Tattoos

[Baffle]

So, what's the consensus (by which I mean, what is your opinion, I'm not really expecting a consensus)? I ask because there's an article on the BBC website about the growth of certain businesses, tattoo studios being one of them (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63799670), and I'm kind of surprised by how vitriolically against them the (generally right-of-centre and incredibly middle-of-the-road, don't-rock-the-boat) users of the BBC comments section are. I would have though that, tattoos being relatively everyday things these days, opinions on them would be ... less strong.

I broadly like tattoos -- design willing ofc. I have a few, though they're all small and from when I was younger (last one I was probably 19, so a long time ago). They're all solid black and have aged well. They're all pick-off-the-wall designs, nothing unique (and that doesn't bother me at all), but they're just there. People at the time were all, like, 'oooh, you'll regret that', but I never have. I don't regret them or not regret them, they're just there.

Anyway, thinking of getting another one, something in a kraken (again, not at all unique, but hey, there's loads of people out there, unique isn't easy or necessary).

What do you have? What would you like? Are you lame and hate tattoos?

I would never get a tattoo related to pop culture or bands I liked. Too risky! Think of all the people out there with Jimmy Savile tattoos.

 

[Chimpzy]

Don't have any myself, but I know many people who do, including basically all of my friends. I care very little about whether someone has any.

I've considered getting on myself several times, but I always get stuck at the "what design do I like so much I'd want it on me permanently" stage, and end up deciding I don't like any of them enough, then forget about it for a while. Repeat.

 

[Xprimentyl]

So, what's the consensus (by which I mean, what is your opinion, I'm not really expecting a consensus)? I ask because there's an article on the BBC website about the growth of certain businesses, tattoo studios being one of them (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63799670), and I'm kind of surprised by how vitriolically against them the (generally right-of-centre and incredibly middle-of-the-road, don't-rock-the-boat) users of the BBC comments section are. I would have though that, tattoos being relatively everyday things these days, opinions on them would be ... less strong.

I broadly like tattoos -- design willing ofc. I have a few, though they're all small and from when I was younger (last one I was probably 19, so a long time ago). They're all solid black and have aged well. They're all pick-off-the-wall designs, nothing unique (and that doesn't bother me at all), but they're just there. People at the time were all, like, 'oooh, you'll regret that', but I never have. I don't regret them or not regret them, they're just there.

Anyway, thinking of getting another one, something in a kraken (again, not at all unique, but hey, there's loads of people out there, unique isn't easy or necessary).

What do you have? What would you like? Are you lame and hate tattoos?

I would never get a tattoo related to pop culture or bands I liked. Too risky! Think of all the people out there with Jimmy Savile tattoos.

Yeah, I'm surprised at the stigma still surrounding tattoos myself, but suspect it will die down as the generation of pearl-clutching conservatives die off, and the generation of girls who got tramp stamps in their early 20s become the middle aged soccer moms of the future. Everyone has tattoos these days. Imho, there's something comforting about seeing someone with a tattoo; it, I dunno, humanizes them? I mean, as long as they're not swastikas or face tattoos; those are for degenerate savages.

I have several myself: I have the Japanese kanji for "create" and "endure" on my interior right and left forearms respectively, and I have the logo for the San Francisco 49ers on my right shoulder, and the logo for my favorite Formula 1 driver (Valtteri Bottas) on my left. But my favorite is one I designed myself; it's a stylized ambigram of the word "karma" on my exterior left forearm; it reads the same upside-down and backwards, i.e.: what goes around comes around. The design I gave the artist was maybe 5 to 6 inches long, but when he scanned it, he blew it up so it's the length of my whole forearm. He put the stencil on and asked if I was okay with it, and I didn't correct him; "fuck yeah; let's do it" I believe were my words.

To each their own, but personally, my biggest rule when it comes to tattoos is that they have to mean as much to me when I'm 90 as they did on the day I got them, and so far I'm tracking well.

 

[Baffle]

I always get stuck at the "what design do I like so much I'd want it on me permanently" stage, and end up deciding I don't like any of them enough

This is a bit of a sticking point for me right now that it never was in the past - it's not that I don't like designs enough to have them, but I'm much less able to say fuck it than when I was younger. It's the same with everything though: when I got my first house it was like 'yeah, that one is fine' and we bought it, now there's much more agonizing on such things. With tattoos I just went out on my school break and got one, now I'm umming and ahhing for ages.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

As long as the design is fine, then they're fine, and people should stop having pissing contests over them. It's none of their business, and just cause it's not to their tastes it doesn't mean they need to be looked at with such scorn. I will, however, always be against face and knuckle/finger tattoos. 9/10 times I see people have those they tend to be dickheads.
I also don't get the "you'll regret it" crowd. As long as I'm not getting something generally stupid and/or obscene, or the name of a significant other, then why would I regret it? Sure, they'll likely look kinda meh when I'm older. But at the same time, so will I, so it balances out?

Having 3 of them myself, I've wanted to get more at some point, but... Money and ideas have not permitted it. Maybe one day

 

[Thaluikhain]

Generally not a fan, especially when people get lots of different tattoos seemingly at random apparently without thinking of how the tattoos work with each other. I should mention I tend to be against piercings as well, even earlobe piercings.

But that's just me, if it makes people happy I'm not going to make a fuss.

 

[Buyetyen]

Got my first tattoo last month and planning on a second sometime next year. I used to be more ambivalent about them, but my stance has obviously softened. Everyone but my grandmother likes my tattoo though and I really love the detail the artist put into it, so I'm pleased and if someone can't be happy for me about that, then that's a them problem.

 

[Baffle]

especially when people get lots of different tattoos seemingly at random apparently without thinking of how the tattoos work with each other

Ha ha, not a huge Adam Levine fan then? (I literally only know him as the guy with tattoos exactly as you have described.)

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I wonder how many of the "you're ruining your body and you'll regret it" crowd are heavy drinkers/smokers?

Me, I don't care what someone else does with their skin. Go nuts, have fun.

 

[Drathnoxis]

 

[TehCookie]

I've always loved tattoos as art and expression. However because not everyone else does you wouldn't know that if I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I have a cat pouncing up my shoulder that I got at 17, a tiger lily with butterflies on my lower ribs/hip, the videogame Okami on my thigh, a dragon on my ankle and a flower on the top of my foot. The only regret I have is not putting the Okami tattoo 2 inches lower on my thigh. I find that to be a very minor complaint, I still love it.

 

[Thaluikhain]

The only regret I have is not putting the Okami tattoo 2 inches lower on my thigh. I find that to be a very minor complaint, I still love it.

Out of curiousity, why would 2 inches lower have been better.

 

[Baffle]

Out of curiousity, why would 2 inches lower have been better.

I would guess because then you can see it when wearing shorts or something (I have a similar issue with my tattoos, which is that they're almost all covered because I wear clothes a lot). Except the bad one on my thigh, which isn't covered when wearing shorts.

 

[TehCookie]

I would guess because then you can see it when wearing shorts or something (I have a similar issue with my tattoos, which is that they're almost all covered because I wear clothes a lot). Except the bad one on my thigh, which isn't covered when wearing shorts.

Yup this exactly. You can only see the head if I wear short-shorts. Lowering it 2 inches to appear while wearing normal shorts would have been even better.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Except the bad one on my thigh, which isn't covered when wearing shorts.

Wear board shorts, then