Question for my Sly Brothers?????

[gidbg]

How many of you think its "acceptable" for the average joe to have tattoos that cant be covered up by just a tee shirt??  I have heard that tattoos have become more mainstream lately but i still cant help but laugh at the ignorant people who still look at my wife and i funny because we are both have full sleave tattoos espcially when we go out with my 2 1/2 year old. Dont get me wrong i could care less what people think i got my tatts for me not other people just wondering what other sly bros think. Also anyone get ink after going Sly who wouldnt have before??

[Brkeatr]

I don't think "acceptable" is the correct word since it's all personal choice. Some indivduals like full sleeve tattoos and some don't.....If your comfortable with what you have that's all that should matter ......personally, being sly would not have anything to do with me getting a tattoo nor would it encorage me to get one.....I do have 2 tatts but I got them many many years ago and they are on the upper arms and can be covered and that's what I wanted and am comfortable with....It sounds to me like your comfortable with what you have and that's all that counts.....at least that's my opinion.....

[Tyler]

I think it's acceptable in today's society, but that many people still are stuck in old ways and don't realize that it's not that big of deal anymore.

[buuckkweet]

Personally I have no tattoos or piercings, not my style.  I do admire the fine ink work and piercings that others wear.  I strongly believe in the "live and let live" philosophy.  

Your sleeves look great Bro!  

[TheSlyBear]

I think a well-done sleeve looks great. But as Tyler said, some people will never come around.

[Alexander215]

Eff everyone else, if you don't know them then they shouldn't mean anything to ya.

[Mikekoz13]

Eff everyone else, if you don't know them then they shouldn't mean anything to ya.

This is all well and good except that the real world doesn't necessarily work like that. Tattoos still have a stigma to a lot of people. If you're trying to get a job and the guy interviewing you doesn't like tattoos, he doesn't have to say anything about them BUT you may not get the job.

When I was younger trhe whole "eff 'em" attitude was supreme in my life but with a little age comes wisdom.

Oh yeah......I have a half sleeve (that sticks well out of the shirts i wear) and another tattoo on my opposite shoulder. I choose to have them BUT I realize they are not for everybody.....

[slyinglide]

Acceptable?  I think that we would like to think of them as acceptable.  I have several Tats, and I have learned that if I need to go to a customers house to do an estimate or consultation on a project, that it is better for me to have them covered.

But I have let them slip a couple of times and have recieved compliments on them......the majority of the people that look down on them have been retired, or older than 55 years of age.

[schro]

I feel strongly about a lot of things, I just choose not to express my strong beliefs in ink on my body.

Do I judge people just because they have tattoos? Usually not, but I can say I have laughed at people that have had ink on their face to the point that I've thought "WTF were they thinking"? Then again, they've usually done other things to make me say that (see Mike Tyson, among others).

I personally know a lot of people that have some type of body ink. It's their body, it's their choice, so who am I to say what they do to their own body?

Piercings & Tattoos are just not my thing.

[babb4214]

dude, tattoos are badass! I personally have 6, all on my upper arms, and eventually, i'm going to have a half sleeve on my right arm..... I can see how some people have bad stereotypes about tattoos and such, and you really have to know that the vast majority of those people are older people... now a days the people that dont have tattoos dont mind them, it's just not for them.... me, they are for me and they all symbolize something, a part of my life.... so i'm all for you bro, it's not a big deal, everyone has their own opinions.... i also have both of my ears pierced, it's no big deal at all!

[gidbg]

utimately this is an issue of choice. You either choose to have ink and not care what anyone thinks or you choose not to have ink. I am cool either way its kinda funny how many people will come up to me and say "wow i wouldnt get a tattoo but i really like yours."  I would say to anyone thinking of getting ink below the elbow to think twice about it. Now dont get me wrong im not saying not to get tattooed just ask yourself if your willing to be covered at work depending on your job. I can say from experince that there are times that wearing long sleeves all the time sucks.

[captain blackleg]

Having a lot of work done myself, I'm totally bias on the subject but I will say I have noticed a change even here in my small town in Virginia. I still get crazy looks and ignorant questions but I would say on the whole its much more of a positive and curious reaction than it was even 5 years ago. Maybe all the tv shows and tattoo trends have helped after all.

[Robmeister]

.....some people will never come around.

Same with head shaving, unfortunately....

[herronm]

OK, remember that we are all brothers here and we all have different opinions.  Here is mine.  I don’t have any tattoos.  My Dad had one from his service to the Marines (I consider that differently).  I do think that some tats on in the correct place can be sexy and I greatly admire the artistry of some I’ve seen.

BUT, in some businesses and professions, tattoos on the face and neck will never be acceptable.  Someone with facial tats would never to the interview with my employer (a defense contractor).  I know this is a very conservative industry and the feeling may be mutual.  There are people who would never consider working here.  It is not just here.  Have you ever seen a McDonald’s employee with tattoos all over their face?  I doubt it.

Also, what may be sexy now will certainly not be sexy when you are older and skin starts to sag and droop.  That beautiful rose on someone’s ass cheek will look like a wilted flower when the sagging sets in.
 
Sorry for the length and I really don’t mean to offend anyone.

Max

[StumpyDave]

I work in a traditionally conservative industry and have some quite conservative customers (and colleagues).  I have tattoos that I can cover (although I normally wear long sleeves at work anyway).  Some of my younger colleagues have tats that are on show occasionally.  I'm not aware of any issues that have come up, but I've seen a few raised eyebrows.
In some parts of the world it is distinctly frowned upon to have tattoos on show.  Natives of those lands may be shocked by a person with visible tattoos.