Wanted to make one. I'll start with my idea for a tattoo I've had for a while, Don't have it yet, but I was thinking this:

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o65 ... e67759.jpg

on my right forearm, though I'm afraid it's a bit too sexist/juvenile, I feel there's a double standard here somewhat. Were I a girl getting this, it'd be feminist, but since I'm a man, it's automatically sexist, that's not how I want to come across. I just think she's beautiful, mainly the anti-religious thing is what I'm aiming for. Some of you may recognize her from:

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o65 ... 128998.jpg

Purgatori

I'm looking for honest opinions before I get it or don't, also, share your ideas here and critiques.

Nah, it wouldn't be sexist,though I'm pretty sure it's one of those "sexy" designs that needs to be covered-up for work She looks like an awesome succubus-type of girl and it's a very nice design so as long as you don't mind wearing slightly longer sleeve it should be all right. Also, why would you even care if someone would see this badass girl as sexist tattoo?

It is a really nice image, but as mentioned by Fawila, there might be circumstances where you will need to cover it up. But that depends on your job etc.

Personally it's more an image I would draw and then hang on my door, than get tatooed on my arm. And I don't think being male or female makes a difference in the image's meaning, I think it's ok for both genders.

Now I thought about something - if you'd like get this image in colour you better be careful. Vibrant colours may fade quite fast (extra care required) and not "fit" every outfit.

To me, a tattoo is a personal thing. If you want it, it shouldn't matter what other people think of it, only what you think of it as you are the one who has to live with it.

Now, since I've said my peace on that score, I LOVE the image and I don't consider it sexist and it's messed up that people have such double standards.

ETA:



I have a pagan tattoo on my left breast/collarbone and it is very colorful. You can take precautions to stop the fade out and you can always have it touched up. I don't think you should base the coloring of a tattoo on your wardrobe. It may not fit every outfit, but it shouldn't have too. It's an art, an expression. My pagan tattoo is blue, green, brown, black with the Gay flag colors (and bisexual flag colors) around it. I'd say it fits none of my outfits, but I wouldn't trade the coloring for anything.

I just think it's worth thinking of beforehand. Some people don't mind, while others may feel restricted from wearing certain clothes. It's the same as with the design - even if it's nice it's best to think about everything that may go with it and if we don't mind then great. If we do- it's best to rethink the option.

I'm not saying he shouldn't get this in colour, the image is awesome, but most "tattoo regrets" comes from the fact that someone haven't though of some small little details that nettles him/her since.

Personally, I'm in favour of mainly black'n'white tattoos because they're more universal, I wouldn't mind a bit of colour but if I got a colourful one that I liked, but then realised it doesn't "fit me well" I'd be annoyed.

Opinion of people on forum shouldn't be most important for him, but I thought it would be helpful to point out few possible, even trivial, issues. It's pretty much like when people getting visible tattoos and then struggling with getting job they'd wanted (e.g. a naked lady on a forearm is not the best idea for aspiring primary school teacher).

I don't have those problems. I love body modification. I know of the risks (i.e. being denied jobs, having to cover them etc...) but it will never deter me from continuing to get more. When I get one, I seldom care about the opinions of other people because it's not their body. I will agree that if you get a tattoo it should be more carefully thought out because you will have to live with it. I'm not trying to sound rude or anything, it's just my opinion.

I guess due to my personal aesthetic taste, I prefer monochrome tattoos, or very minimal color, such as shades of grey, light blue or light purple as shading.

I only have one, and it's a highly modified version of the design from the Emperor - Wrath of the Tyrants album cover with Death riding a horse on my right pectoral......

In the US there are many fields where you generally have to cover up any tats regardless what their content is. Certain restaurant chains, work involving kids [teachers, daycare], certain amusement parks, security, sometimes law enforcement. If you get any tattoo you have to assume there will be potential employers that won't want anyone to know its there.

The k-12 district I went to had a institution wide policy of no visible tats or piercings, no matter what. Didn't matter if you were ex-military & had a military tat. If you showed up to an interview with a visible tattoo or piercing HR is required to disqualify you, no matter how good of an applicant you are.

It sucks but I don't think its going to change any time soon, in the US it might even be getting worse now that even the military has started making new previously unheard of strict tattoo & body mod policies. You'd think that, given the rich history of tattoos in our military things wouldn't be headed in this direction but I think a lot of it has to do with how modern politically correct culture encourages sterility. Individually is increasingly being seen as a PR liability rather than an asset.

