Things I'd like to say, about tattooing

bodice ripper

Hello.

stars, cherryblossoms, bows and hearts do not "represent the family", they have nothing to do with family. Its like this:

"I'd like a cherry blossom on my wrist."

"Cool, what size?"

"Wait, now it has to have five petals."

"Well, yes. I'm not sure it would be a cherry blossom with out that."

"One petal is for me, my husband and my three kids."

"Right"

"And I want it in pink, because I just had a baby girl."

"So, a cherry blossom. Grand."


So despite all this meaning that people (particularly women) are trying to crowbar into their tattoos, they oddly always come to the same 4 or 5 designs.

If the meaning is coming entirely from your own imagination (ie not from traditions), why not get something a little more personal, and apply your meaning to that? And, why do these women often look down on people who get their tattoos for how they look?

"Oh no, I could never get a tatto with no meaning behind it."

Well, yes you can, and did. Then you made one up, which is fine.


see where i am coming from on this?

jenga-jen

bodice ripper wrote: »

"Oh no, I could never get a tattoo with no meaning behind it."

Well, yes you can, and did. Then you made one up, which is fine.

While I can understand your frustration in seeing repetitive, and I assume unchallenging designs given your line of work, I find this post and especially the above line a bit hard to swallow.

Assuming, as you are, that they picked the design and then assigned some arbitrary meaning to it in order to legitimize their choice seems a little harsh IMO. Even if they did, it's still not your place to judge them for it even if it is an 'uninspired' design choice.

Alternatively, working from the assumption that they wanted the tattoo to symbolise something in their life and then chose something they liked/had seen before/wanted anyway.... is your attitude any better than judging a person for having tattoos in the first place?

IMO a person's choices for getting tattoos/piercings are their own and it's a fine line between not identifying with their choices and assuming that you are 'seeing through' those choices and passing judgement on them as a result.

I think we also have to bear in mind that there is a, largely outdated but still present, stigma above a certain age around getting tattoos. I would suspect that some people do try to crowbar the meaning into their tattoos to get over this. And who's going to complain? Surely these small pieces are still a somewhat significant part of tattoo artists income, even if they don't represent an interesting/challenging artistic effort for them.

bodice ripper

Thank you for your reply

Yes, of course I am judging. Everyone you meet every day will, and anyone who claims they don't is a liar.

The proof that these designs were picked and then retroactively loaded with meaning is the fact that it is always the same designs (ie stars and cherry blossoms) over thousands of people. Unless you are suggesting that thousands of women in Ireland have some deep personal connection to cherryblossoms...


Look, no one wants to hear this, but it unfortunately true: it doesn't matter how nice/classy/austere/well thought out a design is, fad tattoos will ALWAYS appear tacky ten years later. And no, tattoos are not just for you, esp if they are some where very visible. As it happens, I think cherry blossoms are gorgeous, and a clear design that will last well, but that doesn't negate the point at all.




TBH, it honestly has nothing to do with my thinking the design is unchallenging or uninspired. I can see from experience that a lot of these people are going to be very unhappy with their tattoo in the long run. I base this belief on the load of other fad tattoos (lower back tribals, tweetys, kanji and butterflies) that come in constantly looking for cover ups


One of the problems, as I see it, is the people getting these tattoos, particularly stars, are fairly quick to let you know they aren't "into tattoos" and are just looking for "one, dainty and feminine" near their hands. Getting tattooed is a huge decision - and when you get your first one the big choice is not "what will I get?" but "do I want to be a tattooed person?". If you are getting tattoos, but stressing that you aren't 'into" them, seems to indicate to me that you haven't made peace with the idea of being a person with tattoos. that is a recipe for disaster in the long term.

menorcababy

I am one of these with a "fad tattoo". I have a butterfly on the back of my wrist it also has the initials of each family member surrounding it. I am into tattoos and I love mine. I spent a long time thinking about what I wanted where I wanted it and where I would get it done. Just so you know not one day has gone by where I found myself wondering why I got that tattoo. I am so happy with it and always will be.

My fad is for life

Zombienosh

just have to comments on "fad" tattoos as u say, this week alone i've probly seen 3 women so far, with this ****ty cheryl cole replica tattoo on their hands.. and they look proud as punch.

bodice ripper

menorcababy wrote: »

I am one of these with a "fad tattoo". I have a butterfly on the back of my wrist it also has the initials of each family member surrounding it. I am into tattoos and I love mine. I spent a long time thinking about what I wanted where I wanted it and where I would get it done. Just so you know not one day has gone by where I found myself wondering why I got that tattoo. I am so happy with it and always will be.

