google “escher tattoo” and you’ll get pages of them. the skull tat is awesome.
I doubt it at this point. They’re way past the “fad” point. I agree with Unintentionally Blank that they’re about as faddish as earrings.
On a personal note then, that makes me sad, because to me, it’s another sign of the idea that you (collectively) think that everyone needs to know about you, whether they actually need to or not. At least bumper stickers, T-shirts, magnetic ribbons people put on their cars are removable if they change their minds about something, or their son Chad is no longer #43 on the Lions basketball team (or Brooke is no longer a cheerleader).
And that may be another part of my distaste for this trend/non-trend, and I’m starting to think of it as the myspace generation. In myspace, people put things out there for the public that would in the past have remained (relatively) private. If you’re at a party, and mug for a camera, or had some other embarrassing/personal pictures, you pretty much shared those pictures with your group of friends, not for the world at large. Now, thanks to social networking sites (and fora, like this one), you can share the most intimate details of your life with complete strangers.
I’m not convinced that’s such a great idea for a couple of reasons: one is a lesson I learned a long time ago: “The world is much less interested in you than you are.” Two, and this is just my opinion (the same as the rest of this ramble), I wonder if society is becoming more and more narcissistic, as evidenced by reality TV, for instance. Maybe Andy Warhol was right, or maybe I’m just full of shit, and projecting my own inhibitions onto the topic. I’m not trying to hijack the thread, or give things more meaning than they deserve, however, I do think the trend (and IMO, it is a trend that will die down) is…“symptom” is too strong a word, but for lack of something better…a symptom of a larger cultural change.
Society will evolve of course, and change, and that’s one reason why I think the trend will die down. But the real fact is no one knows what’ll happen – maybe it’ll be even more accepted, and therefore more pervasive.
Or maybe I just have too much time on my hands…I think about shit like this on my 40 minute commute (each way) to and from work.
I know a woman who has a Frank Lloyd Wright tat around her wrist. It is just beautiful!
The people who are getting tattoos now are going to keep moving on through time. My guess is that at some point in the near future, fifteen and sixteen-year-olds are going to collectively decide that tattoos are something that old people, like thirty-year-olds, do and therefore are hopelessly uncool. Teenagers will stop wanting to get tattoos when their parents have them.
Geez, and I thought monogrammed towels were a commitment.
Regards,
Shodan
Put it this way, don’t get a tattoo for the wrong reasons:
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You think it’ll make you more interesting to others.
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You think it’ll make you more sexy, cool, hip, whatever.
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You think it’ll be a good conversation starter to get them talking about something personal, or an ideal you have. Basically, attention whoring.
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You think it’ll help you fit in with [insert group here].
Let’s not forget, unlike clothes, hair and jewelry, this shit is virtually permanent. You get inked to make a statement or not… it’s with you for the rest of your life. You can’t just shampoo it out.
The trends getting derided here, mostly fit in to the above reasons. They’re reasons based on fleeting feelings and circumstances. The wrong reasons to get an indelible mark on your flesh.
The thing about getting inked though, is there’s sort of something inherently anti-social about it. It seems to work best that way—the antithesis of the reasons listed above.
Mind-boggling, I tell you!
I can’t even believe that a tattoo artist would go along with this! I can’t even begin to imagine why someone would have this done to themselves. This is just all kinds of wrong and it disturbs me to look at it! Can you even imagine how much money and time went into this?
Much like the teenagers did 35-45 years ago when they saw the people who are in their 80s and 90s (mostly war tatts, granted). Also much like the teenagers did 10-20 years ago when they saw how uncool the people in their 50s and 60s are with them (also granted, many fewer than the current boom of tatts). Also much like the teens now are when they see the uncool people in their 30s and 40s with tatts.
So we’re counting on the kids who are currently 0-5ish thinking tatts aren’t going to be cool by the time they’re teens? I’m guessing not so much.
I mean, I see your point, but I think the most that’ll happen is a lessening trend. It seems to me that tatts have become nearly as mainstream (if not quite as prevalent) as piercings, and those have been pretty constant over the past few thousand years.
Prelude, I like your ideas. Please, keep commuting and thinking. 
Who the hell gets a BOW TIE tattooed on? (I think thats’ what that is)
The strangest part is what is apparently a career criminal getting such treatment. I mean, you are really making it easy for the cops there. 
(Cop) “Who robbed your store?”
(Victim) "I dunno, but his face was covered with pentagram tattoos, and he had a poka-dotted bow tie tattood on his neck … 
"
(Cop, sighing) "Okay, we gotta haul in Michael Campbell again. :rolleyes: "
My friend has a big Yosemite Sam on her calf and she probably got in when she was using, in her 20s. “I really wanted <some other cartoon character> but my friend who was doing it just had Yosemite Sam so I got that.”
Um, I’m pretty sure a tattoo design isn’t something you should settle for.
Many times, I have seen a cool or funny design and thought, “Would that look good on me, forever?” So far, I haven’t answered yes. A minor accident at work left me with a little chip of red plastic under the skin on my forearm. After a couple of years, it worked itself out of the skin, and that was my only tat so far.
I’d like to get a t-shirt in Chinese or Japanese, saying, “He doesn’t know this says he’s a fool.” When the joke got stale, I could toss out the shirt. If it were a tattoo, I couldn’t do that.
I’ve seen pictures of folks with large, elaborate, beautiful works on their backs. It must have cost a fortune, and they’ll never directly see them!
On ESPN, a pro basketball player was asked about his tattoos. He explained that a friend was a beginning tattoo artist, “and I’m letting him practice on me.” :smack:
My brother e-mailed me a series of photoshopped pics, titled “If tattoos said what they really mean.” One showed the nude back of a woman. She had a filigreed figure just below her waist, and the same design, inverted, across her shoulders. Above the lower one was pasted in, “My name is Kathy”. Below the upper one, inverted, was, “My name is Kathy”. Whether giving head or doggy-style, her latest partner was unlikely to scream out some other girl’s name.
Nzinga, Seated said,
That’s brilliant!
Decorative AND practical. 
How many tattooed people walk around in regret of getting their tattoo(s)? I’ve not met one yet, and many I do know in my conservative circles go for more.
I am going from no ink to quite a bit soon.
This is about what I am getting and I am built pretty much like that and I am a corporate senior manager. Prob will leave off the forearm part.
baaaaaa…baaaaaaa
I’ve met a couple people who regret tatts. They both said “young and stupid” as the reason. One of them had “loser” done in not particularly nice handwriting on his hand. At least it wasn’t huge.
Ooh. I love it! Post pics when you have it done?
Gladly!
Trying to get some time next week and it’ll take at least 2-3 sittings. I just always wanted to do it. I am a pretty buttoned down guy by day (economic conservative politically) and fairly liberal socially.
I have been getting in extraordinary shape so that it ‘works’ on me.
you just have to meet the right people, I worked with a guy named Kevin, he was pretty much white trash but a nice guy, he had several home made tats as in take a needle wrap it in thread and then dip it in india ink and poke yourself (or your friend) over and over.
one said “Kev”
crap like that and girls that get stupid girly tats the instant they can in stupid places like hands are pretty common regrets.
the only regret I have about any of mine is my first one is to small but since its a small star surrounded by a bigger one I might just add another layer to bring it up to size.
as for teens not liking tats cause old people have them…yeah right. my students love my tats.