jfowler85

Just be honest...you wanted a tattoo and you got one.

gmt13

+ 1 on this. It's the symbol of a serious cyclist - why not make it permanent

-G

dramiscram

Okay okay, you got me

Phil_gretz

My wife and I hosted a dinner party a few nights ago and this exact topic came up, in the context of whether our 19 year old daughter should/shouldn't get some artistic tattoo. She's really artistic and gifted musically...

7 of the 8 adults were against it firmly, for various reasons. The one remaining was just "trying to be nice".

I admitted to the group that I was definitely prejudiced against those with tattoos. There, I've written it. It would affect my hiring decisions, potential spouse approval/affirmation for my two daughters, and counteless other things. It speaks to me of self-indulgence, silliness, and limited future perspective.

But I'm old...

Commodus

None of this has anything to do with the essential fact that tattoos have been around/popular forever. Literally. So, no, it is not a fad.

It's a strange phenomenon (that I've noted on here before) that causes folks on BF to think their argument is just so clever, that perhaps if they just explain it more - well, who could possibly disagree??!

Commodus

I've often considered getting a tattoo for this reason. It would be nice to be able to more easily identify the prejudiced and ignorant.

As it stands now, I could end up actually working for someone like this and it might take months to realize my mistake.

dramiscram

I can truly understand your point of view even if I have a tattoo myself. mine is small and on a shoulder blade, mainly because I take this as a very personnal thing and I'm not comfortable exposing it. I try not to be put off by someone tattooed (my best friend as a full sleeve) but I can't help with the usual prejudice.

Phil_gretz

You may have misunderstood the meaning of my post. I don't mean to say that I cannot like/love a future son-in-law because he has a tattoo, but rather, that my initial prejudice will have to be overcome. Prejudices don't need to be acted upon - they need to be invalidated by better first-hand information in each situation.

Similar for employees. All other things being equal, the tattoo may be a discriminator. A great employee is a great employee. Period. I'm told that I'm a very good boss and mentor...and a good father, too.

But that's neither here nor there. The active word was "prejudice" - it does not convey ignorance. To the contrary, it speaks of self awareness and limitation.

Does this help?

dramiscram

[QUOTE=Phil_gretz;14613186
. The active word was "prejudice" - it does not convey ignorance. To the contrary, it speaks of self awareness and limitation.
[/QUOTE]

I agree

Commodus

It does. Probably I am too quick to anger when confronted with the idea of folks being judged too harshly on superficial grounds.

jfowler85

Score. I have yet to gather the gahones enough to get the tattoos that I want, so props to you sir.

jfowler85

That is an entirely qualitative argument (with exception to the last statement). A few generations ago, you could not walk through a public space out here in the west and lose count of the number of people that are flashing all categories of tats. I would say that constitutes a relative UNpopularity of tattoos during that time. However, the whole "tattoo and cigarette" motif is clearly outdated, as the CDC currently estimates that only 19.3% of all adults int he US smoke, which is down drastically since the 60s.

In referencing "all of human history" (something I doubt you are well versed in...?) I believe you are nodding to tribal body marking/modification...surely in the grand scope of "all of human history" the latter is more prevalent than the recent growing fad of tattooing. Though the ancient tribal body marking of times far gone *may* be similar categorically on a single basis (eg form and function), I would argue that overall the tattooing of today has vastly evolved into something quite different, ie, largely an expression of pop-culture tastes and preferences instead of marking one's cultural status, marital status, cultural class or caste, wealth, etc.

Rx Rider

I once shared a foyer with a tattoo shop and with our doors open I could easily hear conversations. one day biker dude goes in wanting a "Harley Davidson" tat on the back of his head. why people advertise for free????
so I hear the banter between the two guys for a hour or so, all grins and giggles. the biker guy left happy enough only to return the next day, opening the door to the tat shop and bellowing " HOW DO YOU SPELL HARLEY DAVIDSON???" so funny.

what is it about half a chainring on the calf that is so appealing??
I want one too.

