What's with all the tattoos?

My daughter, who is a senior in college majoring in history is also taking courses to become a licensed funeral director, and is working full time in a funeral home. She has large tattoos on both shoulders and upper arms and on the small of her back. Each of these tattoos she feels is reflective of some of her personal beliefs or of memorable events in her life (the one on her back is in rememberance of her grandmother).



She wears a business suit every day and is becoming a very respected member of the community. She is not ashamed of any of her ink, and neither am I. She will gladly talk about her tattoos with whomever may ask.



I am very proud of her and of her accomplishments and I respect her choice to decorate her body.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 6 2006, 11:54 AM) [snapback]328988[/snapback]</div>

By then, hopefully, future generations will have abandoned their narrow views about what is and isn't an 'appropriate' form of individual expression.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Oct 6 2006, 09:58 AM) [snapback]328989[/snapback]</div>

Dylan (almost)

"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

 

I am sort of at a loss here. What exactly does tattooing have to do with porn? Tattoos have existed for hundreds ,if not thousands, of years, so they obviously predate porn. Why the insinuation that porn becoming mainstream is the reason that tattoos are more prevalent?

Anyway, that said. My wife and I, physician and (future) lawyer, both have tattoos. My brother is in business and he has tattoos. Many, many people I know have tattoos, and just happen to be professionals. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, whatever, many of them have tattoos.

There is nothing wrong with tattoos. If you get one that is meaningful to you, then no amount of time will change that.

I do think getting a trendy tattoo, such as a Taz, or a Superman logo or the like is probably not too smart, but hey to each their own.

 

I don't have one now, but two of my children (both over 18) do. Maybe I'll get one of the Prius Hybrid emblem.

 

I have pierced ear. I did it for a Halloween costume in 1987. Dressed up like Mr. Clean. Occassionaly wear a ring.

I don't worry about tattoos or piercings on anyone. Except my 2 daughters. They are 10 and 5 and I really haven't thought through the whole tattoo / body piercing discussion likely to be coming up one day. I didn't hide it from my folks, but depending on what they do, I hope they might hide it from me.

Also, there was a story on NPR last week about a new type of reversible tattoo ink that was bound to some sort of polymer. It worked just like regular ink. However, when zapped with a laser, the ink would detach from the polymer and be absorbed by the body over the course of a couple of weeks (I guess the polymer stays there the rest of your life though). Reversible tattoos like these might lead to a lot more experimentation. Maybe a Prius tattoo is not out of the question for me one of these halloweens....

 

Aside from John Malloy's "Dress For Success" and "Officer and A Gentleman" considerations, one consideration of piercings and tatoos is the potential for Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

If you've ever spent time observing people under arrest being booked, tatoos stand out and mark you for life (even when they are removed). As with most things, moderation is more readily acceptable in any setting.

A couple of years ago I was at a two-week workshop with K-12 and University teachers from all over North America - most from "conservative" communities. As time went on, more and more "conservative" instructors found their way off campus and came back with Henna tatoos (last 2 to 4 weeks) - the best of both worlds, temporary and beautiful.

 

Isn't it wonderful that we can do things in this country and, other than personal bias' for or against, there are no LAWS against it?

I will admit, however, I support the growing trend that law enforcement officers must covere their tattoos.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 6 2006, 12:54 PM) [snapback]328988[/snapback]</div>

Sorry...you're too closed minded now and were probably then to be "Advanced". I happen to be 45 and have tattoos that are visible on my arms. I also happen to be a moderately high level Civil Service employee and carry some significant responsibility when it comes to the safety and well being of our men and women in the Armed Forces.

Tattoos are a matter of self-expression. I personally could care less who likes my tattoos or who doesn’t however snobby comments about level of class based on some ink under the skin are uncalled for. It just so happens that almost 1 in 5 Americans have tattoos and if you take a minute to do a little research, there are some pretty prominent people with tattoos.

The late Sen. Barry Goldwater, Arizona's one-time Republican presidential candidate, had a tattoo. It included four small blue dots (representing snake bites) and a half moon on his left hand. It had to do with him being a "chief" of the Smokis, a collection of mostly White men who dressed up in Native American attire, painted their bodies and imitated traditional ceremonies like the Hopi snake dance.

