OMG--D is planning to get a tattoo

Parent Cafe
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<p>“She often dresses up and wears jewelry & heels, but it just looks dirty to me and detracts from her otherwise quite attractive appearance. People, myself included, judge others on first impressions based on things such as how they dress, cleanliness, carriage, and yes tattoos, as much as what they might say or their personality.”</p>

<p>Yes, yes, yes. It sends a low-class message out about her, even if she is the most delightful person. And I can’t for the life of me figure out whether tattoo-likers don’t <em>realize</em> that it’s a low-class message, or they realize it but they just don’t care. </p>

<p>I just don’t get the aesthetic eye that looks at a tattoo and thinks, “My, that’s a lovely / attractive tattoo and boy, that really enhances the visual pleasure of looking at this person. They look so much better with it.” </p>

<p>And honestly to the person above who says that everyone who’s ever seen her tattoo has called it tasteful – well, I’d say that too if I were put on the spot – what would I say to someone, I think it’s unfortunate that you had this done to yourself? What’s over is done with, so I don’t know why you would think that anyone would say to you anything BUT “Oh, yours is pretty minor, tasteful, etc.”</p>

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<p>"It was clear the first time, and I hate to tell you this, but there are plenty of people in that generation who think tats are ugly, tacky, cheap, whatever, and just because lots of people have them doesn’t make them less ugly, tacky, cheap, whatever. "</p>

<p>LOL - exactly! Plenty of bad taste out there … just because there is <em>more</em> of it doesn’t change anything!</p>

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<p>"There are certainly <em>some</em> tattoos that I don’t personally like. But I don’t see them as immoral or low-class. "</p>

<p>No one said anything about immoral. It’s a personal design / adornment choice; nothing immoral about it (unless you stole the money for it, I suppose). This discussion isn’t about morality, and never has been. It’s about aesthetic taste and about judgment.</p>

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<p>I guess we all have our opinions. Many of you think tattoos are ugly and trashy. I happen to think overweight people are ugly and disgusting!</p>

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<p>Well don’t look at me, MOWC, I’m not overweight!</p>

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<p>I thought this survey was an interesting one. Apparently, tattoos are becoming much less common in the 18-24 year old age group than they were just five years ago. </p>

<p>[Harris</a> Interactive | The Harris Poll - Three in Ten Americans with a Tattoo Say Having One Makes Them Feel Sexier](<a href=“http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=868]Harris”>http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=868)</p>

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<p>Many of the people I have known who chose to get tattoos have an attitude of 'screw you and your rules" towards society, their parents, whatever.</p>

<p>It seems not that they don’t care about it being low class or not, but that they are showing they refuse to abide by the artificial constraints of society.</p>

<p>I am sure there are tons of people with tattoos who don’t have that attitude at all, but there is a definite group of people who are declaring their independence from those rules.</p>

<p>I am sure that experience with those specific people many years ago colours my viewpoint to the negative. Whilst I strongly prefer my girls not get them, I really find I don’t judge people who have tattoos, but not that attitude, they also tend to be the ones with smaller cute tattoos in less conspicuous places. </p>

<p>Lots of my friends have tattoos and I don’t care, but it is funny/strange how strongly I feel about my kids not getting one</p>

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<p>I think my daughter has a lot of respect for society and whatever rules are in place for it to function properly, and I have somewhat less, but still enough, respect for same, and both of us have tattoos. I like mine. It was as simple as that. It was sort of like getting a permanent piece of jewelry. I did them at age 48, so I wasn’t a kid and they aren’t wrinkly and saggy yet. I don’t care for the ones that cover entire limbs or backs, but that’s just my opinion. I also don’t like Mohawk hairstyles.</p>

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<p>That’s what I mean, there is an entirely new demographic getting them now, which ought to change the connotations and has, in that even I who had some previous negative impressions from the actions of a rebellious tattooed friend have come to see the new demographic as different. Make sense?</p>

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<p>I know a lot of young people that find tattoos tacky and unattractive…also won’t date someone who has them ( at least young men towards young women ) I don’t think it is something exclusive to older people alone.
Our former nanny got a few of them while she was in college and got a lot of ribbing from young men where we live.
Ouch MomofWildChild…at least an overweight person can lose weight easier than tattoo removal. How do you feel about back hair ? ;)</p>

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<p>“Yes, yes, yes. It sends a low-class message out about her, even if she is the most delightful person. And I can’t for the life of me figure out whether tattoo-likers don’t <em>realize</em> that it’s a low-class " message, or they realize it but they just don’t care. "</p>

