I love my "tramp stamp" and guess what Sam? I grew up on the North Shore of Sydney, attended an all girls private school and probably have more self-esteem than you are ever likely to espouse. Live and let live..
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:17 PM
"males who tattoo themselves rate themselves as more attractive, individualistic ... than men without tattoos".
So does that tie in to olympians or others who have taken to tattoo-ing to commemorate an event in their life? I realise that the above statement is a generalisation, but would a tattoo of an important event be an expression of an individual's view of self-importance, or a commemoration for personal reflection, especially if it was something kept between you and your significant other all your life?
Also, how does this translate with people who are heavily tattooed with sleeves worth of art against those who have gone for the drunk-tattoo or break-up tattoo? The former may indeed be very creative if a whole body of work, so to speak, is to show for it.
* Posted by: Regina George is Flawless on August 29, 2007 8:18 PM
Completely agree, always have, and always will.
* Posted by: self expression? on August 29, 2007 8:25 PM
Once upon a time I would have quite easily gone with you to any sporting event of your choice, hung out with all your mates, shagged you senseless without having to be taken out to dinner or on any kind of date. Now, after reading your very old school rant on tatts, I've changed my mind. You sound like my ethnic parents (I love them dearly but you know, they're a bit old fashioned). Disappointed Sam.
You'll get over it. See you Friday night. - Sam
* Posted by: Yasmin on August 29, 2007 8:25 PM
You're a journo, a writer, a womaniser, and someone who finds self-expression easy, a way of life even. Not everyone finds it as easy as you to be "original". Not everyone's job encourages them to go out and gaze at their navel until they come up with a totally novel idea. People find self-expression however and wherever they can - and I really don't have a problem they want to prove to themselves that they have a human side outside the office by utilising an ancient ritualistic symbol. It's highly condescending to expect everyone to conform to your standards of self-esteem and self-expression.
* Posted by: Natalie on August 29, 2007 8:26 PM
Debrito, I could have barely written a better, more candid, helpfully insightful and readily agreeable piece than this.
Generally speaking, tattoos are for rejects. The more tattoos, the bigger the reject (in fact, I wager most of them misspell it when googling before the big decision)
And to all those silly girls who've got those atrocious lower back markings -- how do you reckon it's going to look in the year 2045 when you've got a non-matching blue rinse?
Where's your little meaningful tattoo located, marcus? Left or right buttock?
* Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:27 PM
i was thinking about getting the soles of my feet tattooed- just so i could join the ranks of such felons- but avoid the critical analysis that you cop for having a visible one?
* Posted by: schmuck on August 29, 2007 8:36 PM
And I suppose you also believe that "earrings are for poofters and pirates" and there's no such thing as pirates.. (apologies to PK)
DD and M - the floor is yours.
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:41 PM
I have always been a firm believer in each to his own, but never felt the need to permanently label myself. Perhaps I realised early in life that, being of a flighty, restless nature, that in 5 years I would have changed my mind like I do about most things.
In twenty years time, the playground insult will be "your grandma's got arse antlers".
"Arse Antlers" heh heh heh
Some days I am easily amused.
* Posted by: Ruby T on August 29, 2007 8:47 PM
Natalie's tatt says "Courage", the irony is that historically that in chinese culture, criminals and slaves were the only people who had tatts.
T'were me doing that Nat tatt in chinese it would read "Size 8".
* Posted by: Poopie on August 29, 2007 8:49 PM
Got one myself.
Some tattoos suck and others are cool, just like someone's dress sense or persona.
Like Robert De Niro said in 'Heat'.
"Do you see me doin' thrillseeker liquor store robberies with a "Born To Lose" tattoo on my chest?"
If not, then maybe the person isn't a loser.
* Posted by: Ray on August 29, 2007 8:49 PM
"And to all those silly girls who've got those atrocious lower back markings"
Of which I am one... Honestly if I am still wearing hipster pants in 2045 then there will be far more offensive things being shown than some small black Chinese character on my lower back.
Now, I don't regret my tattoo and I do actually speak and read Chinese so I know exactly what my tattoo says... but none the less when I lived in China for a year I got more than a few laughs from locals because of it.
The other thing women need to remember is when the tattoo stretches, it doesn't shrink back... I have seen the unfortunate aftermath of a sun around a pregnant friend's belly. It isn't good.
* Posted by: megan on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:17 PM
"I love my "tramp stamp" and guess what Sam? I grew up on the North Shore of Sydney, attended an all girls private school and probably have more self-esteem than you are ever likely to espouse."
