Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I've been thinking about getting one that looks cool/reps a cool philosophy (on left shoulder). But other than it being a nice shiny thing that convey's a portion of my personality, I can't figure out why to get one. Do you need a backstory to get a tattoo to avoid being annoyed by questions?

What are some reasons to avoid getting one?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

They're good if you want to be different exactly like everybody else and maybe are a bit of an attention wh*re. They generally don't seem to communicate much to me otherwise except self-absorption and a streak of impracticality. The way I see it, if you want to have a philosophy, live it. A tattoo doesn't do that for you, even a little, no more than wearing a cross makes you a good Christian. In fact having to make such a fuss about it makes me believe a person is trying to convince himself of something he doesn't really believe yet, and it make me more wary regarding how much he really knows where he's at.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

My personal opinion is that a tatoo should represent something more important than life i.e. love, remembering someone now dead. Although this view is clearly subjective, I cannot understand someone getting a tatoo of their football team. Don't get me wrong I love football but they couldn't give a fk about you so why would you brand yourself for someone who will never even know your name.

Having said that this design is pretty cool and if I was to get one, this would be it.

http://www.phoenixrisingsquad.com/phoenixreborn.jpg

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Another tattoo thread huh? Perhaps this one will be different because it's the lounge.

I got my first tattoo when my father was near death. Just got my most recent one a year ago to mark (heh) my 5th wedding anniversary. I have four tattoos. They all signify an important point in time.

If you read the other tattoo threads in oot, you'll see lots of ideas for ink, reasons why/why not to get tattooed, etc.

I caught some guff from my mother about my tattoos. I explained to her that it's nothing new, just that their acceptance has become more mainstream nowadays. My Viking ancestors from back in the day covered themselves head to toe in tattoos, brands, scarifications, and piercings. They must have looked bad ass on those long boats.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

[ QUOTE ]
They're good if you want to be different exactly like everybody else and maybe are a bit of an attention wh*re. They generally don't seem to communicate much to me otherwise except self-absorption and a streak of impracticality. The way I see it, if you want to have a philosophy, live it. A tattoo doesn't do that for you, even a little, no more than wearing a cross makes you a good Christian. In fact having to make such a fuss about it makes me believe a person is trying to convince himself of something he doesn't really believe yet, and it make me more wary regarding how much he really knows where he's at.

[/ QUOTE ]

blarg smith much?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

What does that mean?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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What are some reasons to avoid getting one?

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Because your opinion of what is cool is going to change over time. Or it should, assuming a normal maturing process.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

My wife of 23 years came home from the office one day and informed me she wanted to get a tat on her lower back.

While I was initially intrigued by this idea, a week or so ago I told her that, according to OOT, any tattoo that she can't see, but I can when doing her, was considered a "tramp stamp".

Now she's thinking upper groin area. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

roundguy,

she has been your wife for 23 years? or she is 23 years old?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

[ QUOTE ]
They're good if you want to be different exactly like everybody else and maybe are a bit of an attention wh*re. They generally don't seem to communicate much to me otherwise except self-absorption and a streak of impracticality. The way I see it, if you want to have a philosophy, live it. A tattoo doesn't do that for you, even a little, no more than wearing a cross makes you a good Christian. In fact having to make such a fuss about it makes me believe a person is trying to convince himself of something he doesn't really believe yet, and it make me more wary regarding how much he really knows where he's at.

[/ QUOTE ]

You know, some people just thinks it looks good.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

[ QUOTE ]
What does that mean?

[/ QUOTE ]

moore to the point (well, one of 'em)

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Arrrrrgh that marionette drives me crazy and yet I can't bring myself to adblock it. What the hell is it/where is it from/what is "he" supposed to be saying there?

Also, tattoos r dumb. /thread, except for rothko's response about his avatar.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

sleep tight

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What does that mean?

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moore to the point (well, one of 'em)

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I give up.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

SALAZARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
They're good if you want to be different exactly like everybody else and maybe are a bit of an attention wh*re. They generally don't seem to communicate much to me otherwise except self-absorption and a streak of impracticality. The way I see it, if you want to have a philosophy, live it. A tattoo doesn't do that for you, even a little, no more than wearing a cross makes you a good Christian. In fact having to make such a fuss about it makes me believe a person is trying to convince himself of something he doesn't really believe yet, and it make me more wary regarding how much he really knows where he's at.

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You know, some people just thinks it looks good.

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That's their prerogative. I never claimed to speak for everyone and was just relaying my take on it. This was well covered under both streak of impracticality and self-absorption and a bit of an attention wh*re.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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sleep tight

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At around the :51 mark. Got it. Creepy.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Suppose you found a T-Shirt that was really cool. One that you want to wear every day for the rest of your life. To save the hassle, just get a tattoo.

If you don't think you could imagine such a shirt, don't get a tat.

Remember, you wont be cool forever
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/4449/l...attoo_remover/

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

What kind of Tattoo are you thinking of getting Salazar?

Really, I just live and let live, if they have a story, great, if not, great.

Well... Except those irritating ones that people get in Key West of a poorly drawn dolphin with "Key West" scribbled under it. And MOM tattoos are just weird. If you get a tattoo, spend the extra fifty dollars and get a world class artist, you know.

I think for some people tattoo is simply art. I saw pictures of tattoos they drew in Hong Kong: Mind-blowing.

For the record, I do not have a tattoo. I thought of getting one that I drew, but I never got around to it. Somebody told me to wait until I am 30. If I still want one then, go for it. I took that advice. I am not 30 yet, and honestly, it's not important to me.

