You sound like my mother or my grandfather or some grouchy older person I know

[La Lioness Priyanka]

when you talk about how unattractive and un-classy tattoos are. It makes me immediately flash to how boring and insipid your life must be, and how extremely outdated your tastes are. It makes me sad that your life is probably boring as fuck and that your vision of beauty/art is so limited.

I guess my big point is that people usually do not value the aesthetic preferences of the parental/grandparental generation. (remember the flowery wallpapers? yeesh)

Just sayin'

(PS: i know someone will pipe up with "did we really need another thread about tattoos? my answer is "this is not about people with tattoos, but about people who judge others with tattoos).

[Jackpine Radical]

1. This response is not about tattoos or about people who judge others with thattoos.

It is about people who judge others who judge others with tattoos.

Where's Rumsfeld when ya need him?

[Drale]

2. Every time I see my Grandmother

she tugs on my beard and says that I need to shave it off and I tell her every time, no Grandma I like it so I'm keeping it. I can't even imagine what she would say if she saw the tattoo on my shoulder. Old fuddy-duddys I call them, stuck in the old ways, when you just did things the way society wanted and didn't wrinkle any feathers.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

29. this is exactly what i think about.

"Shave your beard" "cover your arms" "dont wear all black" etc

[Iggo]

35. ..."cut your hair", "lose the earring", "wear looser pants, nobody wants to see that"...

I've heard them all...lol.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

36. those too!!!!

[arcane1]

76. I've heard all three of those.

Even recently

[markpkessinger]

103. Or the more recent variant of "wear looser pants" . . .

. . . which is, "pull your pants up!" Ironically enough, the more recent variant often passes the lips of those who heard, "Wear looser pants" in their own younger years. (And yes, I'm quite aware of the unfortunate origin of the baggy pants trend. But whatever its origin, once it has become a hallmark of generational style, no amount of elder haranguing in the world will change it, so I say lighten up about it!)

[nomorenomore08]

120. The baggy pants thing has been commonplace for decades. But it does seem to come and go

to an extent. In the last few years "skinny jeans" (AKA tight-fitting) have been more the style.

[markpkessinger]

157. That kinda depends on the crowd one is talking about . . .

. . . Here in NYC, there are still plenty of young guys doing the baggy thing. They aren't hipsters, to be sure, but they are still around -- and grumpy milddle-aged and older folks still complain about it.

[MADem]

160. Some of those skinny jeans are really TMI. When you can tell someone, to the penny, how much

change they have in their pocket, they probably oughta think about the next size up...for their circulation, if nothing else...!!!!

[nomorenomore08]

163. Absolutely. They can end up looking just as silly as pants sagging below the knees. n/t

[seveneyes]

198. Sad comment on the pants below the buttcheeks

The way I understand it, this fad is paying homage to inmates that have no belts to hold their pants up. That seems like an aspiration to nothing good. Of course it could be kids doing it to conform and they never heard of the history behind it.

[shanti]

105. and then there are the seniors

who hate facial hair, but like tattoos (my mother, 81). she does have a tat, a small ladybug on her shoulder, done on a whim a couple of years ago. i think she just wanted to cut loose.

personally, i believe it's a generational thing. only one of my 4 sons (23-35) has tattoos or piercings, but they do feel that they are anomalies for their ages. the one that has one just has an ugly, homemade tat, but doesn't plan for more.

the op refers to a thread with someone expressing their (negative) opinion about tattoos, and people gave their opinions. i really don't see the problem with that it's just an opinion.

[Warpy]

127. Funny, I appreciated my grandparents' tastes much more

than the mid century modern (aka dentist waiting room) furniture and other decor my mother was drawn to.

I never minded wallpaper with big cabbage roses on it. It suited those old Victorian rooms. I liked it a lot better than the fussy stuff that came out in the 70s to early 90s. My own decor, which appears to be more a full blown conspiracy than a mere scheme, tends to mixing Shaker and Mission. They get along surprisingly well although they swear acidly with the stuff my mother would have haunted me over if I hadn't taken it.

I'm an old hippie so I'd think your beard was just fine. Those fuses were all blown in the 60s.

[roguevalley]

143. wow. I can't wait to see you all old.

Judging people for their tats is wrong, calling old people idiots isn't? I'm old. I like tattoos. Tongue piercings? Nope. Getting a brain infection and dying isn't cool.

[hfojvt]

212. I spent most of my twenties wearing a beard

I look back now and wonder "what the fuck was I thinking?" It's no wonder I never got married.

Except that when it comes to "doing what society wanted" it seems to me that in the current society of the young - that society wants people to get tattoos, and that those hideous splotches of ink are now at least as ubiquitous as blue jeans.

[Drale]

213. You are sounding like my grandmother

you may think they are "hideous splotches of ink" but to me and millions of others, Tattoos are an art form and a way to ourselves. Tattoos have come a long way in the past 20 years from basic designs to incredibly complex almost paintings. You may not like them but I love my tattoos and plan on getting more in the future. This is a similar argument to the abortion or gay rights arguments, if you don't like abortion then don't get one and if you don't like gay marriage than don't get married to a gay person and if you don't like tattoos don't get one. Its really as simple as that.

[dhol82]

3. who are you referring to?

i do not judge those with tats. i just hope they don't judge me for not having any.

do not care for piercings either.

and, i bet my life is more exciting than yours.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. why would i judge you for not having tattoos or piercings?

where in this did i say that not having tattoos makes you boring?

[dhol82]

13. you sounded

you sounded like you were judging anybody over 30 for living sad, boring lives.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. no i am not. the coolest person i know is 86.

you're reading what you want to read, not what i wrote

[DesertFlower]

101. i agree with you. nt

[leftstreet]

4. I hate tiny penises on Greek statues

You young people with your weird fashions!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. LOL.

