If your 21 year old son came home with a Tattoo on his neck, what would you think? (blond, looks)

[j33]

Cosmic - not all people who get tattoos get 'clip art', often tattoos are personally designed and have significance to the person who chooses to get them (as is the case with mine). To deride all tattoos as 'clip art' shows a gross misunderstanding of the very notion of tattoo and the historical and cultural significance of the practice of getting tattoos.

Are there idiots that drunkenly stumble into a tattoo joint and point to the wall and grunt and wake up the next day with a cartoon character tattooed on their bum? Of course there are, but that doesn't reflect everyone.

[Global Friend]

Originally Posted by j33

Cosmic - not all people who get tattoos get 'clip art', often tattoos are personally designed and have significance to the person who chooses to get them (as is the case with mine). To deride all tattoos as 'clip art' shows a gross misunderstanding of the very notion of tattoo and the historical and cultural significance of the practice of getting tattoos.

Are there idiots that drunkenly stumble into a tattoo joint and point to the wall and grunt and wake up the next day with a cartoon character tattooed on their bum? Of course there are, but that doesn't reflect everyone.

Agreed! Most people I know have one or more tattoos and they were all hand drawn by an artist and none of them were drunk or regret getting them. Here we go again.........jeez.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by j33

Cosmic - not all people who get tattoos get 'clip art', often tattoos are personally designed and have significance to the person who chooses to get them (as is the case with mine). To deride all tattoos as 'clip art' shows a gross misunderstanding of the very notion of tattoo and the historical and cultural significance of the practice of getting tattoos.

Are there idiots that drunkenly stumble into a tattoo joint and point to the wall and grunt and wake up the next day with a cartoon character tattooed on their bum? Of course there are, but that doesn't reflect everyone.

You must read the entire post. Your concerns have already being acknowledged and addressed. I did not say, there were not not exceptions with which I basically have no problem. Until this fad phase I had no general objections to peeps getting tattoos. In fact it was self limited because you probably had to be in an enviroment where it might have been appropriate as I would have understood the reasoning.

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I still do not understand this subject from an intellectual angle. Why does anyone want to do this? I can understand the historical aspects of why mostly men of certain occupations or experiences would do it. I can also understand certain cultures doing it. .

I have already acknowledged the "Marking of a milestone" type reasoning. Seen a ton of tattoos on folks, (mostly military) that I had zero problems with. Some were funny, hey his bod. The ones with the flag shield, "USN Never Again", lots of them out of the Nam, zero problems, Marines, zero problems. Submariners with tattoos in my days were rare, if not diesel boat sailors, reasonings and acceptablility change. As did the maturity of those available to indulge. Best I ever saw were true Works of Art. The one guy that had this beautiful black panther with its claw coming over his shoulder and digging into his upper arm, the blood dripping down to his elbow. Let it fade and had the eyes and blood redone, every couple years. Piece of real art. Lot of the stuff out of Hong Kong, extremely well done.

Whenever I see one of those guys, zero mark down in my mind, I respect all of them. They paid their price, their choice, I fully understand those environments. Foolish, maybe, their choice, each tattoo will have a story behind it that might be spun for hours. In NO WAY am I attempting to demean or disrespect these type of folks. The one guy with M tattooed on each butt cheek. When he pulled down his pants it spelled M o M ..... when he stood on his head, it spelled W o W. The one with the rabbit running up his back sides. I love a good laugh.

I could take this subject to many angles. But I also understand and respect Raptures position. The OP is about a apparently simple act. But if a diamond it held up it will sparkle in many directions. Few things in life are simple. I can also respect a female who served in Iraq with an eagle on her back. My reaction is totally different.

I see the fad of tattoos as primarily an invasion of a territory of those who "Earned a Right" by a historical standard. Subsituted with meaningless clip art. I just tell it like I see it. Think a lot of peeps that really understand the subject at more than a shallow level will see it the same way.

[DocGSD]

I'd say your friends boy is a dirt bag. He wont get respect from the public with that crap on his face.

[Magnolia Bloom]

I got my tatoo the day I turned 30. I took a Mother Goose book that I had since I was five in to the tatoo parlor and the artist (had a BA in art) copied it. It is a sliver of a moon with a woman's face with a star shooting toward it- gotta shoot for the moon. I still love it. It's on my left shoulder.

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by hereinfla

I got my tatoo the day I turned 30. I took a Mother Goose book that I had since I was five in to the tatoo parlor and the artist (had a BA in art) copied it. It is a sliver of a moon with a woman's face with a star shooting toward it- gotta shoot for the moon. I still love it. It's on my left shoulder.

