Tattoos, for losers?

[Criosaidh]

I have to agree with the vast majority of the ladies here - tattoos are no reflection of your education, social status or, most importantly, moral code.

I personally have two tattoos - one is a graphic representation of my first name's native translation, the other is my personal motto translated into Classical Latin - hardly the first choice for your average Special-Brew-guzzling shop-lifting social-security scrounger, I would have thought.

I speak 3 languages - four if you count Latin. I have a good job in the marketing industry, my own flat and I am financially independent, earning 35% more than the national average for my age. My tattoos are a part of me and although I keep them covered in the office, I am extremely proud of them and what they mean to me.

While the views you expressed may not necessarily have been your own, you must realise that a person's own personal body art is just that - extremely personal. This was not a good topic for an intellectual debate - far too emotive. People make serious decisions about what will faithfully represent them when chosing a tatto.

....Unless, of course, they are blind drunk on a bender in Germany with fellow soldiers, like my darling OH - I don't think a Tazmanian Devil armed with a lawnmower in the er.... personal region says much about his character or belief system.

 

[Snowball]

Well that makes me one massive loser

 

[happygal]

i have 12 tattoos so far and plan to have more in the future. im a sahm at the moment but im a qualified phlebotomist and up until recently had a decent job at our local hospital. id hardly call myself a loser. i do find it kind of funny that people in this day and age are still so narrow minded

 

[bump_wanted]

*jumps on the loser bus without paying cause im scum apparently*

 

[Jody R]

My mum had a rant the other day that tattoos are for losers, criminals, bogans, chavs etc....

she kept raving, bringing up examples of tatttood people and their crime.

She also says that tattooed people tend to be lower class/working class.

OK, I have to gree with her slightly, it does tend to be the way, most guys I know with tattoos are indeed from a low socio-economic/disadvantaged background.

What is you personal experience?

Your mum sounds quite prejudiced and I can see why this thread has offended some people (not me yet).

I have tattoos and will be getting another. I have a design of shooting stars, crescent moon and tiny sun with the yin yang symbol in them and two of my three children's names. I will be adding Joseph's name soon but I want to give blood again first.

I like how they look and mine are in a place that is hidden from veiw to everyone else unless I choose to show them off. Each to their own.

I am working class, not a criminal and wouldn't say that my background was disadvantaged. I'm certainly not a chav and I have no idea what a bogan is (although from what you've put I can take a good guess).

I once worked with two girls who both went to a very exclusive school, quite a well known one here, and both those girls came from reasonably priviledged backgrounds (holiday homes abroard, their own ponies while they were growing up, parents with good jobs and family money, big houses, double-barralled surnames, trust funds etc) and they both had at least two tattoos each as well.

I'm not sure what your mum has against tattoos in particular, why she has to link them to rants about criminals or why she rants at all about 'losers' and the lower/working classes? What is wrong with being lower/working class and how does she think people can help it or change it? Why does she think that they should?

Like all prejudices it probably comes from an ignorance or fear of something she doesn't understand but having tattoos for various reasons dates back centuries and was a worldwide practice in all cultures and in some they were a sign of the priviledged and wealthy.

But would you have posted her remarks if she had made them racist (for example if she had brought up examples of black people and their crimes) or said something just as silly but prejudiced about "all people who dye their hair are chavs and bogans"?

Or if someone said to her something equally ridiculous like "all Australians are lower class because they are decended from convicts" (which is not true and I do have Australian relatives, I'm not saying this is what I believe, just giving another example of ignorance and prejudice.)

 

[November1984]

Wow, that's too funny. I will say this though -- some tattoos are trashy and gang related.
Some are done horribly and look like they have been done out of someone's garage in exchange for pennies....those tattoos bug me out.

I have tattoos, they were well thought out and even old and conservative ladies have complimented me on them. Where I come from the many people with a high social status have really well done tattoos. I actually thought tattooing was/is becoming the 'norm' nowadays.