[dorkzilla]

5. Doesn't that make you just as judgemental?

You make an awful lot of assumptions about people you don't know.

People in glass houses and all that...

For the record, I couldn't give a flying fuck if someone has ink or not.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. assumptions about people based on something they judge

is something we do all the time here. (i also think poorly of people who judge my sexuality, for instance)

[drmeow]

109. That's not what you said in your OP

"when you talk about how unattractive and un-classy tattoos are. It makes me immediately flash to how boring and insipid your life must be, and how extremely outdated your tastes are. It makes me sad that your life is probably boring as fuck and that your vision of beauty/art is so limited. "

What this says is "if you do not find tattoos to be attractive or classy, your life must be boring and insipid" It does not say, "when you make judgments about people based on the fact that you find tattoos to be unattractive and un-classy ..."

Perhaps you were not as careful as you should have been with your wording because what you are saying in your responses does not fit the message of your OP. As a woman with a tattoo, I find your OP to be offensive and judgmental. You may want to consider editing it to more accurately reflect what you seem to be saying. I don't think you intend to be offensive and judgmental but poor wording is garbling your message.

[nomorenomore08]

122. FWIW, I have no tattoos and I didn't find the OP the least bit offensive.

At worst, it's being judgmental of judgmental people, i.e. giving them a taste of their own medicine.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

152. and look how much they hate it. i guess people can really dish it out to women with tattoos

but have a hard time dealing with the issue that maybe those women also think less of them

[nomorenomore08]

153. Very true. The defensiveness is telling, I think. n/t

[JNelson6563]

201. "Taste of their own medicine"?

Or stooping to their level?

I wouldn't call this particular OP as having taken the high road.

Better choices of words and dial back on the rather large dashes of personal attack in this stew and you might see a more unassailable argument. As it stands I'd say it would be better as a comment in the existing thread.

Just my .0125

Julie

[La Lioness Priyanka]

147. i think people read things the way they want to. plenty of others read it

without having a meltdown

i am not here to make everyone happy.

[drmeow]

164. Did I have a meltdown?

I pointed out that your tone was problematic and suggested you changed it. How was that a meltdown?

No one expects you to make everyone happy but if you can't adequately communicate your sentiments without offending people, don't object if you get called in it. Also, don't be surprised if your posts get alerted on, hidden, and you end up on lots of people's ignore lists.

IMO, life is to short to engage with people who either know that their comments are inflammatory and then don't care or deny the reality when they cause reactions or to whom it is pointed out that the remarks could be inflammatory and then basically say "that's YOUR opinion." I tried. You've demonstrated you seem to fit this pattern. I'm done.

[Neoma]

180. I had a back and forth with a person that said he avoids people with tattoos and piercings.

He won't hire them, let alone get near them. Doesn't matter of they're literary or scientific tattoos, he judges people's looks straight off and said people who have tattoos "has to face the consequences" of apparently being judged by people like him.

This OP is probably for that guy, honestly. That conversation got heated.

[drmeow]

181. I understand what the OP was about

as well as all the other threads about tattoos. But this OP was so badly worded that the message was "If you think tattoos are unattractive and unclassy, you have a f**ked-up boring life and bad taste and are a loser." If it was the intention of the OP to say that then, IMO, the OP was offensive (that doesn't mean the first OP by the "I hate tattoos" guy wasn't also offensive). If it was not the intention of the OP then the person who posted it has extremely poor communication skills. Either way, they aren't someone whose posts I want to waste my time on.

There is a general incivility at DU these days (actually has been for a number of years since before DU2 and certainly is not unique to DU) which has largely silenced me (you can see by my low post count despite how long I've been here). This particular OP and the repeated semi-hostile responses by the original poster really seemed to exemplify it. Should I have just put them on ignore from the start - probably - but I genuinely thought they were trying to make a different (and potentially valid) point. I thought the message was more "If you judge and refuse to hire people because you think tattoos are unattractive and unclassy then you have a f**ked-up attitude and are a loser" I would have totally agreed with that. Apparently I was wrong about what I thought the message was supposed to be (despite the OP's follow-up messages trying to make that point) or the OP didn't care that their message was completely garbled. Every now and then the psychologist in me comes out and I feel this urge to say "Did you mean to be offensive, do you not care, or did you just misstate things?" I suppose I should have learned by now that it is usually 1 or 2 and cut my losses from the start - never should have gotten that degree in psych!

No big deal. I said my piece(s) and added another person to my (relatively short) ignore list and am moving on.

[Myrina]

209. Oh, stop with the logic!!

[NCTraveler]

6. People who place major judgement on those with tattoos...

are asses.

[roguevalley]

144. true that, NCTraveler. but calling them old

and the like isn't cool either. the coolest people I ever knew were over 50. I'm old too. I don't care if you tattoo your face. just be big enough to manage the lowered expectations if you do. I remember someone with Loser tattooed on their forehead. I would love to see them now. if they're still alive.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. It's all a matter of taste.

I don't care for the way tattoos look but I don't dislike or think badly of people who have them. And I would appreciate not being judged to be an old fogy with a boring and insipid life and outdated tastes just because I don't think a particular style of personal ornamentation is especially attractive. Oh, and I don't like flowery wallpaper, either.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

12. i dont care or judge you for not having tattoos or for having them

i dont think having tattoos makes one cooler

however i do think judging tattoos in the way that i have frequently seen on du, makes one UNCOOL.

hope that clarifies what i said.

[Dollface]

178. The secret to both tattoos and flowerly wallpaper is quality and placement.

[SomethingFishy]

9. "Just saying".... Bill Mahr mentioned that when you write

"just sayin" after a post it usually means you were being, well... less than kind in the post...


"No one really knows where Obama was born".. just sayin...

