Tattoos ... why?

[jebert]

Do you have a tattoo? If so, what motivated you to get it? What was your thought process?

If not, have you ever considered getting one but then decided against it? How did you come to that decision?

As for myself, I have never contemplated the idea, mainly because my first thought when I see someone with a tattoo is "Idiot". Then, giving it a bit more consideration, I think that maybe it's a desire to be noticed, societal rebellion, or even a noble personal display of support for First Amendment freedom of expression. But the last thing that comes to mind is "Idiot".

[Arken]

My thought isn't as much 'idiot' as it is 'ouch!'

Is it really worth having a needle jabbed into your skin hundreds of times just so you can have a butterfly on your ankle?

I personally would never get a tattoo for the aforementioned reason and because I can't think of a single image that I would want to look at for the rest of my life and never get tired of.

But hey, if that's your schtick, go for it. I have a friend with a sort of firey tribal ring around his upper arm and I'll admit, it looks pretty neat.

[Zsofia]

I got one on my lower back. It makes me look even better naked. :)

[Profane]

There's no better way to judge a person than by how they look, is there?

I am not going to justify why I have chosen to modify my body to someone who assumes I am an idiot for doing so. Maybe next time you would like to gain some understanding from someone, you shouldn't start out by insulting them.

[evilhanz]

Originally posted by Zsofia
I got one on my lower back. It makes me look even better naked. :)


Perhaps, but one day, you'll be a saggy grandma. (ick) ;)

Tatoos are an expression of basic human tribalism. I don't think you can say that people get them as a way of expressing themselves or in rebellion to societal norms. For the most part, they're not not symbols of individualism. If anything, tatoos are a symbol of conformity to a close knit group - whether it be the Marines, a motorcycle gang, a frat, or your drinking buddies. Just a point of view from the un-tatooed crowd.

(I want a tatoo to be different! Just like everyone else)

[mouthbreather]

Before this gets moved to either IMHO or the pit.

Yes, I have 4. Thought process: Hey, I like the way that design looks. I'd like to have it on my skin. All of them are in areas that can't be seen unless I want to show them. Even if they were visible to you, you can bet your last buck that I would sleep just fine knowing that you think I am idiot.


Now I am trying to think of the first and last things that come to mind when people misplace threads. What could that be?

I'm sure you can guess.


Dave (I am not, and have never been: a marine, motorcycle rider, or a fratboy, and none of my drinking buddies have tattoos)

[Johanna]

Hey man, I don't even put bumper stickers on my car, because they're so hard to peel off and what if I change my mind? Then how much more reason for not getting a tattoo?! How can you be so certain when you're getting it that someday you won't become sick of it and wish to be rid of it?

[mouthbreather]

I got mine done over a period of 5 to 7 years ago, and I have never regretted it yet. It's not like I woke up one morning and decided to get one, I thought about it for at least a month before hand. I'd say being happy after 7 years is a good indication that I am probably not going to change my mind.

If I do change my mind, then I get them removed. Yes, I know that the removal process supposedly hurts worse than getting them. However, I didn't think they hurt when I got them, so I'm not really worried about maybe facing some pain someday IF I suddenly decide I don't like them anymore.

[that_darn_cat]

'cause on the right person, the right tattoo is dead sexy. ;)

[Francesca]

I have a small tattoo on the back of my right shoulder. It's a very simple black question mark about 3cm high and no one but me and my SO see it (I don't wear strappy things). Yes, it hurt like buggery to get it done but i'm glad i did. It was for my 21st birthday and i thought about it for years before i got it just to be sure that it really did want that and wouldn't end up kicking myself for it. And i do mean years - it's not something i would just go ahead and do.

I got it because a question mark is my favourite thing. Not in a oh-look-at-me-i'm-so-mysterious way, but in a straightdope way - always remember to think about things because almost everything has a question mark after it. It's my own little reminder that i really don't know much and it's perfect because it's in a place that i rarely see, so when i do catch a glimpse of it, it's like a little prod to remind me who i am. And as for getting sick of it - it's a question mark.... how can you get sick of a question mark?

