Assumptions About People With Tattoos-POLL

what if you just like the way it looks? I don't think it always has to have some "deep" meaning behind it.

The world would be pretty boring if people all looked the same, the variety is what makes life interesting ;)

Now I think tattoos on the hands and face are "risky" but that is only because of the fact that there are those out there who will make assumptions about you based on them, thereby limiting possible job opportunities etc. But I think they can be beautiful, they can tell a story or they can just be decorative. Like I said, I like a world where everyone doesn't look just like me.

If your tat is a piece of art or a memory or something that that individual hold close to them, then I love it

my tat used to just be art.

when my wife got a identical tat..
then it became love

and then we got divorced...
now what?
should I cut it off?
of me? or her?

LOL

cheers
:)

Good point and agreed.

I was thinking in terms of writing in the tattoos, but I voted based on the majority of the tats I have actually seen in person. I think they are cool, and I may consider getting one someday. (I just have to work past the whole deal with the needles. I used to be ok with needles until I got older. Isn't that funny how that one worked out?)

I kind of like the idea of gang members getting tattoos. It doesn't scare me simply because it makes them easier to pick them out of a crowd and can therefore keep a closer eye on them.

Mcal70

Wow good point about gang/prison tats!

dollyrocker98, I agree.

I dislike tattoos...vehemently. Why? I have worked in nursing homes, I see what they become, and they are a rather sad documentary of that persons life, I think. So many people have them today, that I do not judge them, while it used to be bikers and their biker babes, or service men with them...now even the darling little girl down the street has what I have heard called a "tramp stamp"....do you wonder why it's called that? *shrugs*

Every picture tells a story, I think there is a bigger story behind the person that feels a need to hide behind tattoos.

That's just my opinion, your milage may vary.

I have worked in nursing homes, I see what they become, and they are a rather sad documentary of that persons life, I think.

Sadder than the body itself? It all seems, to me, to be an ongoing record of entropy--not sad in and of itself, necessarily.

Every picture tells a story, I think there is a bigger story behind the person that feels a need to hide behind tattoos.

As opposed to hiding behind clothing, hair, rank, social status, or other neo-tribal designation?

now even the darling little girl down the street has what I have heard called a "tramp stamp"....do you wonder why it's called that?

Allegedly they became popular first among porn actresses who wanted to be recognized even when they weren't facing the cameras.

A tramp stamp, is a tattoo on the small of the back, usually extending well below the waistling, thus only a tramp wears pants or skirt low enough and shirt cut high enough to show the tattoo,

Re: Tramp Stamp-

Summed up in the movie "Wedding Crashers" with the following line: "It might as well be a bullseye."

now even the darling little girl down the street has what I have heard called a "tramp stamp"....do you wonder why it's called that? *shrugs*

I have a "tramp stamp" to me whats sexy about it is I'm the only one that knows its there. I don't wear trashy clothes, I don't bend over in public to have it on display, its only for me. I don't judge anyone with tattoo's. I'm about to get my second one on my foot. If you want to pass judgment on me because of it, guess what, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Strangers or even family/friends whoever, if they want to say something about it I have no problems telling whoever where to go and how to get there.

I also read an article awhile back that said people with tattoos have "low self esteem" How hilarious. The really humoring thing about that article was all the doctors and lawyers leaving comments about how they have complete sleeves and other tattoos and they are professionals.

The only thing I think when I see someone with a tattoo is, He has a tattoo. I would nmever get one but I also would not eat snails. To each his/her own.

well, i've eaten snails before, but a tat i don't have. like so many have said, some tats are great and beautiful. but some are just junk that some people feel that they have to have in order to fit in with their crowd. if i ever get one, i think it would be my grandchildrens names put near to my heart. for me it would need to mean something special but i'm not against the beauty that many have adorned themselves with body art.

btw, snails are really quite good.

The other things I think of when I see tattoos are: 1) who did the one we CAN'T see and 2) what ELSE would they be willing to do to draw attention to themselves?

