Tattoos

[homeboy]

I have always liked tattoos and loved watching people get them on TV like Miami Ink. I know I will get at least one but I would like more. I am not a gangbanger or anything, I just like this form of art.

I wasn't sure which forum category to put this in so I put them here. Why do people dislike tattoos? I have talked to friends and coworkers who would like to have one but never did. They always said they phased out of wanting one or came up with excuses like oh they are for teenagers. Or they were scared that it would be too permanent (there are laser surgeries to remove these and I suspect it would become cheaper in the future). I can understand that tattoos have always had a positive correlation with unlawful activities but it seems everyone still judge people if they have one.

I know that I can get tattoos where my professional attire will be able to conceal them, but it feels limiting. Any thoughts? Anybody have tattoos that must be hidden? Has any of co workers said anything? I would like to know your thoughts on this. This subject wasn't touched on much. I used the search and didn't find anything.

[Grindin]

I think tatoos are simply blemishes that cover the the greatest art ever created, the human body.

I think they are classless and distasteful. I will admit though, when I see a truly insired and well done piece, I do appreciate the artwork for what it is.

[Smarky]

Originally Posted by grindin

i think tatoos are simply blemishes that cover the the greatest art ever created, the human body.

I think they are classless and distasteful. I will admit though.

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tattoo's rule. It's part of self expression. Stand out from the crowd or you become a sheep.

[spirit4711]

Some people like tattoos, others don't. So what? Do what you want, it's your body. But accept the fact that some people (employers e.g.) won't accept tattoos in the workplace. Not fair, but a fact. The same goes for extreme clothes, hairstyles etc.

Personally I like some tattoos but certainly not all. I don't have any myself and don't plan too.

[Remiel]

Originally Posted by Smarky

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tattoo's rule. It's part of self expression. Stand out from the crowd or you become a sheep.

Doesn't having a tatoo make you a sheep of another sheepherder?

[Remiel]

Originally Posted by spirit4711

Some people like tattoos, others don't. So what? Do what you want, it's your body. But accept the fact that some people (employers e.g.) won't accept tattoos in the workplace. Not fair, but a fact. The same goes for extreme clothes, hairstyles etc.

Personally I like some tattoos but certainly not all. I don't have any myself and don't plan too.

Couldn't the problem be that tatoo's are a reflection of the person who has it? And could it be that employers struggle with someone who openly displays their rebellion, non-conformity, (insert character word here)?

I am by no means saying having a tatoo is bad, I do believe that it is reflective of the person wearing it. And if they are wearing something that... distracting, wouldn't an employer have a problem with it?

Its a similar issue to nose rings, tongue rings and the rest of odd body piercings isn't it?

[Mremedia]

I have 5 tattoos, and have never had a problem with work. As an IT professional, I work in some pretty formal environments, but then again mine are all hidden by regular clothing.

I have both upper arms, the back of both calves, and my left shin tattooed. (tattood? tattoo'd?) Of course my art is probably the tamest stuff you'll see.. two angels, the virgin mary, a maple leaf, and a Soviet Hammer/Sickle. No bright colors, etc.

Regular business attire covers it all.

[shasah]

I have one tattoo at the moment. Looking at a second.

Yes, the workplace does frown upon them, but the one on my shoulder is not seen at work and the next one on my thigh also will not be seen at work.

I would suggest something that has special meaning to you. My current one is an infinity symbol in blue ribbon = colon cancer survivor that feels like she's been given an infinity plus turn it sideways and it is an 8 = 8 year survivor and had it done in 2008.

Last but not least, tattoos have become ageless. 20 or 60 or 80, who cares? If it's what you want and like, that's what counts. I have not found any stigma with the majority of people that see my tattoo. I also think the gang thing is a thing of the past. Too many people have them now. Self expression is more accurate than rebellion nowadays.

[Brown Eyed Mystic]

I love them. To me, tattoos are an art. Ofcourse you get to choose what you want to wear on your skin, and i would prefer a cute lil thingy like a form of a butterfly, or a beautiful lil angel, or a star shaped thing, or....etc and so on. You get the idea.

Well, I don't have any but I sure think i will get one at a point in life. Haven't planned as such. I like them, and i guess "when" getting one will be a spontaneous descision.

