I also think we need to make a distinction between conspicuous tattoos and those that are generally covered. There is a big difference between a sleeve and a small shamrock over your naughty bits.
ALso, as for the ‘meaningful’ tattoos- I do understand the idea. But you must admit that folks that do this are outnumbered 3 million to 1 (give or take a few). Or else a whole lot of folks have had significant life changing experiences involving butterflies, dolphins, celtic knotwork and barbed wire.
I do not understand the point of getting a tattoo that has significance to you, and putting it in a place where no-one else is likely to see it. I don’t care if you do it, I’m middle aged and boring and so whatever you do will not affect me, but I just don’t understand it. Will you forget the death of your own mom if you do not get a tattoo when it happens? Will her life have less meaning to you if you do not get ink put in your skin? This is not intended to be criticism, just an act I have never understood.
As for tattoos in general, I am not a big fan. But if you are doing the tattoo for body decoration, single color designs sure seem to age a heck of a lot better than small pictures. Does everyone get a celtic knot? So? Getting a tattoo can no longer be considered a sign of individuality anyway, so the popularity of a single design might just mean that it is an attractive design.
Plus as a previous poster noted (hamsters too slow tonight to scroll to first page to remember who) most pictures are just not good art. People who would never think about sketching a scene to hang on their wall decide that they should create some art for their body?
Because it’s not for anyone else. It’s for me.
Yes, but why? Is it for when you are old and senile and might forget something important that happened in your life? A quick peek in the mirror and you say “Oh yeah! I DID have a daughter!” If an event is really so important to you, wouldn’t you remember it without a tattoo?
Well, 21 male here, and I don’t like tattoos, male or female. IMO, skin should be clean and natural - I’d feel the same way about excessive makeup. Sure, for a night on some special occasion, or a fancy dress event, but it seems to be begging for attention all the time, and in a non-classy manner.
YMMV.
I’ve got one tattoo. It’s of this, which is the clan crest for my mother’s family. In a way, it’s pretty much a variant on having “Mom” tattooed on there. Safe, because it’s the one person/subject that I probably will never radically change my opinion about. It’s in black ink, a much cleaner design than the one I linked to, and on my right shoulder, high enough so it’s completely hidden even in a short-sleeved shirt. Since I seldom go about shirtless, you’ll never see it unless I make a point to show it to you.
I don’t speak Gaelic, but I’ve been given to understand that the text translates roughly as “Unity.” Could actually mean “sheep-shagger” for all I know, or care. Literal meaning isn’t the point: emotional meaning is what counts. Of the already tiny pool of people who are ever going to see it, an even smaller percentage (approx. 0%) of them are going to be able to read Gaelic. So, for all intents and purposes, it means whatever I say it means.
Why’d I get it? I wanted it. I think it looks nice. I wanted to know if I could get a tattoo: I was pretty sure I was going to chicken out right up until the moment the needle touched my skin, and I’m proud of myself for going through with it. I don’t much care how ugly it’ll make me look in fifteen years. I’m not much of a catch as it is, anyway, and will no doubt be less of one in another decade and a half, so who gives a shit? Besides, it’s only my arm. I’ve got another one. Generally speaking, I don’t really see it as a permanent alteration, because I’m not particularly permanent myself, am I? At best, my tattoo has a shelf-life of about fifty years, at which point it expires along with the rest of me. Might as well enjoy my body while I’ve still got it, and that includes decorating it in whatever manner I find most pleasing. As with so much else in life, if anyone has a problem with it, that’s their problem, not mine.
Oh, I’m a guy, 28 years old, and I got the tattoo about a year and a half ago. No regrets to date. Would really like another one, as soon as I can figure out what I want and where I want it.
A lot of comments have been made on how tattoos don’t age well, i.e., they get blurry, fade, etc. The thing about old tattoos is that they’re usually on old people. Somehow I don’t think that anyone is going to look at me when I’m 85 and say, “Damn, she’d be a hottie except for those scraggly tatts!”
(I don’t have any tattoos at the moment, and no real plans to get any in the near future. But I’m not especially worried about how my tattoos would look when I’m old–I’ll be blurry and faded, too.)
Hate to disillusion you, but color tattoos inked when you are 20 are faded and blurred by the time you are mid 40s. And women in their mid 40s still like to be considered hotties. And if they haven’t smoked their way into premature wrinkes, they often are still hotties.
BoringDad, I don’t understand your point. It is my body. To do with as I please. The fact that my sweetheart finds it attractive is an added bonus.
Let me say that once more: It is my body. My reasons are my own. Whether you (or anyone else) approve or disapprove, really has no bearing on the subject. I got it, I like it, and that’s all that really matters. It’s part of me. Just like my eye color, my red hair, and my attitude. And just like my eye color, my red hair and my attitude, I’m not changing it to please anyone else.
