# Girls, stop getting all of these tattoos, ya look skanky.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [June 15, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983 "2003-06-15T07:12:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/1 "2003-06-15T07:12:46Z")
Recently, I have noticed a trend of more and more girls getting tattoos. Usually they are some design on one shoulder, some small thing on a hip or ankle, a chain around one arm, or some symmetric design at the small of the back.
Stop it. They look terrible, and they make you look much less beautiful and respectful.
Whether you like it or not the moment a guy (or anyone else), sees something like that they make immediate assumptions about the kind of person who would do that to themselves. There are reasons for these assumptions, as you will often see a nice correlation between how screwed up a girl is and how much body modification she has done (especially if she was [physically](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140280537/002-2060883-1863257) [abused](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0801853001/qid=1055659726/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2060883-1863257?v=glance&s=books)).
I have asked many, many guys and except for one (he had a fetish for it) all agreed that they never saw a tattoo that made a girl look better, but they had seen plenty that made them look worse. Can you think of any famous beauty that had on obvious tattoo?
It is not just tattoos, but also nose rings, pierced tongue, lip, etc. All of them look trampy and bad, but at least the piercings can be taken out and healed. Wanna wear a nose ring for a month? Go ahead. Can’t do that with a tattoo.
For those of you who say that you do not care what other people think of how you look? Hahaha, bullsh\*\*.
If you lived on a dessert island somewhere, or were just basically guaranteed to never see another human being 99% of people would not get tattoos. The kind of person who does not care about what other people think of how they look are not the idiots that get mohawks and wear intentionally offensive and ugly clothes. These people care desperetly what folks think of them. If you were a true non-conformist you would dress like Einstein or Dean Kamen, simple and comfortable.
Mainly I hate this because it makes girls look much worse than they are. It is an intentional, needless, blemish on what is too beautiful to deserve such mistreatment.
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### Author:  [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/2 "2003-06-15T07:32:51Z")
You should have posted a link to the original thread here. I’m not going to repeat all my comments here for you to just glaze over them again.
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3565764#post3565764](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3565764#post3565764)
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/3 "2003-06-15T07:33:02Z")
You must not be looking in the right places. I’ve seen many a tattoo on a female that makes them look ultrasexy.
But tongue rings scare the shit out of me. Freaks.
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### Author:  [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/4 "2003-06-15T07:35:53Z")
Oh, and since you’re in the pit now, I’d like to offer a hearty ‘fuck you’ and your assinine opinion and crapping on that other girl’s thread.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/5 "2003-06-15T07:44:02Z")
For the first time since I’ve been here, I have to do the “me too” thing. **jinwicked** is dead right.
Oh, and **friedo**? I pierced my tongue many years ago, and I save a fortuine on gum. Now I can always keep my mouth busy, you know?
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### Author:  [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/6 "2003-06-15T07:44:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \*
> \*\*I have asked many, many guys and except for one (he had a fetish for it) all agreed that they never saw a tattoo that made a girl look better, but they had seen plenty that made them look worse. Can you think of any famous beauty that had on obvious tattoo?
>
> It is not just tattoos, but also nose rings, pierced tongue, lip, etc. All of them look trampy and bad, but at least the piercings can be taken out and healed. Wanna wear a nose ring for a month? Go ahead. Can’t do that with a tattoo.\*\*
You’re asking the wrong ‘many, many guys’, then. Tattoos can be very sexy, and nose rings, pierced tongues, etc., can be EXTREMELY sexy. Don’t assume your tastes are universal. They’re not.
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### Author:  [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/7 "2003-06-15T07:45:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \*
> **Whether you like it or not the moment a guy (or anyone else), sees something like that they make immediate assumptions about the kind of person who would do that to themselves.**
Just because you make those assumptions doesn’t mean the rest of us do. Whether YOU like it or not, not everyone is so prone to baseless stereotyping.
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### Author:  [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/8 "2003-06-15T07:46:07Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Muad’Dib \*
> \*\*
> For those of you who say that you do not care what other people think of how you look? Hahaha, bullsh_\*.
> If you lived on a dessert island somewhere, or were just basically guaranteed to never see another human being 99% of people would not get tattoos. \*\*
I just needed to point this out. Let me say: **bullshit.** I have two tattoos (and am planning more) and these are in no way for the desire to show off to others. Actually, the tattoos I have are covered 90% of the time when I’m in public (one is on the left arm, the other is on the left ankle). These are for my personal enjoyment and I could honestly not give a rat’s ass what others may think of them. They mark certain milestones in my life, and have memories attached to them. I get them because **I** think they’re beautiful. Even if these tattoos were to never be seen by another person, I’d still get them.
The rest of your OP? _shrug_ Well, it’s your opinion. There’s plenty of untattooed women out there in the world for you to worship and admire. The rest of us tattooed harlots do have plenty of guys who don’t care or like it. To each his own.
