# What do you think about Tatoos? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2016, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421 "2016-02-18T05:31:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/41 "2016-02-18T18:15:30Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Me too. Oh dear. Oh my I’m so sorry but tattooes are evil and this tattooed woman cavorting with witches just proves that tattooes are the Devils work. Now, now. I think the story is fake. Who would name a boy “Hope”? And who’s ever heard of “Nigeria”? I think it sounds a little too much like the n-word. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/42 "2016-02-18T18:20:54Z")
It’s hard for me to answer because multiple poll options seem to apply to me simultaneously. As an ideal, or for myself personally: Why would you ever get a tattoo?! I don’t understand. I will never, ever do it. I would never, ever encourage anyone to do it. If you want to wear art, put it on a shirt. As a practical matter: if it’s not my body, it’s not my business. Do what you like. As my opinion of someone: if I can’t see it, it doesn’t matter anyway. If I can see it, the more you have, the more you look like a freak. I know not to judge a book by its cover, but if you choose to cover yourself in tattoos, you have chosen to present a certain image to me. I feel much the same about most body modifications. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/43 "2016-02-18T18:24:04Z")
I have one. My wife has three. I couldn’t care less about other people’s choices, though in general I tend to find heavily tattooed women less attractive. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/44 "2016-02-18T18:25:26Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > if it’s not my body, it’s not my business. Do what you like. Why do so many people feel the need to make this point? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/45 "2016-02-18T18:34:19Z")
I don’t see how that’s any of your business. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/46 "2016-02-18T18:42:44Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’ve seen tattoos that are, on their own, nice enough bits of art but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone with a tattoo and thought “Boy, they look better for having that”. Seen plenty that made me think “That looks like garbage on them”. I can appreciate the art and craftsmanship in some of them, I just don’t think they benefit the person as a whole. My thoughts exactly. I’m often surprised when I see otherwise attractive people, and realize that - to me - ink does not in any way enhance their attractiveness, and most often detracts from it. At best, it is neutral. And I’ve seen a number of folk I personally do not consider attractive, who are even less so for their tats/piercings. Of course, anyone should be free to do whatever they want with their body, and should have no interest in what I personally consider attractive. (My daughter just got another one last weekend! :rolleyes:) ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/47 "2016-02-18T18:46:40Z")
> [@iljitsch](#): > > Why do so many people feel the need to make this point? Because so many people take “I would never ever get a tattoo” to be a criticism of their life choices. If they understood that the word “I” referred only to the speaker, then it wouldn’t be so important to emphasize that. I would think that people with such thin skin wouldn’t want tattoos in the first place, but that’s probably another thread. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/48 "2016-02-18T18:48:36Z")
I had to go back and read the OP a second time to see it was the child, not the tattooed aid worker who was considered a witch. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/49 "2016-02-18T18:53:59Z")
I don’t care what other people do with their bodies. Visually, tattoos can sometimes be mildly interesting to me. And I have seen many women who are attractive despite having massive tattoos. Generally speaking, though, the big ones tend to be at least a bit off-putting to me. Smaller ones, I am fine with! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/50 "2016-02-18T19:14:26Z")
Here in the “red state” Midwest, we are finally catching up to what you in other areas have probably been experiencing for years. I am starting to see people with tattoos on there faces fairly regularly now. That was something you would have seen, rarely, on some ex con or super low status person. Now I’m seeing them on otherwise fairly normal looking people at the grocery store. About a year ago I saw a lady about 45, dressed in business wear (skirt and jacket) very professional looking. She had flowers tattooed on her cheeks and they looked very fresh! That kind of freaked me out a little. I actually like really good tattoos on women but 90% of what I see is crap IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![iljitsch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/77aa72/32.png) [@iljitsch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iljitsch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/51 "2016-02-18T19:31:47Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Why do so many people feel the need to make this point? > > Because so many people take “I would never ever get a tattoo” to be a criticism of their life choices. And probably correctly so in many cases. In my view, it’s not unlike smoking. If people with tattoos, especially extreme ones (on the face…!) expect me to consider that a completely normal style choice, then they’re going to be disappointed. They get to do with their skin what they want, I get to have my (not offered unsolicited) opinions about that. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/52 "2016-02-18T19:33:46Z")
