Location and what it is is important. I personally don't have tattoos, both my sister's have sleeves and then some.
Very few things in this world are as binary as the folks who are just dying to make things political wish they were. I have tattoos, and I'm good with them. There are trashy folks with them and without them. Although I do understand if someone was apprehensive about using an investment banker with a Latin Kings neck tattoo while at the same time not wanting to use a tattoo artist that wears a suit and tie like a dickweed.
I have 4 tattoos, including fairly large ones on each forearm. I ran a successful business for 35 years and my customer base was extremely wealthy and educated. I never had an issue even though I spent a lot of the time in polo shirts. For major events I was always in a suit and the tattoo were never seen.
I'm not saying that I think it's right that people have the short-sighted view of judging people in certain professions that have tattoos. But I do get it if there is apprehension even if I don't share the same view. One of the most brilliant combo sales/engineering minds I've worked with had two full arm sleeves. The guy could sell anything to anyone. Another one of the most successful guys I've known since I was a kid - the same. I also know some dirtbags I grew up with that have tons. The good thing is that the optics of them have definitely changed from 20-30 years ago.
I understand. I don't think it's nearly as bad as it was 30+ years ago. My mother almost had a heart attack when I got my first tattoo. Old school Italian and she just flipped. And when I got the first one on my forearm she was screaming that no one would want to business with me. Everyone has tattoos these days. I don't think it's a big deal anymore. Trashy isn't in the tattoo. It's in the person.
My Generation said no to them ...Sailors and Cons had tattoos back when I grew up. You know 'mom' inside a Valentine Heart lol Today's kids are different and as my Grandmother used to say "to each his own..."
Thank you all for making this thread a success. We got a good variety of opinions and a good discussion.
"Not Trashy". i have a lot of tattoos, or at least it was a lot back in the northern NJ shore (all those old biker shops b/t bayshore/ocean) circa 2000. Got my 1st in 1990 (thigh, hidden from parents). Full sleeves, chest, legs (no back) by 2000-2. my dad rocks some homemade jobstoppers on his hand and arm from when he was 13. that was back in the early 60's. didn't want me to get any. in the 80's i was always in awe of the punks, skins, metalheads, skaters, motorheads, bikers etc w/ demons or reapers or some evil (or lame) shit on there arms. i was a kid and i thought it looked cool. the only dudes at the time with face or neck tat's in the late 80's/early 90's were psychos and sketchballs. having grown up in those scenes (not bikers) above, alot of the older heads and peers had tats. quite a few friends became successful tattoo artist. in those sub-cultures, it was failry common to see them. I remember walking into one of those supermarket type liquor stores 7-8-9 (who knows) years ago, and counted about 8 other dudes i walked past w/ sleeves, body sleeves or just a lot of work, none of them looked like they belonged to any of the scenes (i could be wrong) i mentioned above and thinking, "i liked it better when i was the only scumbag in the store". I'm certainly no trend setter or was hip to something before it became bc there were plenty to do it before me, but now it's just part of the uniform. a face or neck tat is just a face or neck tat (still don't like it). just like skateboarding, it became mainstream. doesn't mean i wish i didn't have them, just feels like Starbucks. my 2 cents
I'd say tattoos are the norm now. I don't have any, and likely never will, but I would not judge someone in a negative way if they had any. You can get bad tattoos though for sure. Some are trashy. Overall, and in general, I would say not trashy.
You should get a tattoo of an ice cream cone. Or maybe an unintelligible green blob on your knee like ATW.
Alright, it needs to be said. I don't mind some ink here and there, but do people actually think shit like this is hot? I mean, we're not talking Ray Bradbury's 'The Illustrated Man' or Queequeg from 'Moby Dick' here. What are these idiots trying to prove? In general it just looks like trash to me. Try your best to talk me out of it.