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### Author:  [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/9 "2003-06-15T07:46:50Z")
It is not baseless. Did you click on the links?
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### Author:  [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/10 "2003-06-15T07:52:05Z")
Oh man, I missed that original thread.
> [@](#):
>
> So in closing, tattoos almost always make ya’all look like cheap skanky ho’s. Think twice, no make that, think thrice then fourth and so on, before having one done.
You know, I thought over my tattoos for at least a year before I had them done. And I think I do the cheap, skanky ho look VERY well, thank you very much. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/11 "2003-06-15T07:55:45Z")
**JavaMaven1** , We haven’t met, so how are _you_ doin’?
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/12 "2003-06-15T07:56:29Z")
I don’t like tattoos either. never have. Ah well, nobody does anything to themselves just to please me, so not much I can do about it.
Still, I do think it funny that these days you’re being _rebellious_ by not having a tattoo.
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### Author:  [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/13 "2003-06-15T08:01:17Z")
I don’t have the time or the energy to tell you how much of an arrogant fuckwad you are, **Muad’dib**. I think I’ll just get it tattooed on my ass instead.
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### Author:  [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/14 "2003-06-15T08:02:47Z")
I would like to say that my mother has a tattoo.
[pissed]
You sayin’ my momma look like a cheap skanky ho? Do not even GO there. No one be dissin’ my momma. I will slap down yo’ ASS. Bitch.
[/pissed]
Incidentally, I’m not a guy, but I think tattoos can be extremely beautiful, on both guys and gals. And sexy, oh most definitely.
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### Author:  [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/15 "2003-06-15T08:04:30Z")
You’ve done a bang-up job of pitting yourself for bad behavior in the original thread, and gone about it in a fairly unusual choice of style. High scores.
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### Author:  [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/16 "2003-06-15T08:05:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \*
> \*\*It is not baseless. Did you click on the links? \*\*
Ok, first of all, these are links to books on [amazon.com](http://amazon.com), not any particular articles on the subject of body modification.
Also, if you noticed, these books focus on self-mutilation, also known as self-injury, or ‘cutting’ as it is most commonly known, and seeming to only touch on the subject of body modification _only in the extreme_. There’s a huge difference between the two.
I don’t deny that there is a connection between _extreme_ body modification and physical abuse, though. I know well enough that it’s documented. But–extreme body modification going into different levels (large amounts of tattoos–over 25% of the body, more than a dozen piercings, ritual scarring, etc) versus a little design around an ankle?
Give me a fucking break.
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### Author:  [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/17 "2003-06-15T08:07:39Z")
**Muad’dib** , why do you care? It’s not as if these women are GAGGING for it, and the only reason they aren’t ‘selected’ by you is because they have a tatoo. Can you see why this sounds like a completely arrogant and ridiculous OP?
I myself would never get one, it’s just not my style\*, but I’m not in charge of anyone but me, so the rest of you, WORK AWAY!
(Plus, I’m a big chicken!)
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/18 "2003-06-15T08:09:30Z")
Tattoos convey a range of messages to other people and they are not always the ones the tattooed person desires to be conveyed.
I generally see largish tattoos on women that otherwise look as if they are at the lower end of the socio-economic and educational spectrum. Are they skanks? Who knows, they could be doctoral candidates for all I know. They could be the finest women you could ever want to meet, but overall they do look “rough”, and it’s obvious that it’s a look they are deliberately cultivating.
Smaller and more discreet tattoos are less stigmatizing, but for some men the fact that a woman chose to do this makes them slutty or skanky which is not a fair attribution. Having said this, however, I think the assumption that a girl with a tattoo(s) is more likely to engage in sex than a girl without tattoos is not necessarily an incorrect assumption. It just might not be sex with you.
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### Author:  [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/19 "2003-06-15T08:16:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _quoth Anahita_
> It’s not as if these women are GAGGING for it…
To be fair, think I’d probably make uncharitable assumptions about the psychological state of anyone who got a tattoo in the back of their throat. 🙂
The part of the original thread that really made me blink was this bit:
> [@](#):
>
> You could barely function in society if you did not constantly guess at peoples motives for their actions.
…which is one remarkable declaration. I know when I see someone with a tattoo, I make a guess at the motivation which goes something like this: “I bet their motivation for getting that tattoo was because they wanted a tattoo.”
I haven’t been committed to an institution–for being barely able to function, you see–yet. So far, so good.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983/20 "2003-06-15T08:17:02Z")
Okay, TMI time. This is very personal stuff. I was a cutter back when I was sixteen or so. Yes, I was a sick puppy for a while… That has maybe something to do with my two tattoos. On my shoulder, about where one would carry his rank insignia, I have a large Ankh. That was my reward for never doing it again.
On my back, I wear a symbol that would mean nothing to anyone except the folks who helped me get well.
Oh, and I’m a guy. Most folks think all cutters are girls.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/girls-stop-getting-all-of-these-tattoos-ya-look-skanky/181983.md?page=2)