In fact, a Harris poll from 2003 found that 16 percent of Americans have tattoos and that a whopping 64 percent of those people are in their 20s and 30s. And it's increasing.

Here's a list of well-known people with tattoos; surely not all of them are without class or refinement:

Aaliyah
Aaron Neville
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Alicia Keys
Alyssa Milano
Anastacia
Angelina Jolie
Angie Everhart
Anna Kournikova
Anna Nicole Smith
Antonio Jr. Sabato
Asia Argento
Avril Lavigne
Backstreet Boys
Bad Religion
Ben Affleck
Beyonce
Billy Idol
Billy Bob Thornton
Bjork
Blink 182
Boy George
Brian Austin Green
Britney Spears
Bruce Willis
Buckcherry
Busta Rhymes
Carre Otis
Catherine Bell
Charlize Theron
Cher
Christina Aguilera
Christina Applegate
Christina Ricci
Christy Turlington
Colin Farrell
Courtney Love
Crazy Town
Creed
Cyndi Lauper
Dale Ernhardt
Dannii Minogue
Daryl Hall
Dave Gahan
Dave Navarro
David Arquette
David Beckham
David Blaine
David Bowie
David Duchovny
Davina McCall
Demi Moore
Dennis Rodman
Diego Armando Maradona
Dolores O'Riordan
Dominic Monaghan
Drew Barrymore
Eddie Van Halen
Elijah Wood
Eminem
Emma Bunton
Eros Ramazzotti
Eve
Ewan McGregor
Fatboy Slim
Fishbone
Foo Fighters
Geena Davis
Gerard Depardieu
Geri Halliwell
Gillian Anderson
Gisele Bundchen
Good Charlotte
Goran Ivanisevic
Green Day
Gun's n' Roses
Gwen Stefani
Halle Berry
Heath Ledger
Heather Locklear
Henry Rollins
Holly Valance
Holly Marie Combs
Hot Tuna
Ian McKellen
Iman
Incubus
Iron Maiden
Ja Rule
Jack Osbourne
James Brown
Janet Jackson
Janis Joplin
Jennifer Finnigan
Jessica Lange
John Irving
Johnny Depp
Jon Bon Jovi
Jude Law
Julia Roberts
Justin Timberlake
Kate Hudson
Kate Moss
Kelly Osbourne
Kiss
Korn
Krista Allen
Kurt Cobain
Lara Flynn Boyle
Lenny Kravitz
Liam Gallagher
Limp Bizkit
Linkin Park
LL Cool J
Mandy Moore
Marc Almond
Marianne Faithfull
Marilyn Manson
Marisa Tomei
Mark Owen
Mark Wahlberg
Mary J Blige
Massive Attack
Matthew McConaughey
Mel B
Mel C
Melanie Blatt
Melanie Griffith
Melissa Etheridge
Metallica
Michael Jordan
Michael Schumacher
Michael Stipe
Michael Vartan
Michelle Branch
Mickey Rourke
Mike Tyson
Minnie Driver
Missy Elliott
Moby
Motley Crue
Muhammad Ali
N.E.R.D.
Nas
Natalie Appleton
Natalie Imbruglia
Natasha Hamilton
Nelly
Nicholas Cage
Nicole Appleton
Orlando Bloom
Ozzy Osbourne
P.O.D.
Pamela Anderson
Patsy Kensit
Pearl Jam
Penelope Cruz
Peter Fonda
Pink
Prodigy
Puff Daddy
Rachel Hunter
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Richy Martin
Robbie Williams
Robert De Niro
Robert Downey Jr.
Ronan Keating
Rose McGowan
Salma Hayek
Sandra Bullock
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sean Astin
Sean Bean
Sean Connery
Shakira
Shannen Doherty
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaznay Lewis
Smashmouth
Sugar Ray
Tiffany Amber Thiessen
Tim Roth
TLC
Tom Waits
Tori Spelling
Tricky
Tupac Shakur
U2
Usher
Val Kilmer
Vanilla Ice
Vega 4
Victoria Beckham
Viggo Mortensen
Vin Diesel
Whoopi Goldberg
Willy DeVille
Winona Ryder

So, if you'd like to work towards getting that "Advanced" level of enlightenment, try not to judge a book by it's cover...you never know what someone may have under their clothing.

