The opposite is also true though. Those who have visible tattoos sometimes seem to expect people will overlook them them simply because those tattoos weren’t intended for them. But as Kolga has been saying, that isn’t realistic. Even if your message isn’t intended for me, I’m a receiver of that message and will process that information - that’s what we do as human beings.
That’s a fair point. It’s not realistic to expect people to pretend not to notice just because the tattoo-ee thinks it’s off limits. While people are entitled to their opinions, it’s also true that the attention whoring thing is an assumption with little basis in reality, and so is this thing about poor impulse control.
Agree, but those stereotypes are probably one of the best reasons not to tattoo your face - or anywhere else you can’t decide when to send that information to people whom you can’t control what assumptions they make. And to - if the occasion means those assumption negatively impact you (the tattooee), cover them. If you are at McDonalds, you probably don’t care whether someone things “thug” or “nice art.” But you probably do in a job interview and you might when meeting your girlfriend’s parents. Or, alternatively, be prepared to somehow address any misconceptions if you do care.
Most people who get facial tattoos probably aren’t going to go for office type jobs, I would imagine.
To be fair, I think Crafter_Man was referring to facial and/or neck tattoos. Not someone with your average upper arm or ankle.
BTW – everyone says that the ankle is the most painful area, but I’ve heard from tattoo artists that it’s actually your ribs.
(I’d like to get a small cat on the back of my calf, as my name is Kat. As for older people having tats – my aunt has a rose on her shoulder, and when I was a kid, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world.)
Why on earth would you make any kind of call on a person at a supermarket, unless he asks you for a ride home?
Because that’s what people do when they see other people. It’s automatic.
I ignore most people at the supermarket, as they’re all pretty much normal looking. However, when I see a person at the supermarket who stands out because they look like a slob, I don’t automatically think “Oh, I mustn’t be judgmental, there could be many reasons why this fine gentleman looks slightly unkempt today!”, I automatically think “What a fucking slob,” and go about my business.
You people who claim you studiously ignore and refuse to form any opinions on people in public are either lying or you are actually doing it so automatically that you don’t notice it.
That said: I don’t think sweatpants automatically look sloppy. However, they certainly help complete the picture.
I don’t claim to “studiously” ignore people. It’s just automatic. Unless there is some reason to interact with them, I don’t.
And although I don’t think I’m very unusual in that, I sure wouldn’t claim to speak for humanity, like you do.
Well, if they’re neat, clean sweatpants like the ones I linked to, that’s one thing. However, I did see one woman at the library once who was wearing a pair of ratty old black sweat pants, this old, faded, pilled aqua sweatshirt, and ancient sneakers. She hand long salt-and-pepper hair that was should probably have been cut, and it was pulled back into a braid, and no make-up. In short, she looked like hell.
Now, in the case, I assumed she didn’t give a shit how she looked. However, if someone came in looking like this, that would be entirely different. You have something that’s nice and clean, neat, you have your hair combed and pulled back, minimum of make-up, etc.
In other words – don’t be a slob. Hell, I’d rather see someone wearing nice, neat sweat pants than ratty old jeans that show your ass-crack.
because it is looked at as a permanent reminder of a temporary fancy which makes it a sign of poor judgment. Presumably, people do not buy an article of clothing with the intent to wear it every day for the rest of their life (and to every occasion) yet a tattoo is exactly that.
What teenagers and young adults think is cool (at the time) is not viewed the same way as time passes nor is it viewed the same way by adults. So no matter how interesting the tattoo is at conception it loses it’s “cutting edge” image over time and will be made more so with the aging process.
And finally, art is a very personal thing. Not everybody likes black velvet Elvis paintings. If they don’t like your taste in art then it’s an unnecessary distraction that draws a conclusion.
Yup - it’s something you should consider when making that decision.
Again with this. There are people who spend months or years planning tattoos. Some of them take months to do. (And yes, other people get them on a whim.) That’s not a temporary fancy.
