# Tattoos: got 'em? Want 'em? Hate 'em? (read OP before voting please) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533 "2011-03-30T18:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![catflea12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f6c823/32.png) [@catflea12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catflea12)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/61 "2011-03-31T01:30:52Z")
I have 3 tattoos, a rose on my wrist, no smoking sign on ankle, dragon fly on calf. I got all 3 after turning 50. No regrets either. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/62 "2011-03-31T02:07:12Z")
I don’t have a tattoo and I’m not going get one, because I personally don’t see the point. I also voted for the last choice because there are polls where I can’t vote for any of the options, but just want to see the results. So thanks for including it, even if I didn’t really need it this time. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/63 "2011-03-31T02:12:18Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > I also voted for the last choice because there are polls where I can’t vote for any of the options, but just want to see the results. So thanks for including it, even if I didn’t really need it this time. You never need it. You can see poll results without voting. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/64 "2011-03-31T02:45:29Z")
No tattoos. Can’t imagine what I’d want to decorate myself with that I’d continue to want on my body for the rest of my life. Hell, I even changed my beard last fall, after 17 years of more or less the same look. If I made a similar decision regarding a tattoo, removal or alteration would be rather difficult. Other people’s tattoos don’t bother me. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/65 "2011-03-31T03:17:21Z")
I’d like to get a small cat on the back of my calf (my name is Kat). Something cartoonish and cute. If I were going to go with something big, though, I’d want an Alphonse Mucha piece. That’d probably go for big bucks, not to mention having to find a really, really good artist. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/66 "2011-03-31T04:58:46Z")
The polling options regarding other people’s tattoos are unbalanced. The first two options (“I generally don’t care if a person has tattoos” & “I like seeing tattoos on other people”) are OK in themselves but have no opposite equivalents (such as “I care if a person has tattoos” & “I dislike seeing tattoos on other people”). Instead if you care/dislike your only options are the highly poisoned “I judge people negatively if they have tattoos” and the childish and extreme “I hate all tattoos”. Personally I don’t find tattoos attractive. I don’t expect anyone to give a damn about what I find attractive, but that’s how it is for me. Saying I “don’t care” if someone has tattoos isn’t right because at some admittedly minor level I would enjoy seeing something I find attractive more than not. I don’t like seeing tattoos. I don’t hate them. I don’t judge people negatively about them. Sorry OP but your poll is broken. I don’t know if the results would be signficantly different if it was an even handed poll, but the current questions are too poisoned to be meaningful. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/67 "2011-03-31T05:53:50Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > I don’t care what people do. I think getting inked is a mistake. Visible tattoos can limit career choices. I think the statement there is that the person never hopes to get a decent job anyway. Generally, I see tattoos as a sign of weakness like other vices such as smoking and drugs. OK, go ahead and flame me for stating my opinion. This must be a generation gap thing. I know investment bankers with tattoos. A solid chunk of my business school class seems to be inked. Really, it’s the equivalent of ear piercing these days, we squares just keep them concealed underneath our boring business casual garb but there are plenty of people roming around here with “visible” tattoos when not wearing office clothes. Mine’s on my back but I have a bunch of friends with wrist/armband/ankle whatevers. The only truly career limiting tattoos are on your face or neck. Also I’ll note that I have a pierced nose and practiced corporate law without anyone in my office batting an eyelash. Always took it out for the deals/meeting with banks on the other hand. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/68 "2011-03-31T06:06:55Z")
Barry Goldwater had a tattoo on the back of his hand. Cecil even did a [column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/74/does-barry-goldwater-have-a-tattoo) about it. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/69 "2011-03-31T07:32:09Z")
I’ve got 2. One of them looks all smeary, so I’d like to do that again with smaller needles. For the other one, I’m thinking about getting the white redone. White doesn’t last very long and I have to go to a funeral on Saturday. I’d like the white to look good, but I don’t want scabs showing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/70 "2011-03-31T08:02:09Z")