With that, I add: my friend Jodi had a tattoo placed on her heart on her 41st birthday when her 6th pregnancy resulted in a live birth ... for 5 hours. Matthew's initials are inside a broken heart. Her pain needed to be tangible and her memory permanent. I don't find it attractive, but I can understand the sentiment behind it.

Well . . . I don't think you can judge a person's character by the fact that they have tattoos, or by how many they have; even the particular choices might reflect taste more than character. Then again, taste is part of character, and what aesthetic palette a person chooses to put on his or her body, what sort of ideological message he or she chooses to advertise, could be said to reflect, if not true character, at least some sense of self-image. One could even say that the amount of tattooing speaks to what the individual believes about the body.

I say this, by the way, as someone with tattoos who'd like to get more, and who finds tattoos fascinating and lovely to look at.

Well . . . I don't think you can judge a person's character by the fact that they have tattoos

I think I said that, no?

You said you can't a judge a person's character by their tattoos. I was suggesting that, while you can't judge a person's character by the fact that they have tattoos, you can at least make reasonable inferences about character by what, specifically, they have chosen to use to adorn their bodies. Do you see the distinction?

Of course, it's also possible that the tattoos reflect not current character, but past character. I've definitely seen people who took on messages that lost relevance later in life, particularly in the cases of those who became involved, in youth, with gangs or with white supremacists.

I saw a player (I work in a casino) with a swastika tattooed on his arm and I thought it was disgusting. On the other hand, I've seen brilliant works of art and memory tats that I thought were cool. Tats do say a lot about the person wearing them. I'm too scared of needles and extra commitments to get a tattoo, personally. With tattoos, I think the cover is a pretty good guide to the book (person) inside.

the swastika was a religious symbol looooong before the nazi's hijacked it

Frequently those of us with tats do have stories behind them. Mine have personal significance. Tattoos to me are a very personal choice. Unlike clothing which you can change out on a whim they are with you forever so choose what you want to say with your body very carefully.

Zom Zom you naughty boy! Have you been peeking in my bedroom window again? XD

Nope, tat was me!

You missed the assumption I make: better in bed.

Hrm, mine was: funner to party with.

I suppose that's the difference between married and single or old and young or both.

Watch out, Lil Gremlin. You will have some guys you can't get rid of. LOL Although, I don't know of anyone who would ever get rid of them. Hmmmm...

You couldn't beat me off with a stick, but I'd probably let you =)

LOL DaVoH & Lissa!

I can't imagine wanting to get rid of DaVoH or ZomZom (or my bf either ;)) They're too much fun!

did somebody call for a guy that's impossible to get rid of? :D

When I see tattoos.... I immediately think "I wanna go talk to THEM!" inked people are usually more than happy to talk about their tattoos, which is good, cuz I'm always curious about them. and hot girl with tattoos.... hotter! lol

Really good tattoos make some of the most interesting conversation. A bad one, well... I have another cousin I could talk about. She has a wonky flower on her foot. The coloring is bad, the shape is bad, and the placement is not quite right. I asked her about it, and she snapped my head off. (She is just like that though. She always snaps at anyone who would dare suggest anything negative about any one of her decisions... like the strapless maternity wedding dress when she was in her third trimester...)

did somebody call for a guy that's impossible to get rid of

Yes they did, and it's about time! lol

My mom was 62 when she got her first tattoo- a tweety bird on the inside of her arm. She now also has a lizard and his footprints encircling her wrist. She's 73 and sells real estate and volunteers at her local historical society and loves them.

She told me the other day that she was considering becoming an alcoholic. This showed me I could do anything I set my mind to no matter my age and I said, "Good modeling, Ma!"

So, I'd say you're never too old.

Well, I guess she may not screw up her liver too bad. Just don't let her drive after becoming an alcoholic. Not cool.

kjmgirl, will this new tattoo be a memorial of the lost freedom from the health care bill?

Hmmmmm - something to think about, ain't it? But lo, tattoos are permanent and I don't think this health care bill is!!

I don't know, kjm, to hear the liberals speak it sounds like it is already Gospel and those of us against it are heretics meant to be burnt at the stake.

