Your perception of tattoos and people who have them?

[Blinocac200sx]

I'm just a big chicken and don't like needles. Otherwise I'd get a tombstone that says "RIP my old man 4-6-1986" on the inside of my right thigh.

As far as on a woman, some can be tantelizing, some, not so much. It's gotta be case by case. However, since I'm now married, it's a non issue, and neither of us have tattoos.

 

[NikatKimber]

The other day I went to QuikTrip, and walked in the door behind a slender, athletic woman wearing a racer-back sport top and lycra exercise shorts. Dang, but from the back she was in great shape, and when she looked over her shoulder at a display rack, I saw she was cute too, and seemingly age-appropriate. So I took my time paying for gas, hoping to get a chance to talk to her when she came back up front.

As she came around the end of a display rack and walked toward the cash register, I saw she had tattoo work from one shoulder across her upper chest to her other shoulder. I couldn't tell how far down the tattoos went on her chest, but the sight of it going from shoulder to shoulder was enough to cool my jets, and I left the store without saying anything to her.

It made me wonder afterward - how much of an influence does the sight of tattoos have on your perception of a person? For my part, it doesn't much affect my appreciation of a lovely female if she has a small tattoo on her arm or ankle, but the bigger the tattoo (and more confrontational), the more my appreciation wanes. I realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that people who get tattoos think it's an expression of self and of art, etc. But how much is too much? Does it affect your assessment of a person, male or female, to see large tattoos across their skin? Does the placement of the tattoo (face, neck, arm, lower back, etc.), and type of tattoo (a word or phrase, symbol, abstract art, etc.) also slant your perception ? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, but please, keep it civil. This is not meant to be a personal attack, but rather a discussion of a spreading phenomenon.

I got put in my place once, judgement wise, by a tattooed IHOP waiter... and I considered myself a pretty non-judgemental type of person. It was one of those long nights studying, and I clearly remember thinking, "what a loser, working at IHOP and covered in tattoos." Then later I was talking to the guy; he had a bachelors in some kind of art (graphic arts? design? meh) from a Univ in California, and had moved back to OK to take care of his mom, who was ailing from something. Cancer or something like that - basically terminal. Yup.

Even though I'd never said anything condescending, I apologized to him afterwards and explained why.

I've learned a couple things.
1- having tattoos or piercings doesn't make one a loser
2- even if they were in the past, doesn't mean they are now
3- there are plenty of losers who don't have tattoos

More specific to topic, I'm happily married. But... I'm with Perplexed. I'm not particularly fond of tattoos and piercings, but having one wouldn't be an automatic no either.

The only time recently that it was an issue, was when I went with a larger group to a restaurant, and all three of the wait staff serving us had extensive facial/neck tats and piercings, to the point it was distracting. Combined with the food's lack of flavor, and sullen mood they displayed, it was a distinctly unpleasant experience.

 

[cjjtulsa]

Small and tasteful on a woman's ankle or foot (depending on what it is) can be sexy. Anything more than that and it goes south pretty quick.

Any on the face, neck, or excessive amounts on the limbs - especially sleeves (male or female) looks like hell to me. I can't see why anyone would tattoo stuff on their face and/or neck, but to each his own.

My favorite is all of these girls on facepuke that like to share post after post about Jesus, religion, etc., then talk about wanting to go out and "get some ink". I guess they've never read Leviticus?

 

[ez bake]

Seems like tattoos are the new fashionable thing everyone is doing, so I bet before too much longer, it will go mostly un-noticed until folks find another way to individualize themselves in some new form.

I don't much judge folks for having tattoos, but there are a lot of people trying to be something they clearly aren't and a lot of those people are getting tattoos (and I presume, a lot of them are regretting some of their decisions).

I will say this for women - there is a clear difference in a woman all gussied up in her hottest outfit who is covered head-to-toe in tattoos, and that same chic that decides to put on sweatpant-shorts, not do her hair/make-up and go to the grocery store covered head-to-toe in tattoos. Just keep that in mind.

 

[jstaylor62]

I enjoy tattoos on women as long as they are artistic, themed and balanced. My best friend has several tattoos. The one on her breast is the one that I don't like. I think it takes away from her overall body impression. She works out like a freak, so her body is very toned and fit. The breast tattoo just doesn't fit. Her sleeve tattoo is very nice and has objects with meaning in her life depicted in the artwork.

I dont care to see women that have tattoos across the their chest or breasts. A friend of mine got a tattoo across her chest, collar bone to collar bone. She has such a pretty face and eyes, but the tattoo takes that away, IMHO.

I dont like to see tattoos on women that look like they were done with an inkpen. Have a high quality tattoo with some color for christs sake. And what's wrong with balancing out your tattoos? I dont know ... maybe I'm just OCD about symmetry in artwork ...

How many positive stories have you heard about somebody with a neck tattoo? I'm just sayin ...

 

[tntrex]

I have found that there is a direct correlation with the addition of tattoos in that there also can be a subtraction of booze achieving the equal amount of desired treasure(booty) a young man seeks. As opposed to the inverse mathematical equation of a chick without any tattoos.

Thus concluding my hypothesis on tattoo sloots. We know you're easier and yes most all of you relish it.

 

[piston10]

For the record, I am also against the trashy boob tattoo.

 

[Wheel Gun]

I doubt that people that tattoo themselves really care what the rest of us think about it.

 

[RKM]

Don't like tats at all. Growing up in the 50's and 60's, the only tats I saw were on carney folk and military guys. I know it's the rage know, but it's something I just don't get. For the life of me I cannot think of one thing I would want tattooed on my body. I have plenty of friends and some relatives that have them.
I don't judge people having them, I just don't understand the "artistic" need to have them.

Here's a good one.........

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/22/local/la-me-tattoo-20110422

 

[Perplexed]

This..

..is absolutely sexy.

If I had gotten to know her during the winter when she'd be all covered up, and we ended up in the bedroom one night where she stripped down and I saw her ink work - I'd be torn between wanting to turn around and walk out, and simply turning off the lights. That amount of ink is very distracting, and for me that's not a compliment.