MagiStream

After hearing a couple not-so-friendly comments made by my family and friends after telling them about my future plans to get a tattoo and a lip piercing, I feel like I should make this thread.
This is going to be an open-minded discussion, and if you're against or for tattoos and piercings, your opinions and debate points will be accepted here. This form is just supposed to be a basic set-up for an agreement or an argument. Feel free to add more things to it.
[I know this isn't set-up the best, but please bear with me. I'm not good at starting debates][/center]

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?: No tats. Technically, my ear lobes are pierced, once each, but I'm allergic to everything so I can't put anything in them, but the holes have never closed. I get random infections in them, and frequently have to squeeze goo out, like a zit. (Yeah, I'm sure you all wanted that image in your head.)

If not, Are you against them in any way? Eh... A little? To each their own, but I really feel that tats and piercings should be an enhancement, not disfiguring. They should be tasteful. I don't care for facial or tongue or other body piercings, although I've seen a couple of very small nose piercings that were pretty (a single small gemstone stud). My own opinion, lots of piercings, or large tats on the face and neck are repulsive. Just... eugh.

Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? Nope. Three members of my family have tattoos. My dad has two, one at his lower back and one on his wrist. My brother and his wife have lots of ink and plan on getting more. Theirs are on their arms and backs and ankles and toes and such. Some are based on old fandoms, and others have deeper, more personal meanings for them, some are just silly or cute. A good friend has several tats that all have very specific spiritual meanings for her, and she plans to add more that run in the same theme.
The first time I saw my brother's first tat, I definitely had a moment of "wtf? Why would you do that?" but then just shrugged, his body, his money, his choice.

Why do you think people should/should not have them? I think people need to make sure they REALLY want this thing that will be a permanent part of their body for the rest of their lives. My sister-in-law had her tongue pierced and it ended up screwing up her teeth badly because it knocked against them all the time. The scars left behind from other facial piercings aren't pretty. Infections in those piercings are even worse. Of all the navel piercings I've ever seen, I've only 'met' 2 that weren't infected. Not being certain I want something when I'm an 80 year old prune person is one of the main reasons *I* don't have any ink.

In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job? I think it depends on the job, and where it is. In a call center, who cares what you look like? And yet I've worked in some that were "business casual" and "piercings must be removed", which... an ear with it's large gauge removed is WAY grosser than an earlobe WITH its gauge in. In a food service job, yeah, I can kind of understand not wanting extra stuff on the bodies, though I doubt they would actually cause any problems. In a professional, face to face, business, customer service or even sales position, having visible ink or piercings outside of one or two in the ear lobe could be problematic. But forcing an employee to wear a thick layer of foundation to cover up a simple astrological symbol on their neck is probably overkill (granted, the symbol WAS large, covering most of the side of her neck, but all she was doing was bagging up food in a grocery store deli, but was going through a full thing of foundation every 10 days!)


All that said, if I WERE to get any piercings or ink, I would put something in the single holes in my ears, and never add any others. And if I were to get any ink, I've considered tiger stripes over my shoulders, or white ink wings on my back, but no solid plans to actually do either one.

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?: Pierced ears.
If not, Are you against them in any way? Nope.
Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? Nope.
Why do you think people should/should not have them? The thing I like about piercing and tattoos is that they're not required. It is a purely aesthetic choice. People only get them when they like them for one reason or an other. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. Why not make yourself a bit more beautiful in whatever way a person thinks that means? The great thing about piercings, in particular, is you can always take the bits of metal out. Depending on your mood or the occasion you can take them out, switch them out, do whatever you like.
In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job? Of course not, but it is often taken into consideration. It's why most people get tattoos in places that can be covered by clothing. Which means: nothing on the face, neck, or hands. Piercings can be held to the same standards.


On an extra note: Piercings and tattoos happen to be a highly generational thing. The baby boomer generation (for example) will rarely like them. In their day it was something only sailors and thugs had and that a person might want one puts them in that category. On the other hand, my own generation has made completely ordinary to get tattoos. Half the women out there have butterflies, dolphins, or birdies on their ankles for no other reason than they thought it was pretty and a little daring.
If your family doesn't approve of your plans for your body art, you may want to take their opinions with a grain of salt. Different generations will see things differently and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?:
I have a lower lip piercing on the right side and three in my left ear. Tattoos; not yet. Coming from a very strict Jewish background this is kind of something that is still a bit ' foreign' to me. It is forbidden to "mark the skin". I do love tattoos and have even made some designs for tattoo-artists(did a little practice tattooing myself which was cool) but I still have a little bit of a mental blockade going on of getting one myself.