You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Cupcake -- straight through to the keeper this time. But if you ever try another one of those I'll swat you into the middle tier of the Brewongle.
* Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Reminds me of the joke about a Jamaican man who successfully convices a lovely female tourist to sleep with him. When his pants are off, she sees a tattoo on his schlong which says "Wey". When she asks what such an unusual tattoo means, he says:
"Stroke it. It says Welcome to Jamaica and have a nice day!!"
* Posted by: trigger on August 29, 2007 9:00 PM
A friend of my brother's aversion to Tattoos was extreme. He told us that whenever he was having sex with his girlfriend, doggy style, he would have to close his eyes, as he found her tattoo such a turn-off, the sight of it would inspire flaccidity!
I must confess to (a less extreme) aversion to tattoos. I don't know why I don't like them, just never have. I always find myself putting on one of those polite, gritted teeth smiles when I see someone has a tattoo... I can't help thinking, oh here we go, yet another "I'm so original, deep and cool, and I've branded myself to prove it", vain, wanker in the city.
But as I said, I have no idea where my prejudice against tatts came from- I've always liked piecings and many other fads and fashions, just not tatts, for some unknown reason.
Though I don't mind the look of some of the tatts that the guys I know from New Zealand have- tatts are a rite of passage in some parts of NZ, and very much a record of their culture.
A lot of my family and friends have tattoos (including those celtic and chinese/japanese symbol trendy ones). They all know I think it makes them look a bit try-hard, and they don't give a toss what I think... which impresses me a lot more than their "edgy, deep" tatts.
* Posted by: no tattoos before you're 100 on August 29, 2007 9:00 PM
I have a commitment problem, so would never get a tattoo. I did however love having a certain spiderman tattoo courtesy of Weetbix above my hip for two weeks. The only statement this seemed to say about me to my friends was "I don't wash often enough to get rid of this temporary tattoo". I would do it again in a flash, so here I am waiting for some more free-with-food body art
The writer of this blog seems to have very popular opinions (apart from the prostitute one), but I am sure most people would agree that this is always a more enjoyable read when there are dissenting opinions, rather than "couldn't have said it better myself" and its variations.
No more "the sky is blue" topics!
* Posted by: spiderman tat on August 29, 2007 9:01 PM
It's the women with tatts that get my attention .I don't go much on the old -"Tarts tatt above the bum crack". To me it looks cheap .
Most of my co-workers and mates have got ink done .Here are a few of the funny ones i've seen or heard about ;
A guy i used to occasionally drink with at my local had 'F..KU ' tattoed inside his bottom lip, upside down .Whenever he'd get the shits he'd drop his bottom lip and deliver his message . However, he got into a fight one night and lost the 'K' along with a tooth .Now it reads 'FU.CU.'
A workmate of mine has an eagle with wings out stretched tattoed across his chest .He was recently asked by a young fellow worker whether the eagle was taking off or landing ? He responsed by saying "Give me a break mate ,i'm getting old and saggy ....!"
Another mate has a Union Jack tattoed across one arm .I asked him why he didn't put the whole Australian flag on his arm instead .His reply was -"My arm is too skinny to fit it all on ..!"
And there's a story of a local guy with 'WOW 'tattoed across his arse .He apparently has a 'W' tattoed on either bum cheek -and i didn't bother asking where the 'O' was .....
* Posted by: joe blow on August 29, 2007 9:06 PM
There are extremes of tattooing - my extreme (I have none - yet) and t'other (full sleeves and legs). Who are you and I to say what's right and wrong? For sure, don't do it until you're old enough to understand the permanence of life, but then all bets are off. By the time you get your imprint you *should* understand what it will look like all wrinkly (no matter how it started, it will always end up like "The Scream") (or Dorian Gray).
I'm with you Sam in that there are few things I would want imprinted on my body for all time, however I intend to have the names of gothgirl and the littlest littlie wrapped around a part of my body that few ever see (my toe, you filthy persons).
Ainsley - keen to hear more about your thoughts on this. The way I read it you're a mature woman who recently made a conscious decision to get art, and you're happy with the result. And M - how do you feel a few years down the track? Any regrets?
* Posted by: k8 on August 29, 2007 9:09 PM
I considered a tattoo twice - once when I was 19 (we're talkin over a decade and a half ago now...ouch) and oncewhen someone very close to me died unexpectedly.