Yes, they do throw a non-professional/weirdo/non-conformistic look. But then, it can be a small piece of art anywhere on your bod and not neccessarily eek-y (One great place i can think of would be the behind of my neck.)
I personally would prefer a guy with an "intense" tattoo...like Shiva around his back-shoulder area...Wow.

[Brown Eyed Mystic]

Self expression is more accurate than rebellion nowadays.

Precisely.

[hywel teague]

I have what some people would consider 'extensive' tattoos. I have a sleeve running from right shoulder to right wrist, plus a large piece on my right torso.



My tattoos are important to me for a number of reasons. Primarily, they have meaning - they remind me to be aware of certain things.

Aesthetically, they're (in my mind) superb, and I've been lucky enough to be tattooed by some world-class artists. Other artists always comment on how technically superb by pieces are.



If people don't like them, then fair enough. I don't think they're for everybody.

I often have my sleeve on display in public and reactions from people range - some openly gawk with curiosity. Almost everyone is polite. The only time I ever got a public negative reaction was from a random stranger on a subway in Madrid. She made a face and turned away. Big deal.

I took a long time in deciding what I wanted and although I am a professional it was only upon leaving a 'normal' office job that I went and got visible tattoos. I can easily hide whatever I want with a long sleeve shirt on though.

Attitudes seem to vary on tattoos. I'm going out with an Irish girl, and when she first met me she was blown away to find out I wasn't an 'untoward' character, simply because I have tattoos. Back in Dublin, 'polite' people don't go for big coverage.

But then I like to be different, just like everyone else

My advice is always make sure you know what you want, don't get something trendy, research your artist and wait. Wait longer than you want to, and you'll really know if you want it or not.

[drakecatz]

I got my tatoo in 1989, way before they were popular, "she says snobbly."

It's small, above my shouder blade, and it's two hearts growing on a vine. It represents true love, yeah right. I wanted it to show if I wore a tank top.

I still love my little tatoo! Lots of people have them. No big deal. If you want one I say go for it. I'd start with a small one, some place where it's easy to cover with clothing and see how you feel about it.

I'm still thinking about getting a heart above my tailbone.

[chrisrushton]

i think the idea of getting tatoos to remind you of things is a good idea. i know a guy who has his father's favorite song lyric and another person with a memorial to their parent.

I've seen some pretty dumb tattoos though. I guess it's like anything, make sure you are doing it for the right reason, whatever that may be to you.

I was (still am sort of) thinking about getting my values done on my arm, but I'm still undecided on exactly what form it'd take. Writing them in plain english would be too boring, chinese characters could mean anything even though they look good and hindu style (not sure the language) scripts always look crap in my opinion. Also there's the color. I have white skin and don't like the massive black contrast in the ink, I was thinking a dark tan color, or red, but again I don't know. I might mock it up in henna and see what it looks like. What I do know is that once it's on, I wouldn't ever have it removed since it represents a part of me.

[always loved]

Profesional attire is limiting in and of itself. If you choose to get a tattoo get one that means something to you, choosing where you put is almost as meaningful as the tat itself (at least for me it is), and you will probably find that the clothes will cover it at work anyhow.
There are times that some of mine show at work and I have found that most times co-workers and bosses alike are very understanding even quizical about them. I have worked for a huge varity of different types of people and not had any real problems with it.
I have 4 currently and I'm sure i will have more in the future. They are all for personal reasons from signifying the re-birth of my life after abuse,to a memorial peice for my mom and grandmother that died within 4 months of eachother last year (this one covers the entire left side of my back.)
They are an incredible and beautiful form of art.

[Daffy Duck]

I never thought I'd get a tattoo, but then one day when I was 21 I decided to get a small one on my inner right arm. It serves me as a visual reminder to be honorable and not cheat people in my interactions with them. I know... kinda corny. I like it. I don't think I'll ever get another one.

[hywel teague]

Originally Posted by chrisrushton

I was (still am sort of) thinking about getting my values done on my arm, but I'm still undecided on exactly what form it'd take. Writing them in plain english would be too boring, chinese characters could mean anything even though they look good

I saw a guy yesterday who was so covered in kanji he looked like a Chinese takeaway menu!

[homeboy]

Thanks for all the responses! I guess I will have to get it where I my clothes will cover them... it's weird tho because I can wear the craziest graphic tees and nobody would say anything but once I mention tattoos, people are on their toes.

