Mutilating their own bodies

Traveler

Traveler

Senior Member
Location
San Diego County
It may not be happening where you live, but I live right up against the Mexican border, in the very heart of Hispanic California, and every day I see hundreds and hundreds of people, both male and female, who have mutilated their bodies with dozens of facial piercings, and tattoos. They are even, if you can imagine it, completely covering every square inch of their faces with tattoos.

Some of the most bizarre things I've seen are, ear lobes stretched out to the point where a silver dollar can be passed through. Into these opening I see various kinds of "rings" and solid "plugs". I see quite large "nose rings", the kind you might expect on cattle. Tongue, cheek, eye-brow and lip piercings are very common. And so are a dozen or more ear piercings, along the outer rim of the ear which have metal ornamentation.

I see tattoos all up and down their legs and arms and, where the skin is exposed, on their backs and chests. Yes even the women. It was bad enough to see head hair dyed bright purple, green, fire-engine red, and electric pink. Worse are the disgusting dread-locks. But this newer thing defies, civilized imagination.

In a single generation we have gone from normal healthy looking people to savages right out of primitive societies.

It turns my stomach. Bizarre does not even begin to describe it. What are they thinking ?:nightmare::dunno:

If I was still running a business there is no possible way I'd hire any of them,
 

There's various reasons.
I think one is addiction. I truly think some people become addicted to the process/pain of tattooing.
Gang type branding in and out of prison.
Ritual
Memorial to a dead loved ones.
Art, self expression.

I had a poster in my office at one time with a new bride dancing with her father. Very beautiful dress, dad proudly smiling. One day I noticed she had those holes in her ears with plugs for earrings. Big ones. I thought they were just big earrings.
 
I
.....it turns my stomach. Bizarre does not even begin to describe it. What are they thinking ? If I was still running a business there is no possible way I'd hire any of them...
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I'm really turned off by women with tats. Of course, at my age and having been married for 46 years, a moot point. But I'm with you in that I would not hire someone with tats. I know that a lot of people who get them are smart enough to place them where they can't be seen while dressed (avoiding the potential hiring issue).
 
Sunny said:
Is it worldwide? I wonder if there is as much of it in Europe or Asia.
Click to expand...

I can't speak about Europe but in my travels in Asia, I did not see any facial tattoos or extreme body piercing. A few men had small tattoos on their arms and the women had none at all. The Yakusa, Japanese gangsters, are of course famous for their body tattoos, but if full clothed the tattoos do not show.
 
I don't get it either. I don't really care about body and arm tattoos, but face and neck are taboo in my book.
In the early 70's I had a few dates with a very accommodating young lady. She had a very large parrot on her torso. Really hot.
She really liked me, but her boyfriend and his brother were in prison for tying a guy to a tree and shooting him.
Call me chicken,BUT--------------
 
Once again, I find myself as the lone wolf on here. I have a 8 to 9 inch tat on each upper arm (hula girl on the right, mermaid on the left), plus a couple of smaller ones on my chest (4 aces on the left side, pair of dice on the right). I got them all after I retired. Mermaid was my 70th birthday present to myself, and the two on the chest were my 71st present to myself. (Got the hula girl when I bought my Harley. Seemed like the right thing to do)

And yes, some tats are indeed tribal - saw a lot of those on the Big Island. And yes again, IMHO some folks overdo it. But, once again, I don't see it as a moral failure.

If you don't want one, don't get one.
 
Vega_Lyra said:
We live in a decaying world...
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's possible to sink any lower. What next, cannibalism ?




retiredtraveler said:
I

I'm with you. I'm really turned off by women with tats. Of course, at my age and having been married for 46 years, a moot point. But I'm with you in that I would not hire someone with tats. I know that a lot of people who get them are smart enough to place them where they can't be seen while dressed (avoiding the potential hiring issue).
Click to expand...


​I totally agree. I would not go any where near a woman with tattoos. If she has no respect for herself then I sure don't have any respect for her.
 