I wouldn't get another one simply because i don't have a need for any others. I think they can look great on some people but terrible on others - i have a difficult time understanding girls who get a rose on their upper arm, or a butterfly on their ankle - it's meaningless, everyone has one and it's uninteresting. But then, that's nothing to do with me or anyone else really.

Fran

[MamaHen]

Stepping up and admitting that I have a butterfly tat on my ankle. Many people seem to like to say it means nothing, maybe not to them but to those who have gotten the tattoo it means a great deal to them. It's easy to make a blanket statement when you have no idea what your talking about. Why did I get a butterfly on my ankle? To me it's a symbol of all the hard times I have overcome. It's a symbol of all the pain behind me. I had been beaten by my first husband, raped by a friend and had countless other horrible things happen in my life. My sister had discovered her husband's affair and gotten through that pain and betrayal. Together we got through all of the bad times and became stronger better people from it. We put the past behind us and got matching butterfly tattoos on our ankles to remind us of that change. Why did I choose something so permanent? So that every day I could remember how far I have come. Why did I choose to put it on my ankle? Because I am not ashamed of it or trying to hide it. When I am an old saggy granny I'll show it to my great grandkids with pride and say, See this? It's there to remind me that the world can be cruel but if you stay strong you can overcome anything.

[WIGGUM]

I have a gargoyle tat on my lower back. It's a little larger than I wanted or expected, but it doesn't bother me. Why a gargoyle? Well the way I look at it, gargoyles were placed on buildings as rain spouts, as art as well as to "ward off evil spirits". People tend to look at it as some demonic statement on my part, but in fact, quite the opposite is true. It's "watching my back" symbolically speaking.

Will I get sick of it. I doubt it. What will my grandkids think? I think they'll like it, if they even see it, and I'll divert a little heat by telling them to go look at grandma's back. What about what other people think? Who gives a rat's ass?

[MacGyver265]

Tattoos hurt for the first couple minutes, and then your body's endorphines kick in and it no longer hurts. I have one on my back (shoulder blade) and at first it felt like somone cutting into my skin slowly with a scalpel. But after a while, I couldn't feel anything and it felt like someone had numbed the spot with novacaine, although there was an occassional pinch.

Now as for the reasoning behind the tattoo, I got it because it is something that is and will forever be a part of me. I have waited over a year before actually getting it so it wouldn't be an impulse thing because I know I will have to live with it forever. I still wanted it just as bad as when I thought of it.

My suggestions to anyone who wants to get a tattoo...

1) Wait a signifiacant amount of time before getting the ink done, unless you're a tattoo artist or something. If you still want it, go for it.

2) Design your own tattoo, or have someone you know draw it up if you can't draw yourself. The tattoo will mean much more to you then. Don't get something generic out of a book. Mine is of a Leo symbol which in itself is generic, however, the design inside the lines is original.

3) Make sure your tattoo is about something that you never want to forget...because you won't be able to if you have to look at it every day.

[Jet Jaguar]

I run triathlons and I've always thought that if I ever finish an ironman-distance race, I'd get a periodic table of the elements entry for iron as a tattoo on my shoulder blade. I'd leave the atomic weight and number in place, but I'd replace the shell configuration numbers with either the distances (2.4, 112, 26.2) or my finish time.

I don't think I would ever actually get this tattoo though because the fine detail involved would probably blur and fade with time, and I doubt I'll ever run an Ironman anyway. :)

I'll wait for replies in IMHO...

[Chronos]

The GQ forum is for questions of fact. This question is more of a poll of the users' opinions, which goes over in our "In My Humble Opinion" forum, so I'm moving it there.

[Jonathan Chance]

Guess who just got one?

That's right, ol' man (mid-thirties) JC.

And it's cool as all get out. I thought it would be a cool thing to have but now that I've had it for a few days I'm enormously pleased with it.

And I'm just a publishing guy from the VA mountains. Tell me how THAT fits into the scheme.

[FairyChatMom]

I'm too much of a wuss to get my ears pierced or wear contacts, so there's no way I'm gonna get a tat. And even if I wasn't such a delicate creature, I can't think of any marking I'd want for the rest of my life - I get bored with clothes after a year or two.

My youngest sis has 4 - she decided to get one for every even-numbered year in her 30s. I also recall seeing a tat on an old, old man - it was so saggy and blurry it looked more like a bruise... I bruise easily enough naturally, thanks very much.