Hear hear! I’m planning on getting the same tat myself. Because I love my baby, and I love her tat AND the subject of it. I’ll prolly get a second one on my arm. Because it’s something I care about passionately! I don’t give a shit what it will look like in 20 years. If it’s faded and blurry, I’ll wear it like a badge of honor because I decided SO LONG AGO to have it done! To all of you who think it’s skanky, or low-class, or whatever… come with us all… into the the 21st century. I thought we left all that prejudice back in the OLD century. :rolleyes: Women are people too, functioning members of society… hell, they can make decisions and everything! another :rolleyes:
Did I ever in this thread tell you that I was offended by your choice? That it appalled me? That I thought it was skanky? That you should never get a tattoo? Hmm, let me check. Nope. I didn’t.
This forum is “In My Humble Opinion”, is it not? Usually people who post here have opinions and are in the mood to share them. People who are curious about opinions then ask questions.
Several people posted the opinon that they got tattoos to mark special occasions in their lives, but that they got them in places that almost no-one would see. I was asking the question “Why do you get a tattoo (just for you) to commemorate an important event in your life?” If you do not feel like answering that question, fine. But there is no need to get all bent out of shape and imply that I was trying to control your actions or that I condemned them.
And, if6was9, what makes you think that my comments related soley to women? The thread title is about tattoos on women, but the discussion has been far more free ranging. The only reason I mentioned the fading of tattoos was because mirror image egami rorrim is young (happened to see that in another thread) and I thought to inform her that tatooos get faded long before you are 85. Some people really may not know that. Jeez, I thought I was more likely to get jumped about the smoking wrinkles comment.
No. You said “I do not understand the point of getting a tattoo that has significance to you, and putting it in a place where no-one else is likely to see it.” When it was explained to you (by a few people, not just me), you again asked “Why?” I again attempted to explain that it’s for ME. I did answer your question. That is the reason. For me. You seem to be under some strange impression that a tattoo must be displayed in order for the signifigance to be valid. It doesn’t. The signifigance and meaning are there; who I decide to share that with is up to me.
I have 25-year-old tattoos that still look good. Bright color, distinct lines. The body they’re etched into isn’t looking so good these days, but the ink still looks fresh. If they’re well done to start with, and if they’re protected from the sun, tattoos can age better than the people who wear them.
I do agree that most people don’t have what I consider good taste. I see a lot of ugly, stupid-looking tattoos, and wonder what the person was thinking. But one thing is pretty sure: they weren’t thinking about what I would think of their choice. When I chose mine, I wasn’t thinking about what you would think. Still, I’ve been told by several people who admit to disliking tattoos in general that they like mine a lot. That’s nice to hear, of course, but if I were the sort of person who worried a lot about what others thought, I probably wouldn’t have got the tattoos in the first place.
If you don’t like tattoos, don’t get any. I doubt that a tattooed person will ever get in your face and demand to know why you don’t have any, or judge you negatively for your choice. Too bad so many non-tattooed people can’t show the same courtesy. With or without tattoos, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for marriage proposals from royalty. Then again, you might be surprised how many princes, princesses, and other “quality” types have them. They haven’t been just for bikers and sailors for a long, long time.
Not a sign of originality? No longer an act of rebellion? Oh my. Shall I get rid of everything in my life that doesn’t signify individuality and rebellion? How about not getting tattoos–is that a sign of individuality? Where do people get the idea that those who like tattoos think of them as acts of rebellion? I’ve known many heavily inked people, and I’ve never heard of anyone who thinks of them as such. Sure, I do recommend designing the work yourself, and not choosing from the flash on the wall. Same for decorating your house, or dressing yourself. Make your own choices, and don’t try to look just like everyone else. Your choices aren’t likely to be radically different from most other people’s choices, but they are yours nevertheless. They won’t please everyone.
If you think tattoos are an inarticulate means of expression, perhaps you’ve overlooked the possibility that the person wearing the tattoos isn’t trying to express anything to you. Ordinarily, my appearance is extremely conservative, neat and well groomed. On those occasions when I do display my tattoos, I’m grateful that they tend to discourage certain people–small-minded, judgmental people–from approaching me.
Ah, I see. Because everything a woman does has to do with a man. Sorry, I’m a guy and even I saw through that one. :smack:
I tell me girlfriend precisely that many times a day, every day. She got her nose and the cartilege in one ear pierced about six weeks ago. It’s small and not at all trashy, and the nose stud is blue and actually kind of cute. I wasn’t keen on the idea since she did it on a whim at about 2 in the morning, but she did it because she wanted to and I didn’t have much to do with it aside from holding her hand when they jabbed her. And I still tell her she’s beautiful and I love her (both of which are absolutely true), and sometimes we talk about getting a ‘couples’ tattoo in the future - maybe a pair of necking swans or something.