My fad is for life

Good

I hope you understand that this is not at all the situation i am talking about. I myself have some old standards (nauticals, tribal, old english, some latin). But it has to be said, there are a fair few people who don't grasp that tattoos are a poor fashion accessory, and all the meaning in the world won't help them in a few years.

Satyr_The_Great

bodice ripper wrote: »

Hello.

stars, cherryblossoms, bows and hearts do not "represent the family", they have nothing to do with family. Its like this:

"I'd like a cherry blossom on my wrist."

"Cool, what size?"

"Wait, now it has to have five petals."

"Well, yes. I'm not sure it would be a cherry blossom with out that."

"One petal is for me, my husband and my three kids."

"Right"

"And I want it in pink, because I just had a baby girl."

"So, a cherry blossom. Grand."


So despite all this meaning that people (particularly women) are trying to crowbar into their tattoos, they oddly always come to the same 4 or 5 designs.

If the meaning is coming entirely from your own imagination (ie not from traditions), why not get something a little more personal, and apply your meaning to that? And, why do these women often look down on people who get their tattoos for how they look?

"Oh no, I could never get a tatto with no meaning behind it."

Well, yes you can, and did. Then you made one up, which is fine.


see where i am coming from on this?

Everyone is different! If they say they get it for personal meanings then that is what it is for! not for people to make fun of or put down,,,its for them and only them, it represents what they want it to so who are you to put them down for it????
Yeah the symbolism came from tradition and such, but its the personal meaning behind it that the customer wants....

bodice ripper

Satyr_The_Great wrote: »

Everyone is different! If they say they get it for personal meanings then that is what it is for! not for people to make fun of or put down,,,its for them and only them, it represents what they want it to so who are you to put them down for it????
Yeah the symbolism came from tradition and such, but its the personal meaning behind it that the customer wants....

I think I was pretty clear in my other posts, I am CONCERNED for people here.

If I were a plastic surgeon, and a customer of legal age wanted some drastic alteration to their face/hands that I had reason to believe would be to their detriment later on, what sort of scumbag would i be to say nothing?

what sort of scumbag would I be not to consider the issues at all?

mig mag

hey guys, I am new here but found yer comments really intertesting. Can't really disagree wit any of them. I have my back done and some on my stomach and some of it is really 'faddy', but I love it all! Butterflies, 'tramp stamp', and plenty of cherry blossoms :rolleyes:

seanybiker

if you dont like them then dont do them. Im sorry but if your so against them just refuse to do them. There is a bit of a difference between plastic surgery and a tattoo. Im sorry but your posts would put me off getting a tatt off you.
maybe some people get tattoos just for the sake of getting a tattoo.
My first tattoo has no meaning at all to me apart from being my first tattoo. I have a funny story about how I got it. I dont love my first one but I dont mind it. Its grand. Nothing spectacular but I like it.
Second one I got, yeah it does have a bit of meaning that most people who see it dont get. But I got it for my memories not anyone elses.
Im going to continue getting tattoos that I want and couldnt give a fiddlers fart if the artist or anyone else dont like it. Tough titty to them. If they dont want to do it ill just go to someone else to get it.

Hellrazer

seanybiker wrote: »

if you dont like them then dont do them. Im sorry but if your so against them just refuse to do them. There is a bit of a difference between plastic surgery and a tattoo. Im sorry but your posts would put me off getting a tatt off you.
maybe some people get tattoos just for the sake of getting a tattoo.
My first tattoo has no meaning at all to me apart from being my first tattoo. I have a funny story about how I got it. I dont love my first one but I dont mind it. Its grand. Nothing spectacular but I like it.
Second one I got, yeah it does have a bit of meaning that most people who see it dont get. But I got it for my memories not anyone elses.
Im going to continue getting tattoos that I want and couldnt give a fiddlers fart if the artist or anyone else dont like it. Tough titty to them. If they dont want to do it ill just go to someone else to get it.

Seany I think youre picking up Bodice Rippers first post wrong.What shes saying and correct me if Im wrong here is that people come into the shop,pick a "fad" design that a million other people have on them and then make up a reason for getting it ie like the cherry blossoms--they represent my family.

Instead of just walking into the shop and asking for cherry blossoms,stars whetever just because they like the look of it---Its like they need justification to actually get a tattoo..

Its shows like Miami ink etc that have put this idea into peoples heads that a tattoo has to have a meaning behind it and that meaning justifies the tattoo.If you notice on these shows the only ones who have a meaning/story are people who are not heavily tattooed--maybe its a first tattoo or a single piece on its own whereas the heavily inked peeps on those shows very rarely have to have a story for the tattoo--they just wanted the piece for arts sake.