That said, I swear I clicked on DU in my bookmarks, but it took me to this place where people are talking about tattoos and wrinkles like they hold some kind of importance... "just sayin"..

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. yes, i am fully aware of this. nt

[PeteSelman]

15. Ridiculous.

I don't judge people for having tats, I just think they're ugly, particularly on women.

And everyone's life should be as "boring" as mine. There would be a lot more smiles and much less tension if they were.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

16. yeah, and i think your statement is sexist. nt

[PeteSelman]

45. Of course.

Because god forbid someone has a personal preference.

Should I stop my monthly donations to Planned Parenthood since I'm so sexist?

More ridiculousness from you.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

49. who you donate to or who you say you donate to, is none of my business

i find people who say XYZ (assertiveness, aggressiveness, tattoos) is unattractive in women to be sexism, because it is. it's having two different standards for different genders.

[PeteSelman]

85. I don't like them on anyone.

But I'm not attracted to guys so it's not as big a deal to me if they have them. I don't see why this makes me sexist.

[snooper2]

192. And we would never have the greatness that is Marilyn Manson-

It's 2013 by the way, not 1973

[PeteSelman]

196. Yeah what a tragic loss to art world that would be.

Nah, I like Manson. Antichrist was good, Mechanical was better.

I don't care if people have tattoos. By all means, tattoo your whole body for all I care. But I'm not obligated to like them or find them attractive. That's all I'm saying.

[cbayer]

18. There are two types of people in the world -

People with tattoos and people that are afraid of people with tattoos.

- Attributed to my dear ex-business partner who was often grouchy.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. i think there is a third type, people who think other people's bodies

are not for them to judge that's mostly how i feel about tattoos

[maddezmom]

81. LOL

I hope there are 3... And those that don't care one way or the other????

[cbayer]

88. There are, but he came up with some really winners and I like this one.

[maddezmom]

91. I like it, too!

But I was obviously raised by pirates.

[MFM008]

19. grouchy?older?

thats me.... nah my son and sister have tats.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

28. :)

[1-Old-Man]

20. Let's not kid ourselves, in terms of the finished look they aren't much different than cartoons

This is hardly high art, and the dyes fade over time and the skin grows as it will, and then of course there are the scars. In the end they all look like gray-black blobs with occasional dull pea-green or horribly faded red highlights. And maybe the most sobering thing about one is that long after the reason for getting the thing has faded it will still be there, usually with about the same degree of fade.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. they are very different from cartoons. longevity is not the only measure of art

and if people hate them so much, they can get them removed

assuming that everyone will regret their tattoo is kinda dumb. i know many older people who still love their tattoos.

[bunnies]

27. This looks like a cartoon to you?

[opiate69]

112. that is fucking stunning!

[bunnies]

114. isnt it?

I think I stared at it for an hour the first time I saw it. Its got to be one of the most amazing pieces Ive ever seen. Heres another one I just love:

edit: a better pic:

[opiate69]

121. Wow! Man.. there's just a bunch of really, really amazing artists in tattooing these days.

Very cool

[bunnies]

123. Youve got to google Lippo Tattoo:

Its absolutely mind blowing:



How people can say this is not art blows my mind.

[opiate69]

124. holy sheet! definitely will after dinner! thanks!

[bunnies]

126. Thought you'd appreciate it.

[redwitch]

136. THAT is amazing!

I never see work like that walking around, must be hugely expensive!

[bunnies]

141. Yep. Gotta be big bucks to hire someone so talented.

Im damn sure I cant afford work like that!

[redwitch]

139. I just googled them.

They do some remarkable work, the butterflies that look like they are flying away are the most beautiful I have ever seen. I like the abstract work off the shoulder too. If I was a young'un and could get that kind of work done I would.

[LittleBlue]

130. Unbelievable

That is amazing.

[sibelian]

132. It looks like a cleverly executed piece of tastelessness.

And, yeah, if you look at some of Chuck Jones stuff, in terms of design it's pretty cartoonish.

[bunnies]

165. Thats too bad.

I honestly wish you could see what I see just for a moment. Its a brilliant piece of artwork and skill. MC Escher would be proud.

[redwitch]

134. That kinda freaks me out.

It looks like she got carved up ala jack o'lantern!

[eilen]

137. I have to agree.

I'll never get a tattoo. I think the problem I have with the idea of getting a tattoo is it's permanence. I don't think I'd mind to try something out so long as it can wash off. As far as other people getting tattoos, I'm of the opinion to each their own. Me, I'm an ever evolving type of person and tattoos require a level of commitment I am too uncomfortable with.

[immoderate]

158. I'm in agreement with that.

I don't like making commitments either.

Also, not to be judgmental, but I've not seen anyone whose appearance is improved by a tat, or a piercing, or, in most cases, makeup.

Of course, de gustibus non disputandum est.

--imm

[bunnies]

138. lol. Totally.

But I love Halloween! Maybe thats why I think the piece is so cool.

[bunnies]

21. Self expression shall not be tolerated!

We're only doing it for attention anyway. We're just trashy, unemployable, repulsive, attention-seeking, thugs. *throws gang sign*

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. The grouchiest person I ever met was 26. I think he's 29 now.

So there's that.

Also, as a side note, my great-grandmother was the coolest person I know (quite possibly the coolest person ever to walk the earth). When the entire family was in a tizzy because I was an unwed mother, she calmly spilled the beans that she found herself pregnant at 16...1 month before my great-grandfather married her and 6 months before my "premature" grandfather was born.

She is also the one who taught me the trick of digging a hole in the backyard so I could lay on my belly.

Window. Dressing.

And grouchy is never an age.

[Behind the Aegis]

50. +1

you!

[ScreamingMeemie]

71. ...

Hey!!! How have you been??

