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When tattoos make you look ridiculous

Brilliant. Way to miss the point.

My body is my body, I do whatever I like with it and it's nobody's business. Your body is your body and you can do whatever you like with it, it's none of my business.

That's the point.
i agree,but it is troubling that so many young people these days are making life altering,irreversible decisions so early in the game......
 
It sounds like you think there's some kind of benefit to your tattoos and ear mutilation since you describe it as a "lifestyle." What does your lifestyle do for you? Self-decoration? What advantage does this "decoration" provide for you? The vast majority of people find it unattractive, and the types of people who find it attractive probably aren't really going to be in a position to improve your life. It's almost as though you're sentencing yourself to a life of extremely limited opportunities. Why?

Don't give me your standard defense response. How about digging down a little deeper and finding what it was in your early life that caused you to need body modification and tattoos to boost your self-image?

I disagree with you munji but I'd just like to say to the folks who keep resurrecting this thread, there are so many people in this world who have their mind made up about this issue and no amount of your talk will change it. Secondly if you feel you have to prove the worth of your tattoo's to others, they probly weren't worth getting or you got them for the wrong reasons. This is coming from someone who has a tat and plans on getting more.
 
...Many people are going to have a rude awakening in another 15-20 years when having a tat is the norm...as people realize it's RIDICULOUS to judge people based on them.
I'm not opposed to tatoos at all--so understand that's not where I'm coming from. But it will NEVER be ridiculous to judge a person based on a tatoo--because people get tatoos intentionally to make a statement about themselves! I do have a couple of friends who have gotten themselves nearly COVERED in ink with all sorts of religious symbols and artwork, but they aren't regilious at all. In fact, they hate religion...the reason they gave us for all the religious tatoos: "I think it looks cool." They have the Virgin Mary and a hindu tatoo and a jewish one, etc. Sorry, but having a bunch of permanent ink on your body for no reason other than you think "it looks cool" also makes a statement about you (and not a good one in my book).

There's NO WAY around it. Tatoos make a statement about who you are, how you think, and what your values are. People will always judge others by what tatoos they have and whether they have any or not...and it should be that way.
That's what tatoos are for!
That's what tatoos have ALWAYS been for--even in ancient times.

That's why someone should put some thought and meaning into a tatoo they get; otherwise, they look like a dumba**.

BTW, I think YOU'RE going to have a rude awakening in 15-20 years when your tatoos look like birthmarks, bruises, or bird s**t. Unfortunately, many of them don't keep too well over time.
 
i agree,but it is troubling that so many young people these days are making life altering,irreversible decisions so early in the game......
Perhaps, but when you phrase it like that I have to point out that getting a tatoo is trivial compared to the "life-altering, irreversible" gravity of having an abortion, enlisting in the military, or dropping out of school. I mean, I see your point but I don't think in the grand scheme of things that I would worry so much about the life-changing impact of a tatoo. I don't have one yet; however, I think the main point is that someone getting a tatoo should put some thought into the tatoo and WHERE IT GOES. I see guys with neck tatoos sometimes and I think, "Hey, you forgot to NOT do that." Gettting a tat that can be hidden when needed and exposed when you want to doesn't sound too bad to me.
 
my 2 pesos-

tats are as old as the human species-
mine are for personal, time-honoring reasons- chances are, so are yours-
they look great on some of us, dumb and trend-whore on others of us-
tat artists vary INSANELY in terms of work quality and actual draftsmanship ability-
don't get something you'll regret later-
and, UNLESS you got yours while doing time, i just gotta say that neck tats scream out * ghetto-trailer 'tard * in a real loud way.
...and finally, the punchline to the old tat joke is "welcome to jamaica have a nice day"
 
and, UNLESS you got yours while doing time, i just gotta say that neck tats scream out * ghetto-trailer 'tard * in a real loud way.

Firstly, disclaimer, no neck tattoos here, all of mine are on non-public skin.

BUT, my point is, you obviously have a very liberal attitude towards tattoos, you've got some, you, presumably like them. However, you look at another person with, in this case, neck tattoos and think, "ghetto trailer 'tard".....and then have no comprehension of why someone who isn't tattooed and as a less liberal outlook on them looks at yours and thinks, "ghetto trailer 'tard"? A lot of people don't see the massive difference between the two.
 
My son went to college and came home with a couple of tats. He was all ready for me to be upset and have something to say about them. It surprised him that I simply didn't care.

His mother on the other hand...

One of his tats is the equation for Farady's Law which I thought was rather unique.
 
BTW, I think YOU'RE going to have a rude awakening in 15-20 years when your tatoos look like birthmarks, bruises, or bird s**t. Unfortunately, many of them don't keep too well over time.


I've had some of mine for 20 years, and they still look good. Techniques and inks are better now than ever before, so the outlook is even better.
 
Is it just a function of the ink and technique or does it depend on the style of the tat as well?

I'd imagine its a mixture of all of those things, along with where on your body the tattoo is. Middle age spread seems to be the bane of a lot of tattoos.

As for..

8:30 - 6:30pm Monday to Friday. Outside of those hours, they don't make you look so ridiculous.

