Tat Explosion

[tnguy]

The biggest question I have about em is HOW IN THE WORLD all these people who look like they have to borrow a pot to pee in can afford $2000 in tattoos.   My wife got a TINY tattoo and it was like $150 after tipping and all that.   'Course the same question comes into play about $200 a month phones and drug habits and the other things that the "poor" always seem to be able to afford.    Always been a mystery how the "poor" have so much access to throwaway money in this country..... 

 

After the Obamaphone and Obamacar, next up the Obamatat?

[Kegger]

I've got four, all covered by long sleeve shirts, and all have great personal meaning to me.

 

I don't mind wearing long sleeves, even in the summer. It is the cost of professionalism and that is something that I like to project.

 

On the other hand, tattoos are nothing new, they've been around for thousands of years. And every 10 years or so there is a huge proclamation about how they have exploded. They really haven't, the same amount have always been there. It's the level of awareness that has risen, whether that be from age, professional paranoia, disgust, or actively looking for them. They will slowly start to "disappear" from the current generation as they cover them up for jobs sake. But the next generation will flaunt them, and it will look like it has exploded again.

[StPatrick]

I've got four, all covered by long sleeve shirts, and all have great personal meaning to me.

 

I don't mind wearing long sleeves, even in the summer. It is the cost of professionalism and that is something that I like to project.

 

On the other hand, tattoos are nothing new, they've been around for thousands of years. And every 10 years or so there is a huge proclamation about how they have exploded. They really haven't, the same amount have always been there. It's the level of awareness that has risen, whether that be from age, professional paranoia, disgust, or actively looking for them. They will slowly start to "disappear" from the current generation as they cover them up for jobs sake. But the next generation will flaunt them, and it will look like it has exploded again.

 

I hadn't considered that possibility - I'm not sure it's correct, but it's certainly plausible.  At the same time, I do feel that tattoos have become more mainstream over the last decade or so than they have been, in that they've lost (nearly all of) their edginess and outre factor.  I remember when guys having earrings was a big deal in the 80s, and now people shrug - the tattoo thing feels similar to that, in that what was somewhat common but still "different" is now accepted.  Obviously the more extreme forms of ink, e.g. on the hands, neck, face, etc., are exempt from that.

[tnguy]

I've got four, all covered by long sleeve shirts, and all have great personal meaning to me.

 

I don't mind wearing long sleeves, even in the summer. It is the cost of professionalism and that is something that I like to project.

 

On the other hand, tattoos are nothing new, they've been around for thousands of years. And every 10 years or so there is a huge proclamation about how they have exploded. They really haven't, the same amount have always been there. It's the level of awareness that has risen, whether that be from age, professional paranoia, disgust, or actively looking for them. They will slowly start to "disappear" from the current generation as they cover them up for jobs sake. But the next generation will flaunt them, and it will look like it has exploded again.

 

You look like a fairly youngish chap so maybe it has always been this way to you but there has definitely been a huge increase in the number of tattoo joints since I was young. Tattoos have always been around but they certainly weren't as widespread amongst the general population and were more of a subculture/military thing.

 

This is why you have to cover them up. There are many out there, particularly the older generation who are not comfortable around them. I think this will definitely be less of an issue with time.

Edited July 15, 2013 by tnguy

[BigK]

I definitely notice seeing more tattoos than I used to, but not sure what to attribute it to. I do know that there has always been a public stigma against it. I knew this going in, so I made sure all of my ink could be discreetly covered by short sleeves and long pants. I refused to let my personal affinity for tattoos affect my career opportunities.

 

I agree that too many people don't think this through then complain that society is not being fair when their ink/piercings keep them from getting the job they want. I think you need to make sure you have the kind of job where that doesn't matter BEFORE you start making permanent decisions like this. 

 

Also, they aren't cheap that is true. So, when I see a welfare mom covered in ink or a dirt poor guy with thousands of dollars worth of ink, I also question their priorities. On the same note, I know plenty of folks whose car could use new tires or house could use a new roof that can't wait to show me their new 1911 too.

Edited July 15, 2013 by BigK

[tennessee01tacoma]

I'm digging up this old thread.