It is fine when you are working but what about those hot summer days and you get invited over to a coworkers house for a party or something? Do you still wear long jeans, etc to cover it up?

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by Daffy Duck

I never thought I'd get a tattoo, but then one day when I was 21 I decided to get a small one on my inner right arm. It serves me as a visual reminder to be honorable and not cheat people in my interactions with them. I know... kinda corny. I like it. I don't think I'll ever get another one.

that's interesting, what is your tattoo of?

If I were to get tattooed, it'd probably be for a reminder like that..

[Daffy Duck]

It's a Chinese symbol for honor.

I found it myself and verified its meaning with all of my Chinese friends before having it put on myself.

The only "bad" thing about Chinese tattoos is that everyone seems to be getting them. They're kinda trendy, but oh well. Whatever. Even the "pure" tattooists have similar inks.

Unfortunately, there is no American symbol for honor I could find.

[siryessir08]

Tattoos should definitely have meaning.

An ex-gf of mine got a tattoo covering the entire back of her neck, in bright blue, the english script "angel" on it. That's gay.

I've never gotten a tattoo, but I have fantasized about getting one. I've spent weeks designing very intricate tattoos that I know I probably will never get.

Just make sure you take a lot of time conceiving your tattoo, and sit on the idea for at least a month before actually getting it. Don't pick your tattoo from a board in the shop.

[blossom]

I can appreciate really good tatoos on some people, but I tend to feel the same way as two others on here...the Human body is a work of art in itself...it doesn't need anything else covering it over. But it's your body, so do what you like with it.

I also think that getting a tattoo doesn't make you a non-sheep. If lots of people get tattoos then the ones who don't are the different ones...a person with a tattoo doesn't necessarily think for themselves...they've just joined a tattoo club to belong somewhere! Those asian tattoos on non-asians are a wank IMO!

[hywel teague]

Originally Posted by blossom

a person with a tattoo doesn't necessarily think for themselves...they've just joined a tattoo club to belong somewhere! Those asian tattoos on non-asians are a wank IMO!

That's a very close-minded statement you've made there.

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by blossom

I can appreciate really good tatoos on some people, but I tend to feel the same way as two others on here...the Human body is a work of art in itself...it doesn't need anything else covering it over. But it's your body, so do what you like with it.

I also think that getting a tattoo doesn't make you a non-sheep. If lots of people get tattoos then the ones who don't are the different ones...a person with a tattoo doesn't necessarily think for themselves...they've just joined a tattoo club to belong somewhere! Those asian tattoos on non-asians are a wank IMO!

I think you should be careful.. Tattooing is a form of self expression, although I think in a lot of cases tattoos are regretted by people who have them, to lots of people tattoos mean a lot to them.

However, where you say "those asian tattoos on non-asians are a wank" you should really be careful, with your words. Someone in this forum has admitted to being a non-asian with an asian tattoo, and why he got it done, as well..

[JRhodes]

Originally Posted by Smarky

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tattoo's rule. It's part of self expression. Stand out from the crowd or you become a sheep.

More people seem to have tattoos now than don't. For the most part they just don't look that good and if I see another tribal tattoo on someone with less tribal relations than Dick Cheney then I'm going to go mad!

If a tattoo has a deep personal meaning then I'm fine with it, but most just get something that they feel looks "cool" at the time...and then regret it years down the road.

[Patricia]

When I first glanced at this thread, I thought about making the comment that I had a feeling that nowadays tattoos are more widely accepted and the stigma surrounding tattoos seems to have decreased a lot over the years. After reading some of the posts in this thread, however, I'm having second thoughts.

My perception comes from the fact that I have 4 small tattoos and I never faced anything negative because of them - quite the opposite, actually. Granted, they are small, discrete and for the most part easily covered by clothes, except for the one on my neck/shoulder blade (a butterfly), which often shows when I have my hair up (and the one on my right foot, which always shows if I wear sandals or flip flops, but people rarely notice it). I don't know what type of reactions I would get if I had different types of tattoos.

I work from home now, but I have been in the corporate world. I was (still am, actually) in the advertising/internet industry, where tattoos seem to be naturally accepted, but I did have to visit corporate clients in all types of more conservative industries constantly and I never had any problems with them either.