Both times I woke up and thought thank thor I didn't go through with it.
Seen people go through painful tatt removal as they've got older and the tatts aren't as cool as they once were (hard to change the big bazooka woman or the spider webs into a celtic band)
* Posted by: blogfloosy on August 29, 2007 9:12 PM
I love the line in Wedding Crashers when Vince Vaughan spots a girl with a tat;
Tattoo on her lower back. Might s well be a target.
My Dad and sister have both had themselves stained in the past, and they both regret it in a big way now. I have a few friends in the same boat.
I don't judge anyone and everyone who has a tat, each to their own. Though I do ask most people - if you are getting something which is a mark or symbol of your individuality, why are they so frequently in places that are hidden from view and why is such an effort made to keep them undercover?
* Posted by: Racing on August 29, 2007 9:13 PM
I have absolutely no problem with people having tatts, but I kind of like having an unmarked body and have never felt the desire for one. They seem so ubiquitous these days that it almost seems unusual NOT to have one, and I've met plenty of guys who find tatts on women sexy. Whatever. If a person feels that a tattoo expresses who they are, that's great and they should do what they want. Personally, though, they don't really do anything for me, but I might be in the minority here.
* Posted by: Lotus on August 29, 2007 9:18 PM
Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Go on - make my day. You and what f*cking army..
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 9:19 PM
I got my first and only tatt about a year and a half ago.
As part of the usual end of year holiday gift giving I asked my Father for a tatt. Catch was, he had to choose it.
For us it was a ritual, a bonding, a passage into manhood.
Why would someone want to co-opt someone else`s culture?
Quite simple really, there may not be an appropriate expression in your own culture.
When you look at all the negative ways that young males try to claim their manhood, perhaps a simple tatt is a far less painful and damaging alternative.
* Posted by: SG on August 29, 2007 9:21 PM
Dermagraphics .. look ok for a while but they get nasty as the skin ages and loses elasticity.
Won't matter, the tatts and suntan brigade go together and will wrinkle away by 50. Those Celtic armbands will just look like armbands we wore playing footy when someone had died, no taking them off though.
Got tons of mates with tatts, it is often came about when something was wrong at the time but most of them got over it. The tatt can be a daily reminder of a bad decisions. Better rebelliousness method than heroin, not as easy to reverse as a piercing..
Chicks with tatts . . (first see above about aging) .. can look hot, gets my attention .. not usually in a 'keeper' sort of way though. Tough luck for us blokes, so many around now you might not get the choice.
A cool mind and a nice bod - then a few tatts are not going to be a deal breaker..
* Posted by: Scubaroo on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
I have to admit to a love for Tatts!
Don't have one myself, but I am sure that it is because my Grandad had dozens of them, all over his arms, legs, torso. He got them over the years he was in the Army, then the Merchant Navy starting with WW1.
He used to tell me the stories behind each of them, what they meant both the symbolism and what memories they held for him from the times and places in the world he had them done.
He is long gone now but the stories of his Tatts stay
If I see a guy with lots of tatts, that is what I immediately think of!
I saw some really interesting Tatts here in NY yesterday, had dinner in Greenwich Village, and stopped to look at some of the tatto0 shops there - now there was some art!
Love and Kisses,
CC
* Posted by: Checkout Chick on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
I was in a pub with a mate once and there was this bloke with a full face tattoo. It did grab ones attention. After a while the blook turned to us and said "What are you looking at?"....My mate couldnt resist; "What do you think? Its that thing on your face....
Punch on etc.
Arse antlers? You mean the target, right?
* Posted by: craig on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
i am way too fickle for skin art would be surprised to find i like the same thing tomorrow, let alone 20 years from now. i have seen some shockers teletubbies and marijuana leaves and things people did to themselves when they were too young or too smashed to know any better. many moons ago i seriously considered getting my belly button pierced (in order to draw attention to my best feature), but before i got around to it suddenly they were everywhere, and suddenly i wasnt interested anymore. now tattoos are so common that even if i liked them i wouldnt get one. besides, i have plenty of minor war wounds to tell the story of my life more painful than tattoos in many cases but also more interesting (to me). i dont mind having reminders of my own idiocy on my body (and this one is from when i was running across some tables and they collapsed beneath me; this is from when i fell off my bike cycling home drunk one night; this is from the motorcycle exhaust, etc) but the idiocy is not quite as obvious in these cases as e.g. having your exs name/initials permanently marked on your skin.
still love the Chaser skit handing out fines for bad tattoos. priceless
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:17 PM
"males who tattoo themselves rate themselves as more attractive, individualistic ... than men without tattoos".