If not, Are you against them in any way?
n/a

Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it?
Absolutely not, though those thinking about getting them should know that some people do.
Don't fight fire with fire. If people react negatively do not react back in the same way. It will only reinforce their stereotypical thoughts.

Why do you think people should/should not have them?
If they want them purely to be part of a *whatever*. You should do it because you find it aesthetically pleasing, for yourself, and not because of peer-pressure. A tattoo or piercing does not make you unique, better or worse. It is your personality that will stick out and no amount of body modification will hide an ugly personality (or the other way around).

In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job?
It depends on the job. For instance if I would apply for a job where I need to be in personal face-to-face contact with people I'm perfectly okay if they ask me to take out my piercings or cover up any (future) tattoos. I'm also thinking, in regards to piercings, about sanitation/hygiene reasons.

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?:
No tattoos yet, but ... 10 holes, 9 earrings (One is industrial)
If not, Are you against them in any way?
N/A
Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it?
Only if the tattoo is spelled wrong or is religious lol
Why do you think people should/should not have them?
I think they need to suit you, your style, your face shape, etc. Personally I despise monroe piercings on just about anyone, and would also recommend against mouth piercings because of the tooth damage.
In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job?
Nope. I work in retail, many people in my company have piercings, tattoos, coloured hair, everything you could ask for. Granted, we are somewhat of an 'alternative' style company, but honestly, unless you have 'F*ck you' across your forehead in block letters, why should anyone care? If somebody says 'I don't like that tattoo' it's like, well ok, good thing you don't have it then

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?: No.

If not, are you against them in any way? No. I mean, I would never get one -- either a tattoo or a piercing -- because I personally don't like the way they look (for the most part -- there are, of course, exceptions) but what people do with their own bodies is their own business. The one exception is children -- I had my ears pierced when I was pretty much a baby at the request of my mother (they've long since sealed up because I never used them) and that I think is wrong. Someone should be old enough to make that decision themselves.

Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? No, certainly not -- like I said, it's their own bodies, and the decision to use it as a canvas for body art doesn't really reflect on their personality except for the fact that they happen to enjoy body art.

Why do you think people should/should not have them? Like I said, I think it's a personal decision, so what I think on why people should or shouldn't get them is irrelevant. People should get them if they want them and not get them if they don't.

In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job? Honestly... if you're interviewing for a job at Goldman Sachs, you probably shouldn't have a face covered in tattoos and piercings. I do think that body art is inappropriate in some positions and fine in many others. I see it like dress codes -- I'm not going to walk into a nice restaurant wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and it's fine for an establishment to expect me not to.

Do you have a tattoo/piercing?: No, not even a piercing in my ears, as I am a coward

If not, Are you against them in any way? Somewhat. Gauges kind of freak me out, but only the larger ones, and they aren't very.. nice. Besides that, people should be aloud to express themselves however they would like,that being my opinion. However, making sure they don't get infectious, etc etc. My friend has a noise piercing and she lost her piercing. And the hole can close up very fast so if you lost it, you would need to find it pronto. Stuff like that should be very seriously considered before choosing to get one or the other, I would bring up some points of tattoos but I don't know much about them.

Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? Never. A tattoo or piercing is a mark on your body YOU wanted to get. However if it was a rash decision and you didn't sleep on it for at least over a period of 3 weeks than they usually end up being bad decisions. The consequences and responsibilities that include taking care of a piercing aren't easy.

Why do you think people should/should not have them? I stand in the middle in this part. Getting one takes sometimes a LOT of money. A tattoo costs a LOT. Some artists charge 100$ per hour. A piercing can take 10 - 50$ range. (Or more.) Getting either would take a lot of commitment. I think others should again, sleep on it before deciding for sure to permanently mark their body. I don't mind if others get them, but they should look into shop prices, because there is a saying: "A Good Tattoo Isn't Cheap, A Cheap Tattoo Isn't Good"

In the work force, should a tattoo or a piercing be the deciding factor in whether or not they get a job? I hate to say this, but some jobs DO discriminate against tattoos and piercings, such as gauges. Most are told to take them out and people with tattoo's are sometimes told they can't have the job because of a tattoos meaning. I really think employers should look past the tattoo and piercings and look at the persons talent but, no offence, some are to dense to do so. I don't like the way that is, either..

