Tattoo's, love them or hate them?

[pauland]

IME, tattoo wearers were generally scummy people (as well as most tattoo artists), that opinion hasn't really changed despite recent popularity.

My goodness. I'll explain to my daughter how scummy she is.

I don't think we need to generalise prejudice of any sort, do we?

[Gamerprinter]

I said historically, that means anyone in my age group (50-ish). Popular tattoo today is being done by a much wider class of people than use to. Bikers and former military were primarily the only people I've known with tattoos (I'm former military, though I have no tattoos). Today is different to a new audience, when I was young only biker women were the females with tattoos. What might have been true then, is no longer true.

[Egg Bramhill]

Great input peeps.

Paul, I don't believe Gameprinter was being prejudicial in his comment. Just reflecting the historical changing attitudes to tattoos.

This is from Wikipedia's reference to tattoos:

The first documented professional tattooist in Britain was established in the port of Liverpool in the 1870s. In Britain tattooing was still largely associated with sailors^[20] and the lower or even criminal class,^[21] but by the 1870s had become fashionable among some members of the upper classes, including royalty,^[22][23] and in its upmarket form it could be an expensive^[24] and sometimes painful^[25] process. A marked class division on the acceptability of the practice continued for some time in Britain.^[26] Since the 1970s, tattoos have become a mainstream part of Western fashion, common among both sexes, to all economic classes, and to age groups from the later teen years to middle age. For many young Americans, the tattoo has taken on a decidedly different meaning than for previous generations. The tattoo has "undergone dramatic redefinition" and has shifted from a form of deviance to an acceptable form of expression.^[27] In 2010, 25% of Australians under age 30 had tattoos.^[28]

[Gamerprinter]

I've read an online article about an American worker that had his college soccer team logo tattooed to his arm, who was on a work assignment in Japan. While patronizing a public bath house, when he pulled his shirt off to expose the tattoo, the bath house manager asked him to leave as it was "disruptive" to his other patrons. Thus the stigma of tattoos as being a negative cultural choice is still very strong in east Asia. In fact while tattoo artists of Japan are often famous worldwide, no tattoo parlours exist in Japan. All tattoos are done in the homes of the artists and are not allowed to advertise nor use signage to indicate their offered services - they are known by reputation in some circles only. In Japan it is still considered that tattooing is connected to Yakuza activity. And this isn't just a Japanese thing, Korea and many other Asian countries hold this same attitude of negativity for the act and wear of tattooing. My Mom is a traditional Japanese, and I know she holds this belief, herself.

[pauland]

I realise now that no harm was really intended, but even back in the day good people had tattoos. I don't think we can damn a whole generation because they might wear a tattoo. One of my uncles had tattoos - he served in the navy.

If a guy comes along head to toe covered in tattoos I can be as wary as the next person, but so often I am pleasantly surprised that the scariest looking people are often the kindest and most knowledgeable people you can find and they go right against the common prejudice against them.

I've seen (on TV) the gang culture in the US and elsewhere where tattoos play a big part and yes, my alarm bells would ring loudly if I came into their proximity, but by the same token, we have LA Ink and similar programs where I can admire the skill of the tattoo artist even if I don't I don't always like the subject matter.

I was in a shoe shop the other day with my daughter. The manager had a load of tattoos. He was amazingly helpful. I remarked to my daughter how amazing he was and that if I'd first met him outside on a dark evening I would be very wary.

I worked with a guy for almost two years. After about a year and a half I discovered he was covered in tattoos - they stopped above his cuffs and below his neckline so I never saw them. I only found out about them when he showed off some holiday snaps and forgot about his tattoos. He kept them hidden because he knew many people had a negative association with them.

My daughter had hers done when she was 18. I thought she might do them sooner and we warned her about the problems she might face and that she might one day regret them. She has a bird on each foot. They are not my favourite thing, but it's her choice. She is definitely no biker chick.

Lets keep an open mind. I think tattoo artists are super talented. I wouldn't mind a tattoo on my shoulder. I can't think what though. It will probably never happen.

[wizard509]

but so often I am pleasantly surprised that the scariest looking people are often the kindest and most knowledgeable people you can find and they go right against the common prejudice against them.

I don't like them either.
I do remember when I was in the service that a guy I knew had one that said U.S. Government inspected CHOICE on his buttox. It was an oval that you used to see stamped on meat in the grocery store.
I guess I am more or less closed to them but I did find that one interesting, although I would never get one. If I had a choice in the matter.

[handrawn]

I see no reason to dislike tattoos - people come with all sorts of blemishes and imperfections and nasty habits such as sticking their fingers up their nose, tattoos are neither here nor there in comparision -like Bob [as you might have guessed from what I have just said] I am not a fan of nose piercing because it is unhygienic - tattooing isn't unhygienic unless you go to the wrong tattooist...

[wizard509]

Sorry but I still dislike them, and, doubt that I will ever change that opinion. Just a personal opinion I guess but that is my opinion. I know people that I like that have tattoos but that does not change my liking or disliking of tattoos.

[JamesHavey]

I'm quite neutral to tatoo. It can be some clue what kind of person the tatoo wearer is, but not itself.
Charactors like Popeye have tatoo on his arms, but he is a symbol of nice guy.
Some Asian gangsters keep quite significant size of tatoo, or very tiny cute size with massive amount of messages i.e. skulls and death.
Tatoo isn't more than how to put make-ups, outfits, or hair colors. Only the message from it matters, and I tend to use it to make a guess on
what kind of person the wearer would be, or what kind of thoughts the wearer had at the time of imprint it on themselves.

[FloydARobinette]

Small tatoo's are fairly well...
but...
fairly well...