mattias78 comments

What is happening here happens all the time - why is this such a big deal? Rock stars have the party lifestyle, that is why they do what they do! The comment "The use of illegal drugs appears to be infiltrating the entire entertainment industry..." sounds like it is written by someone who has no clue about celebrities and stars - where have you been for the last 30 years????

LHommeQuiMent: yeah interesting quote on the first page "the judgement is in the eye of the beholder". Perhaps the main reason people get so worked up over the subject is that they just find it hard to understand why someone would do this to themselves. Intriguingly though I guess it's one of those things you can't just put in a simple little classification box. Like if you look into the history of tattooing and read about why humans started doing it, it's so varied from culture to culture. Some tattooed their women so other tribes wouldn't find them attractive, and thus attempt to steal them! Yet others thought it the ultimate sign of beauty. And I think even now in current times, the psychology of tattooing, especially those who get serious tattoos runs much deeper than the concept of "making a statement" as some others have pointed toward. Sure there's people who get some downright ridiculous things tattooed, but there's one in every crowd and that shouldn't define the art as a whole. There is something intriguing that pulls people towards it. The same way humans appreciate any sort of aesthetic pleasure. the negative association of tattooing is only a product of the last century or so. I was reading about how the bourgeois English (perhaps around late 1800's) used to source the best tattoo artists from Japan to come to England and tattoo them. It was only later that tattooing was frowned upon by Christian missionaries around the world and then slowly faded out of popularity. And I guess although we are aware the ideas are outdated there's a lot of concepts rooted in those times that still resonate in our ways of thinking today. I think one thing is for certain is that like it or loathe it, tattooing will be here long after any of us are. And for me, if that girl wants to put beautiful pictures on her skin, I'm more than happy to appreciate it for what it is. Art.

it's perfectly accurate for it to be called degradation in that person's opinion

Yeah abromofo and that's it, it's just one persons opinion. Not a truth. I just I find it puzzling how people who are anti-tattoo seem to feel so strongly about it, as if it's causing them some personal discomfort for someone else to get tattooed. I mean look at how many comments are on this page.

LHommeQuiMent:

Yes, tattoos are examples of "self-mutilation".

"Mutilation or maiming is an act or physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body,"

So the word mutilation could only apply if the person doing it to themselves viewed the artwork as degrading themselves. Not what someone else thinks of it.

So NO tattoos are not examples of self-mutilation.

nutsagain: enjoy your pleasant outing, hopefully you don't run into any vapid tattooed persons who ruin the scenery for you ;-) peace.

nutsagain :What's the least bit 'self righteous' about it? Tatts are just dumb.

The 'self-righteous' part is ... other people proclaiming that they in their infinite wisdom know that this is the wrong decision for this person who they know absolutely nothing about.

I'm stoked we have people like her in the world, tattoos, weird hobbies, strange personalities, whatever. It makes things interesting, and somehow I don't think she's sitting at a computer right now passing judgment on others.

Well, you know, some people believe they're Napoleon. That's fine. Beliefs are neat. Cherish them, but don't share them like they're the truth...BH

I think they are amazing. If you don't like tattoos, don't get them. Pretty simple really. Enough of the self-righteous ranting.