He's cute...

[cheerful_deviant]

I find myself asking a single question... WHY?

 

[CharleyH]

Because he reminds you of an overly decorated Christmas Tree?

 

[gauchecritic]

Because you let him.

Not you personally (AFAIK) but society as a whole.

M. Python

The Church Police having arrested someone for murdering the Bishop of Bath and Wells (tatooed on the back of the neck):

"I'm arresting you for murder"

"It's a fair cop, but society is to blame."

"Agreed. We'll be arresting them later."

Gauche

 

[Bizkit_Writer]

OMFG! How disgusting how can he sleep like that?

 

[Guest]

I bet he has fun at airports.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

More?

Their parents must be so proud...




Edited because I can't spell.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Reuters
Jan. 25, 2035

The winner of this year’s prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Literature, the author of Minorities Among the Majority will not be accepting his award in person.

 

[Guest]

oh boy.. im probably ganna hear about this one.. but how i feel about body modification:

you look, you get disgusted.. maybe you look and you ask why... maybe they want to tell you. if you took the time to ask, you might be astounded to know that alot of these people are intelligent and expressive individuals.
to alot of these people, they are walking canvas. i know i count myself in with this line of thinking.
no, i dont have facial piercings, no i dont have my tongue slit or ball bearings under my skin. but thats because i dont feel the need to attract that type of attention.

so, before you get too disgusted... think of the many different reasons why.
not trying to get into a heated debate, just sharing how i feel.

very tattoo'd in places you'd love to lick.
vella~

 

[cloudy]

oh boy.. im probably ganna hear about this one.. but how i feel about body modification:

you look, you get disgusted.. maybe you look and you ask why... maybe they want to tell you. if you took the time to ask, you might be astounded to know that alot of these people are intelligent and expressive individuals.
to alot of these people, they are walking canvas. i know i count myself in with this line of thinking.
no, i dont have facial piercings, no i dont have my tongue slit or ball bearings under my skin. but thats because i dont feel the need to attract that type of attention.

so, before you get too disgusted... think of the many different reasons why.
not trying to get into a heated debate, just sharing how i feel.

very tattoo'd in places you'd love to lick.
vella~

On one hand, you're right...I have four tattoos, my belly-button's pierced, and I almost got my tongue pierced, but changed my mind.

I think self-expression has a lot to do with it, but so does belonging to a "tribe" of people who are doing the same types of things. Many of the people who go to great lengths with body modification do it as a mark of the clique they belong to.

It's all good. I try very hard not to judge people.

On the other hand, I can't help but think that some of these that have sort of gone over the edge of what society deems "normal" will one day regret it. It's very common for people with just one tat to regret it later.

 

[Guest]

On one hand, you're right...I have four tattoos, my belly-button's pierced, and I almost got my tongue pierced, but changed my mind.

I think self-expression has a lot to do with it, but so does belonging to a "tribe" of people who are doing the same types of things. Many of the people who go to great lengths with body modification do it as a mark of the clique they belong to.

It's all good. I try very hard not to judge people.

On the other hand, I can't help but think that some of these that have sort of gone over the edge of what society deems "normal" will one day regret it. It's very common for people with just one tat to regret it later.

i understand that cloudy.. (btw.. so glad to see you )
regret is a horrible thing but in working at hospitals where i usually see alot of nude bodies.. the one thing that seems to be common .. is that the people who got one tatt are the ones who regret.. not the people who are covered.

i agree about the belonging. obviously i have no basis but my own idealisms but i believe that as human begins we want to belong.. as so.. this probably leads to modification to 'fit' into a certain group..
simply put.. i wasnt trying to stir the nest.. only sharing my POV.. which i rarely do in this type of setting.

 

[cloudy]

i understand that cloudy.. (btw.. so glad to see you )
regret is a horrible thing but in working at hospitals where i usually see alot of nude bodies.. the one thing that seems to be common .. is that the people who got one tatt are the ones who regret.. not the people who are covered.

i agree about the belonging. obviously i have no basis but my own idealisms but i believe that as human begins we want to belong.. as so.. this probably leads to modification to 'fit' into a certain group..
simply put.. i wasnt trying to stir the nest.. only sharing my POV.. which i rarely do in this type of setting.

I wasn't jumping on you, sweetie - glad you shared how you feel!

My tattoos are all in places I can cover rather easily, but I got my first one 23-24 years ago, when it wasn't common at all for women to have tattoos. Right or wrong, people are judged....I was thought to be a "biker chick" more times than I can remember (like that would bother me). The reason I got them done in the place they are is simply because of the reality of the society we live in. I can't say that I like it, but it is.

You're right, too, about the people that regret their tats are the ones who only have one of them. I love all of mine, and don't regret them for a second - it's addicting. Usually I start thinking about my next one a few days after I get one finished.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

What I was trying to say, without getting bogged down in the morass of value judgements, is that some day, maybe half a lifetime away, a person may evolve into an entirely different person with a completely different set of priorities. Then, the extraordinary lengths gone to fit into one subculture will come back to haunt, even inhibit one’s then normal life.

