Mumsnet Talk

SirBoob my uncle had to do that after his marriage to his first wife ended. He loves my aunt (his second wife) dearly but has never had her name tattooed on him. Learnt his lesson the first time!

Hinto

Tattoos are not a sign of low life losers

It's not 1950 anymore. Thousands of people have them. Many are absolutely beautiful.

My friend is a tattoo artist, her designs are gorgeous. I know lots of people with tattoos,I wouldn't describe any as "low life's" or "losers".

I appreciate your experience may have coloured your views a bit but really...try and be a little less narrow minded?

Oh dear! I've just found out I'm a low life loser! I'd better resign from my job immediately. I'm sure my clients would not want tax advice from someone as chavvy as me if they knew about the butterfly on my hip for the child I lost.

Thank you for showing me the error of my ways.

I love most tattoos, they truly can be works of art. The only ones I do get a bit about are partner's names - as several posters have said you just never know what's going to happen. Personally I wouldn't ever have anyone's name tattooed on me but that's just my preference.

Hint your posts make you sound like a very ignorant, judgmental and unpleasant individual. I hope you're merely posting for effect rather than because you actually hold those ridiculous views (low lifes? Chavs? Don't be so silly).

Puddlejumper, I can see that some tattoos are very cleverly done, but I would not say that makes them works of art. Most seem to involve loads of navy blue ink, which I think is very unattractive. Discreet tattoos for private viewing are no problem for me, but so many times when, for example, we are on a beach, and a lovely young girl walks past decked in patterns, I just think 'how could do that to yourself? '

I am not the only one prejudiced; there are plenty of people in the public eye who keep their tattoos well covered up as they know what others will think.

Nevertheless, my mind is becoming slightly broader, as having read about blonderthanred's paw print, I am staring thoughtfully at my cat.

Tattoos are vile. Take the short cut and just have 'I am a chav' on your forehead.

I'd love to see you say this to my face in front of some of the chavs I went to school with. We'd have a good laugh.

I have three tats I love. Logos or symbols of John Lennon, Kate Bush and Toulouse Lautrec, three figures who mean something to me. You going to tell me I've destroyed myself like my mum did? That I look disgusting? Funnily enough she presents as very civilised and polite usually too.

i have my dc names tattooed on me

i want dh's name too

I have the whole alphabet tattooed on me, and just display the initials of the current partner I am with, the rest of the letters I cover up with skin coloured plasters from the pound shop. It is really excellent value for money and means I can change partners every week without worrying!

Marvellous idea giraffes!

Hint when I said that tattoos can be art I was thinking of ones like this, this or this.

Arf at giraffes

giraffes like your style

I think Hint has humour in his/her posts...

Come off it, there are plenty of posters on this very thread who proudly flash their grey judgey pants for a multitude of reasons. Anything one personally doesn't like or approve of is something that they feel quite entitled to be censurious about. Perhaps tattoos just don't fall into their chav 'not vair nice person' category.

Horses for courses but unless you never judge a thing in your life, you can't critcise somebody else for railing against something you're fond of. That's sheer hypocrisy.

I don't personally like tattoos, not any, not anywhere, and wouldn't have one. It's the permanence I don't like, which is probably the whole reason why some people have them. I don't comment on anybody's designs, they mean nothing to me, but I do inwardly wince at the pain that some of them must have gone through having necks, backs of knees, ankles, inside wrists, inked...

I wouldn't have a tattoo of my child's name, not even my dead child. But I understand why people do fgs. If it helps them in any good for them.

lowlife?

I love tattoos, I have a few and they can be a fabulous work of art and expression of individuality. That being said, I don't think writing has any place in tattoos. You can never read it without staring at the person, it's usually done in stupid illegible script, and it's not art, it's writing. If you want to remember a lost person, get an image that represents them. And I absolutely don't understand why would just get your healthy living children listed down your arm or back. Are you worried you'll forget their names/birthdays? It's crap like that that gives tattoos a bad name, IMO.

Just my opinion though, I'm aware that many people hate all tattoos and think as little of mine as I do of other people's.

Please don't flame me, why is Willy Wonka in that link?! I mean I get the message but why him?

the picture of him is a meme a lot of people use on fb/imgur/etc for sarcastic comments.

I love tattoos. i wouldn't personally have any script on me but it doesn't bother me if other people do! life would be very dull if we were all the same, as i increasingly find myself saying these days.

Not for me... but can't get worked up about other people having them in the manner hint seems to. It doesn't carry any negative conotations as far as I am concerned as it is widespread.

Skullcandy, are those meant to be examples of high life?

Thanks, Lyingwitch, and yes I am a her not a him.

for courses but unless you never judge a thing in your life, you can't critcise somebody else for railing against something you're fond of

But no one's doing that, they're countering Hint's claim that everyone with tattoos is unsavoury in one form or another with the contradiction that people who like tattoos come from all walks of life, probably lots of them respectable (whatever you take that to mean). Not the same as wanting everyone to think the same at all!

Thanks SkullCandy, I see now!

Well, I quite like the idea of people thinking I'm unsavoury in some way, when I'm such a vanilla person in all other aspects of my live - middle aged, middle class, post-grad education etc. I know many people in my profession who you could address as Dr Chav if everyone who has a tattoo is a chav. And with a bit of luck and a following wind I will be joining them at some point.

I'm definitely unsavoury, I just don't have a tattoo, don't drink or smoke either... ... but I wear Boden, don't always remember knickers, don't ring home when I should and do a whole heap of other dreadful things that I won't bore you with. Those are my hell-raising credentials and 'angelic and perfection-afflicted persons' and I will never be friends...

im sure the surgeon that saves your life loves being called a lowlife chav.

Do you routintely check if your medical practioners, firemen, ambulance first responders, policemen, lawyers, teachers...etc have tatts first?