 

I got my first tattoo about 3 months ago.  I am a mechanical engineering student and I took my career choice into consideration when I picked the location for my tattoo, it is on the inside of my bicep, and is covered by most short sleeve t-shirts.  My wife has 4 tattoos now, all from the same artist, and all of them have personal meaning to her.  We looked at several shops and finally settled on an artist who we knew did excellent work.  I think that alot of "bad" tattoos come from people with bad taste or people who make rash decsions.  It took me about 6 months to decide on what I wanted to get and now its something that I love and will never regret.  I didn't get my tattoo for anyone but myself not even for my wife.  All these things I think are important to consider

[Omega]

I only have a few, and only one done professionally; the rest are home brew jobs I did when I was a teen. The one on my arm is an outline of an Eagle I did in Basic because my buddies didn't think I could do one by hand. I have contemplated numerous times to get it redone by a pro but have not gone through with it. The ones I think detract on a person are on women; a tramp stamp, flower or some such is not bad, but when they show more ink than skin...well lets just say I am not into it.

[Mike.357]

i see a lot of tattoos at work.   Most would be easily covered with normal office apparel.  

 

The one thing I don't get is neck tattoos.  I always wonder what kind of work they do.  But on young people who obvioulsy don't have a career I really wonder what they were thinking when they got that.

 

We had a lady customer,  in like clockwork weekly.  She had been a customer for years.  One day she brought in her early 20's aged son to ask for a job.  The kid had a big dang neck tattoo.  He was allowed to fill out an app, but there is no way he was going to get hired.  The tat was totally the reason why he was not even considered for the job.   I guess his Mom got mad that he was not hired.  She has not come back in since then,  it has been well over a year now.  The kid has been back in to buy since then, and his tat situation has gotten worse.  The neck tat is bigger and he has hand tattoos.   I seriously doubt he has a job, he looked way to soft to be doing manual labor.

[LagerHead]

I am one of those who has more than a couple of tattoos. I have several on my forearms but I understood when I got them that I would possibly have to cover them if need be for employment. As far as the expense, it can vary greatly and you can usually tell who spent a lot of money on their ink and who didn't with a quick glance. Good work isn't cheap, cheap work isn't good. I'm a fan of the art form and if given a choice, I am much more likely to spend $500 on a tattoo than a gun.

 

I can certainly appreciate good artwork, no matter the canvas or medium. My only problem with tats is, I don't like the same music I did five years ago. I don't like the same beer I did five years ago. I don't like the same food I did five years ago. With very few exceptions, I don't like the same people I did five years ago. I find it very hard to conceive of something I would like well enough now that five years from now, let alone twenty or thirty, I would still be equally satisfied with having it permanently inked on my body.

But hey, if others can find something with that much meaning, good on 'em. I am certainly not one to judge others' taste in art, since mine is so questionable. 

[TMF]

i see a lot of tattoos at work. Most would be easily covered with normal office apparel.

The one thing I don't get is neck tattoos. I always wonder what kind of work they do. But on young people who obvioulsy don't have a career I really wonder what they were thinking when they got that.

We had a lady customer, in like clockwork weekly. She had been a customer for years. One day she brought in her early 20's aged son to ask for a job. The kid had a big dang neck tattoo. He was allowed to fill out an app, but there is no way he was going to get hired. The tat was totally the reason why he was not even considered for the job. I guess his Mom got mad that he was not hired. She has not come back in since then, it has been well over a year now. The kid has been back in to buy since then, and his tat situation has gotten worse. The neck tat is bigger and he has hand tattoos. I seriously doubt he has a job, he looked way to soft to be doing manual labor.

I got a cousin in the same boat. Has a neck tat and is unemployed. His attitude is that if someone doesn't hire him because of his tattoo then they're just ignorant aholes. He's 27 and lives with his mommy.