IMO it's a personal decision for an adult to make.

I do feel bad when I see young kids with jailhouse or street tattoos.

I worked with a man years ago that had inappropriate tattoos on the knuckles of both hands. He acquired the tattoos when he was 13 or 14 and they caused people in the corporate world to judge him and his ability based on his past behavior. He tried to have the tattoos removed but our insurance carrier refused to consider it as a medical expense. The story found its way to one of our senior executives and he was able to get the insurance company to change its position and pay for the removal.

Like all things in life tattoos work for some and not for others. We will always have a few folks who take things to the extreme.

Tattoos and piercings are definitely out for your old Aunt Bea. I intend to leave this world with the same number of holes I had when I arrived!
 
Comparing these heavily tattooed people to primitives insults the primitives.
They do not have the technology to tattoo themselves properly. Their tattoos
consist of organic substances and some colored stones or dirt.


Thread misses the point: tattoos are perceived to be very cool. If they were
not considered Cool and stylish they would not be so popular in the west.
I have seen many tattoos even on black skin--that are difficult to see,.

It is the idea that I am cooler than you. Tattoos increase their self esteem.
 
How about the "mono dread"?

Worst-Hair-Cut-Mono-Dread.jpg


Worst-Hair-Cut-Mono-Dread-5.jpg


Worst-Hair-Cut-Mono-Dread-3.jpg
 
I have a small tattoo in light pastel colors that can only be seen if I wear a french-cut bikini, the kind with the high leg openings, so it's been decades since anyone has seen it but my husband. I like it a lot and don't regret getting it. My husband doesn't have any tattoos, and neither of us have piercings, except for one hole in each of my ears for pierced earrings....but it's been so long since I wore earrings, the holes are probably closed up by now.

I don't care for excessive tattoos or overdone piercings on other people, but it's their choice and I try not to judge them, just a matter of taste. I'm sure there's a lot of good people with both.
 
Hoot N Annie said:
Once again, I find myself as the lone wolf on here. ... But, once again, I don't see it as a moral failure.

If you don't want one, don't get one.
Click to expand...

You're not as alone as you might think. I don't have any body ink because I could never decide what I wanted, but I've seen some absolutely gorgeous tattoos.

I never paid much atention until a friend wrote her thesis on body adornment and we went to a couple of tattoo conventions to see what was being done. I came away from that experience impressed by the artistry I saw. A local artist decorated a few people I know. He left the business but he did some of the most beautiful work I've ever seen.

Totally agree with your statement, "If you don't like one, don't get one."

Now let's talk about the actual damage women do to their feet and bodies by wearing heels.
 
Hoot N Annie said:
Once again, I find myself as the lone wolf on here. I have a 8 to 9 inch tat on each upper arm (hula girl on the right, mermaid on the left), plus a couple of smaller ones on my chest (4 aces on the left side, pair of dice on the right). I got them all after I retired. Mermaid was my 70th birthday present to myself, and the two on the chest were my 71st present to myself. (Got the hula girl when I bought my Harley. Seemed like the right thing to do)

And yes, some tats are indeed tribal - saw a lot of those on the Big Island. And yes again, IMHO some folks overdo it. But, once again, I don't see it as a moral failure.

If you don't want one, don't get one.
Click to expand...
I concur.
 
Most of these fads start out with folks wanting to stand out or be "distinctive", able to be singled out from the herd. Works for awhile getting the admiring oooh's and ahhh's but then it becomes commonplace and the only answer is to get something bigger and showier. Same with the long hair fad of a few years back and now the skinhead generation. Shaved heads are supposed to display you as a "tough guy" or "hard case". Combine the shaved head and a bunch of tats and you are now a "bad ass".

The only difference with the tats is they're most likely with you for life. I know some can be removed but I understand it's uncomfortable and expensive. The hair can come back to normal, although mine disappeared over the years and I don't expect to see it again. :(

To each his own, I guess. I never indulged in any of the changes and just blended into a nondescript life. LOL
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top