Tattoos trashy or not

[Tobra]

I never thought I would get one. Whenever it comes up, this story comes to mind.

Back in 1995 when first started making any dough, living in an apartment in Texas, I was in Sacto visiting the folks, and was at my cousins place, getting some clothes that he had become too fat to wear anymore. We were sitting around on the porch of his current domicile, a nice, restored 75 year old duplex in mid-town, had a Murphy bed in living room. My friend of over 10 years, Jim Pantages, who I had not seen in about a year and a half, walked up. Asked how he was, where he was going, on his way home. Turns out he lived right next door to my cousin in the other half of the duplex, and he was very proud of this new tattoo he had. Treble clef surrounded by a whole note, he was a muscian, that was pretty cool, nice color greenish blue in it. I said it was cool, but I would not get a tattoo, what is there that I would want to wear the rest of my life, right.

About a week later, after returning to Texas, I got a call from my mom, Jim had been shot and killed by a couple of criminals out robbing people. Jim had just finished a gig, and was killed while he and Spider were loading equipment. Was a big group of us that hung out together, and I got to talking about it with my brother. I said I had never had any interest in getting a tattoo, but I wanted to get that one that Jim got right before he was killed. They caught the perps when they used Jim's credit card where one of the guy's girlfriends worked, lucky they were stupid. Turns out, several people had the same idea, and at the end of summer in 1995, went to the same tattoo artist and about a dozen of us got that tat. Well, not exactly, I got a mirror image of it, as Jim had it less than a week and died, so I figured I did not want the same thing exactly. Over that labor day weekend, there were a few benefit concerts, and now there is a Jim Pantages Scholarship Fund at El Camino HS in Sacramento. That is how I ended up with a tattoo.

Since that time, I discovered that a couple who were robbed and shot at and missed the same night, they ran away after they tossed there valuables in the other direction, had a mutual friend, Doug Hannah, when they told me about it when we happened to meet. Neither of them knew Jim. I also happened to have a guy who worked at channel 13 with Jim for years come in as a patient. Talked to him for hours, lucky he was last one, coming in after work. Small world.

I doubt if I will get another tattoo

Are tattoos trashy, depends.

[svandamme]

I've seen nice girls that looked nice despite the ink, but it didn't improve on what they had sans ink.

I've seen pretty girls ruined with ink,
i've yet to see any uggo turn pretty with ink

So in my book, no tattoo ever improved anyone. (excluding people who got a tattoo to fix something medical or cover up an uglier tattoo)


I don't understand the remembering tattoo, I mean, how does ink improve your memory of the person or animal being rememberd?For the most part people with such tattoos can barely see it properly on themself, must use mirror.. and other people generally aren't all that interested in remembering via somebody elses skin.. The concept just seems weird to me

but to each his own, doesn't really bother me if it's at least tastefull

Face / neck tattoos.. That just spells unemployable to me.. (except as a tattoo artist perhaps)
tramp stamps, the word says it all
genital or cornhole tatts.. Seriously.. issues, get help

[Captain Ahab Jr]

I get the remembering tattoo, guess it's kid of like a scar

I have a scar on my right knee, don't often think about the incident that caused it but when I do see my scar I have a little smile to myself and remember how the amazing 6 million $ man mega high jump impression I did when I was 12 was perfect right up to nailing the landing

[cabmandone]

I've always been a sucker for a "tramp stamp" that little rose or butterfly...

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I never thought I would get one. Whenever it comes up, this story comes to mind.

That's a really good story, Tob.

Thanks for sharing!

[drcoastline]

Tats are mostly trashy. Can't see any reason a woman would get one. Men in the service I can see, evryone else? Nah, I get the ribute and stuff but not for me.

As a kid in the 70's Hells Angels and Pagans were a big thing. I realted tattoos to them I also related jeans to MC gangs. I was well into my teens before I would wear jeans.

[Tobra]

Yeah, Jim knew like, everybody.

They gave them their money, and thug number one goes to beating up Spider, of Spider and the Sinister 7. Jim says we gave you the money, you don't need to do that, so he shot Jim in the chest.

Three months later I went back, got a tattoo an partied with my old friends. Jeanne came back from Japan for it. On the third night of fundraiser concerts they used the civic center. There was a place that rented vintage clothes let a lot of the organizers wear groovy old beaded dresses and tuxedos. Ford museum delivered people in about the coolest old Lincoln limo you ever saw. Dutch Falconi had his orchestra there, Spider had his crew. It really was fantastic, like being in a movie or something.

25 years ago this weekend

[JavaBrewer]

No girl ever got more attractive by adding a tat. Hot girls with tats were already hot, likely hotter b4 the ink.

Tats are so played now it’s become more interesting to not have one. Clarify, the run of the mill tats, for everyday people. I have seen cool people with some serious cool ink, by 99% of the population don’t have that level of cool and instead look ridiculous

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by cabmando

I've always been a sucker for a "tramp stamp" that little rose or butterfly...

Like this?

