When tattoos make you look ridiculous

[mikeboth]

It just makes me laugh to read some of the views that people have in 2008 as if we were living in 1958.

By equating a dislike for tattoos with beind old-fashioned you are being just as intolerant. I think it's perfectly possible to be modern, and just not like tattoos, the same way you actually like them. Fair enough?

 

[Mofo-Kang]

I'm an x-ray tech in a hospital. The rule is no visible tattoos while at work. I understand why, too. The goal isn't just to look professional, but to inspire confidence in the patients. A lot of those patients are elderly people who are already confused and unhappy about being where they are. You don't want to give them more reason to be.

 

[nubs]

Even in my proffession (musician), I still find excessive tattoos to be a bit of a detriment when trying to get a job. I don't have any tats, but I have known other musicians who couldn't get a particular gig because of their ridiculous tattoos.

bands can't get gigs because their members have tattoos? since when? i don't have the time or the patience to list the amount of Nationally recogonized acts who have members sleeved and who are selling and making millions, this was a bogus comment!

 

[nubs]

Even in my proffession (musician), I still find excessive tattoos to be a bit of a detriment when trying to get a job. I don't have any tats, but I have known other musicians who couldn't get a particular gig because of their ridiculous tattoos.

I'm all for self-expression, and I like a lot of tattoos that I've seen. However, if you're getting just because, with no forethought, then you deserve what you get.

The current trend of getting tats will fade, but the tattoos won't.

bands can't get gigs because their members have tattoos? since when? i don't have the time or the patience to list the amount of Nationally recogonized acts who have members sleeved and who are selling and making millions, this was a bogus comment! and its your opinion that getting tattoos is a trend that will fade, its only been growing and growing and growing over that last 20 years......

 

[JKT]

Lot's of people seem real touchy re tattoos on this thread.

While intellectually I believe it not fair to judge someone who for example has chosen extensive, unavoidable,extreme, or perhaps indiscreet artwork, the fact of the matter is, we all do to a degree. It can't be helped. It is part of the human condition. The more extreme, the more we're likely to question the judgement or attitudes or social mores of that person. Either openly or to ourselves.

And when it comes to say, dealing with the public on a large and varied demographic scale, if I'm a business owner I'm less likely to hire someone with say, extensive and or scary face art to be the first thing my customers see when they walk into my establishment. If anyone thinks this is unfair, unhip, prejudgicial in any way, I can't help you. And you probably are not a busines owner of the type I described.

I think intelligently thought out, discreet, optionally coverable tattoos of a personal nature that say something about the individual, are very cool. Perhaps even sexy sometimes.

Conversely, when I see art work of a size and nature that reminds me of a Molly Hatchet album, I wonder why they just didn't decide to put it on the side of their van and call it a day.

In 40 years there will be a lot of "butterflies that look like bats" and "barbed wire that looks like boogers"

JKT

 

[Tom Howland]

I as well as most of my friends have sleeves as well as full japanese body suits and we are all business owners, lawyers, doctors, etc. To each his own. If you don't like them...don't get them. It just makes me laugh to read some of the views that people have in 2008 as if we were living in 1958. I'm only 32 but what to I know. This whole thread just makes me laugh.

+1
I've got a few tattoos.
So does my wife.
It's art.
If your into it, great.
If not, don't get them.

 

[jmac]

bands can't get gigs because their members have tattoos? since when? i don't have the time or the patience to list the amount of Nationally recogonized acts who have members sleeved and who are selling and making millions, this was a bogus comment! and its your opinion that getting tattoos is a trend that will fade, its only been growing and growing and growing over that last 20 years......

The poster said "I have known other musicians who couldn't get a particular gig because of their ridiculous tattoos."

He did not say "bands can't get gigs because their members have tattoos."

Big difference.

 

[Bassamatic]

There are TWO big problems with tattoos -

1. They are still gererally associated with prisoners, gangs, bikers and other low-lifes. Anyone that has seen a recent porn movie will notice that EVERY porn actor and actress has one or more tats - almost always the "Tramp Stamp" that girls have above their butts, as well as piercings. Is that what you want to be associated with automatically?

2. They are PERMANENT - when the craze is over and people start to realize how the tats make them look, it will be too late and too bad. They also start to look pretty bad as the skin ages and sag. Carlos Mencia has a comic routine about this, and mentions how the "cute butterfly" turns into a Pterodactyl !! Sure - there are some removal techniques - expensive, painful and can leave scarring even if it works.

IT'S A FAD - Fads come and go - You don't embrace any fad that is PERMANENT!!! What's next - removing body parts?

 

[76Dub]

+1
I've got a few tattoos.
So does my wife.
It's art.
If your into it, great.
If not, don't get them.

