Leopard man
Sophia Laffoon
10/17/14
Leopard Man Essay
Do You Really Know a Leopard by His Spots?
Society sets personal and social boundaries that pressure and constrain people to abide by the “normal” status quo. Should we strive our hardest to fit in and be "normal", or stray away from society to be ourselves? This question occurs at multiple points in our lives and ends up shaping how we present ourselves to others. People spend more time trying to look like and act like everybody else, but who sets the bar for "normal". People who deviate from normal are classified as weird, freaks, geeks, ect. or perhaps they could just be expressing themselves with confidence.
Many body accessories like piercings and tattoos are seen everywhere in today's pop culture. As tattoos and piercings evolved over time, they have become more popular, socially acceptable, and are known as an expression of character. All people have different opinions, but most people tend to think an excessive amount of anything, like tattoos or piercings, are out of the ordinary or not acceptable. In the article "The Sociology of Leopard Man", the author Logan Feys says, "He rejects society and all it has to offer in favor of a simple and solitary existence. He calls himself Tom Leppard. But he is more widely known as 'Leopard Man,' owing to the fact that he is tattooed from head to toe with leopard spots. He is, according to society, a freak" ( 1 ). Leopard Man lives happily on his own and "doesn't live for other people's reactions" ( 3 ). We can conclude that all of Leopard Man's spots bring forth tons of negative responses. Leopard Man is surely an individual who rises above society and doesn't let words like "freak" conquer his self-esteem or define who he really is.
Logan Feys expresses that, "To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and aspirations that are distinct from those of others. Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our
10/17/14
Leopard Man Essay
Do You Really Know a Leopard by His Spots?
Society sets personal and social boundaries that pressure and constrain people to abide by the “normal” status quo. Should we strive our hardest to fit in and be "normal", or stray away from society to be ourselves? This question occurs at multiple points in our lives and ends up shaping how we present ourselves to others. People spend more time trying to look like and act like everybody else, but who sets the bar for "normal". People who deviate from normal are classified as weird, freaks, geeks, ect. or perhaps they could just be expressing themselves with confidence.
Many body accessories like piercings and tattoos are seen everywhere in today's pop culture. As tattoos and piercings evolved over time, they have become more popular, socially acceptable, and are known as an expression of character. All people have different opinions, but most people tend to think an excessive amount of anything, like tattoos or piercings, are out of the ordinary or not acceptable. In the article "The Sociology of Leopard Man", the author Logan Feys says, "He rejects society and all it has to offer in favor of a simple and solitary existence. He calls himself Tom Leppard. But he is more widely known as 'Leopard Man,' owing to the fact that he is tattooed from head to toe with leopard spots. He is, according to society, a freak" ( 1 ). Leopard Man lives happily on his own and "doesn't live for other people's reactions" ( 3 ). We can conclude that all of Leopard Man's spots bring forth tons of negative responses. Leopard Man is surely an individual who rises above society and doesn't let words like "freak" conquer his self-esteem or define who he really is.
Logan Feys expresses that, "To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and aspirations that are distinct from those of others. Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our