I don't know, kjm, to hear the liberals speak it sounds like it is already Gospel and those of us against it are heretics meant to be burnt at the stake.

Nah, we just think you're overreacting a bit. It's not so bad, you'll see. Not only will it be okay, it will be good.

And tats will not be covered ;-)

WHAT??? NO coverage for Tattoos?? That's it! I'm taking up arms!

Many moons ago, I saw a publication recording the statistics of the average "decorated" person. As a whole, they had lower IQs, lower net worths (fiscal), lower education levels, and had higher instances of criminal background.

One of my friends fit that bill; the other did not. I believe piercings were lumped into the survey. Anybody remember where that was published?

Dowser

I enjoyed your honesty regarding tattoos and actually when I got mine, those were the thoughts that went through my head and aided in my choice of tat and placement. Placement ankle for low weight gain and loss throughout life =P and lower stomach because when that possible stretches out (will do my best to keep it elastic so it goes back to normal) will be the end/modification to the story that tat represents. As for the tat choice, I'm sure like many (I hope most) have a story that each tat documents - something so pivotal that it needed to be permanently documented and always carried as a reminder/visual memory.

What are all these people going to do when they go out of style? It is a pretty permanent fashion statement. Nothing stays in style forever.

Personally, some - not all of course, many do just go with fades, feel sorry for them - do tell a story with their tats and life stories will never go out of style. Just my take on it.

But do agree, I feel bad for the person who just picked flash off the wall because "it looked cool" in 10-20 years when they have to explain the monkey eating a football tattoo to friends, neighbors, employers or kids. Hahaha.

Thank you for your kindness! I've seen some that are really nice. I sort of wonder what Angelina Jolie's stomach looks like after she had her twins... She is plenty skinny, but...

I am a professional geologist, and I know what a lot of the more conservative firms I've worked for think about it-- that isn't the look they want to have representing their company. Perhaps women could get by with something small and cute, but something large and covering large amounts of the body? They would require the tattooed person to cover up.

Or worse, wouldn't hire them to begin with. As the occasional interviewer for hiring people, (i.e. engineers, accounting, other professionals), if I had two candidates that were pretty equal in all things, I would not hire the tattooed one, only because it might give our customers the wrong idea about the company. It wouldn't matter to the company about the union people.

We still have a dress code at the water company, for heaven's sake, and are not allowed to wear cargo pants, or those cute things whose name escapes me, uh, we used to call them peddle pushers, (I'm having a senior moment here...) Sorry! Slacks that hit the mid calf. WHAT are those called? Doesn't matter, we're not allowed to wear them.

We had a lady that worked in customer service, and she got a small tattoo on her arm. Nice. I thought it was cute! But they made her wear sleeves and almost fired her. She got an official "demerit", (a letter in her file).

So, I guess it depends on your age, your gender, where you work, and what part of the country you come from, as to what is appropriate in the tattoo world. :-)

Again, thank you so very much for not yelling at me! :-)

HI Dowser, how have you been! Missed ya!

Wanted to tell you a story my tattoo artist told me. My friend's son (14) wanted his initials tattood on his shoulder. Artist said when his brother was 14 he got a tattoo on the top of his shoulder then had a growth spurt. By the time he was done growing the Tattoo was almost to his elbow!! LOL. Guess the moral is - do what I did and wait until you're 50!

Dear lady, how are you? How is the cook book coming?

Yep, I've thought about getting a small tattoo on my birthmark, but, then again... No one would see it but my husband, and it hurts, and blah blah blah.

I'm so very glad to see you! Hope all is well for you!

check in with Dining Divas group. Welcome back

Oh I learned there is no need for yelling - even when I got mine when my parents said specifically not to - my mom didn't talk to me for 2 days (best 2 days of my life =P)

Ha kjmgirl - yeah getting tats young is prime for bad things to happen to it. Growth spurs, just like weight gain and loss, are scary things to think about with tattoos. Permanent deformed artwork =/ not a lifelong thing someone would want.

Or one could be like my dad and get a homemade one with ink that apparently fades away completely. Disappearing tattoos; he appreciates the failed attempt as he's against them now.

