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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that anyone who thinks that any of the tattoos they have look nice?

210 replies

Perriwinkle · 09/02/2012 16:30

I totally understand that people can think that the tattoos they have are meaningful to them personally (i.e names of children, references to deceased relatives/friends or meaningful pictures/symbols that represent importnant points in their lives etc) but if they think that they look outwardly nice to other people then I'm sorry but I have yet to see a nice tattoo and everyone I ever meet seems to agree.

They look uniformly godawful regardless of whether they're bufferlies, roses, fairies, swirls, Japanese lettering, names written in gothic font or pictures of Marilyn Monroe.

OP posts:
wickedwitchofwaterloo · 09/02/2012 22:57

YADBU - Obviously, I am covered in tattoos

Most of my tattoos are absolutely amazing and I love them.

Some of them are cack-handed and a bit toot, but I'm gonna laser them off and cover them up.

I don't get them for you, or anyone else, I get them for me... and I like them. As far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters.

If you don't like them fine, but don't assume that I give a damn how they outwardly appear to you at all Smile

vess · 09/02/2012 23:13

I've never seen a good looking tattoo in real life. I'm sure people have various reasons for having them, and they make them happy in some way - they just don't look all that great to me. But it's their bodies and their choice, so none of my business really.

Art/traditional ones do look interesting, though.

Threeprinces · 09/02/2012 23:17

Haven't read the other comments but YANBU, nearly all tattoos look cheap and nasty. Those that son't look cheap and nasty still aren't pretty or attractive in any way. If I was single it'd seriously out me off a potential partner even if they were lovely in very other way.

blonderthanred · 09/02/2012 23:24

I have a tattoo, I don't like cheese though.

ElusiveCamel · 09/02/2012 23:27

"Well, that's interesting because I wonder just how genuine many of those compliments are...?"
I get a lot of strangers specifically coming up to me from across room etc to give me compliments. I'm not showing it to a group of people and getting their opinion.

Some tattoos are hideous. Some people think their own tattoos are lovely. Some people think other tattoos are lovely. Whatever. Such an odd thing to go to the effort of making a post about. Why do you care? :)

FoxyRoxy · 09/02/2012 23:28

Yanbu to have an opinion, yabu for believing that opinion to be fact.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that jazz, if we all liked the same things the world would be boring.

wickedwitchofwaterloo · 09/02/2012 23:30

My bigger pieces are lovely though. My main two tattooists are shockingly skilled and people always comment on the actual skill, even if they don't actually like tattoos per say. I get that sort of comment quite frequently, which pleases me no end Grin

ElusiveCamel · 09/02/2012 23:32

but if they think that they look outwardly nice to other people then I'm sorry but I have yet to see a nice tattoo and everyone I ever meet seems to agree.
Except now that theory has been proven wrong Grin as you were roundly disagreed with by plenty of people who say they have.

Tortington · 09/02/2012 23:32

do i give a shit what others think?

no.

CumberdickBendybatch · 09/02/2012 23:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

Honeydragon · 09/02/2012 23:49
Grin
CumberdickBendybatch · 10/02/2012 00:39

I know.. it's taking ages

tigerlillyd02 · 10/02/2012 01:48

I hate tattoos. I think they all look tacky. But each to their own!

Honeydragon · 10/02/2012 07:45

Cumberdick ...your posts still here Sad you've been neglected

ithaka · 10/02/2012 08:06

I got my tattoo when tattoos on women were still quite counterculture - they are much more mainstream now.

To be fair, I don't like all tattoos. I cant be doing with the stars, lotus blossom, butterfly WAGy stuff. I particularly dislike itchy titchy stars on the wrist and back of the neck - it looks so cliched and halfhearted. I like bold, original tattoos.

My and my husbands tattoo are uniques, large, striking, personal and a shared bond.

People often look surprised when they see my tattoo (fairly rare, we live in Scotland so it is seldom warm enough). Some of them make dickish comments, which is helpful as it is useful when people confirm they are halfwits and I don't need to bother with them.

In my mind, the mere act of getting a big bold tattoo is saying: 'I don't care what you think of me'. And I don't.

Malificence · 10/02/2012 08:06

Really good tattoos are a rarity, it's generally the bad work that looks awful and fades/bleeds over the years.
I have none myself and DH was 40 before I let him have any but the ones he does have are stunning, we looked at thousands before I found one I was happy for him to have .
DD also has several, but she's not stupid enough to have them anywhere highly visible, not a good look on a future Maths teacher.

I've never seen a chest/ neck , lower leg or lower arm tattoo that looks good though, they all look rough and/or common.
I'd say that perhaps one in 1000 actually look good.

PeneloPeePitstop · 10/02/2012 08:06

I have quite a bit of body art. My best friend is a tattoo artist and a very good one, she's currently half way through a quarter sleeve design created for my children and I love it.

There are some bad ones out there, quality does vary, but to make a sweeping generalisation about everyone with tattoos - and there are millions of us - is prejudice and very sad.

AuntLucyInPeru · 10/02/2012 08:13

YANBU unreasonable to dislike tatoos - they're 'marmite' to lots of people. YABU to think you can come on mumsnet and express a strong opinion on any subject without 300 strangers rounding on you with pitchforks. Still - that's what makes Mumsnet the fascinating spectacle we all love!

Birdsgottafly · 10/02/2012 08:16

"I've never seen a chest/ neck , lower leg or lower arm tattoo that looks good though, they all look rough"

Some of us like a bit of rough Wink

Ladygahgah · 10/02/2012 08:21

YABU. It's personal taste obviously. Saying that I had a couple done in my teens I want removed. Only so I can replace them with better ones though. Thankfully they are small but they are in obvious places!...but hey ho. Life is full of journeys and story's and these are just a part of mine!...I am an illustrated book!

EnsignRo · 10/02/2012 08:47

YABU

My tattoos are lovely, and I've seen a lot of other great ones too. If you don't like them, don't get one

HTH

jasminetatu · 10/02/2012 08:55

I have a chest tattoo. It doesn't look rough. In fact complete strangers often comment on how delicate and intricate it is.

alicethink.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/017.jpg so excited to get it finished!

Anyway, YABU for all the reasons everybody else has mentioned and for starting a thread that has been done 34724343 times already. :)

Honeydragon · 10/02/2012 09:20

Jasmine ....wow!

bookmark · 10/02/2012 09:25

i love tatoos but depending who they are on. i don't like the small 'house wife' tattoos that are on the shoulder or the ankle. i LOVE 'rock' tattoos on alternative style people, they look right and super cool

AWimbaWay · 10/02/2012 09:41

YA obviously BU. Why do so many people have tattoos if everyone thinks they look awful. Do people go 'oh, all those tattoos look hideous, but I'm going to get one anyway' ?

I wouldn't want one myself but just because I don't like them doesn't mean everyone doesn't. Variety is the spice of life, each to their own, horses for courses etc. etc.