[Behind the Aegis]

166. Doing well!

My baby just back from another week in Houston and now has a cold. How is your group? Your mom doing well? She was a pip!

[KamaAina]

24. Don't forget the plastic slipcovers on the furniture.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

26. this is something that i am glad to never have personally witnessed

[KamaAina]

33. That could be a Pa. thing

Our close friends were from Pa. They had 'em.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

46. i think this was an american thing. too hot in india

for plastic on furniture

[TorchTheWitch]

173. It was an American 1950's thing

When average people could afford a room of good furniture but not afford to replace it when it got stained or threadbare. It was nice to be able to sit on your good furniture rather than having a parlor of good furniture that was only used for guests so they didn't see the ratty old cheap stuff that got baby puke on it, Dad's beer spilled on it, your older kids getting potato chip grease stains on it or the cats using the arm rests as a scratching post.

Slipcovers used to be made of cloth until the invention of plastic and the 1950's explosion of making damn near everything out of plastic. Plastic slipcovers became all the rage because liquids couldn't seep through them like the old cloth slipcovers or the old sheets a lot of people used to use since cloth slipcovers were custom made and expensive, and they were easy to keep clean with just wiping with a damp sponge rather than having to be laundered.

[bettyellen]

125. it was big in the bronx too. i think the plastic stayed on till the kids grew up.....

[petronius]

84. But in fairness to grandma, she was definitely right about the

cut-glass bowl full of those sour lemon hard candies that she always had on the coffee table...

[Agnosticsherbet]

31. My grandfather talked about being a young man and going to see "a pretty ankle."

He was born in 1880. Yes, aesthetic preferences and styles change.

When I was younger, it wasn't just "aesthetic preferences." Visible tattoos were mutually exclusive with getting a job, unless you were decidedly blue collar. Auto mechanics, ditch diggers, boxers, and manual laborers could have tattoos. This was true even for the Navy where a lot of young men were tattooed. (If discovered you could go to a Mast for destruction of government property, be reduced in rate, and fined.)

I have a daughter who wanted a tattoo and I told her until she was 18, no. She respected my rule and on her 18th birthday she picked up leopard spots and some in places that are none of my business. That was her decision. I am very proud of her, for she has grown to be fine young woman, tattoos and all.

I see it an example of times and customs change. When I was young, anything but a blue collar job required a suit and tie, and most of those jobs women were not allowed to work in. We've come a long way.

There are some jobs today where people who wear tattoos would find it hard to get hired, but not many. It is a matter of choice, and people should be given leeway to decorate their bodies as they see fit.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. don't get me wrong, tattoos can hinder careers and people should be strategic

about where they place these tattoos IF they value traditional careers. However i dont understand people who seem to have such extreme angst about others peoples tattoos. i also have often found that this tattoo attitude often coincides with sexist attitudes.

[SheilaT]

32. Long before I had kids, it occurred to me that

if I ever had any, by the time they got to be teenagers, I'd probably hate the music young people were listening to.

Just figuring that out made it easier, once I eventually had kids and they grew to be teens, to put up with their music. Some of it I like a lot.

I know that's music, not tattoos, but the point is the same.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. same principle really. its ok to not want to listen to whatever kids are listening to

its another thing to judge them for it

[B Calm]

34. The dumbest thing I ever did was getting a tattoo when I was in the Navy.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

38. why? did you get a tattoo you no longer like?

[B Calm]

40. You'll find out, the damn things are permanent!

I was out getting drunk with a bunch of other sailors in Newport, RI 1969.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

43. you're assuming your poor decision making is anything like my decision making

i waited till the science said my brain was fully done developing and i was stone cold sober when i designed the tattoo and then when i went to get it. I would never do something permanent on a whim

[B Calm]

48. Then you come on line and post for everybody to see, just to prove to yourself

that you made the right decision?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

51. huh?

[Boudica the Lyoness]

203. Here is something for people to consider.

But I know you have already studied things like this because you said you don't do permanent things on a whim.

http://www.inspire.com/MarineRetired2012/journal/sarcoid-attacking-tattoos-only/#replies

http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/dermatologist-warns-consumers-about-complications-linked-to-newer-tattoo-inks-

[JI7]

39. in that one thread which i think was the original i'm pretty sure one was a right winger

i didn't read through it that much but one of the anti tattoo posters is one i believe to be a rightwing troll which explains it.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

42. in my LONG ass time of being on DU, there have been quite a few of these

anti- tattoo threads. (used to be in the lounge back when we had mods)

[Llewlladdwr]

107. Did you alert? nt

[scheming daemons]

44. some of us consider the human body to be naturally beautiful

And self mutilation to be unsexy.

To each his or her own.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

55. some of us find those who consider tattoos self mutilation to be relics

of some other age

[scheming daemons]

61. injecting poison into your epiduris is a strange way

To express yourself, but by all means, do what makes you happy.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

47. Not my grandmother

[La Lioness Priyanka]

52. nor mine. just someones grouchy grandfather.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

63. Just kidding. I never even met my grandparents. :-P

[closeupready]

53. One of the reasons I like tattoos on guys is

when I was a young boy, the neighbors across the street were a group of veterans - this was the 70's, and I don't recall exactly which conflict they fought in, but they would play poker in the garage at the back of the driveway at a table in a dirty, smokey room with centerfolds on the walls - very masculine setting, and yep, they all had tattoos of some kind, typically on the arms.

But I don't like too many, i.e., David Beckham's appeal declines with each new tattoo because he's covering his skin with ink. I like dark skin tones, and tattoos can easily depreciate the natural beauty of skin.

On women, they can be okay, but again, they can tend to diminish the natural beauty of the human body as it is naturally.