The trouble with tattoos, is that they are too bloody permanent!

And yes, I realize, that is part of the attraction! That attraction can just as easily become a bite in the ass.

 

[Guest]

What I was trying to say, without getting bogged down in the morass of value judgements, is that some day, maybe half a lifetime away, a person may evolve into an entirely different person with a completely different set of priorities. Then, the extraordinary lengths gone to fit into one subculture will come back to haunt, even inhibit one’s then normal life.

The trouble with tattoos, is that they are too bloody permanent!

And yes, I realize, that is part of the attraction! That attraction can just as easily become a bite in the ass.

Gotta agree with Burley here.

I know what you were both saying, Cloudy and Vella, and maybe I'm just not well informed enough about this kind of culture, but, I believe, you've either got to be incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, or passionate about wanting to be part of that clique/tribe/group/whatever, to go quite that far.

One thing that has stopped me from ever getting any tattoos done, or even piercings (not in my ears), is the thought: how would I feel about them in the future?

Lou

 

[cloudy]

Gotta agree with Burley here.

I know what you were both saying, Cloudy and Vella, and maybe I'm just not well informed enough about this kind of culture, but, I believe, you've either got to be incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, or passionate about wanting to be part of that clique/tribe/group/whatever, to go quite that far.

One thing that has stopped me from ever getting any tattoos done, or even piercings (not in my ears), is the thought: how would I feel about them in the future?

Lou

Exactly, Lou. It's something you have to think about, seriously, before you decide to go ahead with a tattoo...because it is permanent. I've always told people that have confided to me that they were thinking about getting one to think about it some more, and to be absolutely sure that it's not something they're doing just because "everyone else is doing it", and that whatever they choose will be something they can live with for a very long time.

I always thought mine out completely, and then let it sit there in my mind for a little longer, just to be sure. So, I don't regret mine, but I know a lot of people that do eventually.

I have to think that taking it to extremes, like those in the pics, is something that will make them eventually wonder why the hell they went that far with it.

But, then again, each generation has to try just a little harder to shock the generation before them...

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Hokay

Up front, I have two tattoos and used to have my navel pierced. I designed each tattoo myself and shopped for just the right artist. It was and is a form of expression for me. I did not take the situation lightly and my feelings about them have changed several times since I first got them. (I still love them both but my thoughts about them continue to evolve as I do.) That being said, I agree with Vella here.

Of course the photos above are extreme cases. To my way of thinking, most often times people that are that eccentric at a young age, typically remain just as extreme throughout life in one manner or another. Not to say that they may not really regret it later, but correct me if I'm wrong when I say 'That's life.' There are a few things I regret immensely and while I don't have a visible marking on my body to prove it, the scar within stays with me just as permanently.

I know many people that regret getting tattoos, just as I know many people that regret marrying a certain person, getting pregnant under certain circumstances or just plain treating people badly. Each of these things has its own level of extreme, but it is an irreversible action that they took at one point in time and all will most likely be looked back upon with some shade of regret.

I say, if the people above have that much to say then more power to them. If they regret it later, then it is an explanation of their angst and/or desperate need to say something bold. However, I have only known two people to regret their tattoos and each time it was because they had another's name inked on their body and their feelings for that individual changed.

Change is inevitable. Everyone here who has said plan ahead is correct. Tattoos are popular now. Therefore, to me, it stands to reason that if a person chooses to express themself in this manner and wishes to exceed the norms to get their point across, extreme is their answer.

Different strokes for different folks.

~lucky

p.s. I think tattoos get a bad rap because they used to be such a cult thing and are looked down on by a certain crust of society (read the majority). Plastic surgery, implants, liposuction and the like are just as popular as tattoos (for a personal flair) and yet I don't see nearly the amount of worry when it comes to that sort of body modification. It is often taken to extremes and much more dangerous to the recipient than a simple tattoo or a body full of them.

 

[rgraham666]

Personally, I think the person in the picture is trying too hard. And at something too simple.

I know all about trying to become your own person. I've been at it for years and I still haven't completely succeeded. And probably never will.

But the person in the picture is going overboard. I don't think he's gaining individuality, he's burying it under all his accoutrements. This is what I mean by trying too hard.

And by too simple, it looks like every time he has to deal with an existential question, he distracts himself by getting something extra added. A good diversionary tactic that really won't help because it doesn't answer the question.

Just my $0.02.

On the other hand, I have a fair number of scars, which I think add to my individuality. None self-inflicted, just the visible ledger of living. So stop going EEEEW!

 

[Just-Legal]

I'm glad someone (okay, I'm too lazy to scroll back up and check who) added the - "Did you ever think to ask the person" point.

My point is - why not?

