Tattoos have gone in and out of style for thousands of years right? Didn't many of our Viking and Celtic ancestors have them?

I think some tats are cool, as long as there is a way to conceal them if need be, but I was amazed by how many trashy people we saw with horrendous tats all over their body in SoCal my last few trips, compared to Texas.

dds08 said:

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My parents are similar to trump.

I suspect tattoos are an outward expression for rebels.

I'm reminded of something I read in the past about not confirming to the ways of this world.

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Need to study any correlation between middle children and tattoos. My middle sister is the only one in our family so th tattoos. Always the rebel.

P.O.G.

10andBOUNCE said:

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I'm just guessing but possibly from the rise of R&B / Rap music during the 90s and 2000s. Artists becoming more expressive with the culture eventually accepting it more as popularity rose. Soon athletes began adopting tattoos more and then it penetrates into the average Joe environment.

My theory anyways.

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What a boomer take here.

Tattoos were either always the outlaw kind, Navy millitary, or the occasional cultural tradition. Travis Barker had as much to do with the rise in their popularity as Ed Hardy tees.

I personally saw tattoos start taking off somewhere in the mid 00s for a combination of reasons. I'd say Millenials across all social circles started to embrace them. I have 0 tattoos, and people are usually shocked by that fact.

I don't see why people care one way or the other, but as long as they're covered in the work place? No visual tats should be the logical medium. Especially on the neck and face.

I have zero tattoos and zero piercings, although when I was little we had a puppy who bit through my ear lobe and my mom verified by putting an earring in it until my dad said take the sh*t out. Personally I'm not a fan of them all, but I feel like some people can pull them off more than others. When I see people my age with fresh ink I think it just screams trying to be cool.

Told my two Aggie boys, if the girl you are contemplating dating has tats or weird piercings, don't even bother bringing them home, it won't end well.

Oldest is dating a nice Christian girl with no visible piercings or tats, so far so good...



We also said a tat is an emancipation from our payroll as well, so think before your ink...

William Foster said:

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Tattoos have gone in and out of style for thousands of years right? Didn't many of our Viking and Celtic ancestors have them?

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Yep. Celts, Picts, Norse, not to mention India, the Pacific, and other cultures… all the way back through prehistory. This is just a bunch of goobers who somehow think that their preferences based on their own tiny window of time and experience have some sort of grand significance when in fact it's just goobers yelling at clouds.

That said, this particular goober happens to think that there's a threshold of reasonability, taste, and practicality past which you should generally anticipate some level of reproach and dismissal. Body modification at an absurd level tends to be representative of other insecurities, much like absurd plastic surgery and other addictions.

Let me get this straight, you have men sewing tits on their chests splitting the hotdog into a taco and Bruce Jenner went from the Wheaties box to Vogue woman of the year, and your concern is tattoos?

- Get the words "Your Name" tattooed on your backside.

- Travel the globe and meet exotic people with exotic names.

- Bet them hundreds of dollars that amazingly "I've got your name tattooed on my ass and it's spelled correctly".

- Profit.

Rossticus said:

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William Foster said:

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Tattoos have gone in and out of style for thousands of years right? Didn't many of our Viking and Celtic ancestors have them?

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Yep. Celts, Picts, Norse, not to mention India, the Pacific, and other cultures… all the way back through prehistory. This is just a bunch of goobers who somehow think that their preferences based on their own tiny window of time and experience have some sort of grand significance when in fact it's just goobers yelling at clouds.

That said, this particular goober happens to think that there's a threshold of reasonability, taste, and practicality past which you should generally anticipate some level of reproach and dismissal. Body modification at an absurd level tends to be representative of other insecurities, much like absurd plastic surgery and other addictions.

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I'm in the same boat. I think certain tattoos that have personal meaning can be cool if done the right way. So many people take it too far though and look like imbeciles. Crazy to envision a bunch of 80+ year old deadbeats in the future with trashy faded scribbles all over them.

Paradise Ag said:

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- Get the words "Your Name" tattooed on your backside.

- Travel the globe and meet exotic people with exotic names.

- Bet them hundreds of dollars that amazingly "I've got your name tattooed on my ass and it's spelled correctly".

- Profit.

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That's up there with the New Orleans classic "bet ya I can tell ya where u got del shoes…"

I personally am not a fan but have a guy and gal in our small group with sleeves

One of our pastors does have a decent amount but they are all Christ focused in nature.

I have never had tattoos, but many of my friends have tattoos.

I got my first tattoos after returning from Afghanistan, combat patch and then a sugar skull to remember a couple of soldiers that didn't make it back. I can't explain it but they are kind of addicting. Since then I've finished my arm sleeve, half of one on the other arm and most of my chest done. I think I'm at a point I'm done getting them but who knows. I always think it's funny when I folks say that tattoos make a woman look bad, personally that's how I prefer them. To this point nothing can be seen at work if I'm wearing long sleeves and have my shirt buttoned up but I've long considered getting a "I Got Your 6" tattoo on my hand, I'm pretty active in the Veteran suicide prevention scene and that is a pretty meaningful one that also serves a purpose to get the message out. I'm just around the corner from 50 and only one of them hasn't aged the best but it's pretty easily fixed when I get around to it. All that said, the only tattoos I don't like are when a girl only has one and it's a tramp stamp

I have a college friend that is a nurse who has the EKG heartbeat pattern of his sister who sadly died. It's on his forearm and is blended into her handwriting of her name so he can easily see it.