MightyOak wrote: On an extra note: Piercings and tattoos happen to be a highly generational thing. The baby boomer generation (for example) will rarely like them. In their day it was something only sailors and thugs had and that a person might want one puts them in that category. On the other hand, my own generation has made completely ordinary to get tattoos. Half the women out there have butterflies, dolphins, or birdies on their ankles for no other reason than they thought it was pretty and a little daring.

Float wrote:I hate to say this, but some jobs DO discriminate against tattoos and piercings, such as gauges. Most are told to take them out and people with tattoo's are sometimes told they can't have the job because of a tattoos meaning. I really think employers should look past the tattoo and piercings and look at the persons talent but, no offence, some are to dense to do so. I don't like the way that is, either..

I think these two comments fit together. Yes, some employers do discriminate against body mods. If their customer base is largely in that generation that associates body mods with low, crass and vile behavior and people they don't wish to associate with, the company isn't going to want to hire folks who bring up those negative feelings in those customers and risk losing their business.

Float wrote: Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? Never. A tattoo or piercing is a mark on your body YOU wanted to get. However if it was a rash decision and you didn't sleep on it for at least over a period of 3 weeks than they usually end up being bad decisions. The consequences and responsibilities that include taking care of a piercing aren't easy.

Haha, half of mine were results of rash decisions, and I love them all the more because of it. My first helix piercing I had thought on for a while, and a friend convinced me to go through with it when we were in the city. My second helix, I was dating kind of a real jerk, and he did something jerky to me (over the phone) while I was out, and he hated piercings, so I thought 'well, screw him, I'm getting another hole in my ear'.
The next three I had, again, been considering for a while, because I wanted to do a theme colour pattern, and another friend was wanting to get some done so we went together. Urgh, I regret that place simply cause the piercing artist was terrible. But it's funny, cause when I got those three done, I was considering entering into a polyamorous (three person) relationship

My industrial I believe I thought about for a while, the main reason I delayed was the cost (120 in most places). But there was a nice little place that only charged 60, and I know, cheaper isn't always better, but the ladies there knew what they were doing, and I think it's been my least problematic.
My second lobe piercing on my right ear was just me going 'I want another hole in my body'

Aaaand my first two lobe piercings were done when I was a kid

My mother thinks tattoos on girls are trashy (I've told her that's sexist), but I've been thinking for a while, especially after having gotten a large surgery scar, of getting the Tim Minchin lyrics 'this is my body, and it's fine' and 'it's not perfect, but it's mine' just under my collar bones

MothballMilkshake wrote:

Float wrote: Do you think that people who have them should immediately be looked down upon because of it? Never. A tattoo or piercing is a mark on your body YOU wanted to get. However if it was a rash decision and you didn't sleep on it for at least over a period of 3 weeks than they usually end up being bad decisions. The consequences and responsibilities that include taking care of a piercing aren't easy.

Haha, half of mine were results of rash decisions, and I love them all the more because of it. My first helix piercing I had thought on for a while, and a friend convinced me to go through with it when we were in the city. My second helix, I was dating kind of a real jerk, and he did something jerky to me (over the phone) while I was out, and he hated piercings, so I thought 'well, screw him, I'm getting another hole in my ear'.
The next three I had, again, been considering for a while, because I wanted to do a theme colour pattern, and another friend was wanting to get some done so we went together. Urgh, I regret that place simply cause the piercing artist was terrible. But it's funny, cause when I got those three done, I was considering entering into a polyamorous (three person) relationship

Aw, good for you! Now that I reread over my discussion, I think as long as your happy with the tattoo/piercing than you should be confident with it. I read all of what you said but I figured it would be easier if I focused on this part Also, the fact you got another piercing in spite of your ex because he was being a jerk, that's awesome . I think researching tattoo artists in your area is the best way to find good artists, or looking at examples of their work, because they say the more you pay the better tat job you get.