As for other folks - I've let my sweetie know I don't want him to get one, and my daughter knows better than to even bring it up until she's an adult living her own life out of my house... Personally, I don't find them attractive, but each to his/her own, ya know?

[seawitch]

I have four tattoos myself - back of the neck, right breast, left hip, and outside of right calf. The first one was over 20 years ago - before it became fashionable. The newest is just over four years old.

I've never regretted getting them, and none of my friends have any - nor do I belong to any biker gangs. All are placed so that they can be hidden, although most people I've met could care less.

They're just a decoration. I like them. And if you think I'm an idiot without ever speaking to me, then the feeling is mutual. Would you judge me based on a haircut, having my teeth straightened, or any other cosmetic choice? Those are external only, and the cover may or may not reflect the book within.

If you don't like them, or think you might get tired of it, then don't get one - you should be sure before you move forward. But then the same thing is true for people who get nose jobs. In both cases, check the qualifications and aesthetic abilities of the practitioner first, and may you be delighted with your decision.

[jebert]

As the original poster I now admit it was declasse of me to reveal my disparaging thoughts about other's preferences. However, I now have a new appreciation about how excited, committed, and even personally attached (no pun intended ... really) people can get about these body decorations. When I posted I didn't expect to learn anything, but now I feel that I did.

[Superdude]

FairyChatMom: I'm too much of a wuss to get my ears pierced or wear contacts, so there's no way I'm gonna get a tat.

Well, I wear two earrings in each ear. And I used to wear contacts before laser surgery a few years ago. I don't have any tattoos, but I HAVE contemplated getting a Superman logo on my arm (I know, I know...Jon Bon Jovi has one. BFD :) ).

[Purd Werfect]

I got mine about 22 years ago when I was 18. My thought process at the time was along the lines of: "I will look cool, and will hence get laid more often."

It hasn't paid off yet, but I'm pretty sure it will any day now.

Would I get one now? Probably not, but I don't mind the one I have.

[Flutterby]

I've been thinking long and hard on the tattoo I would like to get. I have settled on a design (yes I got it off a tattoo site but I am adjusting it a bit to be more what I want. I'm not a very good drawer but I can change it.)

Right now I guess I've been thinking about 2-3 years since I first got the idea. I still think a tattoo is cool and I plan on getting it done where no one will really see it unless I show them. The one I want to get is of a dragon (a small one) that is standing on a celtic knot, specifically a sidhe knot. The dragon is because I love them and because they are made up of dreams and fantasy reminding me never to forget mine and the sidhe knot is because I am celtic.. love all things celtic.. and it's an eternal thing since the knot never ends..

Now I just need to save the money to get it done and hide it from my Grandparents. I have looked at places to go and am gonna go to either Bears or Golden Buddha both of which I have heard by people who went to them that are good. Both are expensive too of course.

[Eve]

"The dragon is because I love them and because they are made up of dreams and fantasy reminding me never to forget mine . . . "

[Bitter Old Woman voice] Oh, just wait till ya hit middle age and realize that none of your dreams or fantasies will ever come true. You'll wanna forget 'em, alright, kiddo.

[darian00]

I've got three tattoos...a tribal cross on my right shoulder, the Japanese character for courage on my left forearm and strength on my right forearm. There are more I want to get, as the money becomes available. I wear them for personal expression. When my forearms are done, I will have Courage, Wisdom and Honor on my left arm; Strength, Knowledge and Loyalty on my right. These are personal characteristics I desire to have in greater quantity and my prayer to get them. On my back I will have a cross and the word Forgiven above it (reasons should be obvious). I'm pondering getting a snake with flames coming off of it coiled around my left leg, but am leaning against it. It just doesn't mean enough to me. On my left shoulder I want to get an eagle, a wolf, and a dolphin. What's the big thing with the tattoos? They mean a lot to me. I don't have them for anyone but me. I don't care what people think about them when they see them. They're for me, no one else. If you're going to get a tattoo, don't do it because someone else did it. That's stupid. After about a week you'll feel like an idiot. And especially don't get someone's name on you. That's a surefire way to break up with them about a week later.

