Have tattoos peaked?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Originally Posted by Razor

Is paint by numbers art?
Is this art?

Eh, probably. But the canvas sucks.

I almost got one when I was 18. We got half in the bag and drove to Rhode Island because they'd do them there at 18 but I think you had to be 21 in MA. Something like that. My buddies went first and I sobered up before they got to me.

Never minded a small tasteful tattoo on a woman. Not particularly thrilled with half-arm tats or some huge work all over the place. I met an absolutely gorgeous woman and all went well until later in the evening when she showed me the humongous tattoo that a very generous pair of underpants wouldnt have quite completely hidden. From the belly button to about 1/4 the way down the thigh, 365 degrees, 24x7, front and back. Gross.

Plus it was just a mass of roses and thorns. I was a little scared of the thorns.

[Khan]

Originally Posted by cute fuzzy bunny

Eh, probably. But the canvas sucks.

I almost got one when I was 18. We got half in the bag and drove to Rhode Island because they'd do them there at 18 but I think you had to be 21 in MA. Something like that. My buddies went first and I sobered up before they got to me.

Never minded a small tasteful tattoo on a woman. Not particularly thrilled with half-arm tats or some huge work all over the place. I met an absolutely gorgeous woman and all went well until later in the evening when she showed me the humongous tattoo that a very generous pair of underpants wouldnt have quite completely hidden. From the belly button to about 1/4 the way down the thigh, 365 degrees, 24x7, front and back. Gross.

Plus it was just a mass of roses and thorns. I was a little scared of the thorns.

I agree about a small tasteful tattoo on a woman (or man); it seems that some people don't know when to stop.

I have seen the same phenomenon locally with respect to lawn ornaments.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger

But thats not magic marker..

I bet he wishes it was.

My nephew just graduated from High school and plans on attending college in the fall. He had an open house and recieved quite a bit of money given with the intent of him using it for school. He took that money and went out and got a tattoo that covered his back. If people knew how he wasted the money they would have never given it to him. I know and will never help him financially again. He only gets a card for his birthday from now on.

The other day I stopped at a Burger King and the kid in the drive up window had tattooed leapard spots from his fingers to his shoulders. I thought this job is about as far as this kid is going in life.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Originally Posted by Khan

I have seen the same phenomenon locally with respect to lawn ornaments.

Oh no! Dont tell me that people are tattooing their lawn ornaments.

Thats just WRONG!

[Notmuchlonger]

By the way I dont have any tattoos. Its still art though. Whether someone thinks its tasteful, looks like **** or whatever opinion you have Ive seen stuff done by the great painters I think looks like puke but its art.

[Razor]

DEAR ABBY: Man’s body art gets piercing stares


DEAR ABBY: I am an 18-year-old male, and every day I face judgment, cruel remarks, disapproving stares and other harassment.
The reason? I want to be a tattoo and piercing artist. I currently have one tattoo, which my shirtsleeve covers, and more than 20 piercings. Eight of the piercings are in my face, and most of the others are in my ears. My main ear holes are stretched out to a half-inch.
I can’t walk down the street without hearing some comment, or someone stopping and staring, slack-jawed. Even friendly inquiries are becoming irritating. I’m passionate about tattoos and piercings and have been since childhood. I chose my piercings to balance each other and create an art form on my face and ears.
At school I was judged and stereotyped at the beginning of each year and would go out of my way to prove I am a nice, respectable human being with feelings. Now, with a new school term approaching, how can I get people to stop judging me and asking dumb questions like, “How bad did that hurt?” — Future Skin Artist, Port Huron, Mich

Dear Future Skin Artist,
If you want to look like a clown that is your business, but you better get used to the stares and rude remarks. You are craving attention and you will probably get it.

[chinaco]

It seems to me that tattoos are mostly acquired when people are young. Yeah there are a few people that get them later in age.

It appears that the many of the people who get large amounts of tattoos are part of some subculture (e.g., bikers, criminal, carnies). Especially people who get sleeves or the entire torso covered... When they tattoo their face, I really begin to cringe. Better like that tat... they will look at it every time they look in a mirror.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger

By the way I dont have any tattoos. Its still art though. Whether someone thinks its tasteful, looks like **** or whatever opinion you have Ive seen stuff done by the great painters I think looks like puke but its art.

Art is subjective, and means something different to every single person on earth. People get to judge what art is to them. It's a personal choice. Just because someone coined the term "body art" does not make it art to most people. It's just a tattoo.

[cantlogin]

I don’t have or care for tattoos in general but once I saw a guy with a shaved head who had the “Intel Inside” logo tattooed on his temple. I thought that was funny. I wonder if Intel would sue him for misuse of their trademark if they noticed.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Well, I guess its good free advertising, unless of course the guy is a blathering idiot. Which...sort...of...seems...likely.

[Khan]

When someone gets a tattoo at age 20 or so they might want to first consider the next 50 or so years of weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, stretch marks, wrinkles, sagging...

[M Paquette]

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger

Its art. Some people like art.

Maybe it could be considered as 'truth in labeling'?

[rs0460a]

Originally Posted by Razor

Dear Future Skin Artist,
If you want to look like a clown that is your business, but you better get used to the stares and rude remarks. You are craving attention and you will probably get it.

You should have included the final line of the column:

P.S. Perhaps in the future you should consider moving to Los Angeles. In this town everyone has seen almost everything, and people who are different are less shocking.

I guess that's another difference between folks from Texas and California ...

- Ron

[rs0460a]

This subject has been recently covered by a local newspaper columnist. Here's his follow-up column on the "fan mail" he received concerning the original article:

Tattoo tiff brings torrents of <i>that</i> word -- themorningcall.com

- Ron

[haha]

Originally Posted by rs0460a

You should have included the final line of the column:

P.S. Perhaps in the future you should consider moving to Los Angeles. In this town everyone has seen almost everything, and people who are different are less shocking.

I guess that's another difference between folks from Texas and California ...

- Ron

I don't think I have seen anyone stared out for anything since I moved to the city. It would just point out the starer as being uncool. I will not say that people do not notice, they of course do. They may or may not think, "Ah nice!", or "How tacky!" But they don't show any of this.

Ha

[Martha]

Bummer. I like tats. I have a woman lawyer friend with one covering her entire back.

[haha]

Originally Posted by Martha

Bummer. I like tats.

Don't worry Martha, if tomorrow all tattooing stopped, we would still have "inventory" of 80 years or so to enjoy.

Ha

[ProspectiveBum]

Originally Posted by Khan

When someone gets a tattoo at age 20 or so they might want to first consider the next 50 or so years of weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, stretch marks, wrinkles, sagging...

Yep. My grandfather had 2 tattoos on his forearms from his days in the Marines. He was close to 60 when I first remember noticing them, and it was very hard to make out what they were. "Yeah, Grandpa, I guess that does sort of look like a bulldog".

One thing that I know is that I'm fairly different now than I was 10 or 15 years ago. Anything I might have gotten a tattoo of then likely wouldn't mean much to me today. I'll just buy t-shirts to express my currently-held convictions, instead.

[calmloki]

Originally Posted by Martha

Bummer. I like tats. I have a woman lawyer friend ....

I like tats too. My gal has a pair of the nicest - oh. wait. nevermind.