I have seen some tattoos that challenge my understanding (like this one, for example), but to me, tattoos are a form of self-expression and while I may never choose to get certain types of tattoos on myself, people have the right to choose whatever they want to have on their own bodies. The concept of "distasteful", however, varies from person to person. While I think people have the right to do whatever they want with their bodies, tattooing something like this guy did in the link above means that you will probably face different kinds of reactions from people. So, it's something to keep in mind.

I do agree that before getting a tattoo, you should think about it carefully. Depending on where you get it, you'll be looking at it constantly and for a long time, so if it doesn't have a meaning to you, chances are you might get sick and tired of looking at something that looks just like a drawing. You might appreciate artwork of the drawing, but it's comparable to hanging a poster on the wall - after a while, it gets old and you want to either take it down or switch it for something else. Attaching meaning to a tattoo keeps you focused on, well, what it means, rather than solely the drawing itself.

I still want to get another tattoo, this time on my wrist and this one will be visible most of the time, albeit - again - small and delicate. I really don't fear people's reactions to it and, quite frankly, if they don't like it, that's their problem, not mine.

I usually appreciate tattoos on other people and I tend to find it somewhat close minded for people to judge someone solely based on the fact that they chose to have them. It is true that some people involved in criminality have tattoos, but the opposite isn't true and to judge someone's character (or anything else) for having tattoos is a mistake IMO.

There's also the fact that people get tattoos for many different reasons - sometimes it is about non-conformity, but sometimes it is as a reminder of something important, a tribute, etc. Not everyone who gets tattoos is doing so as a display of non-conformity. I have met smart, caring, compassionate, brilliant, creative (fill in the blank) people both with and without tattoos (and the other way around as well). And I also think that choosing to have or not have tattoos are both self-expression. Every choice is self-expression.

[Smarky]

Originally Posted by Remiel

Couldn't the problem be that tatoo's are a reflection of the person who has it? And could it be that employers struggle with someone who openly displays their rebellion, non-conformity, (insert character word here)??

Exactly. Employers do not want people, employers want robots that will do job x, y, z and repeat. Lucky for them, most people give them exactly that. Everyone else is considered 'odd' for not following the line.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Having a tattoo seems kind of childish to me, but that's just my opinion. I wouldn't get one. I feel like some tattoos are okay but for the most part when I see a person with a tattoo, I think white trash. When I used to work at a grocery store, every adult on food stamps had at least one tattoo. This was thousands of people and 99% of them had tattoos. People who couldn't even afford to feed their families were spending money on tattoos.

If you have a tattoo, fine. If you are able to afford getting one, go get one. I just think that if you are going to get a tattoo, put some thought into it. It will be with you for awhile.

[marinik]

I was 47 when I got my first one done with color for permanent makeup so it will visible for another 4-5 years. I have been thinking to make it a "real" one these days. It is not visible at all. At the time I got it I was a big shot banker. Don't think the board of directors would have been very happy with an a Executive Manager with a tattoo. But who cares. I got it in a moment of "temporary madness" that still has a "hold" on me. This is why I want to make it a permanent one but I want to do it in Sanskrit. प्रेम फरूक or जीव, अनुरज, हस
Live, love, laugh. My reasons were that I am a double cancer survivor and just had a new love in my life I never thought I would experience! So it is such a private thing. No matter of race, education, gender...

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by marinik

I was 47 when I got my first one done with color for permanent makeup so it will visible for another 4-5 years. I have been thinking to make it a "real" one these days. It is not visible at all. At the time I got it I was a big shot banker. Don't think the board of directors would have been very happy with an a Executive Manager with a tattoo. But who cares. I got it in a moment of "temporary madness" that still has a "hold" on me. This is why I want to make it a permanent one but I want to do it in Sanskrit. प्रेम फरूक or जीव, अनुरज, हस
Live, love, laugh. My reasons were that I am a double cancer survivor and just had a new love in my life I never thought I would experience! So it is such a private thing. No matter of race, education, gender...

My friend is a bank manager who has tattoos on both his arms. He got them when he was 18 and 19 and he sees them as more a sign of who he was..

[always loved]

If your headed to a house after working hours for a party, go the way you feel comfortable.You are not bound by any work rules then. If they felt comfortable enough to invite you to their party then you probably will have already told them you have a tattoo anyhow.