Dancor

seanybiker wrote: »

if you dont like them then dont do them. Im sorry but if your so against them just refuse to do them. There is a bit of a difference between plastic surgery and a tattoo. Im sorry but your posts would put me off getting a tatt off you.
maybe some people get tattoos just for the sake of getting a tattoo.
My first tattoo has no meaning at all to me apart from being my first tattoo. I have a funny story about how I got it. I dont love my first one but I dont mind it. Its grand. Nothing spectacular but I like it.
Second one I got, yeah it does have a bit of meaning that most people who see it dont get. But I got it for my memories not anyone elses.
Im going to continue getting tattoos that I want and couldnt give a fiddlers fart if the artist or anyone else dont like it. Tough titty to them. If they dont want to do it ill just go to someone else to get it.

Agree with everything above. To the artists bitching about doing ''fad'' tattoos, refuse to do them or do the best damn job you can with them.

menorcababy

bodice ripper wrote: »

Good

I hope you understand that this is not at all the situation i am talking about. I myself have some old standards (nauticals, tribal, old english, some latin). But it has to be said, there are a fair few people who don't grasp that tattoos are a poor fashion accessory, and all the meaning in the world won't help them in a few years.

Well in fairness I know somebody who got a tattoo three weeks ago and hates it already and its a big piece that they decided on spur of the moment. So I see your point on that one!

ClutchIt

Hellrazer wrote: »

Seany I think youre picking up Bodice Rippers first post wrong.What shes saying and correct me if Im wrong here is that people come into the shop,pick a "fad" design that a million other people have on them and then make up a reason for getting it ie like the cherry blossoms--they represent my family.

Instead of just walking into the shop and asking for cherry blossoms,stars whetever just because they like the look of it---Its like they need justification to actually get a tattoo..

Its shows like Miami ink etc that have put this idea into peoples heads that a tattoo has to have a meaning behind it and that meaning justifies the tattoo.If you notice on these shows the only ones who have a meaning/story are people who are not heavily tattooed--maybe its a first tattoo or a single piece on its own whereas the heavily inked peeps on those shows very rarely have to have a story for the tattoo--they just wanted the piece for arts sake.

Ya guys, Hellrazers right. The OP would just prefer if they said they wanted the tattoo for looking nice rather than crowbar a meaning onto it also.

If the customer wants a cherryblossom then they want it for how it looks. Then they come up with a reason for why the cherryblossom has meaning for them. Its all backwards you see. What should have happened was that they had something important in life involving cherryblossoms and then said 'I should get a cherryblossom tattoo'. Or else just say I like the look of the cherryblossom art so I'd like to get it as a tattoo

Hellrazer

Dancor wrote: »

Agree with everything above. To the artists bitching about doing ''fad'' tattoos, refuse to do them or do the best damn job you can with them.

I dont think the OP is bitching about fad tattoos---from what I read of it,its bitching about the whole get a fad tattoo and then make up a reason for getting it.And also shes never said that she doesnt like doing them.

bodice ripper

Seanybiker, if the fact that i have an opinion about stars/cherry blossoms would put you off getting tattooed by me, you don't want to know what the other tattooists say...

Dancor - i regularly turn down work if I feel it is the wrong thing to do, and resent the implication that I would do anything oither than the best I can with a piece.

I still think maybe I am not making myself clear. I don't think anyone should avoid getting the tattoo they want because its trendy. But, I worry when some one asks for them, and quickly tells me its not trendy cause its about their family etc....

I suppose i could take it a step further and say that meaning alone is not enough for a tattoo, you have to like the way it looks enough to wear it forever.

eviltimeban

Yes Miami Ink is problematic in the sense that it highlights meaning - my dog died, or my wife died, or I'm not a junkie anymore etc. But that's just good TV. I'm sure plenty of people go in for a koi fish or a tribal band but it wouldn't be very interesting on TV.

Rather than assigning "meaning" to the design itself, I think its better for the situation around getting the tattoo to be meaningful, rather than the tattoo itself. If people insist on having a meaning attached to it that is. So say "I'm getting a tattoo because of this particular event / situation in my life".

It must be difficult for an artist as it is such a specific thing, but I wonder can they advise people on what their design could be? Like if someone comes in wanting something to represent their "family", its obvious they just want a tattoo and (probably) don't mind what it is, the artist could make suggestions of what it could be, what does represent family, and how it could be meaningful. I don't know if that's possible again as its such a specific thing, but it'd almost like they'd be tattoo consultants!