<p>Some people view tats that way just like years ago, some people thought that afros, long hair on guys, and even women in jeans were low class. Maybe some people still think that afros, etc. are low class.</p>

<p>When I was growing up, the only people with tats were career sailors who were enlisted men, and women like prostitutes. Times have changed. I spend a lot of time with college and grad students since I take college classes for fun and participate in various theater groups. Most of those college women and grad students have tats, though many have them on places like their ribs, small of their back, or the back of their neck, so most people wouldn’t realize the women have tats.</p>

<p>None of the women are in artsy majors either. Their majors are things like geology, biology, and communications, and they seem to be very smart and very serious about their academics.</p>

<p>Some also have piercings including those on their tongue, lips, nose, and eyebrows. </p>

<p>I used to have the same negative opinion of tats and piercings that many here have, but due to my having so many friends now who have such things, I’ve lost my prejudices against them.</p>

<p>The fact that I have dredlocs – something that many people think is d</p>

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<p>OP, I feel your pain. My darling daughter, an incredibly accomplished, level headed young woman, took a face shot photograph of her favorite laboratory rat (yes, rat) and had the image tattooed on the front of her shoulder just above her collarbone. It’s very prominent and you can’t miss it if she’s wearing anything that bares her shoulders. She never asked me or told me that she was going to do it. She came home from school over break and there it was. My first instinct was to be furious, but I let it go. She’s a great kid, generally a rule follower, runs with the right crowd, no bad habits, hard worker, brings home the grades and is an early admission candidate to vet school, which is an incredibly tough admit. So I figured I’ll live with the tattoo. I suggest that you do the same. You’ll get over it and you won’t be the one wearing it. Just remember that she’s still the same great kid, only now with a tattoo. If your daughter chooses to go through the pain and expense of having the tattoo removed someday, and she probably will, then that will be her choice too.</p>

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<p>Isn’t is interesting how things can represent high class or low class and how it changes.</p>

<p>Think back to smoking in the 20s/30s/40s in the movies with all the high class people being the smokers. Now think of reality TV and it is so frequently played up on some sort of show with the smokers being pretty skanky…a huge swing in how smoking is viewed had occurred over the past few decades</p>

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<p>I don’t think of tattoos in terms of class, but like something that will permanantly alter your image. When I look back to pictures of me 20-25 years ago, I cringe when I see my big hair and clothing…even jewelry. It is how I chose to adorn myself, but thankfully I am not stuck with what I liked back then.
That is what concerns me when it comes to my own girls, but luckily they don’t like tattoos either.
My husband’s niece had a huge devil tattoo on her shoulder ( her mother " gave " it to her when she turned 18.) He always offers to pay to have it removed. I don’t know if now, at age 30 she has any regrets , but in our opinion it looks hideous.</p>

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<p>I disagree. I certainly don’t ask people if it’s tasteful, they volunteer the information. I also don’t generally shove it in people’s faces, like “look at my tattoo!”</p>

<p>Also, for those of you who look a tattoo and think “low-class” I urge you to consider why you feel that way. Many of the posts in this thread say things like “I just find them gross” “I don’t approve” but what part of it don’t you approve of? The permanency? The design choice? Certainly, people wear things I don’t find attractive/wouldn’t wear myself, but I don’t automatically assume they are low class because of it.</p>

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<p>“I guess we all have our opinions. Many of you think tattoos are ugly and trashy. I happen to think overweight people are ugly and disgusting!”</p>

<p>Proof positive that some people with tattoos are trashy. Only a trashy person would make a statement like the above. Ugly and disgusting.</p>

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<p>I am NOT a fan of back hair! :slight_smile: And, in many respects, removing a tattoo is easier than losing weight. Not cheap and not painless, but can be done.</p>

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<p>MOfWC, with all due respect, tattoos are ALWAYS a choice, while excessive weight, unfortunately, is not for some people with metabolic or other disorders.
My personal problem with tattoos is that when I see one, thoughts of HIV and hepatitis always pop up in my head, and I start feeling sorry for the tattoed person. I happen to know someone who contracted one of such uncurable diseases this way…</p>

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<p>Why? It’s the same kind of gut feeling/bias as disliking tattoos. It’s probably more common too.</p>

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<p>Keshira, see my post above yours. Type I diabetes is not a CHOICE.</p>