Tuesday, May 28, 2013

10 Reasons Why I Hate Tattoos


My son has a great saying about tattoos. 

He calls them “job inhibitors.”    

Me I have other reasons why I don’t like tats……. 

1.)    Who wants to wear the same thing every second of every day?  

2.)    They have criminal connotations. Take a quick look around any criminal fraternity, prison population and you’ll see the universal denominator are tattoos.

3.)    A tattoo done in a person’s physical prime fades over time and looks little more than an ink splodge on the body of anyone over fifty, outright revolting.

4.)    I keep telling my daughter “No one puts a bumper sticker on a late model Mercedes.”

5.)    You get a tattoo at 20 because it is what you are into at the time. Who at 40 is ‘into’ the same things they were into at 20? Who wants a representation of something you now have no connection with glaring out to the world and looking back at you in the mirror?

6.)    People judge you differently. Call them snobs, there is still a lot of stigma that goes with tattoos. Ignore them at your vocational peril.    

7.)    In my humble opinion they don’t look good on females. I have yet to see a woman  with a tattoo that enhances her beauty. On the other had I have seen thousands that made the wearer look out-right revolting. My sons and I hate tatted women. When we see them on TV we say “Yuk”.  This of course is our subjective appraisal. We are not alone in our opinion that tats aren’t something we see as feminine.  As yet I've never heard a single male, untatted/tatted, say something along the lines "She'd look more attractive with a tattoo on her lower back." There's a good reason for this.   
 
 

8.)    Tattoos are trendy. They should be unique to the individual but by in large they represent modern trends like say ‘todays flavour’ tribal tattoos. In short order they become little more than permanent out-dated designer apparel. After-all most tattoos come from parlour catalogues, someone else's idea.   

9.)    So many of them are plain stupid, poorly done on the spur of the moment or ill-conceived.

10.)  Few people simply have ‘the body’ for tats, too skinny, flabby etc.        

Think before you ink.

If you really must get one: at least be original. 
 


PS: Why not read my follow-up article Nothing says “I’m a loser” more than a neck tattoo? They are all the rage amongst the scientists working on the Large Hadron Collider.   

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hates tatoos, too!! My husband and I think they are so tacky especially the obvious ones on peoples FACES!!!! Just plain dumb and trendy. There's an old jamaican saying, 'Nah follow fashion', which means don't be a copy cat!!!

hairyguy said...

main problem with tattoos are they are always there. it's annoying and repetitive over and over. also, people change and grow up over time. removing tatoos is very painful and costly. you are not the same person at 40 that you were at 20 like the article says. if you really want a tatoo, the best option is get a stick-on tatoo from those chewing gum/candy packets and wash it off in the shower the next day. the natural human body is beautiful as it is especially if you take care of it right (hygiene, fitness)

Anonymous said...

All these idiots inking themselves up are going to make a lot of plastic surgeons very happy and rich. I read somewhere that it costs $100 per square inch to remove a tattoo (by laser). And guess what? It takes several sessions (5-15) to fully remove a tattoo AND it's painful AND you have to wait weeks in between sessions AND it's not covered by insurance! You could also be left with hyper/hypo pigmentation.

Chad said...

I don't mind them on guys, as long as they're "classic." Something a sailor from 50 years ago would have on his arms.
On women though, they may look good for about a month, then it quickly loses the appeal. My sister has a small palm tree tattooed behind her ear, and it looks like she has a giant tick.
I do love the term "job inhibitors" because that's so darn close to the truth. Sure folks with visible tattoos may get professional jobs, but they're definitely not going to get as many offers.

Anonymous said...

I stumbled across this blog by mistake and I couldn't help but get annoyed at the comments made. There's a lot of generalisation and as a woman with five tattoos (all of which mean a whole lot to me, are completely feminine and symbolise my life) I'm offended at the bigoted words being shared. Every person I know with tattoos, male and female, do not have a criminal record, they all have professional jobs and are really nice people. My boyfriend finds my 3 written tattoos and 2 picture tattoos very attractive because It expresses my personality and he thinks its strong that I do that.

