Have Tattoos Finally Jumped the Shark?

I check out Captain Capitalism http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/ almost every day.  Not only is it a good blog, but he’s got some great links like Vox Popoli http://voxday.blogspot.ca/.  The Captain put up a link to this post today, and I just couldn’t resist reposting it here. Just recently, I reposted a similar article from Angry White Dude http://goldengeesenews.blogspot.com/2013/07/check-this-out-from-angry-white-dude.html

Both of these posts say exactly what I’ve been saying for years.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

Tattoos: the obviously poor choice

Sometimes Steve Sailer cracks me up:

Commenter slumber_j points to this New Yorker cartoon about "The subtext of all tattoos:" "Ask me about my parents' divorce."

A related subtext might be: "I come from a long line of rash decisionmakers." On women, tattoos often seem to imply: "Pay attention to me because I, obviously, make poor choices, so you might get lucky."

I have an instinctive liking for tattoos on women, mostly because I am a natural predator. They are like a shortcut; tattoos tended to mean I didn't even need my highly developed talent for sensing insecurity and emotional instability in attractive women.  A dagger between your breasts or a panther on your back? You might as well hand me a remote control with your name on it.

However, I have an intellectual distaste for them. Unless you're a) special forces, b) Navy, c) a biker, or d) a prostitute or seriously dedicated slut, you are well advised to skip the inking. There are few things more tedious than listening to some vacuous marketing assistant desperately try to come up with an explanation for the deeper "meaning" behind their various markings.

"I mean, the [butterfly, dolphin, flower] on my [ankle, shoulder, hip] is just, like, so meaningful to me, because I was going through a hard time and it was, like, an inspiration and it was so important to me, and it really helped me get through [a) my breakup with X, b) the death of my (friend, relative, favorite TV character), c) the last season of Friends.]"

- Every girl with a tattoo ever

Tattoos are little more than the mix tapes of the two thousand teens. As for men, tattoos don't make you look hard.  Do you know what makes you look hard? Muscles and scars.  Maybe a shaved head. That's pretty much it.

And the quotes? Don't get me started on that. Think about how dumb your senior yearbook quote is. Then imagine it following you around for the rest of your life, advertising how your mind hasn't improved since you were a teenager.

The increased popularity of tattoos and other forms of body decoration are visual reminders of the gradual decline of civilization in the West. Like music and art, personal decor is indicative of the long term societal trend. It's more than a fad, it is a sign of the descent into savagery.

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There was a time when I had nothing against tattoos, and there was also a time that I had nothing against ladybugs.  That was when there wasn’t quite so many of either.  Farmers will be harvesting soybeans in a few weeks and the ladybugs will be swarming by the billions, zeroing in on homes, looking for the tiniest cracks which will allow them to infiltrate, hide, and then enter the interior living spaces in a timed-release manner, annoying the home’s occupants until the next spring.  Years ago, it was kind of cool to see a ladybug walking on a plant.  Now, everyone I know, despises them and the only thing that’s changed is their numbers.

It’s a similar situation with tattoos.  There was a time when they were cool, because so few people had them, and usually people who had them, seemed like they deserved to have them.  They were either leading some type of life, or had some type of life experience that most other people would fear, but at least on some level, enviously admired at the same time.  Bikers and war veterans were the most obvious examples.  They earned their tattoos.

I often wonder if people who had tattoos since before they were a fad of the lazy, stupid, and slutty, feel cheated.  The reason that most people get tattoos today is the antithesis of why people got them in the past.  What was once an expression of individuality has been hijacked by millions whose only motivation for getting a tattoo was “because everyone else has them”.  

I think that there is an excellent chance that we have seen the high water mark for tattoo popularity. What are the copycats going to do if and when they go out of style? Fads come and go, but at least you can throw your pet rock away.  Like diamonds, tattoos are forever.  

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