Just my 2 cents.

[hardygrrl]

I have one-used to have two...

I have a dolphin on my right shoudler about 4" long. I love dolphins and when I was a little girl my family nickname was Flipper-that was the 1st tattoo-got it on my 18th birthday.


2nd tattoo,since removed,was my exfiancee's initials on the small of my back.


The saying about never get a SO's name tattooed on you because you will break up shortly after? It's true :(

[Orual]

Do you have a tattoo? If so, what motivated you to get it? What was your thought process?
I have a beee-you-tee-ful Celtic-style gryphon on the left side of my lower back. His name is Harold. I got it becuase I love the way tattoos look, I had wanted one since I was 13, and I wanted a special way to commemerate getting the hell out of high school. I got it in a place that people can only see it if I want them to. And I figure the lower back is less likely to sag then say, arms, butts, or thighs.

Now I think he looks lonely, so I'm planning to get a similarily styled dragon on the right side of my lower back, so I'll be symmetrical. :)

[QUOTE}My first thought when I see someone with a tattoo is "Idiot".{/QUOTE]
Why? Because you wouldn't want to get one so no one with brains must like them? :rolleyes: Also, I didn't get one for any of the reasons you stated. If I wanted to rebel against society I'd get one on my face. :D

[Orual]

GARRR!!! Messing up the coding sure makes me look like an idiot!!

[Doobieous]

First, i realize you learned something, OP, but i will say, it's nice to know i'm prejudged even before i've met someone. That said, glad you did learn something.

Second:

. If anything, tatoos are a symbol of conformity to a close knit group - whether it be the Marines, a motorcycle gang, a frat, or your drinking buddies. Just a point of view from the un-tatooed crowd.


I'm neither in the marines (i'd tell them straight up i was gay anyway, and besides, my family is more AF), not in a frat, since my school doesnt have them, and most of my drinking buddies dont have tats (some do, many dont). I picked something that while the idea isnt necessarily original, the design is. It's the chinese character for "to awaken, to understand, to realize, or in a buddhist sense, enlightenment (it makes up the Japanese word "Satori"). I wasnt going for something to make me fit in with a crowd. I did it as a visual representation of something important to me, to awaken (via knowledge), and to understand (myself and the world around me). Basically represents my love for learning and understanding things. I've never come across anyone with the same character, and yes, I drew it myself. Which makes it all the more special to me.

It took me a year to finally get it done. I think it took 6 months to finally decide on the right design and size as well. I never took the process lightly. I understood (and still do) that this is a permanent commitment. It's also in a place not usually seen, my right calf, on the back. While it can be seen when i wear shorts, i dont usually wear shorts around, except to the gym. So it's not like people would normally see it. I also plan to get tattoos in places i wouldnt normally show. Primarily because the places i usually have visible (neck, face, forearms), i dont want tattoos there.

I plan to get more. Each one will mean something to me, and all will be aesthetically pleasing to me. When i say mean something, they will be facets of me that i'm pretty sure i'll cherish the rest of my life (like the next one involves the character for language, which is something I love. That one will also compliment the one i currently have on the right calf). I would never think of getting one on a whim, as these things are major descisions. Which is why i shake my head when i talk to people about tattoos they dont like, because, surprise, surprise, they got the damn thing on a whim.

[dodge_this]

I got my first one on my birthday, shortly after my father passed away. I had issues with him, so in a way it was an act of rebellion (or liberation). It's on my left arm -St John's cross surrounded by a ring of thorns.

I got my second one on my last birthday - a tribal rose on my right shoulder blade. And I'm planning a third for when I turn 28 this year.

For me, my tattoos are pretty much a private thing. I design my own. I don't flash them. I go through a lot of planning and thought about what the tats mean to me. That way, I'll be sure I'll never get sick of them.

Btw, I don't think it's painful at all.

[Cyn]

My SO wants to have his wife's name tattooed as a wedding gift and sign of his committment when he marries. I giggle happily when I think of this.

[Mauvaise]

Originally posted by jebert
Do you have a tattoo? If so, what motivated you to get it? What was your thought process?

