Tattoos

[Brian63]

Do you have any tattoos on your body? Do you like having them, or regret getting them? Why did you pick the designs that you did?

I have zilch myself, never had any appeal. Am turned off when I see them on women that I otherwise would find attractive. The woman's body is attractive enough in a more "raw" form that any ink like that on top of it tends to be off-putting. Though appreciate other cosmetics like lipstick, nail polish, etc. So it would likely be more of an association of a tattoo with being a masculine feature than a feminine one, and am very heterosexual here.

What I really have trouble understanding though is when very young children have tattoos. Why would parents allow their young children to make that decision, when they are (please correct me if I am wrong here) very hard to remove from the body? As the child's body grows, the tattoo would probably become distorted as well, yes?

Unless there is some cosmetic/medical reason for doing so, say to cover up a surgical scar, I could never fathom getting a tattoo on my own body, would never find it attractive on my partner's body, and would not allow for my young child to have any.

How much do they typically cost as well (U.S. currency here)?

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

I have several. I love having them, but then I chose designs that had special meaning to me of course. For example, on my forearms I have Psi and Phi (which is how the ancient Greeks denoted the hard problem of consciousness; i.e., whether matter creates mind or mind creates matter). They're small (each about an inch long) and have since faded a bit over time (got them twenty years ago), but I still love them:



Some people get addicted to the pain (like "cutting") and some just like adding ones at certain milestones of their lives.

As to cost that depends on many different factors (how large/intricate; how many colors; who you go to; etc), but generally speaking you should expect around $300 for a professional job if you're in a city like New York. Probably less in different or smaller cities.

 

[Playball40]

No tattoo artist I know would tattoo a child. Most won't do it under 16 and even then requires parental approval. BTW, don't be so judgmental. You don't know why someone may have/want a tattoo. I will give my child permission when they turn 16 to help mimic/cover some horrible scars on their body.

That said, yes, I have two. One is a TARDI and the other is the HHGG logo with the words Don't Panic.

 

[Brian63]

BTW, don't be so judgmental. You don't know why someone may have/want a tattoo.

BTW, don't be so argumentative.

Really, I offered up some possible reasons already why in the OP. Some may simply like them. Others may have them to cover up a surgical scar, for instance.

 

[Playball40]

BTW, don't be so judgmental. You don't know why someone may have/want a tattoo.

BTW, don't be so argumentative.

Really, I offered up some possible reasons already why in the OP. Some may simply like them. Others may have them to cover up a surgical scar, for instance.

The woman's body is attractive enough in a more "raw" form that any ink like that on top of it tends to be off-putting. Though appreciate other cosmetics like lipstick, nail polish, etc.

Was it you who said this? It's pretty 'off-putting' and rude.

 

[Brian63]

No more than saying someone finds one hair color more attractive than another, or one type of genitalia more than another. If someone says they like carrot cake and dislike German chocolate cake, that is not being rude to GC cake. It is describing a personal taste.

If someone says they like tattoos on their romantic partners, they are similarly not diminishing the value of people who do NOT have tattoos. They are just describing a personal taste preference. Or if they prefer the look of certain suits or dresses or jewelry over others.

 

[Shake]

I have none and haven't been able to come up with a justification for getting one which made any sense to me. I understand that others have their reasons and I don't begrudge them their choices, nor do I judge them. I enjoy looking at nicely done ones and am not turned off by women with tattoos, either. I also like the idea of covering scars or other tattoos.

The only thing I've come up with that I would potentially do — although it's never going to happen — is if I were somehow to qualify for the Olympics, I could see getting the rings somewhere. I've seen athletes with them, and think that's pretty cool.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Speaking for myself, there is also a "cool" factor involved. When I was younger, I also swore I'd never get one and I would dismiss others who did as white trash or posers or the "scary kids" etc. "Others" in other words, that weren't like me and that I judged accordingly, but also secretly thought, "Wow, they're cool. I would never have the balls to do that. It's got to hurt and what will others think and why did that do that to their bodies" etc., etc., etc.

So for me, my first one at least, was definitely a rite of passage; of seeing what the deal was and why others did such things. Basically an attempt to account for my younger judgemental self. I went through a whole period in my late twenties trying to reconcile my middle class upbringing and all the judgements that this entailed in regard to others (primarily the result of having moved from the suburbs of St. Louis to Eugene, Oregon when I was ten in 1976; it was quite a culture shock and I was scared of the new, very different environment in Eugene, so I withdrew into a judgemental self in order to put some distance between what scared me in this new place).

St Louis was a place of manners and rules and "good boy" expectations and the like, whereas Eugene was hippy central (like, real hippies, not the posers in San Francisco and elsewhere), where everyone did their own thing and questioned authority and so on.

Then I got my first one and discovered it's not really that painful. It is, but not what you think it's going to be; basically (and depending on where you get one), it's like a hundred bee stings. My issue actually isn't with the pain so much as it is my blood sugar from the trauma to the skin, so there's always a moment after about five minutes into one that I have to stop and eat something or else I feel like I'm going to puke or pass out.

That passes and then I'm good to go for the remainder.