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[Chucktshoes]

[quote name="LagerHead" post="1185882" timestamp="1409759810"]I can certainly appreciate good artwork, no matter the canvas or medium. My only problem with tats is, I don't like the same music I did five years ago. I don't like the same beer I did five years ago. I don't like the same food I did five years ago. With very few exceptions, I don't like the same people I did five years ago. I find it very hard to conceive of something I would like well enough now that five years from now, let alone twenty or thirty, I would still be equally satisfied with having it permanently inked on my body. But hey, if others can find something with that much meaning, good on 'em. I am certainly not one to judge others' taste in art, since mine is so questionable. [/quote] I'm not the same person I was 15+ years ago when I got my first one. That's ok. They are a physical memorial to who I was at that time. My tattoos tell the story of my life.

[bersaguy]

I don't have an issue with body art. I was in the Navy. Went in art free and came out art free. Folks say I am weird because every sailor should have one. I said then I broke the mold. I had a room mate for several years that spent a small fortune on body art. He was having a tat of our entire universe put on his body. It was just really beginning to take on a true picture when the Tat artist doing the work died in a Motorcycle accident. The expense came in when it came to finding another artist that was as good or better than the first one that would be affordable. I think he finally got it completed last winter. It was a work of art that took over 3.5 years of actual needle time to complete and it covers his back, front and both sides of his body at a cost of almost $10,000.00. I got to see it one day when i ran into him at a  Walmart and he showed it to me in the parking lot. It was impressive to say the least and looked very much like the pictures he printed off of his computer of our entire Universe. It is a complete body wrap with planets, stars, moons, milky way and even a few comets with tails. He's happy so I am happy for him but I could think of a lot of really good things 10 grand would have bought other than body art........................jmho

[LagerHead]

I'm not the same person I was 15+ years ago when I got my first one. That's ok. They are a physical memorial to who I was at that time. My tattoos tell the story of my life.

 

You're probably a lot more creative than I am. And you probably have a more exciting life. If I did the same, it would just be a guy getting fatter, balder, and uglier.  :rofl:

[Jonnin]

I got a cousin in the same boat. Has a neck tat and is unemployed. His attitude is that if someone doesn't hire him because of his tattoo then they're just ignorant aholes. He's 27 and lives with his mommy.


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If the only reason for not hiring someone is their  (not profane) visible tat, I would agree with him.   A *few* (very, very few) positions require the person to look pristine --  the public face of a company,  a high end lawyer,  and and generally well paying jobs that require interaction in a way that the person represents the company.  Fine, if it says that in the job description, then I can agree.  But the vast majority of jobs, where the person has little to no contact with "customers" should not matter.   I would argue that most jobs under around $15/hour should not matter about a tattoo.   This guy has some other problem (lazy, most likely).  If he were good at something useful, I would hire him ... I might lock him in his office when important meetings are going on and assign his manager to do any presentations on his work, but the tat wouldnt be a no-go.   However, it also would not do ANYTHING in his favor --- its going to be a negative mark for almost all interviews, epic fail of the valuable first impression .

[Hershmeister]

[quote name="bersaguy" post="1185906" timestamp="1409765346"]I don't have an issue with body art. I was in the Navy. Went in art free and came out art free. Folks say I am weird because every sailor should have one. I said then I broke the mold. I had a room mate for several years that spent a small fortune on body art. He was having a tat of our entire universe put on his body. It was just really beginning to take on a true picture when the Tat artist doing the work died in a Motorcycle accident. The expense came in when it came to finding another artist that was as good or better than the first one that would be affordable. I think he finally got it completed last winter. It was a work of art that took over 3.5 years of actual needle time to complete and it covers his back, front and both sides of his body at a cost of almost $10,000.00. I got to see it one day when i ran into him at a Walmart and he showed it to me in the parking lot. It was impressive to say the least and looked very much like the pictures he printed off of his computer of our entire Universe. It is a complete body wrap with planets, stars, moons, milky way and even a few comets with tails. He's happy so I am happy for him but I could think of a lot of really good things 10 grand would have bought other than body art........................jmho[/quote] Good lord- I truly terrified to think where the planet Uranus was inked on his body!

[buck1032]

I was in the Navy. Went in art free and came out art free. Folks say I am weird because every sailor should have one. I said then I broke the mold.

 

That's me as well, 20 years and 17 days on active Duty in the Navy. No tats when I went in and no tats when I retired. I also ride Harley's (and have more than 20 years) and in that circle I am the minority as well.

[RC3]

I have a few tattoos. Most are hidden at all times. Need to lose weight so I can get a few more strategically placed ones.  