Bike Gremlin

USA, not Europe you come from?

A football club you support is like a tribe. Something you never change - can't be changed. Whether they're winning or loosing. One of the few tatoos that has any sense (because tatoo is PERMANENT) is the amblem of your club.






I find one thing funny:
Today's society is not so much into symbols (and their meaning). In some "primitive" societies tatoos had their meaning, place, importance. They were generaly understood and accepted.

Nowadays tatoo is advocated as something "personal". Well, if it's personal, why show it on the outside? To me it's a bit like telling some "private joke" (prank), that only a few people in a group understand while others will look just blank. If it's not for everyone to see and understand, why put it on the outside, on your skin?


Having said all this, I find cool tatoos cool.

Commodus

You can argue whatever you like, my point stands. The practice of tatooing is not a fad.

If you really want to debate the similarity of modern tattoos to whatever past markings fit your argument, feel free to start another thread in which you can claim whatever level of omniscience you feel is required to divine the intentions of the tattooed, past and present.

mike

It appears that you are trying to turn comments into an argument. Hey, get a tat or several tats, if you want, but if you think they are universally accepted, you have another thought coming.

The fact that many people have tattoos and the fact that tattoos have been around a long time doesn't mean that there are no negative stereo-types or prejudices against them.

Perhaps one of the most telling examples of tattoo prejudice is that some employers won't hire people with visible tats even though they themselves have skin art!

Tattoos are indeed a fad, despite how popular they are today. This is evidenced by the fact that tattoo designs are faddish in nature - some tattoos are "out of fashion" like tramp stamps and barbed wire armbands. If tattoo designs are fads, then the whole tattoo boom is a fad.

The folks today who are getting tats and thinking that tattoo popularity is forever are like frogs living in a well and thinking that what they see around them in their own limited world and time is the whole world into infinity.

Rx Rider

I agree Mike, tattoos are here to stay forever. now if I could get some help, all this talk of tats I've convinced myself to get one. but only 1 and I've narrowed it down to these options, your thoughts would be grately appreciated, thx.
a.b

any help getting my body that big would be nice also.

mike

Wow, that is groovy art. I remember those Rat Fink drawings from when I was a kid back in the 1960's. We bought Rat Fink cards like some kids bought baseball cards. They had a stick of dried out gum in the packs that my friends always gave me because nobody else in our crowd wanted.

Anybody notice the "wheelie bar" on the back of Rat Fink's Muscle bike? Those were an after market device you could buy in the '60's for poppin' wheelies on your Stingrays, Krates, and Choppers. They were mostly for sissies because all the guys I knew did wheelies without wheelie bars. The longer/farther you could pop a wheelie, the cooler you were, obviously. Some guys could ride a wheelie for a city block or longer. Aaaaah where are those cool cats today? ... and whatever happened to their muscle bikes?


As for the skull, I never got into the death celebration stuff, but I have to admit that the way the sprockets and gears are incorporated into the skull is very creative.

Both would make for great bumper stickers.

rubic

Never had a tattoo and never wanted one. However, a bike related tattoo has tempted me. Oh, those temptations!

Commodus

...

uh...once again, this has nothing to do with 'fad'. Your logic here is hilarious, let me see if I can try it out:

Cars with V8s were once very popular. Now, less so. Thus, cars are just a short lived fad.

How'd I do?

mike

Well, Commodus, maybe not terribly convincing logic just yet, but keep trying because it is interesting reading. In the meantime, don't worry about tats going out of fashion. For you, they will never go out of style.

I remember my uncle coming back from Vietnam with a tattoo of a Red Devil on his arm. Tats weren't generally accepted in those days, but on my uncle, it was cool no matter what. In my mind, it is still cool even though he is no longer around. It wasn't as pretty or as elaborate as most of the tats we see today, but he wore it well.