I don’t have any tatoos, don’t imagine I’ll ever get one, but there’s one I’d like to get: I won’t because it would be politicaly loaded and I already get enough morons attacking me because of politics without even knowing what side of issues I’m on, I don’t need to be giving people an excuse. It’s a modification of a well-known political symbol and a well-known religious one, and I figure most people who recognized either one would be more willing to scream than ask “what is that supposed to _mean_?” ETA: there’s a woodcutter in my home town whose “free” work I like, the stuff he makes which isn’t conceived in terms of “what will sell?” I’ve been thinking of contacting him and asking for that design as a woodcut, to hang on my wall. People who are in MY house and get angry at what’s on MY wall are welcome to get the hell out of there 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/71 "2011-03-31T08:13:27Z")
Awww, c’mon \*\*Nav’ \*\*old girl you can’t leave us hanging like that… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/72 "2011-03-31T08:42:53Z")
As I call it, “_The Carny Decade_”. Piercings, shaved heads, tatoos. I look forward to 20 years from now when the younger generation looks back on this period in fashion much like the older generations look back on the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/73 "2011-03-31T08:56:44Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > True…but I know myself well, and will be perfectly happy with my one. It’s quite possible to have only one and be content with it. Trust me on this. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/74 "2011-03-31T08:59:22Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I don’t have any tatoos, don’t imagine I’ll ever get one, but there’s one I’d like to get: I won’t because it would be politicaly loaded and I already get enough morons attacking me because of politics without even knowing what side of issues I’m on, I don’t need to be giving people an excuse. It’s a modification of a well-known political symbol and a well-known religious one, and I figure most people who recognized either one would be more willing to scream than ask “what is that supposed to _mean_?” > > ETA: there’s a woodcutter in my home town whose “free” work I like, the stuff he makes which isn’t conceived in terms of “what will sell?” I’ve been thinking of contacting him and asking for that design as a woodcut, to hang on my wall. People who are in MY house and get angry at what’s on MY wall are welcome to get the hell out of there 😛 Politically loaded Well known religious symbol Well known political symbol “What’s that supposed to mean?” People get angry on seeing it Survey says: Swastika ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/75 "2011-03-31T12:17:28Z")
I’m fully tattooed from neck to knees in traditional Japanese style with the exception of my upper arms which are traditional Polynesian and Pacific Northwestern Native American respectively. My tattoo ends at the elbows, collarbone, and above the knees. Wearing normal shorts and a short sleeved shirt, it just peeks out at the elbows and chest if I go deeply unbuttoned. I love good tattoos and admire them as a significant form of art. Bad ones though, WILL get you judged as an idiot. A well tattooed girl is HOT HOT HOT. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/76 "2011-03-31T14:16:40Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > It’s quite possible to have only one and be content with it. Trust me on this. 🙂 I’ve been thinking about why I want a tattoo, besides the reason of “I just want one”. I don’t really care altogether what people think. This doesn’t mean I have no concept of my image. I’d never get a large tattoo, for example, nor one I couldn’t hide. The one I intend to get, as I said, is going to be about an inch square on the inside of my wrist - fairly easy to hide, and I wear a watch anyway. Why am I getting it? Because 1. As American as I am, and I am so Americanized now it’s not even funny, I still connect with my culture. I don’t even think of myself as a desi girl anymore but I still consider myself mostly a Hindu. 2. I like the idea of inking myself once. It’s just a body and I only go through this life once. If it’s something I want to do, and it’s not hurting anyone and doesn’t cost more than I can afford, what is stopping me? 3. I live in an age where a woman can choose to not have kids, and choose to not get married, and dadgum, can choose to have a tattoo if she wants! I like it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/77 "2011-03-31T14:21:30Z")
You really shouldn’t judge me negatively on my tattoos. I’m such a stupid, brutish, and generally all around awful person that the tattoos are really just small potatoes. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/78 "2011-03-31T14:24:24Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Short list of careers of people i have known who also have tattoos:…Lawyer… I know one, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/79 "2011-03-31T14:24:34Z")
I do not have any tattoos. Possibly because I have commitment issues and would frequently change my mind about the design and/or want more. I really like seeing tattoos and have an almost uncontrollable urge to ask the owner all about theirs especially if they have many. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533/80 "2011-03-31T14:43:32Z")
I thought about mine for many years, that’s another thing. My nose piercing was not an impulsive thing; neither is this. I’ve known what I wanted for a long time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoos-got-em-want-em-hate-em-read-op-before-voting-please/576533.md?page=5)