[leroy]

I'm glad this thread wuz resurected.... Reminds me of somethin the son and i laughed about the other day while drivin thru the new hamlet of "Rocky Top" (...formerly Lake City, and before then Coal Creek, TN --- the "lake city" name change didnt work either...)... We espied the "Now or Never Tatoo And Piercings on the main street of "Rocky Top"... I think the name says it all....

 

Website with directions here:   http://nowornevertattooandpiercings.blogspot.com/

Directions:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Now+or+Never+Tattoo's+%26+Piercings/@36.220219,-84.15642,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd32cff4460fb9104

 

Enjoy...

leroy

Edited September 4, 2014 by leroy

[TMF]

If the only reason for not hiring someone is their (not profane) visible tat, I would agree with him.

Sure, he can think that all he wants. It seems to make him feel better about being broke and dependent on mommy.

Point is, I could care less if someone had a penis tattooed I their face. I just think it's ridiculous that folks believe the rest of society should conform to them when they are in no position to require things of other people.

A business doesn't have to hire you. If you do something to your outward appearance that is perceived to be unprofessional, whether you interact regularly with customers or not, I would not hire you. A lot of folks feel that way. That doesn't make them ignorant. That makes them more concerned with their business than the feelings of someone who would rather "express himself" than be employed.


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[DWARREN123]

Spent too many years trying to keep others from putting marks on and holes in my body to get a tat.

Not my thing but if you like them go for it.

[Murgatroy]

 

The one thing I don't get is neck tattoos.  I always wonder what kind of work they do.  But on young people who obvioulsy don't have a career I really wonder what they were thinking when they got that.

 

 

I sit in an office and tell people what to do.

 

To be fair, mine is on the collarbone/neck/throat, and while large, is minimally seen if my shirt is buttoned all the way up, and not seen at all if I have a tie on.

[Murgatroy]

It is the sleeve and 5/8th inch holes in my ear that betray me as different.

 

But oddly enough, even now at my age it is always 'you need a damn haircut, hippie!' that I get.

[Mike.357]

 I don't like the same people I did five years ago.

 

 

I hope I am still in the good column.  Have not seen you since a shoot many moons ago.  But many people dislike me.  LOL

[Mike.357]

I sit in an office and tell people what to do.

 

To be fair, mine is on the collarbone/neck/throat, and while large, is minimally seen if my shirt is buttoned all the way up, and not seen at all if I have a tie on.

 

We only wear ties at Xmas time.  You would not have been hired either. 

 

I like tats.  I have one or two depending on how you keep score.  But they are both totally concealable.  It has never cost me a chance at a job.

 

Minimally seen is the same as one on the forehead to a lot of people.

[Jonnin]

Sure, he can think that all he wants. It seems to make him feel better about being broke and dependent on mommy.

Point is, I could care less if someone had a penis tattooed I their face. I just think it's ridiculous that folks believe the rest of society should conform to them when they are in no position to require things of other people.

A business doesn't have to hire you. If you do something to your outward appearance that is perceived to be unprofessional, whether you interact regularly with customers or not, I would not hire you. A lot of folks feel that way. That doesn't make them ignorant. That makes them more concerned with their business than the feelings of someone who would rather "express himself" than be employed.


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I agree, I think the guy is being a lazy bum.  There are people who will hire anyone who is willing to work.

 

I specifically said not profane.   Co-workers, tourists, and whoever else (including anyone who encounters the individual outside of adult oriented establishments) should not be subjected to profanity or porn on someone's forehead or whatever, and that is absolutely valid reason for anyone not hiring someone.   IMHO body art that is seen in public should be rated PG-13 at the worst.

 

For non profane art, if a guy sits at a computer all day or on an assembly line or whatever else, out of the general view of the customers, and is excellent at the job, their "professional" (read, 1900s era dress and grooming)  look does not matter and should have 0 bearing on hire/not hire.  Using an unrelated piece of data that has no bearing on the subject at hand to make decisions is ignorant, by definition.   If, on the other hand, the person is expected to represent the company, the data is no longer unrelated but important. 

Edited September 4, 2014 by Jonnin