So does that tie in to olympians or others who have taken to tattoo-ing to commemorate an event in their life? I realise that the above statement is a generalisation, but would a tattoo of an important event be an expression of an individual's view of self-importance, or a commemoration for personal reflection, especially if it was something kept between you and your significant other all your life?
Also, how does this translate with people who are heavily tattooed with sleeves worth of art against those who have gone for the drunk-tattoo or break-up tattoo? The former may indeed be very creative if a whole body of work, so to speak, is to show for it.
* Posted by: Regina George is Flawless on August 29, 2007 8:18 PM
Completely agree, always have, and always will.
* Posted by: self expression? on August 29, 2007 8:25 PM
Once upon a time I would have quite easily gone with you to any sporting event of your choice, hung out with all your mates, shagged you senseless without having to be taken out to dinner or on any kind of date. Now, after reading your very old school rant on tatts, I've changed my mind. You sound like my ethnic parents (I love them dearly but you know, they're a bit old fashioned). Disappointed Sam.
You'll get over it. See you Friday night. - Sam
* Posted by: Yasmin on August 29, 2007 8:25 PM
You're a journo, a writer, a womaniser, and someone who finds self-expression easy, a way of life even. Not everyone finds it as easy as you to be "original". Not everyone's job encourages them to go out and gaze at their navel until they come up with a totally novel idea. People find self-expression however and wherever they can - and I really don't have a problem they want to prove to themselves that they have a human side outside the office by utilising an ancient ritualistic symbol. It's highly condescending to expect everyone to conform to your standards of self-esteem and self-expression.
* Posted by: Natalie on August 29, 2007 8:26 PM
Debrito, I could have barely written a better, more candid, helpfully insightful and readily agreeable piece than this.
Generally speaking, tattoos are for rejects. The more tattoos, the bigger the reject (in fact, I wager most of them misspell it when googling before the big decision)
And to all those silly girls who've got those atrocious lower back markings -- how do you reckon it's going to look in the year 2045 when you've got a non-matching blue rinse?
Where's your little meaningful tattoo located, marcus? Left or right buttock?
* Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:27 PM
i was thinking about getting the soles of my feet tattooed- just so i could join the ranks of such felons- but avoid the critical analysis that you cop for having a visible one?
* Posted by: schmuck on August 29, 2007 8:36 PM
And I suppose you also believe that "earrings are for poofters and pirates" and there's no such thing as pirates.. (apologies to PK)
DD and M - the floor is yours.
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:41 PM
I have always been a firm believer in each to his own, but never felt the need to permanently label myself. Perhaps I realised early in life that, being of a flighty, restless nature, that in 5 years I would have changed my mind like I do about most things.
In twenty years time, the playground insult will be "your grandma's got arse antlers".
"Arse Antlers" heh heh heh
Some days I am easily amused.
* Posted by: Ruby T on August 29, 2007 8:47 PM
Natalie's tatt says "Courage", the irony is that historically that in chinese culture, criminals and slaves were the only people who had tatts.
T'were me doing that Nat tatt in chinese it would read "Size 8".
* Posted by: Poopie on August 29, 2007 8:49 PM
Got one myself.
Some tattoos suck and others are cool, just like someone's dress sense or persona.
Like Robert De Niro said in 'Heat'.
"Do you see me doin' thrillseeker liquor store robberies with a "Born To Lose" tattoo on my chest?"
If not, then maybe the person isn't a loser.
* Posted by: Ray on August 29, 2007 8:49 PM
"And to all those silly girls who've got those atrocious lower back markings"
Of which I am one... Honestly if I am still wearing hipster pants in 2045 then there will be far more offensive things being shown than some small black Chinese character on my lower back.
Now, I don't regret my tattoo and I do actually speak and read Chinese so I know exactly what my tattoo says... but none the less when I lived in China for a year I got more than a few laughs from locals because of it.
The other thing women need to remember is when the tattoo stretches, it doesn't shrink back... I have seen the unfortunate aftermath of a sun around a pregnant friend's belly. It isn't good.
* Posted by: megan on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 8:17 PM
"I love my "tramp stamp" and guess what Sam? I grew up on the North Shore of Sydney, attended an all girls private school and probably have more self-esteem than you are ever likely to espouse."
You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Cupcake -- straight through to the keeper this time. But if you ever try another one of those I'll swat you into the middle tier of the Brewongle.
* Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Reminds me of the joke about a Jamaican man who successfully convices a lovely female tourist to sleep with him. When his pants are off, she sees a tattoo on his schlong which says "Wey". When she asks what such an unusual tattoo means, he says:
"Stroke it. It says Welcome to Jamaica and have a nice day!!"
* Posted by: trigger on August 29, 2007 9:00 PM
A friend of my brother's aversion to Tattoos was extreme. He told us that whenever he was having sex with his girlfriend, doggy style, he would have to close his eyes, as he found her tattoo such a turn-off, the sight of it would inspire flaccidity!
I must confess to (a less extreme) aversion to tattoos. I don't know why I don't like them, just never have. I always find myself putting on one of those polite, gritted teeth smiles when I see someone has a tattoo... I can't help thinking, oh here we go, yet another "I'm so original, deep and cool, and I've branded myself to prove it", vain, wanker in the city.
But as I said, I have no idea where my prejudice against tatts came from- I've always liked piecings and many other fads and fashions, just not tatts, for some unknown reason.
Though I don't mind the look of some of the tatts that the guys I know from New Zealand have- tatts are a rite of passage in some parts of NZ, and very much a record of their culture.
A lot of my family and friends have tattoos (including those celtic and chinese/japanese symbol trendy ones). They all know I think it makes them look a bit try-hard, and they don't give a toss what I think... which impresses me a lot more than their "edgy, deep" tatts.
* Posted by: no tattoos before you're 100 on August 29, 2007 9:00 PM
I have a commitment problem, so would never get a tattoo. I did however love having a certain spiderman tattoo courtesy of Weetbix above my hip for two weeks. The only statement this seemed to say about me to my friends was "I don't wash often enough to get rid of this temporary tattoo". I would do it again in a flash, so here I am waiting for some more free-with-food body art
The writer of this blog seems to have very popular opinions (apart from the prostitute one), but I am sure most people would agree that this is always a more enjoyable read when there are dissenting opinions, rather than "couldn't have said it better myself" and its variations.
No more "the sky is blue" topics!
* Posted by: spiderman tat on August 29, 2007 9:01 PM
It's the women with tatts that get my attention .I don't go much on the old -"Tarts tatt above the bum crack". To me it looks cheap .
Most of my co-workers and mates have got ink done .Here are a few of the funny ones i've seen or heard about ;
A guy i used to occasionally drink with at my local had 'F..KU ' tattoed inside his bottom lip, upside down .Whenever he'd get the shits he'd drop his bottom lip and deliver his message . However, he got into a fight one night and lost the 'K' along with a tooth .Now it reads 'FU.CU.'
A workmate of mine has an eagle with wings out stretched tattoed across his chest .He was recently asked by a young fellow worker whether the eagle was taking off or landing ? He responsed by saying "Give me a break mate ,i'm getting old and saggy ....!"
Another mate has a Union Jack tattoed across one arm .I asked him why he didn't put the whole Australian flag on his arm instead .His reply was -"My arm is too skinny to fit it all on ..!"
And there's a story of a local guy with 'WOW 'tattoed across his arse .He apparently has a 'W' tattoed on either bum cheek -and i didn't bother asking where the 'O' was .....
* Posted by: joe blow on August 29, 2007 9:06 PM
There are extremes of tattooing - my extreme (I have none - yet) and t'other (full sleeves and legs). Who are you and I to say what's right and wrong? For sure, don't do it until you're old enough to understand the permanence of life, but then all bets are off. By the time you get your imprint you *should* understand what it will look like all wrinkly (no matter how it started, it will always end up like "The Scream") (or Dorian Gray).
I'm with you Sam in that there are few things I would want imprinted on my body for all time, however I intend to have the names of gothgirl and the littlest littlie wrapped around a part of my body that few ever see (my toe, you filthy persons).
Ainsley - keen to hear more about your thoughts on this. The way I read it you're a mature woman who recently made a conscious decision to get art, and you're happy with the result. And M - how do you feel a few years down the track? Any regrets?
* Posted by: k8 on August 29, 2007 9:09 PM
I considered a tattoo twice - once when I was 19 (we're talkin over a decade and a half ago now...ouch) and oncewhen someone very close to me died unexpectedly.
Both times I woke up and thought thank thor I didn't go through with it.