Yes, I have a tattoo. It's a small frog on the inside of my right leg, just above the ankle bone. (You can see it here (http://www.geocities.com/rowan.rm/Mauvaise_s_Pictures.html.html))

A frog wouldn't have been my first choice but in Feb. of last year my mother died. We were very very close and her death hit me hard. My mother collected frogs -- she went nuts for anything frog. So I decided that I would get a frog tattoo in rememberance of her. And I did, the day after my 30th birthday, a mere two weeks after she died.

It was exactly what I pictured in my mind before I got it and I haven't had a moment's regret that I got it.

[jazzmine]

I have one on my sternum, just at the place where my cleavage starts. It's of a heart with wings, a whip wrapped around it and hand cuffs hanging off one side. It has a small banner above it that says "(my husband's name)'s pet"

[Crunchy Frog]

Originally posted by evilhanz
Tatoos are an expression of basic human tribalism.
I won't agree with all of this post, but I do somewhat agree with this idea. My first tattoo was gotten when I was in the Air Force. My 3 buddies and I decided we should all get tats together as a male-bonding showing of our friendship type thing. We each got a type of cat. Kenny got a tiger, Tom got a leopard, Drew got a lion, and I got a panther.
After that, the other tattoos (I have a total of 6) were done as an expression of me. The Daffy Duck on my chest is symbolic of my youth and my love of art and cartooning (I'm working on a comic book as well as a novel right now). The comedy/tragedy faces on my right calf represents my love of the theatre (I belong to the International Thespian Society and did a lot of theatre before going into the military). The tribal design (which I drew myself) is symbolic of my religious beliefs. The dragon on my back (another one I drew myself) symbolizes my mood swings and temper and I have since started to think of it as symbolic of the drugs and alcohol problems I have since put behind me.

And lastly, the only tattoo of mine you can see when I'm fully clothed (and you can see it in my People Pages pic) is the tribalized yin-yang on my left wrist. This symbolizes my outlook on life. For everything in this world, there is something equal yet opposite to compliment it. For love, there must be hate. For acceptance, there must be fear. For pain, there must be joy. Because without one, we would not truly know what it means to have the other.

[even sven]

I have been thinking for about a year about getting a tattoo. I'm pretty sure I am going to do it as soon as I can save up enough money to get it done well.

I want to get a flower, because my last name is Flowers. I can't keep my last name forever for a variety of reasons, and I'd like something to remind me of who I started out as.

Specifically I am going to get jasmine flowers, because when I was little my mother planted jasmine outside of my window. Every spring of my childhood smelled like jasmine. I recently learned that she did that because my grandfather had planted jasmine outside of her room when she was a child. It seems like a good way to remind myself of my family and my childhood home...which are things I do not want to lose touch with as I venture out into this world alone.

I havn't decided entirely on where to put it. The biggest candidate right now is a ring of jasmine around my ankle. The alternative would be a single bunch of jasmine that could later be added to and turned into a ring of some sort if there is ever another time in my life where I feel like a tattoo would be the right thing.

I consider my potential tatto as a way to connect myself with myself. It's a big crazy world out there and it is easy to forget who you are and where you started out from. I'd like something that will be both a part of me and mine forever

[Superdude]

Brian Setzer once said, "The best advice my father ever gave me was to never get a tattoo any place where a judge could see it."

[Flutterby]

Originally posted by Eve

[Bitter Old Woman voice] Oh, just wait till ya hit middle age and realize that none of your dreams or fantasies will ever come true. You'll wanna forget 'em, alright, kiddo.

Awwww Eve darlin I know they won't come true. I'm not talking of my dreams and fantasies of the future I mean my dreams and fantasies of fantastical beings and such.

My future dreams I am going to work towards of course but I am also going to be a bit sensible about them. My future dreams consist mainly of being a fantasy author and travelling the world (definately travelling.. being an author would just be icing on the cake). The dragon will just remind me that no matter what happens in life I will always have my imagination to escape to where I can BE a dragon or a goddess and live in a different world. That no matter what.. I'll always have that at least. Even if I don't become an author and have others reading my stories.

That's what I mean by not forgetting my dreams and fantasies. *smiles* I don't want to lose that part of my life again. I nearly lost that before and I stumbled upon it again a couple years ago. Losing that wonder of imagination again would just be.. devastating..