It is NOT a judgment that I pass on people who have them, except I suppose insofar as rating attractive people on a scale from 1 to 10 is a judgment.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

59. to me words like trashy, unattractive and self-mutilation

sound like extreme judgments.

i think saying there is a particular type of tattoo you like or dont like or even not really caring much for them is fine.

i dont care much for blue jeans but i dont rail about them either. you know what i mean?

[closeupready]

68. I do know what you mean. I also think part of what you

are objecting to is the cultural demands for gender conformity as to ideals of beauty, when with 6+ billion members of humanity, how realistic is it to think one look can ever suit everyone?

That is, Western men are traditionally prohibited from wearing make-up and high heels; women are prohibited from tattoos and bare chests. That kind of thing.

[SalviaBlue]

54. You do realize that there are people of all ages on this site?

That is one of the things I love about this site. I do not expect everyone to share my opinion. I can often tell if a person is young or old based on their response in a thread; but I often have no idea. I love that!

I choose not to participate in threads like the tattoo thread because I think: "To each his own." You CAN choose not to participate.

You may need some maturity to realize that your OP is also judgmental. To call someone "boring and insipid" because they disagree with you about an aesthetic preference is rude.

Just sayin'

[La Lioness Priyanka]

56. i am comfortable being rude to people who are so judgmental of others

specifically when they are so judgmental of the choices women make with their bodies

[sibelian]

133. It's nice to be comfortable with things.

I'm comfortable with the idea that people with tattoos look as if they're a bunch of conformist sheep who've been scribbled on...

Mmmmmmm, comfy rudeness.

[OhioChick]

57. I agree wholeheartedly

And I do remember that flowery wallpaper, not to mention paneling.

[frogmarch]

58. I like tattoos – well, some tattoos, but

I like the idea of all tattoos. One of my adult granddaughters has several bars from “Imagine” tattooed around one ankle. It’s gorgeous.

Speaking of changing styles, back in the 80s when my younger son was in high school, he had long hair. Mr. froggy’s bible-thumping, ultra-conservative mother, my son’s grandma, kept nagging him to cut it.

Once, she reached out, took hold of one of his curls and said, “You should wear a pretty pink bow in that.”

I said, “Now, Doris, didn’t Jesus have long hair too?”

My son quipped, “Yeah, and his grandma probably kept saying, “Jesus Christ! Cut your hair!”

[La Lioness Priyanka]

64. ROFL

that is a GREAT story

[riderinthestorm]

60. Huh. Because somebody doesn't like this art form you accuse them of

having "limited" vision, "outdated tastes", and their life is "boring as fuck" and "insipid"?



I'm pretty surprised this hasn't been alerted on yet. I won't do that. I never do but this is a pretty harsh criticism of someone who isn't into body art.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

62. who's stopping you from alerting?

[riderinthestorm]

70. I haven't ever alerted. I'd rather the posts are allowed to stand for all to see nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

73. i am so scared. nt

[riderinthestorm]

111. You're usually kinder than this. The age-ism alone isn't your usual style

beyond the judgmentalism you yourself are demonstrating in your OP towards those who don't share your opinion of body art.

[JonLP24]

65. I kinda experience the opposite of this in real life

Because I don't have tattoos some people think I'm a cop or a Mormon.

I actually have nothing against them as my ex-wife has tattoos, I just haven't ever had a desire to get one.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

67. do you live in brooklyn?

[JonLP24]

74. Nope

[TBF]

66. lol - I am just seeing these tattoo threads

I am older now (nearly 50) and never got tattoos myself - that is a generation or so after me. But you know my dad and everyone else I knew who had been in the military had them so I never thought it was a negative thing. It wouldn't stop me from hiring someone or getting to know them.

I guess this is what DU talks about when we agree with what the president is doing - lol.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

72. well i am also much more likely to post my cranky thoughts now

because thinking about a debt default is really far too anxiety causing

[a la izquierda]

69. ...

You just made my day.
I'm 36, I have half sleeves on both arms and backs of my legs from knees to achilles. All tasteful. And I can cover them all. I live in Mexico part time and that's where my research is, and tattoos on women are hugely taboo, so I have to be able to cover them up to get any respect.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

75. glad to be of service

[Orsino]

77. Tattoos are fashion, and fashion is by definition boring.

Just my opinion, and any adults who want tats should have them.

[Niceguy1]

78. it is a matter of personal

Preference. I don't judge a woman because of her tats, but it is just a tuen off for me. I won't date one with but I can be friends with those who do. Here is nothing wring with that.

[bravenak]

79. My gramma was very fashion forward.

She got her underwear from Fredericks of Hollywood and paid for my navel piercing. She had a great eye for what looked good.
My uncles got tattoos in the military in Vietnam, terrible non professional tattoos, she managed to scrub most of the ink off my uncles arms. Made them go and get new professional ones to cover up the crappy ones.
My gramma would laugh to hear younger people trash talk tattoos that reside on other peoples bodies. As long as they look good and express what needs to be expressed it shouldn't matter.
Art is art.
Now gang tattoos. No. I still laugh at my friends who got gang tattoos. I have one who got a cartoon drawing of a gangster with a gun on one side of his face and the gang name on the other side. With thug life across his chest like Tupac. I still judge him.

[Egnever]

80. And you sound like my whiney two year old

Who cry's and throws a tantrum when someone doesn't agree with them......

Man this is fun can we do more?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

87. is feeling kinda sorry for you the same as throwing a tantrum?

[madinmaryland]

82. The last time I checked, it is completely under a person's control, how they decide to decorate or

not decorate their body. If you make the choice to tattoo yourself, that's your choice. Whether I like or dislike should be none of your damn business. If you are concerned about what I think of your tattoo, then maybe you shouldn't get it.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

89. i wouldn't be concerned unless for some reason i came across it

i dont go around soliciting people for tattoo-approval

[madinmaryland]

93. It sure sounds like you do, based on the way your OP is written and that you actually

wrote a post complaining about the way people view tattoos.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

94. no, i just read another tattoo thread and this is literally what came to my mind

so i thought i'd say it because thats what we do on du

[madinmaryland]

96. So this is really what you think?...

"It makes me immediately flash to how boring and insipid your life must be, and how extremely outdated your tastes are. It makes me sad that your life is probably boring as fuck and that your vision of beauty/art is so limited."