[fintstone]

Urban Dictionary...funny:

[masraum]

Definitely NEVER trashy.

[72doug2,2S]

Don't know the reason
Stayed here all season
Nothing to show but this brand new tattoo
But it's a real beauty
A Mexican cutie
How it got here, I haven't a clue
Wastin' away again in Margaritaville
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame
Now I think, hell, it could be my fault

[TimT]

This one would give me a smile..



And then my Mother, who raised three apparently successful kids, decided when she was 80.. That she wanted a tattoo...



I'm 60 now, got my first tattoo when I was 48...in Xi'an China... I'm sure the ink is toxic and loaded with nano trackers..






I'm trying to figure out where I went wrong. according to some.. that I made poor decisions..

I've had a successful career, I own a few properties.. and have accumulated a nice nest egg....Oh and OMFG I have ink...

[masraum]

Originally Posted by TimT

And then my Mother, who raised three apparently successful kids, decided when she was 80.. That she wanted a tattoo...



I'm trying to figure out where I went wrong. according to some.. that I made poor decisions..

I've had a successful career, I own a few properties.. and have accumulated a nice nest egg....Oh and OMFG I have ink...

And your mom's a badass!

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by TimT

...I'm 60 now, got my first tattoo when I was 48...in Xi'an China... I'm sure the ink is toxic and loaded with nano trackers...

I've had a successful career, I own a few properties.. and have accumulated a nice nest egg....Oh and OMFG I have ink...

Do you think things might have been different at all if you (or your mother) were sporting the same tattoos at 17 or 18?

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by fintstone

Do you think things might have been different at all if you (or your mother) were sporting the same tattoos at 17 or 18?

I had the same mole on my shoulder when I was 18 that I have now. I had the same skin tag when I was 18 that I have now. How is a tattoo any different?

You guys whining about ruining good skin, have you ever LOOKED at a person? Your skin is pretty ratty stuff, covered in weird bumps and long gross hairs and mis-colored areas, and crusty wrinkles, flaking bits, all sorts of disgusting stuff. Maybe putting a picture on it is GOOD for your skin! Ha!

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I had the same mole on my shoulder when I was 18 that I have now. I had the same skin tag when I was 18 that I have now. How is a tattoo any different?

You guys whining about ruining good skin, have you ever LOOKED at a person? Your skin is pretty ratty stuff, covered in weird bumps and long gross hairs and mis-colored areas, and crusty wrinkles, flaking bits, all sorts of disgusting stuff. Maybe putting a picture on it is GOOD for your skin! Ha!

It is different because a person chooses to put a tattoo on their skin. Would you feel the same about this guy's tattoos? If not, why?



It is a simple and reasonable question...and that is why I asked. Choices impact ones life and are generally something one can control. Being a smoker is a choice...as in being a saver or spender. Staying fit or not is a choice. The clothes you wear are a choice. All tell people something about you and all make others assume things abut you based on their choices, experiences, prejudices, and upbringing. If you think people don't make judgement based on your haircut, the clothes you wear, how you speak and even how you smell...you are mistaken. Body art is also a choice that people may judge you by (just like any other choice)...rightly or wrongly. Many people recognize that and choose to avoid tattoos and piercings for that reason. Others do not. A large tattoo like that would have prevented me from pursuing the career I did and would have likely hindered my advancement in others. Many people simply do not look at a sleeve of tattoos the same as you apparently do. Right or wrong, those are the facts It likely would have impacted my social circle and meant that I would likely have different friends. You didn't choose that skintag at 18...but you also chose to not remove it.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by fintstone

It is different because a person chooses to put a tattoo on their skin. Would you feel the same about this guy's tattoos? If not, why?



It is a simple and reasonable question...and that is why I asked. Choices impact ones life and are generally something one can control. Being a smoker is a choice...as in being a saver or spender. Staying fit or not is a choice. The clothes you wear are a choice. All tell people something about you and all make others assume things abut you based on their choices, experiences, prejudices, and upbringing. If you think people don't make judgement based on your haircut, the clothes you wear, how you speak and even how you smell...you are mistaken. Body art is also a choice that people may judge you by (just like any other choice)...rightly or wrongly. Many people recognize that and choose to avoid tattoos and piercings for that reason. Others do not. A large tattoo like that would have prevented me from pursuing the career I did and would have likely hindered my advancement in others. Many people simply do not look at a sleeve of tattoos the same as you apparently do. Right or wrong, those are the facts It likely would have impacted my social circle and meant that I would likely have different friends. You didn't choose that skintag at 18...but you also chose to not remove it.

So that "Fk the police" tat on your forehead is definately out?

[tabs]

Originally Posted by cabmando

I've always been a sucker for a "tramp stamp" that little rose or butterfly...

How bout "anal whore"" on the lower back? How does that rate?

[Icemaster]

Originally Posted by tabs

How bout "anal whore"" on the lower back? How does that rate?

Pretty confident your tattoos met the 'trashy' criteria.