[minty green]

I know the self-selection thing is fully in effect here, so that people who are happy with their tattoos are more likely to show up and explain why they got them in the first place. Which is fine by me. My girlfriend's got one, and I think it's pretty darn cool (at least on her). Me? Not in a million years.

On the other hand, I do find it interesting that nearly everybody in here got their tattoo in the relatively recent past, i.e., the last decade or so. Purd Werfect is the obvious exception, and I'm sure one or two other posters have had theirs for a long time too.

So if I can throw a new question to the crowd, has anyone in here had a tattoo for 20 years or more, and how do you feel about it now?

[seawitch]

As I think I mentioned in my earlier post, my first tattoo (small blue rose on my left hip) is over 20 years old - coming up on 22, I think. I don't regret it, and I still love it. Not as fond of the hip, though.

[donnie rotten]

Now that we have all these tattooed people, and we're in the right forum for it, I'd like to start a poll: Where's the most painful spot to get ink?

Mine is my back, between the shoulder blades or right over the spine. I have a very large and very intricate Celtic design on my back, of three hounds arranged in a circle. It wasn't so bad at the outside edges, or on the shoulders, but once the needle hit the spine... EEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

I was in the chair for two sessions of about six hours each. Let me tell you, I have four tats, and if my back piece had been my first, it would have been my last. :)

[Badtz Maru]

I got mine (a triangular one-eyed smiley face on my right shoulder) because the symbol has a personal meaning to me and because I thought it would look cool. I don't regret it, and plan on getting more. It's in a discrete location (I never wear anything that shows that part of my arm) and it doesn't detract from my appearance at all. It didn't hurt in the least, either, which surprised me (I was expecting SOME pain).

My wife has a lot more tattoos than I do. She has Hello Kitty on one ankle, a bizarre drawing of some woman who seems to be missing fingers on the other, a spider in a web on her chest, and a flower on a shoulder. I think I'm missing one, too...I think she might have some regrets about some of them - the spider one is visible if she is wearing anything halfway low-cut and looks like a jailhouse tattoo.

[Jus' lookin' Round]

For the poll. My oldest tat is 27 yrs old. It is a swallow, the bird is 1 1/2 inches and the only disappointment is the reds faded out but all the other colors are all still pretty vivid. It is on my upper left shoulder, over the Small pox vaccine scar. The next is 25 yrs old and is small sunburst just under and behind the bird. The yellow has all faded away. Poor quality ink I believe. My youngest is 20 yrs old and is a bare footed, long haired bearded man, sitting under a palm tree, taking a siesta. It is my own design and is a "self portrait" of my inner self. The detail is still very distinct. Each of these has a personal meaning for me and the over all design is not yet complete.

But I'm working on it!

[Orual]

originally posted by donnie rotten
once the needle hit the spine... EEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

I concur. Most of the time, getting a tattoo felt (at most)mildy irritating. But for the bit that went over my spine, besides making my whole spinal column vibrate, it was a lot more painful. I think the bonier the body part is, the more painful it is.

[seawitch]

The one that hurt most for me was the outside calf - fine at the muscle, YOW! near the shinbone. I've also heard that the closer to the bone, the more it hurts.

[Creaky]

One tattoo, very small, left hip. Shooting star. Three colors. I've had it for 17 years. Never regretted it. First one on my block to get one. (I originally wanted Saturn, but the guy said he couldn't do it.) So I settled for the star. I always liked stargazing, so I figured why not a little extra celestial pigmentation?

[echonymph]

personally, i believe that tattoos are a way for people to express themselves, as long as it is of some significance (getting a tattoo because you think it looks cool is stupid). my tattoo symbolizes my faith. i designed it myself, with the help of an artist friend.

i think a good rule of thumb for getting tattoos, no matter their meaning or significance, is to choose or design one, wait six months, and if you still want it, then get it. if at the end of the six months youre not that psyched, its not the right one.

by the way, i think it's really rude, not to mention ignorant, to say that all people who have tattoos are idiots. before you judge someone based on something as minute as a tattoo, ask them about it. maybe it has some deep meaning that you'll really appreciate. maybe not. but dont judge people based on their looks, and dont judge them based on personal decisions like that.