emeraldkity4

If having a tats is such a non issue....why do we put it in the same category as being fat or smoking?

because it falls into the category of superficial characteristics that some people find offensive.

Smoking and obesity can be health concerns- is it the health concerns that motivate those who oppose tattoos? Or have you had a relevant experience with a pierced/tattooed person that then
influenced your reaction?


If you had a negative experience with someone with red hair/ who was a computer engineer/Jewish, would it then color your subsequent reactions to those who shared the above characteristics?

musicamusica

WHAT^ Jewish red haired computer engineer? are you kidding.

emeraldkity4

the / were meant to indicate OR, as an example
So are you going to answer my ?

atomom

Last week H. had to tell a co-worker to remove her nose ring. Against company dress-code. Why?

I think piercings and tattoos (like any externals--dress, hairstyle, makeup, shoes, jewelry) send a message about your social group, values, etc.

You can't really control the message that others are receiving, but I'd say that piercings and tattoos have connotations for many people that are not savory and clean cut, but druggy, criminal, unsafe, scary--probably not the kind of message you want to send to your boss/co-workers/customers.
So the message others receive (though maybe you didn't intend to send)
becomes "your problem," because others are associating these negative things with your piercings and tattoos.

musicamusica

Emerald Kitty------I wouldnt dignify that absurd analogy with a response.

MomofWildChild

atomom- I think it is very likely that a tattoo sends a message about your social group and values. I am just not quite sure if the message sent by the small oriental symbol on my daughter's ankle (Rice grad, entering Divinity School, fairly conservative dresser) is at all negative. Also not sure what it says about her social group.
Or, in my case. A Christian symbol above my ankle and a mountain scene on my forearm- perhaps this says something about my social group or values, but I have trouble seeing it as a negative. I must work with and hang out with people of the same values!

The biggest negative to me about tattoos is whether you are going to not like what you chose to get, because I DO consider it permanent. You better not get tired of it. After 8 years with mine, I have no regrets and neither does my daughter.

emeraldkity4

Last week H. had to tell a co-worker to remove her nose ring. Against company dress-code. Why?

Interesting.
Neither of my daughters high schools had a dress code other that don't wear anything that is threatening or dangerous to yourself or others.
Seems reasonable.
Iv'e never worked anywhere that had an official dress code.
My H doesn't wear jewelry on the job, but he works with power tools.
( I work with power tools too, but I wear gloves)

emeraldkity4

I work with power tools too, but I wear gloves)

The power tools must have scared them off.

seiclan

I agree with Barrons. I have told my girls, piercing holes will close in time, tattoos are permanent. I have seen them lasered off...it leaves a scar. I feel that they make a person look low class, cheap and unintelligent. I feel very strongely about this and my kids all know this. I feel negatively about men and women getting tattoos (the women look cheap, the men look stupid and impulsive). None of these are qualities that I would like to see in my children or their close friends. Sorry. My opinion. I know that I am not alone.

MomofWildChild

You aren't alone. I feel that way about other things people do, like wear tight, trashy clothes or too much makeup. Probably OK to have your boobs hanging out, but don't dare get a "trashy" tattoo????

dis-grace

seiclan: You aren't saying that you'd suddenly see your child as trashy if he/she got a tattoo, are you? You may not like the tattoo, but you CAN separate the person's preferences for his/her body from his/her character, correct?

MomofWildChild

That's the part I don't get- the "trashy" part. NONE of the older adults I know with tattoos are in the least bit trashy. Many are in conservative professions, or, like me, tend towards jeans and cowboy boots. Many are athletic and still compete in their sports. It just surprises me that as "enlightened" as we all seem to think we are on this forum that many are so quick to stereotype. These are the same people who SWEAR they would never form an opinion about someone based on race, religion or sexual orientation. How open-minded are we, really? I bet a bunch of these kids already HAVE tattoos!

I can see thinking tattoos are risky because they may not look good in the future or may be a design in which the wearer loses interest. I can see being afraid of the pain and the needles. But saying any tattoo makes the wearer appear "trashy" just doesn't make sense. My daughter made it past a tough committee of clergy and 3 Bishops in her discernment process for the priesthood- tattoos and all. Trashy? I doubt it.

dis-grace

I really doubt the people who are against tattoos here are actually as judgmental as even they think they are. I'd be very surprised if any of them have lost any respect for the people in this thread who claim to have tattoos.

undecided

I had written a long post earlier in this thread, but opted not to post it because I was too, too tempted to start probing people with questions along the lines of "Well if you feel this way about tattoos, how do you feel about <insert hot topic of debate here>?" I didn't want to polarize the discussion. Heh.

For what it's worth, I don't care about tattoos. They make me want to ask questions -- "Why'd you get that design? When'd you have it done? What made you decide to express that as a tattoo?" and so on. I have had friends who have gotten them from all walks of life. One who was raised Catholic and chose to get a couple of small tattoos to express her passions in life -- and someone who got a tattoo similar to one of hers to memorialize her when she passed, all too young. One who joined the military after high school and chose to celebrate that life-changing experience with a tattoo. My dad, a retired Marine, has a tattoo. I have been considering one for myself.

I've seen professional people (in office-type jobs) with full sleeves and trashy party girls with trendy stencils. The tattoos themselves, as dis-grace suggests, don't say anything about their character to me.

Undoubtedly, I am influenced by the way people portray themselves. There are several times when I have chosen not to eat at a particular restaurant because of the way the employees chose to dress, which implied to me a certain lack of concern over sanitary issues. When I worked at Barnes and Noble, I know that several employees were asked to remove unusual piercings (any visible piercings on males, anything other than conservative posts in the ears for females) and adhere strictly to the dress code.

I just sort of shrug at all of this, though. Everyone has their choices to make in life. Some people see tattoos as art or as mementos of important moments in their lives. Some people seem them as deviant and trashy and distasteful. I consider tattoos in the same vein as any other major purchase -- conscientious and conscious purchases make for a happy customer. In this case, that does unfortunately mean learning or knowing how to deal with people who will judge you based on this choice.

I'm not sure why people feel more comfortable vocally judging people who pierce or tattoo themselves than those who act out in other ways, but in my experience it's definitely a factor worth considering. I don't think I'll ever end up getting a tattoo because I'm just too uncomfortable in my own skin as it is. I find the people happiest and most successful -- with OR without tattoos -- are those that have absolute confidence in themselves.

dis-grace

undecided, your post is very thoughtful. I really enjoyed reading it.