Bling Bling

[jackknife]

See, I think you are going to extremes with the whole face tattooing and huge facial piercings. This started off pretty general as in tattoo and maybe a lip ring or a eyebrow ring or gauges in the ears.

Facial tattooing and heavily facial piercing are NOT the norm. I will agree with that but it isn't the norm in the tattoo world either. You are taking it to extremes. First you said that you didn't think anyone (yeah, I'm paraphrasing and not very well. Sorry) in a professional job could have tats or piercing but now you are taking it to extreme body modification. That isn't normal. I don't care if someone does it but it isn't the norm at all.

[Detector]

Like tattoos, a person can go overboard. I've seen many tasteful tattoos but even though tattoos have been around for ages when a person goes to extremes they become an oddity. Personally, the only tasteful piercing I've seen are for earrings. And not the 10lb chunk of metal or the quarter sized cork in a hole.

I know some work places that require you to cover up all tattoos. I see some people wearing long sleeve shirts on 100+ degree days. Where should an employer draw the line between offending patrons and suppressing self-expression? As I said tattoos have been around for ages yet some people are still offended by them. You can imagine how long it will be before wearing a barbell in your nose becomes excepted.

Don't psychiatrist have a name for people who have a need for self-mutilation? j/k

***Time to turn up the heat***

I'm hip to this whole "I've got to express myself and be unique like everyone else" fad. Hell I was a rebel in high school. I can remember intentionally wearing blue jeans and a teeshirt thinking that'll teach d-man. Screw the system! And I can understand some tattooing. I see tattooing a bit different than piercing.

Basic Training was a life changing experience for me and since I was in Charlie Company, getting a tattoo of Charlie Brown, the mascot, would have made some sense. Now getting that tattoo on my forehead would have been leaning more toward a need for attention. Thats why the whole poking wholes in your head thing escapes me. Self expression? Someone needs to explain that one too me. I see those barbells in peoples tongues and just think what the hell were they thinking? Really good drugs would be my guess. I can't think of any other rational reason to poke holes in my tongue.

And I can understand some people have a need for self-expression and to be different, its just the whole self-mutilation thing I'm missing. If you want to express yourself and be different take one day out of the week and paint over the graffiti all over town. Go to the Mall and open the door for old people. Go pickup all the trash off the street in your neighborhood. Point is there are many many ways to "express ones self" and "be different" beside poking holes in yourself and a lot less potentially dangerous. For this reason I get the feeling this self-mutilation is less a way of self-expression and more a way of saying "Hey, look at me!"

[Army_of_One]

Well said D...well said.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

Well said D...well said.

I agree with self expression also. BUT there is a line where self expression meets w/ conforming in order to eat. Like D said there are alot of jobs that make you cover up your tat's with clothing and there are a lot of jobs that won't hire you with metal in your face.

[JayhawkMom]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

IN FACT....lets have everyone speak up here on the board...List what area you work in...if you want and if they would allow you to have a huge hole in your ears, face piercings and/or a tatoo on your neck at your job...

ARMY: NO

At the hospital, our tatoos have to be covered, facial piercings have to either be removed or you must wear a clear earring (so they are not noticable), you can only wear 2 pierced earrings (in otherwords, can't have earrings running all the way up your ear cartilege). Tatoos are becoming more mainstream....however MOST professional businesses regulate them with dress codes. That also includes piercings, etc.

[Giskie]

I personally have a few tattoo's mostly where only a t-shirt can cover (back, forearm, leg), and I will probably get a few more that are more visable in the future. At my job at National Beef I see all types from head to toe Tat's, and piercings, to a few small things only noticable if your really looking. I think that the types of Tat's you get and where you get them can prevent you from getting certain types of jobs, especially stuff like a swastica on your forhead or the famous tear drops under the eyes. I love tattoos and think they tell people's stories through expression. I will never be one of the gaudy types tattooed and pierced up head to toe, thats just not me, but it works for other people. To each their own.

[wordsmythe]

I work in PR and people who see the old closed holes in my ear are pretty shocked that I even ONCE had 3 earrings.

I'd pretty much be unable to do my job with holes and drawings on me.

[Detector]

The problem with self-expression is it can cost you down the road.

Years ago I thought about getting a tattoo but I'm very glad I didn't. Years ago working at the jobs I had, a tattoo, or piercing for that fact, would have made little difference. I hadn't thought about the fact I couldn't work manual labor all my life.

You get older you start looking for a place to retire, less physical labor, more responsibility and better pay. Those are the places that tend to care about visible tattoos and barbells in your nose.

[Sherry_Giskie]

I gotta have the best job in the world! There's no boss to tell me what I can and can't have done because I am the highest on the totem pole 'round here!

The only body modifications I would ever consider doing is sucking this fat out of my a$$, and enhancing my chest area. I think any job allows that stuff!

[wordsmythe]

Originally Posted by Sherry_Giskie

The only body modifications I would ever consider doing is sucking this fat out of my a$$, and enhancing my chest area. I think any job allows that stuff!

Allows it? Some encourage it.

That could be the new DB fund drive!