How Tattoos became mainstream....

[bernie's bender]

I mentioned in another post that one of my son's teachers (a PE teacher) was discovered to have 'the tramp stamp' tattoo across her lower back.

Tattoos have become mainstream. 40 years ago, having a tattoo would have limited career opportunities (at least in the US).. the guys who had tats were bikers, non commissioned military guys and carnival barkers....

Now, it is doctors and lawyers and teachers etc... How'd that happen? My son asked me and I said one word.

"Cher"

There was a movie with Bruce Dern and Maud Adams called Tattoo... it didn't do well in the theaters but lots of magazines wrote about it and it was scandalous... this was around the time that Cher was involved with Gregg Allman and then Les Dudek and had started doing her 'trashy, trampy' look which included tats.

Because America loved her from her TV show... they kind of accepted it... from there... it seemed that biker chic became de rigeur... and now with the whole nation covered in Tats it seems like it is no big deal....

Do the fans of Eagles have ink?

why do you suppose tattoos got so popular?

[Freypower]

I am too old to even consider a tattoo and if I were younger I wouldn't. They are supposed to represent some sort of 'personal identification' but so much of what you see with misspellings, apostrophes in the wrong place, etc, is just cliched. In this country a lot of men who originate from the Pacific Islands have tattoos because it's a cultural thing. A lot of rugby league players have them. Their whole arms are covered in the things. A lot of times you hear stories that they get what they think is the Chinese character for 'peace' and it means something totally different.

I am all for people doing what they want to do but I wonder how they stand the pain involved and I wonder how they feel when they change their mind. On women over 50 with sun-dried skin tattoos look very sad (in my opinion).

I remember British comedian Alexei Sayle once said 'I've got WAR' on one hand, 'PEACE' on the other & 'The Brothers Karamazov' tattoed down my spine'! I thought that summed it up.

[bernie's bender]

I was thinking of getting one that said "welcome to the bahamas, have a nice day."


(sorry, this is the punch line of an old joke.)

[TimothyBFan]

I have 3 and proud of it!!! Seriously, I love my tats!! I started with a small one on my ankle of a heart and a rose (in honor of GNR -I tried to find a pic of the crossed guns with the rose in the middle to have it done--really glad I didn't now---hey it was the 80's and I LOVED Slash & Duff-still do!). And one usually leads to another and another in my case. And my daughter and I were just discussing this the other day, she wants us to go get matching Zeppelin tats-the individual emblems for each member. No problem! Even at the OLD AGE of 46, I don't have a problem with that. Hey, I'm just that kinda girl!

Funny story about my last one. I wanted a tat with my kids names worked into it so being the romantic we are, my hubby got me a gift certificate for Valentine's day to my favorite tattoo parlor. We went in a couple weeks later and I found one I liked with 2 hearts and showed it to Larry. He pointed out that it only had 2 hearts (well duh--2 kids!!). Then I realized he wanted his name stamped on me also. I looked around and found a new one with 3 hearts worked in, one larger heart in the middle and 2 smaller hearts, worked into kind of a tribal design. It's on the lower part of my leg. Oh--And Larry got the BIG heart!

[Brooke]

I don't mind tattoos as long as they're tasteful. I hate them all over peoples arms or whatever. Those people that have covered themselves in tattoos.......yuk. I don't understand that at all. One here and there and smallish is ok.

I heard that you shouldn't put your sig. other's name on yourself or vice versa because it causes bad luck and then you're stuck with it.

I kind of wanted one, but never got up the courage.

My son called me from his senior trip and asked if he could get one on his upper arm. I said no and he told me he already did. I wanted to strangle him at the time.

I guess it's just a personal preference thing.

[Molly]

Both of my boys have tattoos.

Tom has 6 or 7 of various sizes. His subject matter is stupid and I know some day he will regret it. I cringe every time he gets a new one and my husband throws a fit.

Peter has 3 -one is a cross with text from the Bible (my strength comes from above) in Latin. Considering how much time the boy spends in the gym and playing sports-I'm glad he appreciates where he got those talents. The other two ironically are Eagles. The bird not the band.

[TimothyBFan]

Our son Dillon always wanted a tattoo as a teen. And ONE of his parents foolishly told him that if he saved up the $$ to pay for it, his Dad would sign (I refused). Well shortly after his 16th birthday, Larry found himself signing for permission!! Grrrr! It's right on his wrist and it's just a peace sign so not to bad or big. We made the poor kid wear long sleeves every time he visited his grandmother for 2 years....even when it was 90 degrees out!

Brooke--by the time I tattooed Larry's name on my leg, I was pretty confident it was going to stick (we'd been together for 16 years at the time!).

[The_Girl_Of_Summer]

Being a younger member (since i am only 1 i dont really mind tattoos. Being that i am catholic and i find that to be important to me i have gotten the praying hands with the rosery on my left shouder blade.

My cousin is a tattoo artist and did mine. His parents each have some done by him (my aunt a hummingbird and my uncle has the West Virginia Mountaneer with mountains and "almost heaven" written above it as well as two pick axes a miner's helmet and the flying wv on it) they didn't get theirs until they were in their late 40's. Tattoos are fine as long as they are tasteful.

[Brooke]

Brooke--by the time I tattooed Larry's name on my leg, I was pretty confident it was going to stick (we'd been together for 16 years at the time!).

Well, maybe I could then since we've made 37 years this July!

[sodascouts]

I've never gotten a tattoo - first off, it hurts - secondly, it's way too risky that I'd regret it.

My life-long best friend (since third grade!) got a beautiful tattoo of a turquoise yin-yang around her belly button. She's really pretty and the guys loved it when she would sport a bikini and show that thing off! I always thought "Wow, wish I could pull off something like that."

Then she got pregnant... and that thing looks horrible now! She told me it never once occurred to her that the location of the tattoo might cause problems later. That's the kind of thing I'm afraid of!

Still, I'll shell out for a henna tattoo every time I go to the Renaissance fair.