If you are so insecure about what people think of your tattoos, then maybe you should not get one.

Just saying.



Or is this just a copy cat that belongs in teh lounge.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

117. i am not insecure about my tattoos

and yes, that is what i think

[PassingFair]

110. +1 nt

[HereSince1628]

83. Somehow this reminds me of my kids acting out from boredom at their greatgrandparent's funeral

I can't say why that memory rushes back but it does.

Considering it is 10/08/2013, there is an existential power struggle taking place in DC for control of the nation...and there is nothing more significant to comment on in your world view...

Really? THIS is the hill you want to troops to die charging? REALLY??????????

[La Lioness Priyanka]

90. i dont know about you, but i can hold MULTIPLE thoughts at the same time

i could be really scared about government shutdown and potential debt default and also think that people who go around judging women with tattoos are lame. i can do think while prepping to teach my class tomorrow.

it's not that hard for me.

[HereSince1628]

95. Well, since you missed the "and" I do think you are showing signs of failure under stress.

Mein GOTT!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

119. really stretching aren't we?

[ruffburr]

86. As an old fart-

With tat's I would really appreciate it if you folks would stop with the old people are pricks meme, We have been fighting this fight for our country to go to a progressive agenda for years,
I see many many young capitalist pricks also, so please lets not lump any age group as intolerant,across the board their are good and bad people, So black ,white, gay ,straight, young or old if you want good for the people You are a generally good person, If you are a prick who only wants "his/her"Kind to do well and spends their time beating people out of fair pay etc. You are not a good person PERIOD. Sorry for the rant but i had to

[La Lioness Priyanka]

92. my mother is barely middle aged and i am not judging old people

my grandmother is like ten times cooler than my mom. i used the word grouchy before old for a reason. not all old people are grouchy

however, when people are like "tatoos are tacky and you are self mutilating" i think of these people as people in my parents or grandparents generation

[madinmaryland]

98. My personal opinion has been steady for my entire life. I always saw tattoos as something that

was tacky and would something that I would never do. MY ENTIRE LIFE. As I said above, if you choose to tattoo or self mutilate, that is your choice. It is not whether a person is old or young or middle-aged, it is about the choices a person makes in their life.

[RebelOne]

97. I am not judging anyone on their tattooes,

but I would never get one. I have many friends who have them, but that is their preference, not mine.

My ex-husband had my name tattooed on his arm. I had a fit, and told him that some day he would regret it. We were divorced and his next two wives had to endure seeing my name on his arm 24/7.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

115. i think thats perfectly fair. to be fair, i dont judge people because they don't have tattoos

that would be equally weird

[LittleBlue]

99. Someone in another thread asked our opinions on this

What are we supposed to do? Lie and say I find tattoos attractive?

I don't find them attractive on women at all. Doesn't mean I won't hire a tattooed person or I think less of them. It's just a preference.

[Warren DeMontague]

100. Welcome to Demographicallygrouchy Underoldfartground.

However, I promised I wouldn't make any more jokes about "The Mentalist", so I'll stop here.

[opiate69]

146. When does the Murder, She Wrote marathon start?

[Jenoch]

102. Why so defensive on the topic?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

104. My mom had a hissy fit when I got my ears pierced!!!

I was 18, and the hippie generation had found an alternative to those ugly clip on button earrings my mother (WWII generation) and grandmother (born in 1898) wore.

Mom had a hissy fit because I went to a department store and got ONE HOLE in each ear. This was early 1970s.

She said, "That's barbaric. Why don't you get your nose pierced while you're at it?"

Now, kids get all kinds of places pierced that I don't want to think about.


As far as the noise they call music, I've been told it's music even if you can't write out a lead sheet with a melody, chords, a key signature and a time signature.

I've been a musician for over fifty years and I disagree with this.


I also don't think if it is so distorted it has no actual pitch then it's music. Some of you other codgers may remember that Hendrix used tons of effects and distortion, but you could always hear a musical pitch.



Get off my lawn!!

[wercal]

106. I don't care about tattoos

But people keep getting 'in my face' about them...showing me internet memes about smart professionals who have them, etc.

I've never said a bad thing about them....but my absence of tattoos seems to have ironically 'marked' me.

Is it possible to not have a tattoo, and not be judged?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

118. Is it possible to not have a tattoo, and not be judged? yes, definitely. nt

[kcr]

108. Because being thought of as old is just the worst thing possible.

Ageism is super classy.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

116. out of touch and grouchy not old. nt

[REP]

113. Well, pierced nipples and privates are all the rage - just like great- grammaw had

Pierced genitalia is so fucking old-school. Like 1800s. So a lot of people are into what their great grammies were into (but gamgam had better bling).

But it's cute to see the egg teach the chicken.