I merely wanted to get my point across, thanks for reading.

Unknown said...

I have tattoo's and I always wonder why people like or hate them to get more insight. So I found your blog for the hate side. After reading your points I only agree with two of them. Numbers 8 and 9.

I'll break down your points.

1- who wants to wear the same thing everyday? The answer simply is some people do, and don't mind. Because you can't understand something doesn't give your point any credibility. You just simply lack the understanding. Talk with some tattooed people about it.

2-criminal connotations - i think that makes sense given the history of tats in the western world. But that will change over time as it is now with more and more people who are not criminals getting them. A lot of things carry bad connotations.. point is, who cares? Some do, some don't. Tattoos suck cuz criminals have them? Not really a good point.

3-tattoos look worse when you age. Everything looks worse as you age buddy. Not a good point again.

4-no one puts a bumper sticker on a late model mercedes? Some people do and some people love it.

5-the whole "you will outgrow your tats" argument is the one I hear most often. And it's a pretty weak argument. A lot of people are mature enough at that age to choose a tattoo they will enjoy forever. You shouldn't assume everyone who gets a tat is immature, though I will agree that's probably true 90 percent of the time. But again, not for everyone. I'm into a lot of things I was into when I was little, I appreciate my taste, and always have. You ARE the same person when you are 40 as you were when 20. Just older and wiser (hopefully) but you are indeed the same person. (science says so) I don't outgrow my tastes, I grow into them and appreciate them more, which helps me appreciate myself more. Anyone can change their mind and so on. But if someone gets a tattoo representing love, or hope, I doubt they will outgrow those sentiments. They are eternal.

6- People will judge you? Who cares. Everyone judges. It's natural for humans. People should be nice, if people are judgmental I don't hang out with them WWJD bro! People can and do ignore them at their vocational peril, as they should. If a guy is a computer genius, tats aren't going to make him not a genius. Employers need to grow up. More and more people have them, its just what is happening now.

7-you don't like them on women. Again, terrible point. What do I care what you find attractive on women? Am I you? The rest of us are free to choose our women as we please. I think women are beautiful with or without tats.

8-Here I can agree. They are trendy. Yes they are, and trends often annoy people because trends represent non-thinking conformist people who are not very creative or intelligent. But hey, that's most of humanity.. get used to it. You might as well hate every trend, it's all the same psychology. It's sad, but it will be a long time before people start appreciating themselves and don't need others to tell them what to be.

9-Here I can agree again. Tons of them are in poor taste, ugly, done badly, etc etc.. But again that's like point 8. People are stupid, get used to it.

10-Few people have the body you would require for tats? Life isn't a beauty contest with you the appointed judge. So again, I don't care about shallow judgements of peoples bodies. Bad point.

So that's it. People are people so why should it be that you and I should get along so awfully. Live and let live. Peace out!

Anonymous said...

Today I saw a man who was probably in his late 50' or early 60's at my work. It's that time of year when we have contract worker's come in to work the outage. Well this gentleman had new sleeved tattoos on both arms. You could tell by the bright look of the ink. I guess he really liked them but to me they looked stupid. I wonder who he was trying to impress?

SIL Anne said...

I have never, ever, looked at someone with a tattoo and thought to myself, "Wow, they look so much better now."

SIL Anne said...

I have never seen a person with a tatoo and thought to myself, "Wow, they look so much better now."

Anonymous said...

My tattoos aren't about looks or to "impress" anyone. I took the time to think about every tattoo. So much so, it is time for my next one. A fallen soldier tattoo in honor of friends killed in combat. The difference between ppl with tattoos and those without; we could careless that you don't have any.

KF54 said...

