See my arm!

[maca2kx]

A little over a year ago I made a topic showing the diverse posters of GR a picture of my leg. My leg happened to have a tattoo embedded in it and I expected more of you to be similarly marked but was surprised to find a distinct lack of ink. Where my expectations were met was with the response. One or two posters brought their disapproval out in force but the overwhelming majority liked my tattoo regardless of their own tattoo status. I surprised myself with how long it hasn't been since my first tattoo but here I am again with a decorated limb. This time it's my arm so here you go:

Inner arm

Outer arm

Upper arm

The upper arm is a few months old now, I got it fairly early on this year. The other bunch of tattoos are about a week old now and I wasn't going to make a mention of any of them until I came across this story tonight. In case you're not going to follow that link I'll sum the blog up: HMV, a once-popular-now-struggling music/film/gaming retailer, have passed a policy requiring tattooed employees to cover them up. This isn't exactly a revolutionary policy. Many businesses are squeamish about having their employees show their ink while at work no matter how backwards it seems. Admittedly there are cases where this is appropriate; people probably aren't going to trust the mortgage adviser with an ex-girlfriend's name tattooed on their neck and covered with a red stamp of 'SLUT' after all. Generally, though, tattoos aren't a thing to be offended about, as responses in my previous topic demonstrate.

HMV have issued a statement on their Facebook page clarifying that they're not banning tattoos but they are insisting that visible tats are covered but do you think they're right to do it? Acceptance is a natural progression throughout history. As time goes by we've seen interracial marriages go from illegal to accepted, women are allowed to vote, black people can sit where they like on buses (and many don't have to because they own cars of their own). Tattoos used to be the dominion of the working class and criminal underclass but now we're seeing body art on everyone from celebrities to doctors to shop assistants. Is anyone really that offended by tattoos any more?

 

[UghRochester]

It doesn't bother me what people do to their bodies. There are some that I find "idiotic," but I wouldn't complain about it. However, no matter what someone does or will do, they're going to get judged. Yes, it is getting better to accept whatever it may be, but there are still people out there that disapproves.

 

[De-Ting]

I can see the appeal of painting something onto your body, but tattoos...once it's there, it's there. I know everyone was probably expecting me to say that, but let me make it clear that I think there's good and bad points behind tattoos.

See, stuff like what you got there maca I don't really have a problem with as long as it's not secretly representing some evil or douchebaggish nonsense which I'll later feel like an idiot for complementing you on being creative blah blah blah...but it's the messages like "f**k you" or depictions of violence and anarchy that I and society should obviously have a problem with.

Basically what I'm trying to say is "cool non-offensive tattoo, bro."

 

[Green_Lantern]

The atom one is the coolest I think, but pretty neat overall. I've had one on my shoulder for 6 years now or so, and have wanted to get something on my inner forearm for a while now, but like you said, having a financial related career doesn't really equate to body art too well (even though long sleeves would cover it easily enough)

 

[Bretimus_v2]

If I were to get a tatoo, it'd be an 8-bit character doing something funny.

Like this dude inflating my junk.

 

[Lien]

I'd thought you'd go for Mario or the altered beasts.

And as for me, i worked in S.F. hotels and coffee shops along with employees doting tattoos and piercings. Some worked well under pressure while others slacked off, just like everyone else. But rarely did their accessories bothered the customers.
So i say, let them keep their tattoos and "Just covering up" is still a better step then none at all.

 

[MattAY]

Cool tats Maca. I want to know what they all mean!

I think there are two types of tattoos. Ones like yours where they're not offensive in the slightest, they've been thought through and have substance to them. And I think they're aesthetically pleasing and show character. Then the other type are on blonde bimbos named Chandilier who have a tattoo of "Dave fuckind me" on their navel (I've actually seen this). And I think that's what HMV are trying to stop, it's a shame they took everyone else down with them.

 

[intoTheRain]

Why is every tattoo a puzzle. Neat idea.. But why every one.

 

[Affen]

I think getting a tattoo for the sake of getting one is stupid.

I cringed when my little sister said she wants a tattoo for birthday present when she's old enough. When I questioned the motive behind it the answers varied from "I dunno"to "It looks cool". She didn't even have a idea to what kind of tattoo to get.

But really I don't care if people get tattoos or not. They're so common now that is almost more uncommon to see a young person without one. Only the older generation might get offended by them.

 

[maca2kx]

Get ready for a lot of quotes:

Cool tats Maca. I want to know what they all mean!

The meanings are all tied together. The piece on my upper arm is saying that we all came from stars (since they had to be created, live through fusion, and die through explosion to create the elements we're made of). The pieces themselves are there, and two are missing, because the pieces of my life aren't complete yet. If I ever get to a place where I have a wife, kid, job etc then I might think about getting the two spaces filled in.