Just like everything else in life, it's all about appropriateness and aesthetics. If a person looks like a stamp pad with the tats unrelated and random that can't be covered up - it looks odd and doesn't make a great first impression- compared to someone who has a mural basically, at least it's beautiful to look at and it could tell a beautiful story without a lot of explaining. Or easily concealed tattoos, which aren't necessarily always small, just strategically placed to be able to keep them covered when in a professional environment, where generally one isn't suppose to be showing a lot of skin anyway.

Tattoos should have a lot of thought put into them as they are permanent and reflect upon the person wearing them. Visual presentation is a big part of one's first impression, but hopefully the stigma of tattoos can be phased out.

Oh that reminds me my old high school english teacher who was in her 60s when she taught me had a bunch of tattoos, cute small ones. She taught at my catholic high school, was a former nun, who ran off with the priest. I loved her, she was great and really help to squash a lot of stereotypes of tattoos that I may have had at the time.

Dowser~ Capris? Could that be the word you were looking for?

Thank you, dear Lissa Rose! I couldn't think of it! Yep, we're not allowed to wear capris at work. Silly, isn't it? Or toe-less sandals. Eek!

(((((((((Lissa Rose)))))))))))

Dowser - I actually understand about the toeless sandal restrictions. Its an OSHAA thing if there's any chance of working near/around heavy equipment, sharp pointy objects, dirt or dirt-like substances with bacteria in them......that kind of thing. I know that when I walk out onto the shop floor I'm not supposed to wear open-toed shoes because of oil & grease. Hazardous materials make everyone's wardrobe less fun.

((((((((((((((Dowser))))))))))))))

I can get the whole not being allowed to wear toeless sandals, but if shorts are allowed and pants are allowed, then capris should be just fine. But, I am also the person that thinks there are some people wayyyy too worried about what is exactly covering a person's body. I have always been the person that thought as long as the necessities were covered, and the clothes looked okey dokey together, then it was no sweat. LOL

Another women's issue about tattoos is metal allergies during pregnancy. There are metals in tattoo ink, just like any other ink or paint. Just like some women have allergic reactions to jewelry, some women can have reactions to ink they've had in their skin for years. We're all protected by environmental regulations against lead and cadmium, but a number of benign but not hypoallergenic pigments may legally be present.

My wife developed allergies to some of her tattoos during pregnancy. It seemed to depend on which artist did which tattoos. I assume the brand of ink was the culprit. I don't know whether tattoo artists are always aware of this issue, but given the value of the tattoo industry I am sure some professionals use hypoallergenic inks with this in mind. It would not be a bad question for a woman to ask, even if she is not currently considering having a baby.

Now that you all mention that, toe-less sandals do make sense. But not at headquarters... There is no oil or grease there, but I guess they have to ban it for the whole company.

Metal in tattoo ink? not so good... I can see why some women develop allergies to them, especially during pregnancy when everything in your whole body kind of goes haywire...

Good to see all of you! And thanks for the insights!

Like I said earlier, I think that some people worry too much about the clothes that cover other people.

Me too. And also worry too much about the clothes that cover them! :-)

lol

Weight gain and tattoos: Neighbor had the lower back stain, then put on 100+ pounds. After she took the weight back off, the image was distorted, and stretch marks lightened the ink. She went back in for a touch up of color, but the stretched skin didn't "take" the ink as well.

Loved my "colorful" friends. Hated the blotches.

I just think clean skin is so pretty on its own, it seems sad to cover it permanently with something else. But a tattoo here and there leaves plenty of bare canvas to admire.

You sound like a very beautiful person! :-)

I bet the creator was very, very proud of the final product.

Awwwww...

Actually, it doesn't hurt that much. For myself, I have only one tattoo, and it took me fifteen years to decide on what I wanted. It's not on display and you'd never know I had one and, no, it's not someplace private, simply far enough on my arm that you can't see it if I wear a shirt with sleeves. I imagine a lot of coworkers might be surprised given my line of work in the finance industry since tatttoos aren't the norm there but I can say easily that I've never regretted mine.