Are tattoos now socially acceptable?

[schmunk]

Damn straight, heartagram FTW !

But what does it mean to you?

schmunk, did i say malc had chainsaw death tattoo'd across his forehead ? Hes an art student and his ink is all his own work, his body literally is a piece of art.

No, but I added a little frisson of absurdity and sarcasm to my post. Clearly you are not a fan of humour.

My body literally is a piece of art. A still life. Until I move.

Now run along you self righteous muppet. Im not getting into an internet slanging match, you have your opinion, i have mine, i just think you need to take off your rose tinted glasses and see the "new" real world.

Oh mummy, mummy, will the name calling ever stop..?

I believe you started this 'internet slanging match' that you're not getting into.

And pulling up a picture of shelly's tattoo to make yourself feel better...lame dude, very lame.

I only copied it from her own post in another thread to enable me to give a frame of reference. It made me feel so much better. Definitely.

[schmunk]

People who moan about tattoo's are ignorant. They go by face value. A stigma always surrounds people who have tattoos, especially if they are on show and are numerous. I like tattoos, and have several myself. People always asume the worst when they seem them!!

And here is my point exactly - Tattoos are not socially acceptable. You've just said it yourself.

[schmunk]

Who are you to determine what is meaningful to Shelley? I have tattoo's on my left arm, very very prominent. My company have no issue with them, even the bikini clad Anime char. Our clients have never mentioned it when i've been doing site work, with some of them being company presidents. Its only the shallow minded that have issues.

I'm not determining what is meaningful to Shelley. I'm asking her why she considers it meaningful.

I'll let you into a little secret here though, sport. I don't actually mind if she doesn't tell me.

I suspect you would not get a job with a City employer with said tattoo on display - mainly because it would mean you were wearing a short-sleeved shirt. But that's another thread entirely.

[beanbandit]

I'm not determining what is meaningful to Shelley. I'm asking her why she considers it meaningful.

I'll let you into a little secret here though, sport. I don't actually mind if she doesn't tell me.

I know a couple of people who have tattoo's after certain events, be it life changing or otherwise, some will speak of it, others won't. Why does it mean so much to you that you should know why it's meaningful to Shelley? Can't you just accept that some people want to wear their artwork?

I suspect you would not get a job with a City employer with said tattoo on display - mainly because it would mean you were wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

Phew, that's a relief. Then again, i couldn't care less, i can do my job, even with my Tattoo's, and i would not want to be employed by anyone who has any sort of prejudice.

[0iD]

I'm just not feeling the love in theis thread. Any more combative posts by anyone, whether they feel agrieved or not & I'm closing the discussion, and chinese burns will be administered.

[Steve A]

I have several tattoos and going to add more also.

Do i think its socially acceptable? or more to the point do i care? no not really,

i think there is 2 ways of looking at it. In the work place i would say its still not accepted (pre job), in public yes totally accepted if not then those people are just a bit narrow minded imho.

Dont get me wrong i wouldnt put my self in a position where it would cause me a problem, ie lower arms or neck etc,

would my employer (kind of hard to hide who that is) fire me or warn me about them? no probably not, but i wouldnt put them in that situation to be fair, wright or wrong i think it's just common sense depending on what line of work you are in.

[TooNice]

Its only the shallow minded that have issues.

I do think that it is close minded to make vast generalisation about tattoos as some posters have made on this thread. The problem of course, is that I reckon that you can only learn some much about a person through an interview. Shallow or not, presentation remains very important in everyday interaction. It is sometime necessary to assess another person even before you have the chance to learn about them.

Going back to what Shelley said:

I babysit Kids day in day out with my job - two jobs actually, am a Creche Leader for Shropshire County Councils Childrens Centres and I work as a Leader in a Pre-School, also run an After School Club.... No one has complained about my tattoo yet, Both Employers know about it, and it was never an issue

I do not have a strong opinion about your tattoo because it's a symbol that I do not associate with anything. So if you or someone with a similar tattoo were wanting to baby-sit my fictional kids, I don't think that I would have an issue with it, especially given that your background.

However, 'Chainsaw' and 'Death' can be associated with many things which are not necessarily neutral. If I saw someone like that at a LAN party, I might think that it's someone who is simply very much into certain games or movies. A bit peculiar, but probably harmless. Seeing said a random person alone in the dark, I would probably cross to the other side of the street. Said person could be harmless, but I don't think it's stretching to assume that people tattoo things they have some form of interest in what they put in their body, and if 'Death' is one of their 'interest' I would be at least a little concerned that said person would have an unhealthy amount of interest in it. There are sadly a number of messed up people in the world, and while most, I bet, do not have 'Chainsaw Death' on their forehead (or any tattoo for that matter), I do not think that it's the most welcoming/friendly message either.

However, if said person can establish a good reputation for him/herself at whatever s/he does, then I do not expect that all employers would have an issue. They will make themselves a tougher sell at the beginning though.