I often feel there is a gap there for people who are unsure of what to do. As lets face it, for newbies and youngsters tattoo parlours can be intimidating places at first, so they might feel they have to know what they want when they are going in, instead of having a vague idea and making good use of the artist's knowledge of design to assist them.

Molberts

bodice ripper wrote: »

I still think maybe I am not making myself clear.

I think your point is crystal clear - but some people are taking it up wrong yes

My tattoos are 50/50 mix of fun stuff and meaning actually now that I think of it only one has any "meaning" and its cos my brother and I got matching ones, when we're out and drunk we show people and go "look - buddy ink!" The rest I just liked the idea of how the artwork would look as a tattoo.

I do look up the symbolism before getting it done but its not to justify getting it, its to make sure its not offensive in another culture - for example I have an origami crane on my calf (why - cos I like origami and thought this particular paper would make a good tattoo, that's why :cool: ) I checked that it was ok to get this - apparently its a symbol of peace started after ww2 ended - nice but its not a "peace" tattoo its just a pretty tattoo. /ramble

I've two planned that are meaningful, a half sleeve of imagery from my favorite poem that my brother is going to draw for me and artwork taken from the video of a song that I adore - need to track down the artist first and ask permission though!

anyway to sum up my epically long post - I dont know why people are jumping down the OP's neck for making a very accurate observation on the latest fashion trend - tattooing certain body parts with certain things that is

CK2010

I don't really see the problem.

people want a meaningful tattoo and they choose something pretty/fashionable to symbolise this meaning. i dont think many people do it in reverse- choose the symbol and then apply the meaning to justify it, maybe they do i dunno.

Unless i really worked on a nice design for ages then I dont think id want a tattoo without a meaning behind it purely because its something that cant be removed- properly anyway! but i think this is more to do with if it means something then you'll always like it because of its meaning even if it does look a bit crap but if its just the design you like then if someday you stop liking the design then its just some stupid design you're stuck with. if that makes sense? but im like that, i get piercings left right and centre but when it comes to tattoos im a bit more uptight!

its not necessarily justifying it, its just making sure that you wont regret it because you're less likely to if it has meaning- i think!
like family heirlooms (sp?) they may be ugly and out of fashion but you still love them because of their meaning.

but i dont think its anyone elses business why someone gets a tattoo. or why they need it to be meaningful. its their body and if its what they want or it makes them happy then so what if its a fad, they'll be dead in a few years- i dont mean that morbidly but in the grand scheme of things its just a bit of ink on a bit of flesh and if the meaning behind it, superficial or otherwise, gives them hapiness for however many years is left in their life then good for them! it wont really matter to them or anyone else once they're dead!

ive contradicted myself many a time in that post so take from it what you may!

edit: just wanted to add that tattooing in itself is a bit of a fad too when you think about it. the design you choose may be original/alternative but the tattoo itself is technically a fad

pippington

hmmm i get the whole its kinda silly to shove a meaning on a tattoo just cos you feel you should...i have an elephant..its only meaning is that i love elephants...but i think some people feel the need to put a meaning on a tattoo in order to justify getting it...so as perhaps they can explain to others oh i got it cos it reminds me of someone etc...and yes it seems silly but whats wrong with it?this person has obviously decided i like cherry blossoms....pretty flowers and i can have this thing on my body to remind me of whatever...its their body, their decison...there will always be fad tattoos....always be the girls who want their pretty little tattoos that are inoffensive and pleasing to everyone...why not leave them?whos to say they will regret/not regret it?the point is that they want it at the time and are willing to pay and go through the pain of it...freedom of choice...many of these ppl are not 'tattoo ppl' its gonna be a one off...their choice...all a tattoo artist can do is suggest they think carefully about the fact that these are common tattoos which will be on them forever..maybe show them alternatives...if they still want it then its up to them...not for anyone to judge

pippington

oh and bodiceripper i do get what u mean...but ppl aint gonne change..and most of all noone wants to seem/feel stupid...i guess them putting a meaning on the tat is their way of ensuring if the tattoo is not what they wanted then they still feel they have the excuse of oh its ok cos it means such and such

seanybiker

I get what you mean now. My phone should ask me do I really want to surf the net when Im pissed. Alot of people do seem to think they need meaning to get a tattoo. If I like something ill get it. Couldnt give a shyte about a meaning.

Raze_them_all

My heart piece is ossum, it means eh.....look this kid has a heart tattoo. It's quite deep