Barcodes are a part of a system of inventory control and price checking invented in the 1950's. It is represented as a series of vertical lines that are read by an optical machineand translated into data. Originally conceived as a way to make inventory control within large stores much easier, it is an everyday sight in modern life. Nearly every item purchased from even a medium sized merchant has a barcode on it.
Barcode tattoos are usually done in an ironic tone on the wrist or neck. Those who wear them are commenting are today's culture, in which people are often treated as a product to be bought and sold. It protests against a society where homogeny is revered and individuality is ridiculed. Barcode tattoos are also associated with anarchist values and havebeen embraced by numerous groups, including punks, Goths, gays and activists.
Another group that seems to be heavily into barcode tattoos is celebrities, musicians in particular. Several musicians and pop stars have tattooed a barcode on themselves that is the same as the one on their successful album or single. These tattoos are usually found the neck as well as the wrist.