You are a boring twat. Why do you care so much about other people expressing themselves harmlessly? You actually waste time feeling this passionately about people having pictures on their body? Relax..have a giggle at the crap tattoos out there, then vent your anger at the actual real problems in the world. If we all followed your attitude, we would be existing in a grey uneventful world, with no diversity.

Anonymous said...

To the people offended by this blog post: It's an opinion. OPINION. If you don't like tattoos then that's your opinion and if you do than okay, whatever, move on. (WHY ARE YOU HERE?) Some people are taking this blog post WAY too seriously. Calling people "bigoted twats" shows how much immature you yourself are and make your argument moot. I'm fairly certain that majority of the people here are grown adults, so act like it.

Anonymous said...

I used to date several tatooed ladies in the past but I don't think I want to date them again because tattoos are very distracting. When I have intimate moment with non-tattooed ladies, I feel more peaceful and really present.
Regardless whether tattoo is beautiful or not, there is no/very little health benefits in comparison to the risks. About several years ago, I wanted to get tattoos because I thought they looked cool. Since many tattoos nowadays look very smooth, I researched the materials inside the inks and I found them to be dangerous to your health. Many inks contain industrial grade material that can only be used for car paint. Other harmful chemicals inside the ink are mercury, lead, cobalt, and chromium nickel. Worst, the ink may contain hepatitis c virus that may remain inactive for several years before it turns into liver cancer.
For further readings, I include the links below:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/24/hepatitis-c-linked-to-tattoo-ink/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/20/nanoparticles-tattoo-ink.aspx

Tampabayallstar said...

The people that are offended by the authors opinion are probably sorry they got tattoos. Think about it. If they were truly secure in themselves and their choices than the negativity posted by the author would not faze them, nor would they even be here posting. I doubt that if the author wrote negatively about people that have athletic physiques for example that you would even see anyone come here to complain. Maybe those that are upset should be honest with themselves and look into laser removal for their scars.

Anonymous said...

As a straight guy who happens to like women the way nature made them, I do not like tattoos at all. I find the fact that a substantial majority of younger women are tattooed in some fashion to be disheartening. People are free to do whatever they want to their own bodies... Who am I to judge anyone? However, I find tattoos to be a total turn off. That is my own issue, I know...But it does not change how I feel or how it limits my dating pool. Just my 2 cents.

Anonymous said...

I love the succinct comment by SIL Anne: I have never, ever, looked at someone with tatoos and thought to myself "Wow, they look so much better now." I could not have expressed my revulsion better myself. Especially when it comes to tatoos on women. Total turn off for this man. Always has been. I find them expressive as a symbol of "I'm cool" and "I'm with it" and "I'm tough". No you're not. You are likely the exact opposite. Just a regular conformist wannabe hipster sporting indellible low class,juvenile,comic book level ugly for the most part art that will never hang in a reputable museum anywhere, eveha, eveha! I also predict that the vast majority of people who have flooded tatoo shops over the past decade or so will live to rue the day. As beautiful and sexy, say, Angelina Jolie is, I look at her stupid ink and say to myself....you must be a nimcompoop down deep....no class at all! Kate Hepburn must be laughing in her grave.

Anonymous said...

I personally detest people with tattoos, I dated two girls with tattoos and every time my vision came in contact, I literally wanted to put bleach or something to remove the garbage I was seeing...I'm 21 and never ever will date a trashy ghetto criminal appearance girl... This last girl I dated had 3 different guys name tatted on her and as soon as I saw that I left her!!! No one in My family has tattoos because we don't need tattoos to look or be cool or represent nothing... I have a amazing personalty I don't need a damn tattoo to mess up my personality... So glad I met a girl who shares my values and believes... All I can say to people with tattoos is that do what you love to do because it's your life but Not in my house or don't come around my family... Have a nice day... This is my opinion that's all

Anonymous said...