I have peircings (no tattoos... pain... oww). I've actually been slagged off and insulted about them without a person knowing who I was with them in.

I thought we lived in an enlightened society but as long as people look down on me for having titanium bars in my lip and tongue, I guess we dont.

EDIT: The latter part isn't me having a go at anyone here BTW, just society in general.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Someone should tell that first guy that that hair color doesn't look good on him.

The guy to the right on the second pic looks kinda.. cute. And I like the ring in his nose - imagine how easy it would be to order him to lick you!

 

[Just-Legal]

Yeah, but it would get in the way...

Tongue studs are fantastic things when it comes to oral sex...

 

[Liar]

p.s. I think tattoos get a bad rap because they used to be such a cult thing and are looked down on by a certain crust of society (read the majority). Plastic surgery, implants, liposuction and the like are just as popular as tattoos (for a personal flair) and yet I don't see nearly the amount of worry when it comes to that sort of body modification. It is often taken to extremes and much more dangerous to the recipient than a simple tattoo or a body full of them.

Hmm. I must be missing what you're aiming at there. Tatoos having a bad rep? More frowned upon than plastic surgery? Everyone and their mother has a tattoo these days. It's hardly more of an expression of rebellion than a pierced earlobe is. I'd say it's pretty well accepted on a wide front, as opposed to surgical modification, that is generally seen as both a desperate and degrading consumerism behaviour. Or am I missing something?

#L

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Fraid I have to agree with Liar. The shock value is sort of deceased on tattoos and piercings. They're mini-rebellions overall, stripped of their originality.

Today's new shock-style rebellion: Mental self-mutilation. Why bother with the outsides, when its the insides that matter. Fuck your brain up with psychoses up the yin-yang. The rebellion prize goes to the first teen to be able to break the strait jackets on all four of his personalities at a maximum security asylum.

 

[rgraham666]

Today's new shock-style rebellion: Mental self-mutilation. Why bother with the outsides, when its the insides that matter. Fuck your brain up with psychoses up the yin-yang. The rebellion prize goes to the first teen to be able to break the strait jackets on all four of his personalities at a maximum security asylum.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

The sloganon the T-shirt is "This is not fun no matter how much I'm laughing."

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

Personally, I think the person in the picture is trying too hard..... I don't think he's gaining individuality, he's burying it under all his accoutrements....On the other hand, I have a fair number of scars, which I think add to my individuality. None self-inflicted, just the visible ledger of living. So stop going EEEEW!

I go a bit further, the fellows pictured are turning themselves into artifacts, rather than individuals.

Your point about wear and tear of time: Anybody ever see a really impressive tattoo with an incision messing it up? An anchor that became an anvil as the potbelly grew?

There are so many other ways of exhibiting one's individuality, why choose one that is liable to impede you if you evolve into quite a different individual, at a later date.

Reuters
Jan. 25, 2035

The winner of this year’s prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Literature, the author of Minorities Among the Majority will not be accepting his award in person.

As for me, I am already an individual. I’m the only employee without a tattoo. I have a lot less hassles since I don't need to cover over tatts with make up.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Clarification

OK, let me clarify before I get half the AH after me.

I personally have no problem with tattoos, in fact many of my friends have them. I think they are cool on guys and quite sexy on a woman. In truth, I am probably the only person on my jobsite who does not have one. I have never gotten one for the simple reason that I am a sissy when it comes to needles.

Leaving that asside...

I meerly started this thread when I found a couple examples of what I considered a little "over the top". I realize that there is an element of self expression in what these guys are doing and while self expression is all well and good, you still have to interact with the rest of the world on some level almost every day. Can any of you seriously imagine any of these guys going for a job interview in the buisness world, or as a teacher, or doctor? Probablly not.

I realize that the type of individual that would express himself in this way would probablly not wish to work any where as mundane as the 'buisness world' but you do have to work somewhere to pay the bills. Being broke isn't a whole lot of fun, I've tried it, trust me.

And as many others have pointed out, these things are permenant, as in forever. Can you picture, 10 years from now, a parent teacher confrence, Little Molly's father looks like these guys, is any one in that school system going to take him seriously? Doubt it. What if little Molly's friend's parents see him. Will they be allowed over Molly's house any more? Doubt it.

I didn't start this thread to bash anyones clique, or group, or 'sub-culture' or whatever you want to call it. I meerly started it to point out what I thought was a few guys who had taken the individuality thing a little too far.

My intention was to ammuse, not offend. If you are offended, I offer my appologies, or you can flame away, I have thick skin.

CD

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

That was one of the more disturbing things I've ever seen... ugh.

I have never understood the piercing fascination, ever. I had a pierced ear when I played football, but that was a team-spirit thing--we all did it (we also shaved our heads, so we all looked like pirates, it was ridiculus). But... piercing everything that can support metal weight... I don't get it.

I understand individuality. All praise the God of Individuality and the being and individual and the great hard-on for doing what we like... but, ugh.