All that said, I agree that you can go way too far with the stuff. There wasn’t a single employee of the parlor that didn’t have either tattoos or piercings (sometimes weird ones) to excess, and when overdone it DOES look trashy. And when you’ve got that much art going on, I do wonder how it’ll look at 50. I also agree that certain looks and placements are cliched. But I just can’t see small tattoos as a big deal, though.
Personal experience: my best friend has an outline tattoo of a phoenix on her right hip. It’s cool. She has a cellist friend who has f-holes tattooed into her back. Kinda like the cover of The Red Violin. I can see that actually accenting the female form pretty nicely.
Eh, I’m with Eve. Don’t have moral reasons against them, just aesthetic ones.
First, the limitations of technology. I don’t like the way skin makes the colors look muted in a moldy-bread sort of way, and I don’t really think it’s worth it anyway until people can get tattoos that are fluorescent, animated, holographic, or iridescent.
And secondly, the designs people get. Designs people should stop getting tattooed with are as follows:
butterflies
Celtic knotwork
random “x-treme” abstract designs that look like they should be on the bottom of a snowboard or something
flowers, especially roses
Designs more people should have permanently etched into their skin:
copies of art by Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher, Albrecht Duerer, and Mad Magazine greats like Basil Wolverton, among others
Renaissance perspective drawings
Dobbsheads, especially in the original halftone
Viking knotwork, and anything relating to Vikings, especially full-color scenes of looting, burning, raping, and pillaging
hieroglyphic inscriptions of some of the more badass aspects of ancient Egyptian religion. I highly recommend the declarations against coprophagy (“I will not eat shit. Shit is my abomination. The lord Geb commanded that I not eat shit. I will not drink piss…”) or anything involving the phallus glyph. Bonus points if you use a word with the “phallus emitting fluid” glyph.
diagrams of unrecognizable machine parts. Especially in a large array spanning a large surface of skin.
origami instructions
can openers
any Devo-related design (an energy dome would be bitchen)
Mathematical formulae, graphs of curves, Moebius strips, Klein bottles, etc.
Op Art
self-portraits
This has been a public service announcement. As always, YMMV.
Oh, hey, now you’re talking! How about a tattoo of the Mad zeppelin, or their impossible three-pronged object? Or would it work for a woman to somehow get a Fold-in tattoo on her labia?
It would be kinda cool to get a tattoo of Herve Villechaize…
I have apparently been unclear in my question. What I am curious about has nothing at all to do with who you show it to. I accept your right to get a tattoo that no-one else can see. I don’t care and am not judging you. I am not trying to criticize or get in your face. I am just trying to satisfy my own curiosity.
Here is the basis of my question: Typically memorials are public things. A statue in the city park, etc. The logic that I have always understood about such things is that people will see the memorials and be inspired to remember the person or event, or to learn about the person or event to find out what the big deal was.
Now if you get a tattoo to honor an event in your life, and you are not planning on displaying it publicly, then you are not intending it to inspire others or spread awareness of the event. (Saw an article once about a man who had “Autism” tattooed on his chest just for this purpose, to spread awareness.)
So it is just for you. That is fine. I am not judging or saying it is good or bad. Hmm. How can I best put what I am asking so as not to continue to unintentional piss you off. Ah crud. Kids getting into a fight. I’ll try to formulate a more coherent quetion later.
OK. Here is a situation that seems analagous to me, but I am sure that it will not to youMaureen. If you could tell me where the analogy breaks down, perhaps I would understand.
I have a child, and to celebrate, I have an artist paint a picture for me. I then take the picture and lock it up where I cannot see it without great effort. I take it with me wherever I move. And I do not show it to anyone. And if someone asks to see it, I tell them “No, I’d rather not show it. It is just for me.” Meanwhile, I can perfectly well remember that I had a child, and what day she was born, because I think about her every day. So why did I have the picture painted?
If this still pisses you off, I apologize, and I give up and accept it as a mystery I will never understand. Kind of like the mystery of why people eat yellow mustard when there is brown mustard available.
But would you not agree that this is the exception rather than the rule?
My comment about tattoos no longer being a sign of originality was directed at those who were complaining that “everyone gets celtic knots.” Those comments obviously implied that they thought a tattoo SHOULD be riginal. My take was that Celtic knots are attractive, and so why not get them? I thought that was more pro-tattoo than anti-tattoo.
Wait a second! If tattoos are not an act of individuality, then why shouldn’t I choose one from the wall? If you are advocating me create my own design, then you are telling me that tattoos SHOULD be an attempt to show my individuality. But didn’t you just say that they weren’t?
Yow! Did anyone in this thread say that? Did I miss it? I think that tattoos are art. Some good, some bad, just like on canvas.
For those of you talking about how tattoos go all old and blurry and fadey – You do realize that you can have them worked over, right? IIRC, one of Penn & Teller’s roadies has the 3 of Clubs on the palm of his hand, and he has to have it reworked fairly often.