[senseandsensibility]

128. You may be right about people criticizing tattoos...

They shouldn't do that unless they make it clear that they are criticizing the tattoo and not the person. Everyone has a right to their own opinion on whether something looks good to them or not. I don't have any real strong opinions on the matter, but if I did I would keep them to myself. I mean, who cares what I think? That said, I do detect ageism in your OP. Young people can also be judgmental and close-minded in their own way, you know.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

151. yes, young people can. i also think people are vastly underestimating how young i am

however the image of someone on the internet passing such weird judgments about all people with tattoos, makes me think of my mother and how i routinely find her fashion arguments really dated. although she would never say things like "people with XYZ are unclassy"

[quinnox]

129. well, here ya go

Jeez, people have a right to their opinions and preferences. Some people hate tattoos and have a strong negative reaction. So what. Tough cookies. You know how some people can get really obsessed or attached to a celebrity, and then blow their stack if someone says a bad thing about them? Like, they have special name for Justin Bieber fans, "Beliebers", (yup, and how stupid does that sound?) and they are the ones who typically would fly into a rage if someone dared to say that Justin Bieber has zero talent, like on some internet message board. That is what the OP reminds me of.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

154. just as i have a right to think they are boring

[sibelian]

131. The opinion was solicited, and received.

I don't mind sounding like someone's grandpa. My grandpa was a really nice guy and was right about a lot of things.

[LNM]

135. Wow Pri, I'm going to need a little help here

I don't talk about how unattractive I find tatoos, but I think I can infer from you post that whether I speak it or nor you'd feel the same way about me. I find some tatoos attractive, but most are not attractive to me and I don't find most them to be art.

I used to think your posts were interesting and I followed what you had to say, but for you to say my life is probably boring as fuck, well, you are sadly mistaken.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

148. i think you maybe need to re-read what i said

i clearly and very distinctly am talking about people who say all tattoos are unclassy and unattractive, especially on women. the rest of what you extrapolate from it, is something you are extrapolating

[Nine]

140. I find the sentiments in the OP uglier than any tattoo.

Ugly and hypocritical and ageist and (gasp) judgmental.

For future reference, which aesthetic choices are we allowed to have an opinion on and which are off limits? You made a comment about plastic slipcovers on furniture. Obviously we're allowed (expected?) to find that stupid and ugly. And obviously we're NOT allowed to find tattoos stupid or ugly. How about bow ties - off limits or not? Mullets? Skinny jeans? Mom jeans? Goatees? Dreadlocks? Pocket protectors? Let's have some guidelines here.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

150. sure of course you can find anything "unclassy" and "unattractive"

just like when you say that specifically about tattoos, i can flash to some boring person yelling "get off my lawn"

[840high]

142. Grandma checking in - my

life is far from boring. I do not like tattoos.

[erinlough]

156. I'm old. When my son was 18 he got his first tat.

I was so angry I kicked him out....keep reading. It wasn't the tatoo, it's my favorite one, it was the idea that my boy had marked up his body. We sat down after a few cool off days and talked it through and he explained to me that he felt it was a matter of personal expression. I can't tell another person what to do with their own body. He is the same guy, a tat didn't change that. He even designed one for me, but I'm not up for it, even though I still have the drawing. What makes a person attractive or beautiful is their heart, not what they wear or put on their body.

[CBHagman]

145. And being born a particular year is a positive or negative thing?

"You sound like my mother or my grandfather or some grouchy older person I know."

What's wrong with being a mother? Or a grandmother? Or older?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

149. absolutely nothing but when mom nags me about some fashion related stuff

it sounds boring. (or when she used to, a decade or so ago. she has stopped mercifully).

that's really the gist of it.

[Vashta Nerada]

155. Those types of posts remind me of this:

[MADem]

159. I like flowery wallpaper. I like Victorian furnishings. Don't judge me because of that.

I won't "yeesh" at your tattoos if you don't "yeesh" at the wallpaper that my ancestors picked out, that's still holding up very nicely because it's expensive stuff and we haven't abused it.

I sit on the sofa my great grandfather took a rest on --it's been recovered and repaired a few times, because it's a helluva piece of old furniture. I eat at at the table my great aunts sat at, another amazing piece of very old and solid furniture. Needlepoints from long-dead ancestors hang on my walls.

We don't throw shit out, we're thrifty.

To each their own. You don't have to like my wallpaper or furnishings, and I don't have to care about, or 'like' your tattoos ... or the tattoos of the youngsters in my family. They're yours, and theirs--presumably gotten because they pleased YOU and THEM--not for me to comment about them.

Live and let live.

Judge not, and all that stuff....

[La Lioness Priyanka]

162. i wouldn't judge your taste if i came to your house for dinner

i just wouldnt want it in my house.

i can totally understand the tattoo version of that sentiment (not judging others for their tattoos, while not wanting one of your own)

[hollysmom]

161. As an old person who is not particularly fond of tattos, I take ubrage

I say this as a person who is not perfect or beautiful. I dress casually mostly always and conservatively when dressed up like once a year or so.

If you ask my opinion, you can judge my opinion, but it does not give you the right to judge me. Don't ask if you don't want to know.

[applegrove]

167. Who said they didn't like tattoos? Who's

the you?

[Vanje]

168. Kids these days, with their Beatle-Boots, and their mop-tops.....

[Deep13]

169. I certainly don't object to people getting them...

...especially if they are good and don't look like prison tattoos. Living in a very white-bread county, however, when I was in business I had to have a care about what the yokels thought. I had to look and sound like them even if I did not think like them or share their tastes. (The fact that my land-lady was a witch probably didn't help matters.)

[Deep13]

170. Also, back in my day, if we wanted a tattoo...

...we had to walk 10 miles uphill through the snow. And then the tattoo artist was a guy with no teeth and one eye who used a rusty shirt pin and and crayons in a shop like by one kerosene land. It got infected and we died, and we liked it that way.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

186. LOL.

[rppper]

171. Inked and proud....

A few of mine...most are nautical of fantasy themes....I'm a big fan of the artist Olivia and I love old looney tunes cartoons....

[Le Taz Hot]

172. Ageist bullshit.

On DU. How original.

[Orsino]

197. +1

In a post decrying stereotyping. If we can get a lot of self-justification, too, this'll be a trifecta.

[MicaelS]

174. You sound like some arrogant hipster calling out anyone..

Who dares to disagree with latest fad hipsters think is "cool". After all in this country, being "cool" is the ultimate goal in life.