If you ever have to get naked for us, we can just throw a towel over your shoulder.

[rdbeard5]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

In fact this winter I was in Florida and was with some of my relatives. This one guy, one of my most special peeps in the entire World. Had shorts on, we were playing basketball. I didn't see any tattoos. I just knew he was too smart for that stupid game.

Originally Posted by Cosmic

When I see a tattoo, that person somehow is degraded a bit in my eyes.

Originally Posted by Cosmic

Whenever I see one of those guys, zero mark down in my mind, I respect all of them. They paid their price, their choice, I fully understand those environments. Foolish, maybe, their choice, each tattoo will have a story behind it that might be spun for hours. In NO WAY am I attempting to demean or disrespect these type of folks.

Based on the two comments in your first post I find the last quote laughable. Nice back pedaling though.

Originally Posted by Cosmic

I see the fad of tattoos as primarily an invasion of a territory of those who "Earned a Right" by a historical standard.

What is your criteria for someone to "earn the right" to get a tattoo?

As far as the OP goes, I personally would never get a tattoo on my face/neck. However, the kid is 21 years old, so it his decision. Not knowing what his plans are for the future I cannot give an opinion on how it will affect his job prospects, etc. I also cannot speak on the Mike Tyson as an "idol" part without knowing why Tyson is his idol. It can be looked at two ways:
1. If the kid is a boxer then I can see him liking Tyson for is dominant boxing ablility while in his prime. Excluding the ear biting incident.
2. I the kid isn't a boxer then I can't see the reason behind it.

[tet tea]

Oooooo I could get really pooy on this.

Just to let you know folks ...

I am smart, with a degree to boot

If someone wants to degrade me then so be it if I truly deserve it, because I am that type of person. I don't feel degraded because of my tattoos, just misunderstood

I can be stupid, but hey that's life and it'd be really boring otherwise

I most certainly have earned the right to my skin ART (no clip art here) without a tale to tell behind each one of them since they are personal to me. If you truly are interested and want to know then I will gladly tell you.

[Cosmic]

Very weak counter arguments here.

My position was made extremely clear.

There are two types of tattoos. Those based on "Traditional Reasons" where the tattoo has some life event meaning or represents something connected to a type of service or sacrifice or is inconjunction with such events. I have stated clearly I have no problem with these type tattoos in general, no matter their content or placement. In general we are talking about sailors, military, maybe even biker / carny types. Folks who traditionally have indulged in the practice.

Then the more recent fad type tattoos where supposely some type of high art, which I have just put in the general category of "Clip Art". In fact I ain't seeing nothing that I think is even well done, let alone art. These seem to also place great value in the area of placement and personal statement. To me, like many things in modern life is a form of dummy down of a practice where there was an entry fee. Trying to get entry to a former exclusive club for essentially no cost. I have said, I do construct a very negative mental image of folks in this category. Especially something like in the OP.

But I am flexible and willing to listen to other arguments. In fact, I will construct a third category. Call it "Appropriate Personal Exhibited Art Expression" (APEAE). The OP would fall into this category if he could qualify. Again like most things there would be a fee, permit and some paperwork involved. The APEAE would be classified by category, something maybe like the Munsell color system classifications with a number like 1101:203:75:13.

Of course there will have to be committees, selection panels, steering groups, discussion forums, etc. Approved entry(s) will get a micro tattoo approval seal below the APEAE. These APEAE will be legislated to require a neutral mental state by all viewers.

We can test this new proposed category if I am allowed to be seated with a settled mental state, have HIF get naked to view her possible APEAE and test my reaction. I have always been partial to Mother Goose. It might just work.

But I suspect my original theory is right, tattoos as raging now are a fad and will go thru a blowout phase as most fads do. The OP shows this type of event, always test the limits of any fad, toward the ends the practices become extreme. Common sense usually prevails and it either fades from use or morphs in something like APEAE which becomes another way to regulate the life of the general public. aka, the Marine regs as already published. Expect many others. Including insurance companies looking for an excuse not to pay.

Getting tattoos in very public areas may well expose the wearer to a lifetime of being marked as being part of less than wise practice during a particular fad. To claim that judgements are not made is to believe in the Tooth Fairly will visit the Easter Bunny if one of the front choppers pops out.

[tet tea]

Actually I don't think you made your position very clear, otherwise you would not have to be explaining yourself again.