It is also worth noting that 'social acceptance' is not the same thing as acceptance in a professional environment. Unless you have the Midas touch, wearing a Hawaiian shirt to a city job interview is probably not going to impress. However that does not mean that Hawaiian shirts are not socially acceptable. Basically I reckon that people wearing moderate amount of tattoos with a neutral/non obvious meaning to them (so that excludes 'Chainsaw Death', Nazi swastika symbol and such) are probably not going to be stared by the majority society in a day to day setting (e.g. walking down the street).

Another way of looking at this is to think of the reactions people have when they witness things that are obviously 'socially unacceptable' (I hope that I do not even need to list them) - do most people in society view people with tattoo the same way? I am going to go with a no.

[webman]

A lot of people have a Tattoo done to mark an event, for a loved one, child etc etc. Quite a few of mine actually are 'Meaningful'. They were done for a reason. The design was picked, for a reason.

[shelley bda]

I'm not determining what is meaningful to Shelley. I'm asking her why she considers it meaningful.

I'll let you into a little secret here though, sport. I don't actually mind if she doesn't tell me.

Where did you ask? if you mean posting up "Meaningful?" under my picture then that to me is not a question....that is you posting up my pic with no justifiable reason other than to antagonise or that is how it comes across to me. Why can you not respect Peoples differing opinions?

*Didn't mean to send thanks either, hit the "thanks" button by mistake

[schmunk]

Where did you ask? if you mean posting up "Meaningful?" under my picture then that to me is not a question....that is you posting up my pic with no justifiable reason other than to antagonise or that is how it comes across to me. Why can you not respect Peoples differing opinions?

*Didn't mean to send thanks either, hit the "thanks" button by mistake

I apologise if I was blunt with my response, but I was surprised by the (to me) apparent mismatch between your post "...for me it's about what I believe in...it has to be something meaningful for me" and the content of your tattoo (which, unless I am wrong, is the symbol for a metal band, rather than something with a personal message).

I did not know when first reading your post what your tattoo looked like, but remembered that we have had tattoo-related threads before and recalled that you had previously posted. I did a quick search for posts made by you containing the word 'tattoo' and thus found your post and your picture.

Moving on, where in my previous posts have I said that I don't respect people's differing opinions? You will, however, find many posts in this thread from people not respecting my differing opinion...

[TAKTAK]

and the content of your tattoo (which, unless I am wrong, is the symbol for a metal band, rather than something with a personal message).

Heartagram = Heart + Pentagram

Heart = Love
Pentagram = Faith (although the pentagram is inverted so it could be deemed to mean darkness, or in such a vain lust...)

So Love and Faith or Love and Lust...

But it all depends on perceptions...

[TheAnimus]

The problem is you can't dismiss anyone who dosen't like tattoo as ignorant, or predudice.

Its art at the end of the day, something which is designed to be invocative, provoke fealings, thoughts and emotions.

For some people, they are negative, this is their interpretation, and there perception is no less valid than someone who totally disagrees with it, regardless of who owns the skin its on.

Now the problem is, that it is somewhat perminant installtion, and people, when conversing with you are subject to it. In the same way some people find some of the exherbitions at tatemodern (go into that room on the 2nd floor for instance) sick, disterbing and not what they want to have confronting them. This is the same with some peoples tattoos, in dialgoue you need to make sure both parties are happy with it.

I am well known here for not giving a toss what the vast majority of people here are thinking, yet i would never get anything so perminant as this, i see only serious drawbacks, and little in the way of benefits. Skin to me, is not a good mediam, it grows, it fades, it scars easy (well mine does!). The downside of this is when i see someone who has extensive tattoos, promonantly placed that are worthwhile art (ie, invokes some people liking it, some people hating it) i would be worried about the judgement of someone who would have something perminant like that, it limits their options, for not real benefits.

Another intresting thing, i've only ever been intermit with two girls who had tattoos, they both complained about it (one 26, had it when she was 17, one 21, had it when she was 20). Another friend of mine, after some heavy dirnking she confessed that she had a cartoon character a little above her intimate area. It was 3 months old and she was already contemplating removal.

But what is really fancinating, is i know very few guys who have had any done. Only two in total (as a geek, working in finance, i know a LOT more guys than girls ) they both are very happy with theirs.

[GoNz0]

i would never have a tat on myself, only because i might regret it or dislike it after a while.

then theres the fact they look naff when you grow old.

but hats off to a lot of the tats i see people have, some are very well thought out.

but i have yet to see a person who had a tat after 15 pints and an E say they dont regret it !

and of course the people that have a tat of a loved ones name then split up, DOH!

[0iD]

I'd just thought I'd add this article from the Daily Fail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...-ended-56.html
Because it's so goddamned funny

I mean, I've been known to doze off during a long tattoo session, but I think her particular circumstances lack credibility somewhat.

[Steve A]

LOL

I wouldnt fall asleep whilst having a tattoo, and i find it extremely hard to believe that she would fall asleep whilst have 56 stars embedded on her face ..

tis Funneh thou

[mycarsavw]

I'd just thought I'd add this article from the Daily Fail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...-ended-56.html

Click enlarge on the main picture to get a .... smaller pic - genius.

"Jules Clocher, a Belgian psychologist, said: 'The trauma this girl must be feeling is indescribable. She feels like a circus freak - and no wonder, because she looks like one.'"

Haha!