However, I do wear earrings, but those aren't permanent.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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Do you need a backstory to get a tattoo to avoid being annoyed by questions?

[/ QUOTE ]

It seems if that is your main concern, maybe you shouldn't be getting one.

To me, my tattoos, like my other body decorations, are personal. I might show them to select people, but they're meaning and my reasons for getting them are not something I have to explain unless I want to.

My latest tattoo is a small gold horse shoe with a K in the center. Far from saying something about my personality, to me it is a way of holding on to something that I lost, and keeping her with me forever.

In 50 years, will I regret it? Who knows. But I will know why I did it, and I believe in my reasons. And hey, I'm going to see it more than anyone else.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Did you lose your ketamine?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I think some tattoos look alright but others look just awful. Like Kilgore said, body art has been popular for centuries. I don't really have a problem with it even though it's not for me. I could never come up with any symbol or design that I'd want to see on my body day after day after day for the rest of my life.

Some of those lower back tattoos can be pretty sexy (depending on the design) but only on young girls with perfect bodies. They look pretty bad after the girl gains weight.

I went to a festival this weekend and saw a lot of middle aged women with tattoos. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] Not so attractive.

why is it the color always fades to an awful bluish-grey?

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I've got one (technically 2) on my upper right back. Volleyball with a sunrays surrounding it.

I guess it would be deemed as a tramp stamp. I don't consider it as such seeing that it's in a non-suggestive area. I specifically got it there for quite a few reasons:
1. During interview it will be hidden
2. It is my hitting arm
3. hard to gain fat in that area
4. I can expose it with out looking like a dirty [censored].

After 8 years, I have no regrets, it was the love of my life (at the time) and because of that I still consider it art.

BTW, you can stop the fading by getting it touched up.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

How big is your tattoo and how regularly would you need to get it touched up so it doesn't fade?

I don't really get into these little teeny tiny tattoos that some women get. For god's sake if you're going to get one then you should make it bigger than, say, an orange. That's what I say anyway [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img].

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I was supposed to get mine touched up a year after I had gotten the coloring done. I never got it done. But I heard that after the first touch-up the coloring should be fine. But don't quote me on that. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

The whole tat is about the size of a med tangerine (keeping with the citrus tone), the ball itself is a little larger than a quarter.

I know what and where my next one is going to be. I just don't know when I'm gonna go get it. I've been sitting on this decision for about 5 years now. I really should just go and get it.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Sailing ships or anchors on your forearms look really cool.

Both bigger than an orange, of course.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I was looking for some bad ass anchor tats but stumbled upon this high class piece. http://czabe.com/daily/archives/picoday_tattoo_arm.jpg

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Smokey,

All the ladies shave these days. That tattoo is so 1978.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Not on the continent yo!

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Tats are stupid, only stupid people get them.

<---Grumpy old man chiming in.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

I'm a grumpy old man with a tattoo.
Got it years ago to remember a friend who died, don't regret it one bit.
Have had it long enough that my grown son probably can't remember me not having it.

Maybe I'm a sexist, but I think that having a grandpa with tattoos wouldn't be so bad but a grandma with visible tattoos is just freaky.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Oh my god, I can't stop laughing at that pic in Smokey's post. That is without doubt one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. Can you imagine bringing home a guy like that to meet your parents? [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

The orange singlet and the Ab Lincoln beard should be giveaways.

The transfer is just the clincher.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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but a grandma with visible tattoos is just freaky.

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I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of those grandmas in the future.

I was at the grocery store yesterday and standing in line behind this this sort of largish woman who had a tattoo of a girl on her back. Like a sketch of the girl's face/hair/shoulders. I thought wow, that's pretty ridiculous. Then I noticed that there was a date below and I figured that it was in remembrance of someone who had died. Kinda made me depressed.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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roundguy,

she has been your wife for 23 years? or she is 23 years old?

[/ QUOTE ]
Wife for 23 years. She works in an office of young 20-somethings. I must add, she is 5' 4", 110 lbs, and very fine for the eyes. A small, appropriate tat would not be out of place.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

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why is it the color always fades to an awful bluish-grey?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the major thing that makes me think they're unattractive. They may look okay for a couple years, but some don't even lasts that long before just looking like glop, no matter how well drawn.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

RoundGay,

There you go again, trying to convince me that there are women in Iowa who weigh <200 lbs. I'm pretty sure they have a scale not unlike weigh stations for semis and if they drop below two bills they deport them.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Blarg, suppose someone forced you to get a tattoo. What would you choose, a tribal design? animal? naked lady? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] (girlfriend's name?)

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

Never thought about it katy. I used to think that if I got one, it would be some obscure chinese character, but that is super played out by now, and it's done by too many people with no ties at all to Chinese culture. I can't think of one particular sentiment worth emblazoning forever anyway ,and like I noted, if I believed in something strongly enough to put it in a tattoo, the tattoo itself would be redundant, and if I didn't believe in it strongly enough, it would be ridiculous or even deceitful to put it on as a tattoo.

One of the only tattoos I remember liking when seeing it was a friend's, who had the monkey god on his shoulder, and it had brilliant colors and was pretty spectacular. I guess I would probably get something mythical.

Re: Why Get a Tatoo?
 

tud,

You're confusing rural Iowa with modern Iowa. It is very true that finding a married w/ kids Iowa farm girl at less than 200 is rare indeed. Being a city dweller / modern office worker, I can assure you that my wife will never even get close to that number. When she hits 111, she freaks....