Otzi, the mummified man found in a Alpine glacier some years back, had several dozen small tattoos. The most interesting thing about them is that they are in locations that correspond to modern acupuncture points.
One other thing. I’ve always heard that people should never get any kind of commemorative tattoo for at least 5 years after the event.
Hands too, and many artists will not do genitalia, either.
PBS has had an ongoing series where they followed a group of Harvard-educated physicians, beginning in the 1980s when they were in medical school. One episode is called “The Tattooed Doctor” and his were indeed in placed covered by clothing. Thing is, he can now only get jobs in places where nobody else will work, even though his license is in good standing, and I suspect it’s about a lot more than his tattoos. At the time of the last update, he didn’t even have health insurance. :eek:
As someone said on a message board after the last episode aired, “If you buck the system long enough, you will eventually be bucked OUT of the system.”
There’s one at the mall where I’m going to walk later today, if I can ever pry myself away from this board. 
There was one in the mall in the small city where I used to live, too. It got some notoriety a few years ago when a guy got his tongue pierced, and proceeded to pass out at the wheel and crash his car on the way home. He was not seriously injured.
I’ve never liked/appreciated tattoos on anyone. But, yesterday, I was watching a documentary about Flight 93, and one of the people who witnessed the plane crash had a big Flight 93/American flag tattoo, and I thought that was so touching. If I were to get a tattoo, Flight 93 would be something I would consider.
Deface and degrade themselves? Really? So you’re valuing women on how they look? Because that’s the only way that a tattoo would decrease/degrade them.
My niece got this large back tattoo of praying hands holding a rosary with my parents’ names on it as a memorial thing. It’s hideous, my niece is not anywhere close to being a devout Catholic (although my parents were), and my mother hated tattoos, particularly on women. A miss all around, because she really did want to do something to memorialize her beloved grandparents. They both would’ve preferred that she go to Mass, say a pray and light a candle.
StG
I recently saw a program about TWA Flight 800 (and let’s not start a whizzing contest about that, 'k?) and the parents of two sisters who died on that flight said that one of them had gotten a large tattoo on her upper arm. It was a big starburst, and they had opposed her doing this, but after her death, this was how she was identified.
I’d say I like about 50% of the tattoos I’ve seen on women. Some I like quite a lot. YMMV
Heh, I’ve got a grown step-daughter who biological father (who was a friend of mine since the girls were little kids) died as result of a terrible auto accident. Anyway, he was opposed to tattoos. Hatred them. Still her brilliant idea of a “great way to memorialize her father” was to get a big ass gaudy tattoo on her arm with a picture she came up with and his name. Brilliant. A fitting tribute to a beloved father who HATED tattoos is NOT to tattoo his name on your arm.
It takes a special kind of dumb to dismiss an art form that has been practiced for centuries across cultures.
And I suppose you’d think it awesome if your buddies all went and got plates put in their lips. After all, it was done in some aboriginal tribal cultures. And I suppose it would fill you with joy to view before a jackal god. And I also suppose you’d get a tickle in your britches if your momma wa into foot binding. After all, these are all idiotic activities once (and still) observed by various cultures.
The point being, just because some cultural infants did something doesn’t make it sensible. Sometimes stupidity is just that: stupidity.
Seriously, it’s totally ok that you don’t get it.
I don’t believe that either communist nor noncommunist China practice foot binding. Though there are a few body modification buffs that have practiced adult foot binding.
So don’t get one. What I don’t really understand is why it’s so incumbent on you to insult all of us, and I’m also not sure why you haven’t gotten a warning, considering you are directly insulting tattoo-wearers by calling us “stupid, idiotic, idiots, dumbasses, dumb” and probably more.
You couldn’t even see my tattoo unless I directly showed it to you. I think it’s rather tasteful, small, and easily hidden. But it’s still grouped in the same category as people who put giant faces all across their backs with horrible art and worse ink.
Plaths awen’t tho bahd, cthept when you twy to eath thoup, then ith geths a wittle methy.
Hey, who you calling a cultural infant?
Why do tattoo discussions always devolve into the un-tattooed stating they don’t like them and don’t understand the appeal arguing against the tattooed who become defensive and insult the un-tattooed. And, btw, since when are college students in tribes? If you’re Maori tribal go on and get your tribal tats, but don’t be a college student claiming to have tribal tats.
Here is one thing the un-tattooed know: tats do not improve one’s looks. If they did there would never have been carnival freak shows like “the Tattooed Lady.”
When was the last time you saw a freak show at all, let alone one that featured a “tattooed lady”?
So no comment about Tacit Knowledge’s insults towards tattooed people?
I don’t expect you to think my tattoo looks nice or like it. I do expect at least a modicum of respect and civility for being human.
BTW, I am almost 40. But I am a (returning) college student. So I guess you have me pegged! Only college students get tats!