Show us your tattoos

[Cletus]

Grenade. Nice tat. It's a bit odd considering you have such a big anti-stance on weapons/guns?   :icon_scratch:

I'm perfectly consistent. It's a microphone, and tattoos can't explode. Unless the rest of me does anyway.

 

[Cletus]

I think the maturity-discussion is redickulous.

YES, it's lots of stupid tattoos around the world, but there is also lots of tattoos that actually means something to alot of people.
I do agree that the tattoos should be planned, and not something you do when you're drunk or depressed or in another unstable state of mind.

Yep, I'd agree completely with this. That leg one was after five years of hosting a radio show, and memorialized it's passing and my return to university. For the record, the show was called "The Microphone Explodes" which might make more sense of the tattoo.

 

[Jusatele]

the one tattoo I posted gets me grief, I am told I am racist
so I ask, "what about me is racist?" and they point to my rebel battle flag.
So, I give them a history lesson, about the civil war and that the reason we fought was about states rights and the southern states thinking the Federal Governmetn had got to big for it's britches and was taxing the $*%# out of them. I alsp show them a family picture of mine with a black grandmother and children of every color shade there is, I just happen to look white and have strait hair, my brother has an afro, my sister has skin the shade of coffee. Once they find out I am black, you should see the prejudice attitudes they start to inflict on me. I have been denied advancement at work because of it, and that from people who at one time told me I was prejudice.
I have that tattoo because it means a lot to me, it means I come from a place where we fought for our rights, we may have lost but we were man enough to give our lives for our beliefs, I grew up in the south and learned to hunt and fish before I ever heard of  PETA. I learned about family and love by being in a biracial family and having to be put apon by both races. ATo me that flag and those initials mean you can do anything you want to me, but I will survive and I will be around tomorrow.
Tats are a matter of personal taste. But mine all tell a story

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Got one the inside left forearm, another on the left ankle.  So apparently I'm "cute little princess that will never have a job that pays taxes."  Funny though, the left forearm one, every job I've had since getting it was so white collar or so blue collar it didn't matter.  I've worn a suit and carried a badge.  I've also worked in construction.  Despite my protests, I've paid taxes and haven't gotten the kind of respect a princess deserves.

 

[nexrex]

Yeah, I've got an old school punk friend who has nipple rings and a lot of black tats on his torso. He actually works as a computer database consultant, and has always managed to cover up his ink under a shirt or suit.

 

[JamesL]

Just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they're a criminal/doesn't have a good job/doesn't pay taxes/isn't intelligent or have a higher level of education..

 

[Mor Paul]

Just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they're a criminal/doesn't have a good job/doesn't pay taxes/isn't intelligent or have a higher level of education..

Yeah, not everyone's like James!  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

Just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they're a criminal/doesn't have a good job/doesn't pay taxes/isn't intelligent or have a higher level of education..

Of course not. But, you'd be foolish in the extreme to think for even the briefest of moments that prejudice is not a real reaction to nearly any stimulus. As ugly as it sounds, it's not a Bad Thing. It's actually a part of our survival instinct, and perfectly natural. We're all guilty of it. You can't look at a dog racing at you, growling and frothing at the mouth, without instinctively being afraid. That's prejudice. You don't know that the dog wants to kill you, but you immediately judge that is his intention without even getting to know him. You were taught at a young age that that's a dangerous situation. It's difficult to look at something glowing red without worrying that it will burn you. There are myriad situations like that in everyday life. Tattoos are the same way. You see one of those, and you're immediately at least curious, if not cautious, or even outright concerned. There are simply too many examples in real life that say: tattoo = red flag, even if they're only 5th hand stories.

There are certainly plenty of decent people with tattoos who are perfectly trustworthy and present no threat whatsoever. But, the ratio is wrong. The "bad" tattoo people outnumber the "good" ones by a huge margin, and even in the good ones, it says something about their psyche. It may be undeserved or inconsequential, but it's real, nonetheless. Can't get away from it, simply because it's unnatural. Humans are social animals, and moving outside generally accepted mores puts you outside the group, which may not make you uncomfortable, but it makes the group uncomfortable. Again, it may be wrong, but different = wrong in the group's eye. It has always been that way, and always will be.

It's possible that someday, not having a tattoo will be unusual. But, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day. You're liable to suffocate <grin>

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they're a criminal/doesn't have a good job/doesn't pay taxes/isn't intelligent or have a higher level of education..

Got agree with you and Cagey.  No it doesn't mean all of those things, just a higher probability.

 

[Cletus]

Just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they're a criminal/doesn't have a good job/doesn't pay taxes/isn't intelligent or have a higher level of education..

Of course not. But, you'd be foolish in the extreme to think for even the briefest of moments that prejudice is not a real reaction to nearly any stimulus. As ugly as it sounds, it's not a Bad Thing. It's actually a part of our survival instinct, and perfectly natural. We're all guilty of it. You can't look at a dog racing at you, growling and frothing at the mouth, without instinctively being afraid. That's prejudice. You don't know that the dog wants to kill you, but you immediately judge that is his intention without even getting to know him. You were taught at a young age that that's a dangerous situation. It's difficult to look at something glowing red without worrying that it will burn you. There are myriad situations like that in everyday life. Tattoos are the same way. You see one of those, and you're immediately at least curious, if not cautious, or even outright concerned. There are simply too many examples in real life that say: tattoo = red flag, even if they're only 5th hand stories.