Depending on the company they may try to fire you for having ink even if it is never visible on the clock/at the job. I had a job interview a couple years ago where the subject somehow came up. Forget exactly how I put it but I think it was along the lines of "if any of the clients sees my ink, the fact that I have any would be the least of our concerns." Must have been an acceptable answer since I got that one.

I didn't think the rules against tattoos were getting so strict in the US.....

I guess that's because here in Japan, there's been such a long history of prejudice against tattoos and association with Yakuza, that even though there's an increasing number of foreign immigrants with tattoos, they still won't allow you into a bath house or public swimming pool with one, even if you're a foreigner.

Recently this right wing nutter who now governs Osaka is asking all civil service workers to declare whether or not they have tattoos, even though it crosses strict human rights and privacy laws.
If you refuse to declare or lie about your tattoos, you will be fired, and if you have tattoos, you will be prevented from ever being promoted or looked upon favorably throughout your career.
There was a law office that tried to sue him for this bill and his response was "As a servant of the city, you are not entitled to privacy or human rights"

........proof of the direction this country's going in, though in the bigger picture I think things have hardly changed.

Since Japan became a monarchy, the stubbornly stupid and selectively blind ultra-conservative mindset has taken control and will never relinquish its grip, save some massive scale massacre of politicians and lawmakers.

For a while things had been getting better. Same with dresscodes in schools. I can't remember if I have told the story here yet but, my family all went to the same k-12 district going back 4 generations. By the 70s the school had gotten so conservative & strict in trying to counteract the hippies & feminists that the parents forced the school to get rid of all its draconian dresscode & hygiene [think hair & nails] policies. For the parents the final straw was when the school took all the stall doors off all the bathrooms, so that the faculty could make sure no one was doing drugs in the bathrooms.

After that, the stall doors were put back on and you could have your hair cut any way, colored any way, wear whatever you want [as long as your genitalia didn't show or something like that] and no one carried. Mohawks, chains, combat boots, even bullet belts no one cared about. Then after about 20-25 years a new, younger set of administrators were hired as the older ones retired & suddenly the bathrooms lost all their stall doors again [for the same excuse as was used in 1971], unusual hair cuts were banned, unnatural hair colors were banned, "disruptive" clothing was banned, chains & bullet belts & spikes were banned, girls would be expelled for the day & given a detention if any skin showed between their tops & their bottoms while bending over [let me tell you how well that works out for girls who are what the fashion industry would call "tall sizes"], tank tops had to have straps more than two inches wide effectively banning tanktops, and they went back to a "finger test" to tell if shorts or skirts were long enough [for the first time since 1967!]. Only this time, unlike 30 years ago, the parents were entirely ok with it all. Those policies are still in effect to this day [~ten years later].

I think the same general story would apply in a plethora of corporate settings. Maybe culturally these things come & go in cycles, or maybe the freedom for individuality requires continuous maintenance to survive the people who don't like it. IDK.

I think it also depends on the region.

I still remember how if you're a guy in North America with an office/food job, they make you shave and cut your hair, while in Japan, hair length is no problem, and even weird hair cuts are permitted as long as no scalp shows (no mohawks). Hair coloring is usually only permitted by adults working in the private sector.

For me, being a freelance journalist only requires some basic modesty as well as typing skills. I'm sure that they allow people to have tattoos if they write for certain articles and all that. But if you are the editor and you have to work at the office space, good luck on hiding your tattoo there. If it were some causal place in Missouri and you have the tattoos on your arms that you cover up, in some places, you can't be hired because of the association with drug users.

I like your attitude, but not everyone can be like that. It's always worth listing possible issues so someone can make their own opinion. E.g I'm fine knowing that i'll have to cover up my shoulder and arm at work, but I know people who got tattoos and now regret them because of restictions tats place upon them that they have not thought of at the ime of getting ink done.

Also, since in some places tattoos are such a great no-no its worth telling. Removal is expensive.

This is probably what would happen to me, if I just got all the tattoos I wanted. I would regret the restriction they place on me. Which is why I personally choose places that are easily covered up without feeling annoying (I hate covering up my arms in summer, so I doubt I'd get a tattoo there).

However, this is only because of the field I'm in, I am extremely happy that around here tattoos are considered quite okay and they are an everyday thing (I only know a few people who no tattoos, and most of the people who have them are part of no sub culture (or as some may think lower classes)), so mostly it doesn't matter what you have or where you have it.



As for the thread starter, the tattoo is awesome, and I hope you get it some time
And there will always be someone who finds their extra sensitive feelings hurt and consider it sexist, but why would that matter? Whatever anyone does in life, there's always going to be someone who doesn't like it.