people getting tattoos they don't understand

[Boozy]

I'm siding with RK et al on this one.

I don't think it matters what people put on their own bodies. I also don't like to judge others based on what I'm assuming their cultural connections to be.

Sadly, North American culture does not necessarily lend itself to attractive tattoos. If one were to limit themselves to the symbols from the culture they grew up in, we'd see a lot of Golden Arches tats.

[powerboy]

What annoys me, in a similar vein, is 'Dream Catchers' - cos 'they're cool!'... by people who have absolutely no understanding of the spiritual significance behind them. Sure, we can say 'so what', but what then happens if people start doing it to your culturally significant icons??

I only want dream catcher tattoo, because I am part Cherokee. Plus it has meaning for me.

[jackfaire]

I’m sort of irritated with the whole Nazi swastika tattoos and spider web ones.

The swastika predates the Nazi's and spiderwebs could be a nod at fate.

Thus not everything can be assumed to mean one thing and one thing only like you said.

[Sableonblonde]

I have a tattoo that I got back when I was a teenager that is of a foreign phrase. I did not pick it out - it was my best friend's birthday, and I told her that my present to her would be to get us matching tattoo's and she could pick it out. That is what she picked. We've since become estranged, unfortunately, but I've never regretted it, then or since.

And what I hate are the assholes who, after asking me what my tattoo means and me telling them what it, supposedly, means, smugly informing me that it doesn't mean what I think it means, it means something else entirely. Because honestly? I don't give a shit what it means. It was the thought that counted - a present for my best friend. I would have gotten anything that she picked out (well...nothing insulting).

Personally, I think it's aggrivating of strangers to even ASK what my tattoo means. I would not ask someone that kind of question unless I'd gotten to be friends with them.

[KitterCat]

I’m sort of irritated with the whole Nazi swastika tattoos and spider web ones. If that’s what people want tattooed on them, that’s what they want. Its no skin off my back after all. And just because a gang uses it doesn’t mean it has the same symbolism for the person getting the tattoo.

Its probably due to seeing the same thing happen to parts of my husbands culture. He’s part Viking/Norse. Currently there is a gang/religion in the prison system called Odinist. It can be very hard to tell an actually religious Odin follower from a gang member because they use a lot of the same artwork and both use runes when getting tattoos. So because a gang now uses runic language in their tattoos we’re now not suppose to get one with any type of rune in it due to the association.

[Fryk]

I heard Steven Wright got a full-body tattoo of himself, only taller.

[LeChatNoir]

What if the person has the Swastika that isn't for Nazi reasons?

Which is interesting, as there is a whole movement in that body art community dedicated to reclaiming the swastika. I'm not sure what I think of it, but those people are out there.

And, IMO, I think it's silly to get a tattoo you don't understand. But if it's something you want, like, and want to have on your body forever...more power to you.

[jackfaire]

What if the person has the Swastika that isn't for Nazi reasons?

[Bloodsoul]

You think there's anyone in the world with a tattoo of someone drawing a tattoo?

Or a tattoo of the person who's drawing the tattoo drawing the tattoo?

Personally I couldn't care less about what people get, or about how it'll look X amount of years from now. People's bodies rarely look great when their 70+; why should their tattoos be any different? If I get a tattoo that eventually looks like bird crap, than bird crap it shall be!

[blas87]

I have a huge problem with the tear-drop and spiderweb tattoos. That is nothing to be proud of or want to be, just as bad as people with swastika tattoos and those other Nazi symbols (the lightning bolts, I can't remember what they are called).

[Skunkle]

Just because other people won't understand it and will be likely to ask questions doesn't mean the reason for doing it is to get attention. Should I only do things that won't draw people's attention and notice simply so that I'm not seeking attention?

It sounds like this is what BlaqueKatt is saying. If it's obscure and visible, no matter what claims you may make, it exists to draw attention and get questions, and this is not okay.

Katt also seems to quite clearly be saying that, if it isn't part of your culture, you shouldn't work with it at all. Hence having had a scarab ring but, not having any Egyptian connections, having it returned to Egypt "where it belongs". Katt is welcome to have that opinion, but you're welcome to disagree.