It's definitely personal. It fundamentally changes you and your personality, either by bringing it out more or just giving you something that you know has a particular meaning to you and maybe others will "get it" too. So far only ONE person knew what my forearms indicated. Most think it's a fraternity thing, which really annoys me because I hate frat boys, but hey, you buy the ticket, you ride the ride.

I guess it's the fact that it's there for life that really appeals to me, because it means you really need to think about its meaning and whether or not it's something that could last for your whole life. There is one I definitely want to cover up. It was the second one I got and it's on my back (just below the neckline). It's the Monopoly guy from the "Pay Poor Tax of $15" card (not a picture of the actual tat):



At the time, it was perfect for me, because I was a struggling artist in New York and considered myself a millionaire just with no money and he had my back (literally). Now, some thirty years later, I still like the irony/duality, but it's too small and turning into an indistinct blob and generally too cutesy/immature for my 53 year old tastes. BUT, it still has significance, just more in the sense that old photographs have significance.

So, yes, one definitely needs to think about what they are doing and why they are doing it and even then, years later, it can be regretful.

But, as I said, as a ritual? As a rite of passage?

When I was seventeen I did the whole backpacking through Europe thing and at that time I had only the year before lost my virginity. So when my buddy and I got to Amsterdam, I was determined to go to a prostitute. She would teach me the ways of pleasing a woman like no other fumbling teenage encounter could possibly do and I would then become a great lover. Etc.

To do so, I had to get some "Dutch courage" (drink and smoke pot). I chose a beautiful woman--like Playboy centerfold beautiful--and worked up the courage for about fifteen minutes (thinking of what I would say and what it would be like and should I really do this, I'm not that kind of guy, etc., etc., etc.) and finally I found myself walking across the street straight up to the door like I was in an adrenaline dream. I grasped the door knob, had a moment of panic and then opened the door and went in. Boom.

After that? It was pretty much, "Ok, honey, over here and I'll wash your dick and put on this condom and you can't do this and you can't do that and money now, and go." Iow, very clinical; a job. She didn't give a fuck about me, I didn't know what the hell I was doing (and she was clearly annoyed by that) and the whole idea that I was in a Cinemax soft-core Emmanuelle Teaches Teenager The Art of Making Love movie was starkly crushed.

It was all very surgical and impersonal (of course) and just generally nothing like I had ever fantasized it would be in my adolescent thoughts--or even in the thoughts I had in those fifteen minutes before finally deciding to go in.

What I realized after it was all over, was that, the transformative act wasn't the sex or really anything to do with this other human being who clearly didn't give a shit about me and just wanted me to come and go; it was opening the door.

 

[Politesse]

I am too impermanent in my preferences to imagine that I would ever be happy eternally with some marking or other, so I have never sought one out. That said, I think the common prejudice against tattoos in general is motivated more by the lingering breaths of Christian Pietism than any rational basis, and can safely be discarded. Tattoos are the most intimate of art forms, shaping the body itself into an artistic expression, and in a much less damaging way than most other forms of bodily modification. Tattoos are among the most ancient of art forms; several of the most ancient bodies we have discovered, from the Otzi Ice Man (~3400 BCE), to the Tarim mummy (~850 BCE) sported them.

 

[ronburgundy]

I have none, b/c I don't believe in anything enough to want to have it visibly associated with me forever. Also, I just don't adorn by body with anything but basic clothing and don't put that much effort into that either beyond the priority of comfort. I wear no jewelry, including no wedding ring.

I don't think badly of those with tatts, but also don't think it makes them any more interesting as people either. They've become so prevalent now that getting one is more likely an act of conformity than individuality, and few tats I see are original or creative. It seems like your not allowed to be a bartender anymore unless you have visible tatts.

That said, I think they often can make a women look sexy and think they generally look better on women than men (in part b/c there's less body hair). I don't get the OP notion that they are inherently more "masculine". Maybe it's tied to some sense of "toughness"? But I like tough women (not body builders, though).

Piercings are another matter. I find facial piercings kinda gross, unattractive and distracting on either sex, like a booger hanging from their nose or smudge on their face that I just want to pick off. And driving a steel rod through your tongue is crazy and causes dental problems in a large % of people. Blowjobs feel good enough.

 

[steve_bank]

You can go retro and tattoo Mother on your chest.

One person gets a tattoo and that is unique. Everybody gets one and it is passé.

Whatever floats your boat. I never liked makeup on women let alone a tattoo.

 

[rousseau]

I have none, b/c I don't believe in anything enough to want to have it visibly associated with me forever. Also, I just don't adorn by body with anything but basic clothing and don't put that much effort into that either beyond the priority of comfort. I wear no jewelry, including no wedding ring.

I don't think badly of those with tatts, but also don't think it makes them any more interesting as people either. They've become so prevalent now that getting one is more likely an act of conformity than individuality, and few tats I see are original or creative. It seems like your not allowed to be a bartender anymore unless you have visible tatts.

This is how I feel about them too. I don't signal via my appearance, including phrases and logos on my clothing, and I can't imagine much that is important enough that I show others, that I'd put it there for the rest of my life.