Later
ITW

 

I always wanted one...but since I was an educator and educational administrator...I didn't ...then I retired and three months later (at age 62, went out and got an eagle's head tattoed on my right ankle...Took in a photo. Made a day of it with my stepdaughter who also got one...

I am thrilled with it!

I attached a photo of the tat at 2 weeks. Over time the picture has become sharper in appearance.

terri

[attachmentid=5203]

The picture is LARGE, but the actual tat is an inch and a half high by an inch wide...I wanted a whole eagle, but to keep the tat small, yet detailed, we went with the head.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skruse @ Oct 6 2006, 06:53 PM) [snapback]329195[/snapback]</div>

1) There is no hepatitis F or hepatitis G. Also, hepatitis A and hepatitis E are normally spread through contact with food or water contaminated with fecal material.

2) So then the lesson is make sure you never get arrested. Or are you implying that people with tattoos are more likely to commit a crime?

3) Good for them. If I wanted something temporary I would have done tha same. I did not want something temporary, as I'm sure pretty much most of those with tattoos didn't want something temporary either.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Oct 6 2006, 09:55 PM) [snapback]329274[/snapback]</div>

To be honest, I was quite appalled at some of the initial comments by Jared2 and Alnilam. The porn industry??? Come on people...have you been under a rock for the past 20 years?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 6 2006, 12:17 PM) [snapback]329096[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the clarif. The ink from my skull tattoo must be leaking.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Inthewind @ Oct 6 2006, 07:45 PM) [snapback]329292[/snapback]</div>

I thought that might pull some chains.

People naively think we live in a classless society. We don't, even though it may be the ideal. Ignore this at your peril.

As to the long list of folks with tattoos, the vast majority are simply entertainers and, as you note, "well known." A big trouble with a lot of young people is that they confuse celebrity with something worthwhile and try to copy them. Look down this august compilation and see how many of these people reek "class." Dennis Rodman jumps to the top of my chart with Janet Jackson winning the female trophy. I don't notice many folks who are on the Nobel Prize short list or who have done much that is terribly meaningful for the world on this Who's Who.

How many of them would you, for a stupid example, lend your summer home to, full of valuable items, and expect them to return it to you a little better than you loaned it? You know, a "classy thing." Dennis usually destroys any place he visits, as the Irvine PD records indicate quite clearly.

That list, BTW, was posted by a retired Army Sergeant, whom I thank for his dedication and service. I don't know how it is today, but when I was "in" tattoos were not going to favorably impress the guy writing my fitness report. I believe, but am not certain, that there were rules against them then. Scars were more important than tattoos!

That said, I was being provocative with the "class" word. But you might consider that in the "good old days" it was the criminal element that had tattoos. Today, everybody tries to look criminal, IE: tough.

We have "gangsta rap," "You're baaad!", grungy, baggy clothes that fairly shout out, "I don't give a damn about anything." Even the tattoo fans here have made comments how they cover them up with suits or what-not when they go to their work. Sort of limiting, don't you think? What do they wear to the company picnic? Schmika says police department rules often demand hiding them. Why? So you can tell the good guys from the bad in the world police often must inhabit.

You really want your airline captain or surgeon to start working on you with a big cobra slithering down his arm? Sometimes the cover tells you a little about the book, no?

I know it's prejudice. "Pre judgment" But we prejudge all the time and it saves our lives daily. Don't tell me you don't slip into a convenient open doorway when you see a bunch of noisy, tough looking youths approaching. In three seconds you judged them and found them guilty.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Oct 6 2006, 06:55 PM) [snapback]329274[/snapback]</div>

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

I am not a DOCTOR, like the OP, and I pass this on only in the search for truth.