The sexism on this was incredibly disturbing. Women don't live to be desirable to anyone. What I like on my body is what I like on my body. My body's mine. I don't give two fucks if you're attracted to me. It's degrading to call women out in this post. I wouldn't have been even slightly as bothered if you hadn't mentioned the "yucks" of you and your son. Great. Objectifying women everywhere.

On the bright side, I did read this post aloud in one of my classes and we analyzed the implications… thanks for the material?

Tattoos are personal. Judge, give your opinion, whatever. But understand that someone's body is their own, regardless of your opinion or not.

Canterbury Atheists said...

Sorry luv it’s not sexist to state a fact “the majority of men hate tatted chicks”

Anonymous said...

I think tattoo men are a turn off. They look bad on everyone to me.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, just my 2 cents, I find tattoos a turnoff. Your body, do what you like with it, and you will not be remotely disturbed to find me out of your dating pool, but there's my worthless opinion. Though part of the appeal, I think, is to stick the middle finger up at 'straight' society and its expectations - views like mine, IOW.

Dream Weaver said...

Thank you for the good read! I have one question. I am doing research on generational views in this debate.(from a non bias standpoint) If you don't mind, What generation are you from?

Dream Weaver said...

This is a great read! I have one question. I am doing research on generational views on this debate. (from a non bias stand point) What generation are you from? If you don't mind!?

Unknown said...

How is it "dumb and trendy" when it has obviously evolved and been around for thousands of years??

Madelaine said...

wow, are you sure you´re an atheist? because all this hate in you against women with tats sounds to me like a religious person. I´m a woman (and also an atheist) and I have tats, every tattoo I have represents something important in my life, I´m proud of them and is not like i walked in a tattoo parlor and decided right there what i wanted to have on my body for the rest of my life.

Anonymous said...

Why do people have to say they "hate" something, when they really mean they don't like it on them or their spouses. Why say "Most people hate tattooed girls/guys" when you have absolutely no idea what "most" people want. The shear fact that tens of thousands of people get tattooed every day proves that obviously a lot of people do find it interesting and attractive. I've been told several times my tattoos make me look sexy, when I have them uncovered. I've also had several conversations about people without ink as seeming, well, boring. They don't want change, they don't want adventure, risk/reward and they don't want to try new things. Yes, your precious skin is the only skin you'll get, and then it rots off your body as you die. Live a little. They are just bodies, just skin and you can take care of yourself and still have tattoos. A lot of people are actually intimidated by tattoos or scared of the pain. Then they come up with a bunch of bullshit reasons why tattoo's are the devil, none of which hold up. Grow up or learn to be accepting or both. Tattoos aren't a sign of lack of intelligence, confidence issues, ability to think for yourself or anything. If you think you are a doctor or a psychologist, well, chances are you aren't. You are just someone with a negative oppinion sharing verbal filth with a world that's already filled with your sort.

wyatt said...

Do u prefer a penis with tattoos, or are u just retarded? Woman with tattoos are sexy as hell....and the "job inhibition" argument is completely invalid as i am heavily tattooed (even my hands and fingers are covered), and i am an engineer making $65,000 per year at the age of 26...i fail to see any inhibition

Unknown said...

Its funny too how some people complain that their parents dont want them to get tattoos. Well I say, "maybe your parents are smart and know something you dont. Trust their experience and simply dont grt them".

Unknown said...

Agreed. Thats why I will never get one.

Anonymous said...

The author did freely admit that much of the article represented their subjective distaste for tattoos. That's fine. I'd just like to add a dissenting subjective experience.

I'm twenty-seven, and I still haven't gotten any tattoos, but not for lack of interest. Tattoos have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. Because the pattern is so reinforcing for me I find they add to every one. Young spoiled hipsters, faded beyond recognition on the old, mysterious and intriguing on women. I find despite my very straight-laced nature, it's something I can appreciate in common with the criminals I run into when in town. Certainly the points in this article are something to keep in mind when considering getting tattoos, but it's a very narrow experience of them.