Most people I know with tattoos have inconspicuous ones that don't really make a difference, and seem like are just something done for the hell of it. Those with conspicuous tats usually seem to be making a statement about the kind of life they want to lead. I don't see those paths cross too often in the white-collar world.

 

[Brian63]

I don't get the OP notion that they are inherently more "masculine". Maybe it's tied to some sense of "toughness"? But I like tough women (not body builders, though).

Or associated with higher testosterone, whatever way you want to phrase it.

Note that I am not defending that that should be the perspective, but it is the perspective which I do (mistakenly) hold. It is not bigoted or "judgmental" as well to hold that view. It is simply correct or incorrect.



Whether a person finds any particular cosmetic a turnoff or turnon is also not "judgmental" either, it is a harmless preference. When I wrote the OP I was wondering if those kinds of responses would follow at all, and they had.

 

[steve_bank]

For males I'd say tattoos are an affectation. It implies masculinity. Like buying a Harley and wearing leathers.

 

[Toni]

My personal opinions are that the human body is so beautiful that tattoos are defacing great art, like spray painting a Michelangelo.

Also, to me, tattoos remind me of the numbers tattooed on the arms of Jews and other prisoners during WWII.

Also sailors--although not a negative connotation there. Just an aside...

The other part of my personal opinion is that is none of my business if you want to deface your body with ink. Seriously, it makes me sad whenever someone I know gets one or another one. But I still think it's none of my business.

 

[ronburgundy]

For males I'd say tattoos are an affectation. It implies masculinity. Like buying a Harley and wearing leathers.

It did prior to about 15 years ago, b/c that who had more of them (bikers and military).

But today, there is no correspondence to other "masculine" affectations, even among the men who have them (unless you think millennial hipsters with waxed mustaches who camp out on sidewalks for $5 cupcakes are "masculine").

Around 60% of Millennials have at least one, plus they are more concentrated in cites. So, probably closer to 75% of Millennials in major cities today have at least one. IOW, it is now "rebellious" and more a sign of individuality not to get a tattoo.

 

[steve_bank]

For males I'd say tattoos are an affectation. It implies masculinity. Like buying a Harley and wearing leathers.

It did prior to about 15 years ago, b/c that who had more of them (bikers and military).

But today, there is no correspondence to other "masculine" affectations, even among the men who have them (unless you think millennial hipsters with waxed mustaches who camp out on sidewalks for $5 cupcakes are "masculine").

Around 60% of Millennials have at least one, plus they are more concentrated in cites. So, probably closer to 75% of Millennials in major cities today have at least one. IOW, it is now "rebellious" and more a sign of individuality not to get a tattoo.

Today it is people following the crows. Musicians, football and basketball players have many visible tattoos. Actors in violent movies.

Tattoos in part today are about a having a 'bad' image. Male of female. Way back when John Lennon wore granny glasses people started wearing granny glasses with no optical power. Beatle boots. Mods and Rockers.

When James Dean rolled a pack of cigarettes up in a T shirt sleeve in a movie, guys did it.

Tattoos are the same old cultural nonsense. Kids and adults both think it makes them unique and an individual. A sense of self.

 

[ideologyhunter]

I'm always curious as to how many of the tattooed regret their decision. I believe this is known as the Now I Have Regerts syndrome. I see all kinds of unfortunate tattoos in the open swim at the Y, including bad art, faded tattoos (is that because cheap ink was used, or a novice did it?) and just lame decorations. Who is getting all the guys in their 20s to get that barbed wire design around their upper arms? Does it signify something?
How many of those tattoos dedicated to a lover now refer to an ex who owns half their stuff?
And the guy with the FUCK tattoo...Three years ago I was waiting at a light in Sandusky, Ohio. One lane over was a driver with his left arm resting on the window rim. That arm was a mass of messaging and dopey art, but dominating it, just above the wrist, was a big bold FUCK. Oh, God, I had so many questions, if we had not been in our cars and if I was brave enough to talk to a guy with a giant FUCK on his arm:
What does your boss think? Any dress code restrictions at work, like, for instance, long-sleeve shirt with the wrist buttoned up?
Was it done in the joint, by your cellmate?
Do your kids get to tell you to fuck off, or call you a fuck, and then tell you they're just reading it off your body?
Have you ever waited tables and handed some tourists their plate of pancakes with that arm, as in, "Enjoy your hotcakes, folks." ("And my arm is saying FUCCCCKKKKK.")
You don't go to church, right?
You voted for Trump, right? Please tell me you voted for Trump. Using that arm to pull the lever.
That's not the arm you raise to take an oath in, like, court, is it?
Any plans to change it to BUICK?
What are your good moods like?

 

[steve_bank]

A man is drinking at a bar. The guy newt to him says 'I bet you $100 I have your name tattooed on my dick.

He takes the bet. The guy whips it out and sure enough 'Your Name' is tattooed on his dick.

 

[JohnG]

My coming of age was in the late 80’s and 90’s. I was never into the grunge thing and the whole grunge style was very “mainstream”. I didn’t want to be like everybody else so I have none.