And some people think Andre Serrano's Piss Christ is art but I'm not one of them. Just because someone labels something "art" does not make it so. I can call my hand a foot, but it doesn't make it one.

And yes, I'm am now an older person who finds tattoos unattractive. And it isn't about "outdated" tastes. My late uncle served in the Navy in WWII. He had tattoos covering both forearms. By the time I knew him, both forearms looked like someone had slopped blue-black ink on both of them. Not a single image was visible. So yes, I think about this young man who had tats done when we was 18, and 30 years later, he was still a handsome man, but his arms looked terrible. So that is what I think about when I think of people with lots of tats. Just wait until they get old.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

185. i am so not a hipster although i do live in hipster-land. nt

[MicaelS]

205. I figured it was one or the other. n/t

[opiate69]

191. Perhaps you're not aware, but...

Tattoo inks and techniques and after-care have advanced considerably since the 1940s (much like everything else.. Weird huh?) In any case, with a quality artist, using quality products, and a minimal amount of effort on the part of the person getting tattooed, modern tattoos can easily look extremely good even after many years.

[MicaelS]

206. Nope, not aware of it, but...

I still don't like tats, especially on people's faces. Don't like facial piercings , either. Never would have either one, ever.

[seabeyond]

175. ya. and over 40 doesnt have sex either. i mean... wtf? can you be more insulting and judgmental

as you whine about others insult (opinions on tattoos) and judgment?

what a hoot

[La Lioness Priyanka]

187. sweetie you should know by now, that if you hate something i say

i am that much gladder i said it

[seabeyond]

195. darlin', the stupid made me laugh. but i gotta wonder about the person that will insult a whole

group of people and still, after all the posts of people speaking up, you refuse to own your own bad. instead you revel in insulting so many people and why? cause i pointed and laughed.

like i said, a hoot...

[Myrina]

210. +1

n/t

[Xyzse]

176. Look, I don't care if a person has a tattoo or not.

They can be friends to me or perhaps more, it is a non-issue for me.

I just have a preference for clear unblemished skin that glories in its natural shadings. I find it so damn sexy.

Granted, I saw this tattoo that was pretty damn awesome, since the lady had such a nice figure that her cello hole tattoos on her back was a nice accent.

I don't judge their character or anything. I just find skin more attractive without it and consider it a personal preference.

If a person gets a tattoo, that is their choice.

Look, I feel the same way about piercings. I am not really in to it, but if a person has it, I don't really care.

I even prefer no earrings on a woman(They get in the way), but that doesn't mean I would judge them for it. I just find it more attractive physically to forego such things.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

184. you realize that this is not addressed to people like you, right?

[Xyzse]

200. Whoops...

[Sheldon Cooper]

177. And you sound like someone who can't appreciate that others don't share your love for something.

I DO think most tattoos are unattractive, unclassy, and trashy to boot. And I don't care how that sounds to anyone else. I also do not expect anyone else to care about my opinion. I would, however, appreciate if you wouldn't categorize me as 'judgemental' simply because I don't share your personal preference. Makes you seem rather grouchy and judgemental yourself. Live and let live.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

183. i find it funny how many of you are so touchy when you are judged

when quite comfortable being judgmental about others

every once in a while it should occur to you that the women you have random opinions about, also probably dont think that much about you

[Myrina]

211. ..... aaahahahahahahahahaa .....

Now that's the pot calling the kettle black, to use an OLD PERSON'S PHRASE.

[HockeyMom]

179. My daughter got her first Ying/Yang tat at 18

She is 34 now and has had to have it re-inked a couple of times since then. Apparently, they fade. With a very large intricate tat, having to redo it could get kinda expensive over many years. Just something to think about I guess.

If I was still young, I might get something small, but whatever floats your boat. I am turning 65 next month.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

182. 65 is not too old to get a tattoo, if there is one you'd like

you have a lot of years to enjoy them, which is what matters really. that you get to enjoy your body in a way that makes sense to you and hurts no one

[Bonobo]

188. It sounds nasty when you criticize people for sounding like older people.

Just sayin'

[La Lioness Priyanka]

189. grouchy out of date older people. not just random older people.

although from you nasty is something i am comfortable with, given my experience with you through the years.

[Bonobo]

194. I feel the same way about you.

But I am not the one who equated older with nasty, grouchy and judgmental.

[snooper2]

190. DU is mostly 50+ FYI

[Throd]

193. As a guy with more than a few tattoos, you aren't helping the cause.

"It makes me immediately flash to how boring and insipid your life must be, and how extremely outdated your tastes are. It makes me sad that your life is probably boring as fuck and that your vision of beauty/art is so limited. "

And a new generation of grouches is born...

[seveneyes]

199. Outdated tastes

Considering that it's becoming more unique to find someone with no ink on them than those covered in it, the next fad to come in may be inkless. Then, we may hear of outdated tastes involving those with indelible ink.

[Lars39]

208. For what it's worth, white ink is becoming popular.

[bigwillq]

202. K and R

[The2ndWheel]

204. People have different tastes

Unattractive and unclassy, or boring, insipid, and outdated. Everybody hates everyone and everything they do that the other person doesn't do.

[Blue_In_AK]

207. People can like tattoos or not.

It's not something to get all bent out of shape about. And, I'm a mother and grandmother who doesn't give a care. My older daughter (41) and her husband have lots of tattoos, my middle girl has one small one, and my youngest (28) has her tongue pierced. Their bodies, their choices, and I love them no less for it.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

214. Here is a ugly tattoo on a woman

God help this woman if she develops a allergy to the dye or sarcoidosis.

Does anyone here think it looks good?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2401342/Cheryl-Cole-confirms-shes-entire-derri-tattooed-roses-artist-shows-photo.html