Well posted.

SQUID out

 

[dvh]

There are TWO big problems with tattoos -

1. They are still gererally associated with prisoners, gangs, bikers and other low-lifes. Anyone that has seen a recent porn movie will notice that EVERY porn actor and actress has one or more tats - almost always the "Tramp Stamp" that girls have above their butts, as well as piercings. Is that what you want to be associated with automatically?

2. They are PERMANENT - when the craze is over and people start to realize how the tats make them look, it will be too late and too bad. They also start to look pretty bad as the skin ages and sag. Carlos Mencia has a comic routine about this, and mentions how the "cute butterfly" turns into a Pterodactyl !! Sure - there are some removal techniques - expensive, painful and can leave scarring even if it works.

IT'S A FAD - Fads come and go - You don't embrace any fad that is PERMANENT!!! What's next - removing body parts?

Sheesh... you really have it in for us guys with tats. It's not that big a deal.

 

[thehurlatron]

There are TWO big problems with tattoos -

1. They are still gererally associated with prisoners, gangs, bikers and other low-lifes. Is that what you want to be associated with automatically?

2. They are PERMANENT

IT'S A FAD - Fads come and go - You don't embrace any fad that is PERMANENT!!! What's next - removing body parts?

1. These generalizations crack me up. Do you apply this kind of thought when you think about other things? If doing a study on race in prison, what race of people do you think are the majority by a landslide? So next time someone of that race comes into your neighborhood, save some time and just call the cops man! You most likely have a serious criminal on the loose! Lock the doors!
And if he has tatoos......he must have worked in porn as well!

2. I hope so. I wouldn't pay that kind of money for something that will wash off.
As people have mentioned earlier....people make their own choices. Some choices are good....some not so much......but please don't judge people for them. It's not your job.

 

[Jeffrey A-Bomb]

I have probably 50% of my body tattooed and am very successful in the business world. It's easy for me to cover up at my day job and even easier to show them off and rock out at night

I think a lot of the haters silently wish they could squander half the attention that we draw from our art.

 

[Time Consumer]

I've read most of the thread and I think most of both sides of the argument has been said already, but just in my experience I can go either way on the issue(yes, I have a tat). I think its partly a fad, but there are always those who get tats for their meaning more than just visual appeal. I think I went about my choice the smart way, whenever I thought I wanted a tat, I would wait at least 6 months, and usually, I didnt want it anymore after that time. I've wanted tats for games, bands, anime, etc., but I usually came to the conclusion that those things probly wouldnt matter to me so much 30 years from now, and so far with my process, I only have one tat of a bass clef. I think that a lot of people do get tats because of past hardship, maybe childhood trauma or whatever, but if it means something to them, and helps relieve the pain, I dont see anything wrong with that(munji). But I think there are just as many, or more who get them to highlight something great in their life, or a love, or experiences, the list could go on forever. Dont get me wrong, there are certain tats that I find ********, like any guy with a naked women on their arm, I dont get how their comfy walkin around with that(or how they get girls at all). Forgive me if I've reiterated anythin already said, but I stopped reading in the middle when I got tired of all the closed-minddedness about tats. People should also look at the positives they do for the individual instead of all the negative connotations that may come of their personal choice. And without further adeu, heres mine, its a lil bland but i plan to add some decorative adornments once I can draw em up how I like them.

Link Removed

Oh, yeah, and I also gotta say I think Carly Smithson is the most beautiful women I've seen yet on American Idol IMO.

 

[MatticusMania]

There are TWO big problems with tattoos -

1. They are still gererally associated with prisoners, gangs, bikers and other low-lifes. Anyone that has seen a recent porn movie will notice that EVERY porn actor and actress has one or more tats - almost always the "Tramp Stamp" that girls have above their butts, as well as piercings. Is that what you want to be associated with automatically?

2. They are PERMANENT - when the craze is over and people start to realize how the tats make them look, it will be too late and too bad. They also start to look pretty bad as the skin ages and sag. Carlos Mencia has a comic routine about this, and mentions how the "cute butterfly" turns into a Pterodactyl !! Sure - there are some removal techniques - expensive, painful and can leave scarring even if it works.

IT'S A FAD - Fads come and go - You don't embrace any fad that is PERMANENT!!! What's next - removing body parts?

Since when has a fad lasted over 50 years? Fads are something that come and go. American history (US) only dates back a little over 300 years. And tattoos have been steadily increasing in numbers since, what, the 30s or so, lets just say the 50s to make things easier. (On a side note my Dad is 59, has 6, maybe 7 tats, and has never been a thug, a prisoner, a biker or any sort of delinquent) How can you reasonably state that something which has been on the rise for over 1/6 of US History is a trend? Yes, they are permanent, in fact, thats the reason people get them.