After that I got the flaming comet because life probably originated from a comet impact and may end the same way (maybe, maybe not). After I got that (and I mean straight after) I got the idea for the blood, quill and atom and a couple of my tattoo liking friends helped me incorporate them into a sleeve of sorts. It's hard to see from the pictures but my left arm has a sporadic sort of sleeve going on until the back of my arm which is annoyingly plain for the time being.

The idea is that the comet has broken free from the jigsaw design and has separated the designs from it. Hence we have the atom because we can all be broken down to the same constituent parts (and quarks would probably be a bit boring to look at). The blood was going to have my blood type somewhere on the cells to say that we're similar but have differences. I'm still thinking about adding those letters on there. The quill is because I aspire to be a writer.

Why is every tattoo a puzzle. Neat idea.. But why every one.

Like I said above it's all part of a sleeve but is hard to show in the pictures. I'll probably continue that theme when I fill in the blank space on the back of my arm.

I think getting a tattoo for the sake of getting one is stupid.

I cringed when my little sister said she wants a tattoo for birthday present when she's old enough. When I questioned the motive behind it the answers varied from "I dunno"to "It looks cool". She didn't even have a idea to what kind of tattoo to get.

That sort of tattoo is pointless. How old is your sister now? Hopefully when whatever time has passed until she becomes an adult she'll realise that meaningless tattoos aren't just a temporary folly as most meaningless pursuits are. I know a few people who got tattoos when they were young and regret them now. I know a few others who waited a few years before settling on a design and tattooist and don't regret any of it (and I count myself among this number).

I think there are two types of tattoos. Ones like yours where they're not offensive in the slightest, they've been thought through and have substance to them. And I think they're aesthetically pleasing and show character. Then the other type are on blonde bimbos named Chandilier who have a tattoo of "Dave fuckind me" on their navel (I've actually seen this). And I think that's what HMV are trying to stop, it's a shame they took everyone else down with them.

I agree that there are idiots out there with ridiculous tattoos but I think any blanket policy is crazy. I think you'd be hard pushed to find anyone offended by my tattoos (maybe fundamental particle deniers) and I haven't really seen any truly offensive tats. If this move had come a decade or so ago it might be more understandable but at this stage I'd expect any movement on the matter to be progressive. Even HMV themselves have said on their Facebook feed that the change in policy doesn't affect many employees which begs the question "why bother?"! Are they saying that to satiate the irate tattooed public or is it a genuine assessment? Either way this policy change doesn't make any sense unless they have received a lot of complaints, and those complaints really need to outnumber the outcry the company has experienced as a result of the change.

I'm not particularly angry about this situation since I fully anticipate having to cover my arm if I succeed in getting the sorts of jobs I'm applying for, but it just makes no sense to me.

But really I don't care if people get tattoos or not. They're so common now that is almost more uncommon to see a young person without one. Only the older generation might get offended by them.

I get that older people could get offended. We've seen it with the mods, the punks, the hipsters (although they seem versed at offending everyone). Things are changing though. Old people don't spring from nowhere as crotchety old wrinkles who get offended at anything they don't understand, they're formed from the youth of yesteryear. Tattoos have slowly increased in popularity over many years so today's older generation are more likely to have tattoos of their own than ever before. Even if they're not tattooed it seems like such an odd thing to get offended by though. I saw a simile somewhere: it's like getting offended by the muscles of men who are ripped. They chose to look that way after all.

 

[intoTheRain]

thats my issue affen. ive always wanted a tattoo but could never think up one that i know i would be satisfied with my entire life.

would never get one because it "looks cool" lol

someday i might get one... when i think of something im certain ill never regret. if that ever happens.

 

[BASTARD_of_ERIN]

Im a server at Joe's crab shack and they make you cover up any tattoo thats longer than four inches. I get that customers might be put off if their server has a full sleeve but i feel like they should be more worried about content. One of my co-workers has to wear long sleeves every shift because of a cross on his forearm that is "too long".

 

[maca2kx]

That's a bit of a weird policy. I'd definitely have to cover up but I only have tattoos on my left arm so I'd be tempted to only have a long sleeve on that side.

 

[De-Ting]

This just occurred to me; where you going to get a gecko tattoo?

 

[maca2kx]

I was thinking of getting it on my shoulder but it is very much only a thought at the moment. I have adapted it to this too:

 

[De-Ting]

Freakin' knew it. I could attempt to fix it up some more for ya, if you start to consider it.

 

[danielrbischoff]

Oh by God. I am only posting in this thread to implore you not to use De-Ting's drawing for a tattoo.

 

[De-Ting]

Oh by God. I am only posting in this thread to implore you not to use De-Ting's drawing for a tattoo.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Oh by God. I am only posting in this thread to implore you not to use De-Ting's drawing for a tattoo.

Seconded.

 

[De-Ting]

Oh by God. I am only posting in this thread to implore you not to use De-Ting's drawing for a tattoo.

Seconded.