I found this on a medical page:

Hepatitis F
Hepatitis F is technically a nonexistent virus. However, an infection common in the Far East has shown that a new virus, which is neither hepatitis B or C, has emerged. In some circles, this virus is being recognized as the hepatitis F virus. (Meers et al)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hepatitis G
Hepatitis G (HGV) is an RNA virus and another member of the Flavivirus family similar to HCV with a good percentage of their genetic sequence being almost identical. So far, it does not seem to be infectious or cause any illness, but tends to coexist with other kinds of hepatitis infections. However, it has been found on rare occasions when no other kind of hepatitis is present. HGV is a bloodborne virus transmitted in the same manner as other hepatitis viruses with about one in five people that have HCV also carrying HGV. It is a fairly recent discovery, first described in 1995 after being isolated in the blood samples of a Chicago surgeon. Blood tests are available to detect antibodies to HGV, but these are rarely ordered. No special therapy, other than rest, is undertaken.

DocVijay goes on to say,

"If I wanted something temporary I would have done tha same. I did not want something temporary, as I'm sure pretty much most of those with tattoos didn't want something temporary either."

The thing is, sometimes we do some stupid things, while young and certain, and regret them with the passing of time. The tattoo removal business is thriving.

There are even people who have devoted years and fortunes to learning a trade, a DOCTOR for example, and later decide they don't like it. It's the nature of man.

 

Tattoo removal:

http://www.crazyasafox.com/videos/tattooremoval.wmv

From www.grannymary.com videos section

Vince

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Oct 7 2006, 02:08 PM) [snapback]329466[/snapback]</div>

And I guess you wouldn't want a person of color, or someone other than your own gender, or someone with a different sexual preference than your own to pilot your plane, or provide you with medical care, or teach your children either, huh?



My daughter does not wear a suit merely to cover her tattoos, but as a requirement for her job. All of her co-workers have admired her tattoos, and yes, she would show them at a company picnic.



I think people need to examine their own prejudices, and not project them on others so that they feel more like the norm. I don't know what part of the country you live in, rural, suburban, or urban, but in 2006 in New York, we try to discourage this type of opinion.

 

i think it is funny that in a time when everyone is preaching tollerance there are still bigots abounding. your choice to keep your skin clean is your voice. those that decide to pierce and ink are using theirs. it doesn't make one right or one wrong...it just makes us different. for every person with a sleeve, a back piece, a small tat on their ankle, a pierced ear or nipple, or someone who's skin is virginal....there is someone that loves them for what's on the inside. isn't that what matters? there are millions of women starving themselves to make them thinner, plasic surgery is rampant, people are in debt up to their ears over 'material items' to be what they are lead to believe they need to be. isn't that more repugnant than someone who decides to express themselves without hurting anyone else? and who are you to judge?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyconrad @ Oct 7 2006, 11:41 AM) [snapback]329479[/snapback]</div>

Nope. Dumb comparison. I, as an airline pilot, flew with all races and all three genders in my time. These attributes didn't have a thing to do with how well they could fly a 757 into LaGuardia in bad weather. Other things about them, their appearance, for example, gave me subtle clues about how well-ordered their minds were. The military will give you endless examples of this.

I guess in the funeral industry the customers never complain. (Just kidding!) It is good to see you love your daughter, however, and I respect you for speaking up for her.

I live in suburban Southern California and the college I teach at abounds with tattoo wearers. Call it prejudice, but those with the tats usually, not always, score lower. Nerds are still Boss. (And dull looking.)

I was born and raised in New York. I don't recall my teachers, black, white, gay, straight, male or female, ever trying to discourage opinion at all. Things must be different now.

And now I see from the "tollerance" speaker above that I am a "bigot." My message: do what you want but don't be surprised at the consequences. Life is hard enough without tying one arm behind your back.

 

big‧ot  /ˈbɪgət/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[big-uht] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion.
[Origin: 1590–1600; < MF (OF: derogatory name applied by the French to the Normans), perh. < OE bī God by God]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
big·ot (bgt) Pronunciation Key Audio pronunciation of "bigot" [P]
n.

One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

i am just responding to your post. i am a manager at a respected veterinary hospital and have been for 7 years. i work hard and am respected for my knowledge of what i do. everyone is entitled to have an opinion, but assumptions sorely limit the pool of people you meet. i know lots of people that don't have tattoos, and i don't judge them. i have never been unfairly judged by what is on my skin.