BTW a good tattoo will many times cost a pretty penny, if anything that reflects you have money to burn! haha

 

[welshwarriors]

I think that tattooed ppl were like that maybe 20yrs ago, now nearly everybody is tattooed - from primary school teachers to lawyers.
I'm a nursery nurse myself and don't of myself as stupid, low class or anything of the above named, but I do have 3 tattoos and more planned.

I think ppl like your mother should look at the person a bit closer and not brush ppl off just because they gt some ink.

 

[hopeandpray]

hmm if this thread had been worded very differently then I would almost understand the point being made. I think it depends where you live. Where I'm from anyone I know that has a tattoo are usually working low skill jobs or living on benefits, I'm not saying they're bad people or that there are no exceptions but that's how it is. They are NOT criminals or 'losers' their life and way of life is just a little different to mine and there's nothing wrong with that. For example I'm studying medicine and nobody in my class out of 120 that I know of have a tattoo. It's not as culturally exceptable
I have family in the states and everyone they know including themselves have tattoos. They are all well educated people with well paying jobs that come from 'good' backgrounds.
It's a cultural difference I guess The equivilant group of people in america (and maybe the uk) would have more tattoos than over in Ireland

 

[mommy43]

i know avery nice police man wo has a sleeve he is def none of the above

 

[polo_princess]

Look at David Beckham, is he trash?

 

[shampain]

I'm such a chavvy loo-hoo-ser-her!

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

Just at this thread.

You start a thread called tattoos for losers on a forum full of people, a lot of which have tattoos and don't expect a backlash.

For what it's worth, I have 3 tattoos, and I'm not a chav either

 

[mummy3]

Hubby and I dont have tattoos i guess thats why we haven't resorted to crime

no seriously, i guess some tattoo can be trashy, but to generalise it to all tattoos its kinda like saying all people with short hair(lol just an example!) are trashy! I certainly wouldn't assume someone with a tattoo was going to rob me, the same I wouldn't assume someone in a hoody was

Each to their own, theres no social divide like that anymore. I must say though, ive read alot of your posts and they often seem to revolve around who is upper class and who is lower class. Maybe stop worrying so much about things like that and just do what makes you happy instead of what you think makes you be perceived better

 

[HannahsMummy]

I don't know which post I found more offensive... the OP about tattoos or the post about 'tradies'....

As a 'tradie' I can earn about £800 a day. As an accountant (my original job once I qualified from Uni) I earnt about £2000 a month.

Some people really need to get over their stereotyping.

I do get customers who are very surprised to see a 31 year old woman turn up on their doorstep to fix their toilet, especially one with a degree. Oh well, your s**t is my money, and I have the tattoo that qualifies me to be a tradie!!!

 

[cleckner04]

This thread makes me want to get more tattoos. I love being able to express myself through art on my body. I guess this means I will turn to a life of crime.

 

[gemabee]

this thread made me laugh so hard my baby nearly fell out!!

how ridiculous nd stereotypical... i have 3 tattoo's (piercings as well - now what does that make me!?).
my best friend is a tattooist nd for my mums birthday i got us matchin tattoo's, i did the same for my brothers 18th nd my dads 50th.
my parents are extremely well-to-do... yet times are changin nd tattoo's are extremely socially acceptable nd are simply a form of expressin feelings nd individuality... nd some are jus plain pretty!

 

[Jody R]

This thread makes me want to get more tattoos. I love being able to express myself through art on my body. I guess this means I will turn to a life of crime.

I know this is off topic but every time I see your signature it makes me smile. Your little girl is beautiful and I love her dress and red hair.

 

[MummyJade]

This thread makes me want to get more tattoos. I love being able to express myself through art on my body. I guess this means I will turn to a life of crime.

I know this is off topic but every time I see your signature it makes me smile. Your little girl is beautiful and I love her dress and red hair.

I was just thinking that... she is beautiful xx

 

[cleckner04]

Thanks so much girls! You just made my day.

 

[Snowball]

Don't forget Ian Beale and his devil branded bottom. You wouldn't call him scum would you?