I don't judge people for tattoos, but you better have a good reason for them.

Tattoos on women is like graffiti on the Mona Lisa.

55, one tattoo. It's a memorial for my 3rd child that didn't make it, right over my heart.

I've definitely noticed women getting more tattoos the past few years. Not my preference but I'm old

Don't have any and luckily it wasn't as common when I was looking for a wife as that was a non-starter for me.

My take is pretty simple....there is almost nothing that was so important to me at 18-25 that is important to me over 50. If I was in the military and served during combat like uncles, cousins, or friends, I can absolutely understand getting a tattoo of their outfit. I also have a friend who has a tattoo over his heart honoring a child he lost which 'makes complete sense' to me.

So much has changed that I chalk it up as "old man yells at clouds", but it is not for me. It isn't just tattoos/piercings that has me scratching my head. The number of people in the 40-60 year old age group that have white collar jobs in North Texas that have tattoos, or regularly smoke weed, or even swing blows my mind.

Rapier108 said:

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Tattoos on women is like graffiti on the Mona Lisa.

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Seeing as how plain-looking she is, I don't know if that's a good thing or bad.

I will say that about twenty years ago I began noticing that a lot of the less attractive (i.e fugly) females were beginning to get tattoos and piercings as ways to make themselves feel good. Then, about a decade later, those same females began coloring their hair, any color not found naturally on a woman's head.

To each their own, but still.

Scientific said:

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10andBOUNCE said:

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I'm just guessing but possibly from the rise of R&B / Rap music during the 90s and 2000s. Artists becoming more expressive with the culture eventually accepting it more as popularity rose. Soon athletes began adopting tattoos more and then it penetrates into the average Joe environment.

My theory anyways.

---

What a boomer take here.

Tattoos were either always the outlaw kind, Navy millitary, or the occasional cultural tradition. Travis Barker had as much to do with the rise in their popularity as Ed Hardy tees.

I personally saw tattoos start taking off somewhere in the mid 00s for a combination of reasons. I'd say Millenials across all social circles started to embrace them. I have 0 tattoos, and people are usually shocked by that fact.

I don't see why people care one way or the other, but as long as they're covered in the work place? No visual tats should be the logical medium. Especially on the neck and face.

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Reminds me that Reagan's SoS in the 80s, Shultz, had a tat of the Princeton Tiger on his butt.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/1987/03/02/dont-look-now-but-your-tiger-is-winking/

Not a fan of tattoos and have none. However, I think our proposed SecDef (Hegseth) has some pretty cool paintings on his arms.

I have no tattoos yet but they're fine. Lots of good people have them.

For some chicks, they're very hot.

Then there is this - bacteria in 38% of tattoo inks tested.

https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2024/July/Bacteria-Detected-in-Tattoo-and-Permanent-Makeup-I

Jugstore Cowboy said:

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Having "a" tattoo or two has pretty much always been accepted, outside of certain strict religious traditions.

I am kind of curious, though, what spawned the growth of tattoo addiction.

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I was not "religious" in the 1980s. Tattoos were not accepted among "polite" company.

Quote:

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I was not "religious" in the 1980s. Tattoos were not accepted among "polite" company.

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Times have changed, I'm a volunteer and usher at my Church and work in the sciences as a researcher

I understand that. We've made it clear to our kids to not tattoo themselves.

Tattoos are mostly gross and women shouldn't get them. Don't ruin your beauty.

Nose rings are absolute trash and anyone who has that is beneath me.

Got the Eagle, Globe & Anchor on my upper arm after finishing OCS but made sure to get it high enough so a short sleeve shirt would hide it. Aside from paying tribute to a loved one, I can't think of any other reason worth getting one, but I don't concern myself with other people's choices when they don't affect me. As long as this is the case, do what makes you happy.

I suppose I'll show my age here, but I remember going to the State Fair of Texas back in the 1960's.

At the time, in the corner of the midway, they had a carnival barker out there hawking what was then called 'The Freak Show.' Yes, I know that's now considered offensive.

I think you had to pay six bits to get in to see the 'performers', but I never did, because it was cheaper to ride a ride and I had limited funds.

But, some of the folks they advertised included the Bearded Lady, The Tattoo Man, The Lobster Man, The Fat Man, etc...

Back then having myriad tattoos was considered 'freakish'.

And my old man prejudged every hire I made who had tattoos. I can't tell you how many times I heard -- 'You made a big mistake there. That guy's gonna be a problem.'

Some of the time he was right, but not always. One of my best guys ever had tattoos and kept getting them as long as he had extra money to spend.

I never got any, but I don't worry about folks who have them. It makes no difference to me either way.

But, young girls who pierce up their faces creep my ass out. Yuck.

agent-maroon said:

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They might look good on young skin, but if you're fortunate enough to live past age 50? Not so much...

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No tattoo looks good on anyone. They are always an indication of low levels of impulse control and bad decision-making (as in studies have proven this).

The doodles that women get as tattoos are legitimately the funniest **** in the world. Avoid women who do this at all costs.

aggiez03 said:

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Told my two Aggie boys, if the girl you are contemplating dating has tats or weird piercings, don't even bother bringing them home, it won't end well.

Oldest is dating a nice Christian girl with no visible piercings or tats, so far so good...



We also said a tat is an emancipation from our payroll as well, so think before your ink...

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Avoid women with tattoos, end of story.