Friday, February 18, 2011

Things that bother me... about Tattoos

I don't have all that many things that bother me...but the few things that do get under my skin...well, they REALLY get under my skin {especially after a day house-bound with 4 children: 2 loopy + muddy, 1 sick+ snotty, 1 babe not napping...and a partridge in a freaking pear tree}. One of these bothersome things happens to be Tattoos. Well, not just tattoos for tattoos sake, but tattoos that are blatantly sported by people in "sometimes obvious, yet easily- hideable -when- it is -inconvenient" places. For example, I see so many people in my "beach-y" community {come summer}, especially young girls {let's say, 26 and under} who it appears, may have meet a cute boy with tattoos one weekend {or suddenly decided they HAD TO GET TATTOOED?} ...and the very next week are walking the beach with their ribs and a half sleeve done! Some go even futher to include necks + hands. Insanity, I say. Having accumulated the tattoo work I have over, oh, 14 years {through single life, dating/ college to my current status of "married -with -children -in- yuppie -town"}, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that "work" needs to be earned! And I'm not talking about it in a "Biker" kind of way... I think what I'm trying to say is: "lived with". One of my last tattoos was my rib ...and I DREADED it! That aside {no punn intended}, I give girls with hand + neck tattoos alot of credit. Having lived with a neck peice for 13 years, well, I can honestly say it takes guts, if not thick skin to endure the constant flow of opinion by spectators. You gals are livin the life 24/7...unless wearing a turtlneck, scarf, or some really good makeup! My whole hearted respect.
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I've found that people who rush into getting heavily tattooed are kind of similar {atleast in my book} to those who seem to grandstand their tattoo work in every photo of themselves on their internet blogs. More often then not, these tattoos {while there may be many} are often strategically placed where they can be easily hidden, yet they are featured CONSTANTLY in photos! What is that? I get it, I like to "cover up and blend into the woodwork" {sometimes} as much as the next girl...but here's the deal...I CAN'T! Call it bad planning or whatever you like, but the tattoo work I have is here to stay...and even at my best there are always creepers.

I try to live the most authentic life I can. That means going to work as a college professor with some creeper tattoos as well as going to townie playdates with my 3 littles in the summer in short sleeves. All I'm sayin' is that if you've never stressed about what you should wear which would cover your tattoo work to say,...your child's school's formal dinner dance or parent teacher conference; it will just never be the same kind of authenticity. It's the girls walking the beach with their new tattoos that make people call them posers...and it's the girls typing the blog posts with their strategically placed tattoos a blazin' in every photo shot that makes people think that the lives people show on blogs are a crock of edited sh*t.

Just sayin'.

Thank you Robert Mondavi for enabling me run off at the mouth...or fingers on this fine friday evening. It is good to have a good, PMS-y rant every now + again, don't you agree?

Have a Wonderful weekend

xo.


13 comments:

  1. ohhh the rib/thigh tattoos I saw all summer

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  2. AMEN! I want to slap people who only have neck, chest and hand tattoos...you earn those, sounds weird but its true, you don't start with those!!

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  3. I'm someone who doesn't have any tattoos. I have thought about it from time to time... I think of tattoos (and piercings) as a means to express yourself, to have an external manifestation of something within. For me, I've never decided on a piece of body art that captures that for me. I agree that people who get tattoos because they want to be hip do everyone with meaningful body art a disservice. (But posers are posers... whether it's tattoos or another device.)

    I love your tattoos and think you are a beautiful woman.

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  4. The one that REEEEEAALLLY gets me, is the celebrity rip-off tattoos! Over the last year or so I've seen about six cases of girls running out getting a Megan Fox!

    Rant on with your bad self. You're dead on!