I trust, Katt, that while you're saying you disagree, you're not saying "You are wrong. Quit it!"?

[Shangri-laschild]

simple-it is attention seeking behavior-humans are curious creatures by nature-getting a tattoo that no one would understand all but guarantees you will get tons of people asking about it-ask someone with a Kanji tattoo what it means and 9 times out of 10 you'll get a long drawn out explanation of how "spiritual" they are and what it means to them, and how they got it to commemorate the birth of their fifth hamster fluffy...

My five tattoos are simple, easily hidden and I've never had anyone ask anything further than where I got them done. They do mean something personal to me, but the meaning stays personal because I don't have 65,464,632,164 people asking me what they mean.

Just because other people won't understand it and will be likely to ask questions doesn't mean the reason for doing it is to get attention. Should I only do things that won't draw people's attention and notice simply so that I'm not seeking attention? If someone likes something and it means something to them, they shouldn't have to hide it or avoid it just because people might ask about it. There are some people that feel drawn to other cultures more than their own. There are people who feel they were born in the wrong time period and love a different one more than this one. So for them, it does mean something.

And the awesome part? Even if I get tons and tons of people asking me what my tattoo means, doesn't I have any obligation to explain it to them. If I want the meaning to stay personal, I can keep it that way. It's really none of their business. I've seen and known plenty of people with non word tattoos who got asked about them or even with tattoos that are in English.

My mother used to speak German with me. If I were to get a tattoo about her and my connection with her, if I understood the language, how would it be wrong of me to get a tattoo in it? If it's something that I love about us and a fond memory, why shouldn't I be able to get that.

I guess I don't get the mentality that there should be these walls between cultures where unless you were a part of that culture, you can't take part in any of it. The whole idea of "no one but people from my culture can have anything to do with my culture" just seems strange to me. I don't see why people can't share and enjoy each other's cultures.

42,000 results for "heiroglyphic tattoo" in a GIS-40 pages of them on eviltattoo.com
from free tattoo designs "Egyptian tattoos, like many other tattoo designs from mythology or ancient cultures, are growing in popularity."

For a while I wanted to get a tattoo of a phoenix. It signified something to me and still does. Of course, I've also discovered that there are a lot of people with phoenix tattoos. If I got it, it doesn't make it any less special to me. I still might get it down the line and it will still be just as much my tattoo with personal meaning to me, gotten for me and no one else, whether everyone else has one or no one else has one.

[Fryk]

BlaqueKatt is right, that question was not addressed to her specifically, because I don't know what country she is from. I would have looked like a total ass (instead of a partial one, like now :: ) ) with the Ming vase question if she had replied, "I'm from China, douche." So I kept it deliberately generic.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Ok, how about if someone decides to get an image of the Christian's Jesus on the cross as an image, but has absolutely no interest in Christianity.. they just think the picture is cool?


ETA: This is "Things I hate"... not Clash of Cultures.

Okay, I can answer that, at least.

So?

I think that pretty much covers it.

Say the guy is a hard core athiest and does it anyways. At that point, what has profound spiritual meaning for me has all the meaning of a fairy tale for him. Basically, he's thrown a picture of Odin on his arm, at that point. It does not affect me one iota. Offense? Not my skin or my problem. If God has a problem with your tat choice, again, not my problem.

As for the Nazi thing, well, personally, I like that. And here is why: That is a real easy way to announce to me that you are an asshole without harming me or mine. So all I can say is "thanks for the heads up."

If you are NOT an asshole, and simply ignorant and I THINK you are an asshole, again, that is not my problem.

[Slytovhand]

Ok, how about if someone decides to get an image of the Christian's Jesus on the cross as an image, but has absolutely no interest in Christianity.. they just think the picture is cool?

What about people who dedice the Nazi Swastika is cool?

What annoys me, in a similar vein, is 'Dream Catchers' - cos 'they're cool!'... by people who have absolutely no understanding of the spiritual significance behind them. Sure, we can say 'so what', but what then happens if people start doing it to your culturally significant icons??

I don't think ppl should go randomly emblazoning themselves with something 'because it looks cool', but be prepared to cop some flack if it goes badly for you...


ETA: This is "Things I hate"... not Clash of Cultures.