Tattoos.

[Dutch McCoy]

I have one on each arm and one on my chest and all three are fairly small. My wife has one on her lower back, also pretty small. My cousin is a tattoo artist and did all of ours for free. He also did my wife's brother and another one of our friends. So, yes, we see nothing wrong with tattoos that are tasteful and easily concealable if need be. It is our bag, baby.

 

[Michaelson]

I was in line for suburban traffic court (the only person wearing a suit) and some of the others in line had tank tops, flip-flops and tattoos on their heads. And that was just the women!!!

Hopefully they weren't MY kids! :eusa_doh: lol

Regard! Michaelson

 

[BegintheBeguine]

They were adults in their 30s or so. But then a lot of people are hard cases and look much older than they are. I thought that all of the other biker gals I knew were at least 5 years older than I but in fact were at least 5 years younger. Yow. Not that the gals in court were biker gals; they weren't.

 

[Mike1939]

[huh] i just figure it's a good way to sort out the people i wouldn't want to be friends with anyway!

Good point. :eusa_clap

 

[MrPumpernickel]

I'm quite into the whole body modification subculture as a whole (i.e. tattooing, piercing, suspension, scarification etc) and I don't see it collisioning with the emulated vintage culture some people are trying to achieve at all. While at that time the people who got tattoos back then were rather marginalized and not seldomly dubbed sailors or thugs* there have been quite a few exceptions from the time as well.

Here are some articles from newspapers from about one hundred years ago, not exactly the golden era but should still serve as a point at how different tattooing has been viewed just over the last century/century and a half. Not to mention that being tattooed is pretty much the normal way if we're going to look further back in history than 150 years. People have, in different cultures independently of each other, gotten tattoos for tousands of years, it's really only over the last "culture cultivated" few hundred years (and especially last century) which has seen such strong opponants to the tattooing culture. Anyway, onto the articles:

Talk about a state of denial! February 28, 1899, The Washington Post
"NEW YORK WOMEN HAVE A NEW FAD" February 14, 1899, The North Adams Evening Transcript
Your kind ain’t welcome here, boy. July 2, 1897, Morning Herald Despatch
A Century Ago: Tattoos as ID April 17, 1895, The Washington Post
"A Fad For Tattoos" December 28, 1884, The Davenport Daily Leader
"Tattooing Now A Fad" December 15, 1893, Davenport Tribune
"Tattooing as a Fine Art" November 4, 1885, The Washington Post
"Female Beauty" August 20, 1851, Sheboygan Lake Journal
"FADELESS CHEEKS OF PINK" December 4th, 1904, The Washington Post
"Royalty and Tattoo" June 17, 1899, The Lima Daily News
"Queer Trades To Live" August 25, 1901, The Washington Post
"United by a Tattoo Mark" August 3, 1888, The Washington Post

*much like now in Japan where you're branded as Yakuza if you have tattoos. At many baths over there they even have signs that explicitly forbid tattoed people from entering. They generalized a hundred years ago and they generalize now. There are still people in the western world who act as if tattooed people are bikers and thugs, the sailor brand seems to have fallen off over the years though.

[huh] i just figure it's a good way to sort out the people i wouldn't want to be friends with anyway!

Indeed! I think if you're getting tattooed that's the responsibility you have to yourself, to make sure you're prepared not only what you will think of the tattooes when they're done but how others will react, and how you will be affected. It is a great filter from people who are ignorant and close minded. I don't really have a problem with people not liking tattooes, opinions are everyone's perogative, but those people who are disgusted by tattooes and find it fit to tell every tattooed person how detested they are need to get a life.

Then again, I stopped caring what people thought about me in terms of body mods quite some time ago. The sad truth is though that heavily, and visibly, modified people need to work twice as hard to get half as far in terms of the job market. Still, I wouldn't change who I am just because I'd get a higher paying job...that would be like killing a huge part of my personality.

 

[Spitfire]

Royal tattoo

We've had a king with tattoos. Frederik IX - the father of our Queen.
Not a very large picture - but here we go:

 

[MrPumpernickel]

Here's a larger version of the same picture:

 

[TheKitschGoth]

When I first got my tattoos done (one on my chest, one on my back, two on my wrists) people would say stuff like "but how will they look when you're old?". Well when my skin starts to wrinkle and sag it's not going to look too pretty tattooed or not. But I'll be able to look at the tattoos and remember what they mean to me, so it wont matter how they look.

Or, my favourite, "but how will you cover them up when you get married?" Why would I? I didn't get them done just to hide them.

Every tattoo has a meaning. Every piercing is linked to a change in my life. They tell a story. Also, in times when I've been deeply unhappy with myself, they've made me feel more connected to my body again. The piercings especially.

 

[MudInYerEye]

Tattoos are for idiots and dirtbags.

 

[MrPumpernickel]

Tattoos are for idiots and dirtbags.

If I was an argumentative man I would've responded with a quip such as: So why don't you have one then?

However, that's kind of what I talked about before, I don't have a problem with people not liking tattoos, but why would you need to act like that? No one forces you to get a tattoo, so it's your choice whether you'll get one or not. My body is my own and calling me an idiot and/or dirtbag because of what I choose to do with my body is an insult and I do take offense to such behaviour.

I do realize that you're the source of many, let's call them, strange and sometimes irritable comments of questionable seriousness, but this was far over the line.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

If I was an argumentative man I would've responded with a quip such as: So why don't you have one then?

However, that's kind of what I talked about before, I don't have a problem with people not liking tattoos, but why would you need to act like that? No one forces you to get a tattoo, so it's your choice whether you'll get one or not. My body is my own and calling me an idiot and/or dirtbag because of what I choose to do with my body is an insult and I do take offense to such behaviour.

I do realize that you're the source of many, let's call them, strange and sometimes irritable comments of questionable seriousness, but this was far over the line.

I would wager that he does have tattoos,...probably more than most. He's just having you on.

 

[MrPumpernickel]

Not my kind of humor then I guess, never was one for laughing at personal attacks, joke or not.

Then again, I come across people acting just like that on a more or less regular basis, so because of that I'm not likely to take it as a joke either.

 

[MudInYerEye]

I rest my case.

 

[ilcatex]

Tats always start conversation

I am a pastor, and my tattoo always is good to start a conversation (like... pastors get tattoos!?!?!? )

 

[Feraud]

I have some scans of vintage flash if anyone is interested.

 

[cheaterome]

Tattoos are for idiots and dirtbags.

Thats cool. Then I want my nifkin tattooed ...anybody you know can do a pegacorn ,they are dreamy.

hi ho silver away....not the big joe turner kind either.

Love ,
Jerome

 

[GeniusInTheLamp]

I am a pastor, and my tattoo always is good to start a conversation (like... pastors get tattoos!?!?!? )

That's interesting, since there are many people (include some in my own family) that regard tattoos as sinful. They always cite Leviticus 19:28 to back up that assertion. Of course, the previous verse holds trimming beards in the same regard.

 

[Rooster]

I find tats pretty creepy, kind of a Carny type of thing. My attitude may reflect my age as I'll be 50 in a few days. The popularity of tattoos seems to be more of a younger generation thing.
My dad had a bluebird tattooed on each shoulder. He always regretted it. One of my friends in his mid 60's got his name tatooed on his arm when he was in the navy, he really regrets ever having it put there, and he's a hard core Harley guy.
The level of artistic value varies widely on the tatts I've seen . Most are absolutly horrid, while a few I've seen are well done. Some are so bad I'd chop that body part off just to get rid of it!lol

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I rest my case.

lol lol lol lol

 

[pretty faythe]

I have some scans of vintage flash if anyone is interested.

That would be nice