Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Openly judgmental towards tattoos?

809 replies

StandardRussian66 · 03/01/2018 14:48

My OH is tattooed from the neck down. They are cultural tattoos and he is a big guy, over 6ft and does body building.
I knew him years ago when he didn’t have the tattoos and when he was slim. Strangers were nice to him, and treated him like any other person. But now, he finds that men tend to square up to him on nights out, shop staff and waiting staff are abnormally abrupt and people in general is just openly quite hostile towards him. It makes me sad, and makes him anxious about going out.

AIBU to think most people aren’t this ignorant that they can’t see past the ink and see that he’s just a normal guy who wants to be able to enjoy a glass of coke in his local pub without men puffing their chests out at him whenever he walks by?
I thought we were over this in this day and age.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:41

Somebody with a swastika is pretty easy to judge. A person with a cross? A butterfly? A dragon? What do you get about their character? Stars? Hearts? Tribal tattoos? Their kids's names?

mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:43

I once got told (by a bigoted old twat) that i would regret my tattoos when i was a wrinkly 80 year old. My response? Pretty sure by 80 i will have more important things to worry about than my wrinkly tattoos 😆

dustarr73 · 03/01/2018 21:43

Cathy i love the experience of getting tattooed.Looking around different shops to get an idea what you want.The smell of teh shop,the buzz of the needle.The joy of talking and agreeing on something.

The anticipation of waking upi and going to get tattooed.I would put it on a par to a child being excited about Santa.

I love the smell so much,i even went in when i was pregnant and bf.Oh ilove it.Everything about it.

And to me the pain is worth it,i have something lovely at the end.

NotACleverName · 03/01/2018 21:43

Tats are a symptom of something.

Oh, please do tell us all what that is.

You're just talking utter bollocks now.

cathyclown · 03/01/2018 21:43

I must be hitting the spot.

I don't mean to sound mean, just giving my opinion, if that is allowed now.

"NAICE" is a derogotary statement, or a tongue in cheek one anyway. Your choice to interpret!

Bobson · 03/01/2018 21:44

Nothing looks worse than a pensioner with tattoos.

mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:45

I dunno, some pensioners wear theirs quite well!

Anniethinggose · 03/01/2018 21:46

Honestly, Cathy! You've had numerous answers, repeating the word 'indelible' or rephrasing your question isn't going to get you the answer you're looking for.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 03/01/2018 21:46

I once got told (by a bigoted old twat)

Hmm
mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:48

OP thanks for posting this thread, it's been really interesting to read why people hate tattoos. I'd heard the usual 'they're tacky' or 'they're not original' crap, but the likening it to self harm & being a cry for attention are new ones for me. I've also learned there is a tattoo section on MN 😃

mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:49

She just to clarify he wasn't a bigoted old twat because of his tattoo comments 🙈 He genuinely was a bigot in every sense of the word!!

dailyshite · 03/01/2018 21:49

I think the frustrating thing is people giving of opinion as though it is fact, particularly when those giving the opinion are uninformed and are not interested in becoming informed.

Personally I love tattoos on older people.

SandyY2K · 03/01/2018 21:49

Back to the thread title... there's no reason to be openly judgemental ... that's just rude.

Original poster
StandardRussian66 · 03/01/2018 21:49

You’re welcome Smile
DP has found it amusing.

OP posts:
mustbemad17 · 03/01/2018 21:50

HAve you persuaded him to show us some of his art yet 😝😝

Original poster
StandardRussian66 · 03/01/2018 21:59

Haha sadly not!

OP posts:
vwlphb · 03/01/2018 22:07

@cathyclown you are starting to remind me of a wasp battering itself against a window.

TooManyPaws · 03/01/2018 22:23

@mustbemad Yup, Navy regs. Once I was free from them, I dyed my hair purple and started to plan my wrist tattoo Grin

TooManyPaws · 03/01/2018 22:27

I remember (and miss) an amazing older woman who went with her granddaughter to hold her hand while she got her first tattoo. She ended up with a series of Pictish symbols tattooed down her side and leg. She was in her 70s at the time.

DecoysBitch · 03/01/2018 22:28

Right, I need to clarify here.

I do judge to the extent that when I see an attractive human body I see tats mainly as a blight to it. Look what Cheryl Cole - whatever the surname is now - did to her arse or whatever it was. Looks like a massive bruise.

When I see someone wearing beautiful shoes 👠 with a mad ankle tat part of my soul dies - this is just my "opinion".

I know people with them and I would never voice this to them as I wouldn't want to hurt their feelings - anymore than I'd say I think they have shit style - but MN is anonymous yes?

I do think it's mainstream now though , being individual and having great sex and ffs "stories" is not solely relegated to the "inked up" - get over yourselves 🤣. .

HeyRoly · 03/01/2018 22:42

Wahey, it's Mumsnet Catsbummouth Tattoo Bingo time!

"Sheep" - check
"You're more of an individual if you don't have one" - check
"WHY JUST WHY?" - check
"They'll look shit when you're old" - check

Now the last point is interesting because, yeah, my tattoo won't look the same in 30 years as it does now. I considered that. And I decided that if I'm lucky enough to live to a ripe old age, the last thing I'll be worrying about is a ropey looking aged tattoo. I actually got my tattoo because I wanted to live in the moment for once, instead of fretting about the future.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 03/01/2018 22:48

Sorry HeyRoly but the bingo list of reasons for loving tattoos are just as bloody tedious, and sometimes more so.

froginapond · 03/01/2018 23:09

Sorry HeyRoly but the bingo list of reasons for loving tattoos are just as bloody tedious, and sometimes more so.

Agree.

Also, I always have to laugh at the people saying 'I will have better things to worry about than a tattoo when I am 70!'

Hmmm I am sure you will. But when you are 70, you still regret getting that fugly Octopus tattoo on your left bingo wing. You're deluded if you think you won't!

And yeah, @heyroly these days, you ARE more of an individual if you don't have tattoos. PMSL at the 'tattoo bingo' list. All those things are perfectly valid, but tattoo obsessives prefer to stay in denial, in their desperation to look yooouneek, and 'edgy' and to be an 'individual.' Grin

Individual........ yeah right! Grin

froginapond · 03/01/2018 23:10

Sorry HeyRoly but the bingo list of reasons for loving tattoos are just as bloody tedious, and sometimes more so.

Agree.

Also, I always have to laugh at the people saying 'I will have better things to worry about than a tattoo when I am 70!'

Hmmm I am sure you will. But when you are 70, you still regret getting that fugly Octopus tattoo on your left bingo wing. You're deluded if you think you won't!

And yeah, @heyroly these days, you ARE more of an individual if you don't have tattoos. PMSL at the 'tattoo bingo' list. All those things are perfectly valid, but tattoo obsessives prefer to stay in denial, in their desperation to look yooouneek, and 'edgy' and to be an 'individual.' Grin

Individual........ yeah right! Grin

froginapond · 03/01/2018 23:10

I'm sure there's brides who love how their tattoo looks against their wedding dress.

I am sure there are, but many women with tattoos all over them (when they're in their wedding dress,) just look awful imo. Hard as I try, I can NOT say this is attractive or nice to look at.

Swipe left for the next trending thread