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  5. Youch, don't think I could start with a rib or hand tattoo! And gettin all that done at once? No my idea of a good weekend (specially since it must cost a fortune all at once) What, in your opinion, is the best spot to get 1 if a gal just wants just one that looks great(you know, in case I ever need to know, lol ;)

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  6. I don't like when girls get tattoos because it is the cool or trendy thing to do now. I respect those that add art to their body because they see it as an art form and there are stories behind the tattoos. Every piece on my body has a meaning and story and I put the artwork on my body because I respect the history of tattooing and the fact that I can be a walking piece of art. I don't tattoo my body because I want to be "trendy" or "badass." I go to the same tattoo artist because I love his work and his style and appreciate being a canvas for him. I cover myself with the understanding that I will be looked at differently and even judged. I guess what bothers me is the lack of respect for the art of it and that people don't see the responsibility in it.

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  7. @Tammy

    You are very right, tattoos {especially good ones} can be very expensive.

    I probably exaggerated about people getting boatloads of ostentatious tattoos in "a weekend" ...or even a week! It's more the idea that the work is done and then sported as if to buy a person some kind of "street credit" in a "scene" ...or something to that effect. Yuck.

    And there is no way around it...they {tattoos} ALL hurt, no matter where you put them!
    :)

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  8. @citymouse
    It sounds corny, but I've always loved those old sepia photographs of the tattooed ladies from times past. When I began getting lots of tattoos, I had more of a vision of what parts of my body I wanted covered in a certain way than I did exactly what specific tattoo I wanted! Slightly crazy, I know!

    I have the utmost respect for people who don't settle + choose to "abstain", especially when it comes to body art. You are so right, posers are posers! And thank you for the lovely compliment! It made my day!
    :)

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  9. @Amanda

    So true. I agree about there being a responsibility of sorts when wearing tattoos. I'm the kind of girl who tries to wear my body art well + strive to break steroetypes about "the kind of people" who have tattoos.

    I guess what has me bent is that if it is possible for a person to cover every bit of ink when it is less than convenient, then cover it up once in a while IRL or on the blog!? Like I said...I have a fair amount of creepers so this isn't always easily accomplished for me.

    I'm gonna name drop here...we have friends who are AMAZING tattoo artists, who incidentally are friends with huge names in tattooing...Ed Hardy amongst them all. I swear, most of these guys spend all seasons in pants + long sleeves...even in the heat! They have not a thing to prove...maybe some folks could take a page out of their book, eh!
    :)

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  10. And just an aside...I'm not ranting about anyone who might get a much thought on tattoo in any old visible place, be it small or large...

    I love tattoo work and so enjoy seeing what art work people have ...+ the fact that more people are wearing tattoos. I just never like it when they are kind of dispayed and...well, almost exploited like an indetification card. Not necessary... the people who matter will always like a person for who they are, not only what they look like {be it in real life or in blog land}.
    xo.

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  11. I've started tattooing couples years ago. And at that time one of my BF's cousin wanted SO BADLY a sleeve. But I told him it was too much for me, the things he wanted, I didn't have the skills to do so right now. So he went to see an established tattoo artist, but a lazy one... got an ugly design all over his arm. But he now as is sleeve. (sorry, forarm sleeve, not the whole arm....)

    It pisses me to see one of those girls you're talking about. Especially since I love tattoo art so much! (hence why I want to learn...) and I don't have much visible tattoos. (I'm only 21 you know... and I have the very same feeling you have to earn your art. And I did tattoo myself.) I'm not in a hurry to get sleeves, as much I want it! And if you browse my blog you won't see much tattoo, and I very seldom talk about them (I think I did, once).

    This makes me think, I haven't draw in a week!

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  12. @Andr�ann
    My husband used to be a tattoo artist....I never had the nerver to ask him to try a machine...and now that he has since "retired", I kind of wish I had!

    I personally have an arms worth of cover up from poorly thought out work too young {hence the black backround}...my whole hearted respect for thnking through your choices...they are for life!
    You rock!
    :)

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  13. great post - i have just started tattooing... for me, it is symbolic and meaningful... used for empowerment... i don't know how things will shake out, how many there will be... i too believe that you should want to people to know who you are rather than form opinions based upon tats - or dyed hair, or piercings, etc... take all of those things away, and you are still a living breathing member of planet standing on your own...

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