I’ve always felt a lot like **Blaster Master** on the subject- interesting, fascinating, and can sometimes be quite attractive within certain bounds. If my wife decided she wanted tattoos, I don’t think I’d care in the least, unless they were something really strange like Mike Tyson style face tattoos, or carnival sideshow full-body tattooing, and my main concern there would be more along the lines of “WTF is going on in her head?” and “How are our young children going to react?”. Ultimately it’s not my decision though- if she wants tattoos, that’s her body and her business. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/53 "2016-02-18T20:00:29Z")
I’m the first person to have no opinion in the poll, but I only voted that way because the poll options were each so very specific and none fit exactly my view. Whatever expressions you’re making public are open to judgment. I’m sometimes interested in what motivates a person to get a highly visible tattoo. Why did you get that? It’s a form of expression so what are you trying to express? Anyway, I don’t have any tattoos. I don’t think they look bad, I just don’t always understand them. My wife has a lot of tattoos, but not as highly visible as the girl helping the little witches. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/54 "2016-02-18T20:13:10Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Last night, I saw a _Nova_ episode on PBS about Otzi the Ice man. Who was murdered more than 5000 years ago, leaving behind a body that was preserved in a glacier. He had about 61 tattoos. Don’t hold your breath waiting for this “fad” to blow over. > . If you count a 1 inch line as a 'tattoo", but most were in groups which most would say is one tattoo. Their purpose was medical, not decorative. Ok, it depends: Marine with "Semper Fi’ or something on arm? Sure. Hippy type with a lovely art work piece? Sure. Guy with GF name? Unwise but not horrible. Gang tats? Bad. Body covered with craptastic cruddy stuff that looks bad? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/55 "2016-02-18T20:37:18Z")
None of my business, but on the whole, I think most people look better unmutilated. I am not convinced that tattooing and piercing are different behaviors than cutting. ---
**Author:** ![skylyn12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@skylyn12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skylyn12)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/56 "2016-02-18T21:05:27Z")
I don’t particularly like or dislike them in general (though they seem to really look great on some people and bad on others) I do have a strong (negative) reaction to tattoos on the hands. They just make the person look dirty to me. ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/57 "2016-02-18T21:07:26Z")
Yawn. We’ve done this before, many many times. Have you ever noticed that the people who are most judgmental about tattoos have the darndest time spelling the word correctly? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/58 "2016-02-18T21:14:57Z")
I don’t really care. My oldest son has 3/4 sleeves, and his back is covered and about half his chest. He also has them on his legs. His wife has her fair share, as well. As I said, I don’t really care, other than they’ve managed to spend over $10,000 on this. To be fair, he’s never asked me for money, but he does have a legal obligation from a divorce to put his kids through college and doesn’t have the money to fulfill it. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/59 "2016-02-18T21:17:06Z")
I like some tattoos, I think too much coverage is not that great of a look but not any worse than a bad haircut. The only ones that really give me pause are ones that are done badly, on the face, or are actively gross/bigoted/etc, and that’s because of what it says about the person’s beliefs or decision making ability. I also find the weird undertone to a lot of that a random woman is supposed to worry about whether she’s making herself more or less attractive to the tattoo dissapprover off-putting. That chick in Nigeria probably isn’t too worried that she’s not what you find sexy, she’s probably more interested in a guy that has his own ink than you anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421/60 "2016-02-18T23:57:41Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I also find the weird undertone to a lot of that a random woman is supposed to worry about whether she’s making herself more or less attractive to the tattoo dissapprover off-putting. That chick in Nigeria probably isn’t too worried that she’s not what you find sexy, she’s probably more interested in a guy that has his own ink than you anyway. Sure, but the question is “What do you think of tattoos?” Just answering the question honestly doesn’t imply an expectation that some random woman on the other side of the world is supposed to lament her odds of having sex with me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-tatoos/746421.md?page=4)