Seen people go through painful tatt removal as they've got older and the tatts aren't as cool as they once were (hard to change the big bazooka woman or the spider webs into a celtic band)
* Posted by: blogfloosy on August 29, 2007 9:12 PM
I love the line in Wedding Crashers when Vince Vaughan spots a girl with a tat;
Tattoo on her lower back. Might s well be a target.
My Dad and sister have both had themselves stained in the past, and they both regret it in a big way now. I have a few friends in the same boat.
I don't judge anyone and everyone who has a tat, each to their own. Though I do ask most people - if you are getting something which is a mark or symbol of your individuality, why are they so frequently in places that are hidden from view and why is such an effort made to keep them undercover?
* Posted by: Racing on August 29, 2007 9:13 PM
I have absolutely no problem with people having tatts, but I kind of like having an unmarked body and have never felt the desire for one. They seem so ubiquitous these days that it almost seems unusual NOT to have one, and I've met plenty of guys who find tatts on women sexy. Whatever. If a person feels that a tattoo expresses who they are, that's great and they should do what they want. Personally, though, they don't really do anything for me, but I might be in the minority here.
* Posted by: Lotus on August 29, 2007 9:18 PM
Posted by: Steve Taser on August 29, 2007 8:59 PM
Go on - make my day. You and what f*cking army..
* Posted by: Ainsley on August 29, 2007 9:19 PM
I got my first and only tatt about a year and a half ago.
As part of the usual end of year holiday gift giving I asked my Father for a tatt. Catch was, he had to choose it.
For us it was a ritual, a bonding, a passage into manhood.
Why would someone want to co-opt someone else`s culture?
Quite simple really, there may not be an appropriate expression in your own culture.
When you look at all the negative ways that young males try to claim their manhood, perhaps a simple tatt is a far less painful and damaging alternative.
* Posted by: SG on August 29, 2007 9:21 PM
Dermagraphics .. look ok for a while but they get nasty as the skin ages and loses elasticity.
Won't matter, the tatts and suntan brigade go together and will wrinkle away by 50. Those Celtic armbands will just look like armbands we wore playing footy when someone had died, no taking them off though.
Got tons of mates with tatts, it is often came about when something was wrong at the time but most of them got over it. The tatt can be a daily reminder of a bad decisions. Better rebelliousness method than heroin, not as easy to reverse as a piercing..
Chicks with tatts . . (first see above about aging) .. can look hot, gets my attention .. not usually in a 'keeper' sort of way though. Tough luck for us blokes, so many around now you might not get the choice.
A cool mind and a nice bod - then a few tatts are not going to be a deal breaker..
* Posted by: Scubaroo on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
I have to admit to a love for Tatts!
Don't have one myself, but I am sure that it is because my Grandad had dozens of them, all over his arms, legs, torso. He got them over the years he was in the Army, then the Merchant Navy starting with WW1.
He used to tell me the stories behind each of them, what they meant both the symbolism and what memories they held for him from the times and places in the world he had them done.
He is long gone now but the stories of his Tatts stay
If I see a guy with lots of tatts, that is what I immediately think of!I saw some really interesting Tatts here in NY yesterday, had dinner in Greenwich Village, and stopped to look at some of the tatto0 shops there - now there was some art!
Love and Kisses,
CC
* Posted by: Checkout Chick on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
I was in a pub with a mate once and there was this bloke with a full face tattoo. It did grab ones attention. After a while the blook turned to us and said "What are you looking at?"....My mate couldnt resist; "What do you think? Its that thing on your face....
Punch on etc.
Arse antlers? You mean the target, right?
* Posted by: craig on August 29, 2007 9:22 PM
i am way too fickle for skin art would be surprised to find i like the same thing tomorrow, let alone 20 years from now. i have seen some shockers teletubbies and marijuana leaves and things people did to themselves when they were too young or too smashed to know any better. many moons ago i seriously considered getting my belly button pierced (in order to draw attention to my best feature), but before i got around to it suddenly they were everywhere, and suddenly i wasnt interested anymore. now tattoos are so common that even if i liked them i wouldnt get one. besides, i have plenty of minor war wounds to tell the story of my life more painful than tattoos in many cases but also more interesting (to me). i dont mind having reminders of my own idiocy on my body (and this one is from when i was running across some tables and they collapsed beneath me; this is from when i fell off my bike cycling home drunk one night; this is from the motorcycle exhaust, etc) but the idiocy is not quite as obvious in these cases as e.g. having your exs name/initials permanently marked on your skin.
still love the Chaser skit handing out fines for bad tattoos. priceless