Not all tattoos are meant to be “cutting edge.” Tattoos themselves are pretty mainstream at this point. As somebody mentioned upthread, there’s no shortage of suburban moms with little tattoos on their ankles.
Of this I have no doubt. Just as I have no doubt that many people show up and pick a tattoo out of a book. It’s body art that will be judged whether the bearer likes it or night.
There are no shortages of suburban houses with black velvet Elvis paintings. But bringing it to an interview (the point of this thread) is a distraction at best. I’m not sure why you think an ankle tattoo isn’t meant to be a style of the day but it’s a fashion statement any way you cut it.
No reputable tattoo artist will tattoo a teenager – you must be at least 18.
I see plenty of HS kids with tattoos. Don’t know the particulars. Maybe they’re the kids of all those moms with ankle tattoos. I don’t know if it affects their ability to get a job (as a teenager) but in the adult world of business a neck tattoo would not help in an interview.
I’m thinking for a bit about jobs outside the mainstream.
You’d better have “made it” in your chosen profession before getting the tat, or have another means of supporting yourself (trust fund) - or I think its poor judgment. Granted, you could get lucky.
I have friends who are professional musicians, writers, artists, actors. They work for non-profit social services agencies. They work for arts organizations writing grants. One of my friends lives out of her van with her dog, does migrant labor and her art - which she sells out of the back of her van. One of my girlfriends is a 40 year old something suburban mother of three - I believe her hair is currently blue - but it might be purple - I haven’t seen her in a few weeks. My husband and I are easily the most “corporate” and “conservative” of our friends (and for us its a role we play that’s going to put two kids through college and fund a comfortable retirement). Lots of tattoos - none on faces.
Here is the deal. All of my friends at some time have had to make a living in mainstream jobs - or have had to have been willing to live out of their van or on the couch of a friend or have married someone willing to carry the “mainstream” burden so they could pursue their art That gets old when you are going on 50. There actually AREN’T plenty of jobs outside the mainstream - currently there aren’t plenty of jobs INSIDE the mainstream. At some point, you may need to take out the ring over your eyebrow, the stud in your nose, dye your hair back to something that might be found in nature, and wear long sleeves to get a job to pay rent and feed yourself. Its nice to have that option. I’ve watched a lot of 40ish year old alternative lifestyle choosers do that the past three years. They still put in the nose ring after work.
When you tattoo your face, you close that door (barring expensive tattoo removal which will scar). You are making a lifelong commitment to your non-mainstream lifestyle - even if that non-mainstream lifestyle turns out to not be self supporting. It also seems to get a lot harder as you get older to depend on your friends to support your lack of compromise when they’ve made those compromises. When that happens, expensive tattoo removal is going to be hard to pay for. That’s poor judgment.
30 years ago when I was first considering getting a tattoo my oldest sister, who had several by that point, introduced me to her artist who stated she’d only be willing to work on a minor if a parent or legal guardian was present and willing to put their permission in writing. As this lady was pretty responsible in every other respect I’d say that yes, there are a few out there willing to do that IF it is very certain the parent(s) approve. But it’s uncommon and I expect the responsible ones don’t advertise their willingness.
(Just for the record - I eventually decided tattoos just weren’t for me)
My stepchildren both got tattoos at age sixteen. Their mother signed a consent form.
Which has already been discussed. I was commenting on your statement that tattoos reflect “a temporary fancy.”
Which has what to do with being cutting edge?
I have a facial tattoo and it’s never hampered my job finding abilities in the least, because I got a tattoo of a better looking face than the one I was born with.
snerk
Huh. The place I got my nose pierced (they do both), basically says they won’t tattoo anyone under 18. Oh well. I stand corrected. :o
OT: when I had my nose pierced, the studio is on the South Side. On the same street is the Scientology center here in Pittsburgh. My friend and I were so tempted to go in there and start goofing on them. BTW, my nose piercing is extremely small – I’ve had it for about, oh, maybe three years, and it was only a few months ago that my grandmother noticed.