There are certainly plenty of decent people with tattoos who are perfectly trustworthy and present no threat whatsoever. But, the ratio is wrong. The "bad" tattoo people outnumber the "good" ones by a huge margin, and even in the good ones, it says something about their psyche. It may be undeserved or inconsequential, but it's real, nonetheless. Can't get away from it, simply because it's unnatural. Humans are social animals, and moving outside generally accepted mores puts you outside the group, which may not make you uncomfortable, but it makes the group uncomfortable. Again, it may be wrong, but different = wrong in the group's eye. It has always been that way, and always will be.

It's possible that someday, not having a tattoo will be unusual. But, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day. You're liable to suffocate <grin>

You're right cagey. I know that I tend to think that  anyone who thinks guns are cool is a brainless idiot. Am I right? If you're little thesis here is correct, I am. That's how prejudice works.

 

[pabloman]

It's funny how people like to pass judgement one someones decision in life. I find it hilarious that you can have an opinion of a persons decision making skills based on a tattoo. That's almost as absurd as saying this person is divorced so if his wife can't stand him maybe he's not a good fit for our team. Hell maybe a tattoo is too permanent so I'll just have a temporary marriage instead.  :headbang1:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

IMO, tattoos are losing their stigma, mainly because full sleeves are finding their way into white collar jobs.  More people have them now, and a lot of them.  They're no longer just for inmates, musicians, and the military.  Look at how the image of Harleys and bikers has changed.  Now the worst thing you can do is smoke.

Let's see some more tattoos!

 

[Superlizard]

Why get a tattoo... when your middle finger can say everything that needs be said?  :icon_scratch:  :laughing11:

 

[Superlizard]

IMO, tattoos are losing their stigma, mainly because full sleeves are finding their way into white collar jobs.  More people have them now, and a lot of them.  They're no longer just for inmates, musicians, and the military.  Look at how the image of Harleys and bikers has changed.  Now the worst thing you can do is smoke.

Let's see some more tattoos!

True, they are losing their stigma.  It's been a huge fad for a while now and everyone's jumping on the tat bandwagon.

I'm not much of a tattoo fan myself, because some guys get tattoos as compensation - they want to look
"hardcore" and "badass" without really being so... e.g. poseur.

 

[AprioriMark]

I agree 100% with SL.  Also, I have a poster of Johnny in a similar pose hanging on my guitar room wall.  That's actually why I used to have a mohawk.  I once responded to someone asking why I had one, "because I can't keep my finger up all the time."  I have a tat that no one but my wife sees.  No, it's not dirty or in a dirty place.  It just means something to me (and me alone), and I don't care to explain or show it off, but when I look in the mirror, it helps remind me of who I am.  I branded myself intentionally, and while I do judge people on theirs (and how they wear them), I don't really give a poo.  Thanks for letting me know you're a sheep that I can easily manipulate.  I didn't even have to hear you speak.

-Mark

 

[exaN]

IMO, tattoos are losing their stigma, mainly because full sleeves are finding their way into white collar jobs.  More people have them now, and a lot of them.  They're no longer just for inmates, musicians, and the military.  Look at how the image of Harleys and bikers has changed.  Now the worst thing you can do is smoke.

Let's see some more tattoos!

Yeah, I think it's just because new generations gradually take over.

And by the way nice tattoos James :headbang:, I'm probably going to get one on the forearm saying "Have a good time all the time". Not only is it how I like to live so it actually has a meaning to me BUT, it's also a quote from the Spinal Tap movie!! Perfect tattoo :glasses9:.

 

[The Norwegian Guy]

I'll tattoo "I charge 5 bucks for a date" on my forehead.

 

[Cagey]

I'll tattoo "I charge 5 bucks for a date" on my forehead.

LOL! Just don't forget to get a tramp stamp while you're at it. Never mind the flowers. Just put "MOM" upside down on there so they can read it. Y'know. To show your love, and reinforce the illusion <grin>

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

My former drummer, I might just get his mom's name on my butt just to tick him off.

 

[hannaugh]

I knew a Samoan guy that got about half of his body tattooed the old-school way with a plain needle (not a fancy tattoo gun) and squid ink as a coming of age ritual.  A customer at work is in the process of getting a Japanese body suit.  It has been a part of their culture and a part of most cultures for thousands of years.  Westerners are the ones who got all weirded out by it, but that is starting to change, at least here... it will kind of have to in the future since a huge amount of the population will have them.  And I don't neccessarily know that I'd call it a fad because so many people get tattoos in places that the vast majority of the public will ever see.  A fad would imply you're doing something to look cool, but if you never show anyone, how does it accomplish that?  I also kind of think of a fad as something that is fleeting.  I wouldn't call jeans a fad, they're just jeans.  Maybe at one time people thought they were a fad, but they've been around so long that now they're just a staple in the world of clothing.  Tattoos have been around a long, long time, and they're just becoming more accepted now, and I don't see them going away any time soon.

It is very possible to get any job you want if you have tattoos as long as you don't get them somewhere that you cannot cover up.  I know a teacher who has 8 tattoos (including one on her scalp), and it's no problem because only one of them is visible, and even that one you cannot see if she is wearing long sleeves.  As long as you don't get the tattoo on your neck, face, or hands, you can hide your tats in a job interview and later when you're on the job.  No one is going to ask you if you have hidden tattoos and then deny you a job simply because you have them.

I have thought of getting one for a while.  It would be there to remind me of something important that happened a while back.  I would get it where no one would see it except for me and my husband.  But I don't think I'll ever actually get it because I would have to design it myself, and I don't think I'll ever be quite satisfied enough with my design to get it permanently put on my skin.