I don't mind people stating their reasons for not wanting to get tattoos, or even for not liking tattoos, but to sit there behind your computers and tell us who DO have tattoos and who DO find it as a respectful art form that we're just following some stupid trend, is disrespect in the upmost manner. Maybe your narrow minds make the simple and easy association of biker, thug, prisoner, deliquent, but all that says about yourself is that you are ignorant to an artform that is beyond you. And thats fine, just accept it, but there isnt a need to be disrespectful and reduce all of us with tats to the level of a common criminal. Next time you see someone with a tat, rather than sit there and judge them, why not ask them the meaning behind it, there might be a really interesting story behind it.

 

[Time Consumer]

I don't mind people stating their reasons for not wanting to get tattoos, or even for not liking tattoos, but to sit there behind your computers and tell us who DO have tattoos and who DO find it as a respectful art form that we're just following some stupid trend, is disrespect in the upmost manner. Maybe your narrow minds make the simple and easy association of biker, thug, prisoner, deliquent, but all that says about yourself is that you are ignorant to an artform that is beyond you. And thats fine, just accept it, but there isnt a need to be disrespectful and reduce all of us with tats to the level of a common criminal. Next time you see someone with a tat, rather than sit there and judge them, why not ask them the meaning behind it, there might be a really interesting story behind it.

+1
More of what I was tryin to say

 

[Mastermold]

IT'S A FAD - Fads come and go - You don't embrace any fad that is PERMANENT!!! What's next - removing body parts?

Hey don't give the kids any ideas!

 

[hentor]

Yes, they are permanent, in fact, thats the reason people get them.

{deletia}

Next time you see someone with a tat, rather than sit there and judge them, why not ask them the meaning behind it, there might be a really interesting story behind it.

+1

Every one of my tattoos (including the one visible one) marks a milestone in my life that reflects a positive change in my life. I'm proud of my tattoos and what they represent to me.

Some people scrapbook, I just happen to carry my scrapbook with me at all times.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

As a 45 year old with no tats, I'm oddly relieved I won't be around to see most of the youger generation's body art age along with them; it won't be pretty.

WORD

My GF really wants me to get some ink - she' thinks it's sexy (god knows why) - But I'm 47 and thinking that getting a tat at my age is like suddenly piecing my ears, ya know? Happily, I'm old enough that if I *do* get ink, by the time it becomes utterly pathetic I won't give a frosty crank!

She was liking the idea of a bass cleff over my heart... I was liking the transcription to Teen Town around my shoulder/arm...

 

[EggyToast]

I think the problem is more with "trendy tattoos" rather than meaningful or well-thought-out tattoos. People who get some Chinese characters because they "look cool" even though they don't even know anyone from China, for example, or people who get Another Generic Flaming Skull that ends up looking ridiculous, even though it's supposed to make you look like a badass.

But that's the same discussion between good art and bad art, or good music & bad music. Some people don't have any taste. I could say that I've seen plenty of tasteless tattoos (and I don't mean offensive, I mean dumb), but there are plenty of people with bad taste in clothing, decorating, and so on.

If you have a tattoo and you got it because you wanted to incorporate something into yourself, awesome, more power to you. I personally dislike the idea of just covering your body with a tattoo for the sake of doing it -- there's a good chunk of people who get a "full sleeve" without really seeming to think about what's actually IN that sleeve. I've seen some large tattoos that are stunningly beautiful, and others that just seem like a person had some space and threw something generic in there.

Ultimately, the worst reason to get one is because of social pressure -- getting one because "everyone else has one." But as someone who is under 30, without tattoos or piercings of any sort, I think the modern "trend" is that "tattoos are cool... as long as it's a good tattoo."

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

Professionally applied tattoos that are taken care of will actually hold up decently in 50 years. Lines will spread out a bit, but if you keep the tattoos from being sun damaged and don't have some sort of huge weight gain or loss, you should be fine.

aye, but there's the rub. who's to say you won't get fat? or pregnant (should you be a girl)?

those are my only problems with the current tattoo acceptance. the folks (guys and girls) who get tattoos in places that will, in all likeliness, change a bit. breast tattoos, for one. or tattoos on the hips. even if a girl is fit as can be, as soon as she gets pregnant, those tattoos will stretch and change, and even if she goes back to her pre-pregnancy weight, her tattoos will never ever be the same as they were.
i'm not against them (i have three), but i thought long and hard about what sort of changes my body would be likely to undergo as i got older, and decided on a place that would get the least amount of changes.
forethought. that's all i'm asking for when you decide to get a tattoo. just a little forethought and common sense.