Between those hours, I'm "not tattooed" ;)
 
my dad had full sleeves and he was an electrical engineer. I have one sleeve and my whole chest is done, when I was out of active duty for a while I had a cush Government contractor job on a base in Cali and nobody said anything about my tattoos at all. The comment I hate the most? why do you have a spiderweb on your elbow...you been to jail/are you a racist/ are you in a gang.... I mean come on really?
 
I have 6 kids and all but one have tons of bodyart as they call it. I dont have even 1 tat and never desired one. I tease them constantly that they are sheep and that its whats inside that counts not whats outside. I prefer to express myself through music and songwriting. i have to admit that the artwork and the inks can be really beautiful in some instances but if you thik about it the artist that expresses himself on canvas
has created a piece that will be preserved indefinatley. Tatttos wither up and die with the skin they are placed on.
Just a thought coming from a father of 5 (Iwould say) fully tattoed kids.
Oh and btw my wife has three tattoes but has been discrete about it.
So i guess im desensitized at this point.
 
Brilliant. Way to miss the point.

My body is my body, I do whatever I like with it and it's nobody's business. Your body is your body and you can do whatever you like with it, it's none of my business.

That's the point.

Dude, that was absolutely not directed towards you. We posted at the same time and mine happened to fall beneath yours. I didn't quote because there are many posts in the thread I was referring too.

I'm 100% on board with you.

I was directing that towards the guys who are pre-judgeing everyone based on appearance.

My case in point: I'm an artist, but have no tattoos. Not because I don't want to or have an issue with them, but because I never had anything that I wanted to associate with permanently.

Now, at 45 with two boys, I do have something in mind. Both of my sons are budding artists. They win all these contests in school, work in all mediums and have shown real talent but lack discipline. I have commissioned them to each draw a tattoo for me. The idea is that since I'm paying and it's going on my body, I have the right to really criticize, not the normal parent (good job) role. I'm also going to make them do about a hundred drawings each, even if the first one nails it. I hope to show them some of the difficulties that real world art entails when you get paid.

One is drawing Jack Skellington Playing a MM Ray, the other a smiley face Jolly Roger. Both will be small and done by a real pro.

What could be more dear to me than my kid's artwork?

Win-win.

Now, is that impulsive and non professional?
 
So why'd you get it? Generally those are the people with spider web tattoos on their elbow.....you're bound to have expected the questions.


ok...weeeelllllllllllll In my experience from the Chicago area and Los Angeles area it is mostly punks and skins that get webs on their elbow.....seeing as I am in that group of people that is why I got it...plus it fits the elbow well and looks good.
 
Dude, that was absolutely not directed towards you. We posted at the same time and mine happened to fall beneath yours. I didn't quote because there are many posts in the thread I was referring too.

I'm 100% on board with you.

I was directing that towards the guys who are pre-judgeing everyone based on appearance.

My case in point: I'm an artist, but have no tattoos. Not because I don't want to or have an issue with them, but because I never had anything that I wanted to associate with permanently.

Now, at 45 with two boys, I do have something in mind. Both of my sons are budding artists. They win all these contests in school, work in all mediums and have shown real talent but lack discipline. I have commissioned them to each draw a tattoo for me. The idea is that since I'm paying and it's going on my body, I have the right to really criticize, not the normal parent (good job) role. I'm also going to make them do about a hundred drawings each, even if the first one nails it. I hope to show them some of the difficulties that real world art entails when you get paid.

One is drawing Jack Skellington Playing a MM Ray, the other a smiley face Jolly Roger. Both will be small and done by a real pro.

What could be more dear to me than my kid's artwork?

Win-win.

Now, is that impulsive and non professional?

Aw man. I feel bad, I thought you were directing it at me. I'm sorry.

And indeed, nothing more awesome than getting something done that mean a lot to you. My only tattoos that I've had second thoughts about are the first ones I ever had done when I wasn't thinking about it properly. Nowadays I get an idea and think about it for about a year before actually having it done.

Enjoy the experience and remember - don't soak it for a couple of weeks after. :)
 
My father (who is as old as many of your grandfathers--I was a late arrival) fought in WWII in the Navy. He was in the Phillipines most of the time. As my dad explained, even in the Navy back then, only a rougher set of folks got the tattoos. And it was only men. Tattoos were associated with a certain brash, tough kind of existence; enlisted men got them, officers generaly didn't, if you get my drift. That association has stuck with me over the years. For that reason, I have a hard time cozying up to the idea.

Obviously, people are entitled to make their own decisions, but if you aspire to be a bank or corporate officer, a surgeon, a big time attorney, a politician, etc., I cannot help but think any tattoo, unless it is one that is not visible in your business activities, would be a hindrance, as I do not think tattoos convey an image consistent with those kinds of positions. I know I would hate to be limited in such a way because of a tattoo. If I want to dress like a rock star when I play with my band, fine, but I can change clothes and hair styles in a hurry when I need to convey a different image--not so easy with tatts all over my arm or neck that are visible with my suit or when wearing a golf shirt.