? Yeah.
01:04:19
Speaker
Do you feel yourself stepping into a role as like a queer elder? Or are we still too young for that? um I mean, i feel like, I mean, unfortunately with our community, I mean, we are kind of elder, right? um yeah You know, so, um you know, my apprentice is queer and, you know, just trying to relay some of my like brogues. been there with a partner, like, oh price yeah I've seen this pattern. Where's the handbook? Yeah. um So ah yeah, I definitely have found myself kind of like stepping into that role of like, yeah, that's the way it's going to be. And you can do this or you can do that or you can make your own choices. you know like And you can remember that it's going to get better. And you can remember that these lived experiences are gonna make you an even more beautiful human being. And like, yeah, all of those things that, you know, for better or for worse, maybe we didn't have ah as vocally or as openly when we were when we were their age.
01:05:32
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So I just I love that you made 20 hour playlist called Tenfold Made Me Gay. Yes. And it sounds like that is really like.
01:05:46
Speaker
oh just another one of your ways of extending yourself and your shop out farther into the community yeah and just making it part of that. So I guess my next question is, do you have any ah upcoming projects or events that you guys are doing at Yeah.
01:06:10
Speaker
We don't have anything in the books right now. We're kind of trying to work out maybe something for the end of summer. We were talking about maybe more so just kind of doing like an art type night where we kind of show off like, hey, we do more than just tattoos. And also, you know, the chance to actually speak to our clients. Because the thing about events is they're great. And you know, there is a lot of community. But also, i mean, you, it's so such fast pace, that you know, you don't get a whole lot of chance to really kind of like talk to people that type of thing. um Which is fine. But you know, it just usually ends up being this like kind of crazy whirlwind of a day. um But we, that's, is a big goal of our shop is, you know, we want to um continue to build community. I mean, we did ah for the children's home, raised funds for them and Kansas Food Bank around Christmas time. um So we try and space it out too. um
01:07:17
Speaker
I feel like, you know, this isn't as much of a thing in Wichita, but in bigger cities, there's a lot of shops that'll have like we'll have an event, we'll have an event, we'll have an event. And then they kind of lose that magic, you know? So we definitely want to spread it out to where it's going to be something that's a fun time every time and doesn't just get the same old. So nothing in the works just yet, but we're hoping to kind of redo the shop a little bit this summer. Kind of we have found ourselves already growing sooner than expected.
01:07:54
Speaker
um So we want to take the time to do that. And then, yeah, do some fun stuff. End of summer, end of the year, beginning of next year.
01:08:05
Speaker
Can I plant a seed for an idea? And this just came to my mind. and And maybe it's something that's already out there and happening.
Future Projects and Community Building
01:08:11
Speaker
But, like, a tattoo artist as a fashion designer and the runway is, like, all of their clients just, like, showing off their tattoos. There's some kind of, like, living gallery where it's, like, every section is just, like, people...
01:08:25
Speaker
showing off their butt tattoos and their back tattoos and the arms and you know just everything that this this you know the that the artist has created kind of like inner room but they're living humans right so yeah i don't know fashion show uh something that i just i love that no yeah that's a great perspective i haven't ever thought about that um my partner's a photographer so we've talked about doing like A day where I just have a bunch of clients come through and do photo, like a photo day or something of healed work, that type of thing. But in person would be even better because that's the thing about, you know, a lot of tattooing is you can't really appreciate it
01:09:05
Speaker
in a photo because of, oh, this wraps, this kind of distorts a little bit. It's really the impact of seeing it in person that's there. Yeah, all that movement. yeah and some great And a great playlist that all the humans move to to show off their tattoos.
01:09:19
Speaker
Yes, and probably Madonna. It just goes back to that whole like second skin. like This is what I want I'm proud of, look at it. yeah yes yeah see See this. Yeah.
01:09:33
Speaker
ah Oh, I love this. Okay. So Megan, I want to say thank you times a hundred million thousand bazillion. million times to the tenth Yeah. Thank you for having me. Yes.
01:09:44
Speaker
Thank you for sharing your beautiful screen singing belted out at the top of your lungs. Like, and such... thoughtfulness. i yeah The way that you were able to thoughtfully convey all of the ideas and perspectives and experiences that you had were just really spectacular and wonderful and fabulous. And um beyond, obviously we want everybody to go check out Tenfold Tattoo because Megan, you guys are doing great work and doing awesome things. But if our listeners wanted to follow you
01:10:23
Speaker
Or the show if you don't want them to, like it tell us how. Yeah. I'm mostly on Instagram. I think my handle is at Megan underscore Shelton underscore tattoo. Okay.
01:10:38
Speaker
I think Google it or whatever it should come up. I do have a website too. Megan Shelton tattoo.com. I think. um Had the apprentice set that one up for me. So I'm pretty sure that's it. But um yeah, and so i'm a ah show off my work sometimes.
01:11:02
Speaker
I'm very, very bad about posting and keeping up. Just some days it just kind of feels, I'm sure with you guys too, a little overwhelming to keep up with social media. Hallelujah. Yeah. So, but yeah, I'm there. i will try and post more um And, you know, the shop page is at Tenfold Tattoo.
01:11:23
Speaker
Yes. okay Yeah, perfect. And I love seeing all of the work that you guys put up. Like, it's literally... Yeah. I love it. Makes me so happy.
01:11:34
Speaker
Yeah. We try to have fun. Yeah. Good vibes. That is so, like, yeah, the vibes of your shop just, like, absolutely come through the images that you guys share.
01:11:46
Speaker
Like, chef's kiss. Awesome. So. um well quick do Do we need one more big thank you for Megan? Can we just do that real quick? One more super huge shout out thank you to Megan. i yeah Best ever. And thank you both a lot for having me on. I'm excited to Yeah, I've listened to the first few episodes and they're awesome. So I'm excited to participate and thank you.
01:12:14
Speaker
Yes, thank you. And on that note, again, guys, we know that you love us. Thank you so much for being loyal listeners. ah You've shown it and we're so excited about those of you who have reached out to us personally.
01:12:27
Speaker
um So just as we are excited for the podcast, we're also excited for you, Your job this week is to share the podcast with at least two, three, four hundred people. So f please and thank you. And please ask you and your friends to hit that subscribe button. Dig it out.
01:12:49
Speaker
Dig out that button. um You can also follow us on Instagram um because we know you love Just the Clips. We're at at RootsAreShowingPod. Again, special thank you to Scott Stone for making our magnificent music. Scott, you rule. And until next time, keep it queer and keep that queerness coming. All right.
01:13:13
Speaker
Bye, guys. Good night. Bye.
01:13:40
Speaker
Thank you.