Tattoos. A turn-on or turn-off?

[mewletter]

There's an increase of pro. bodybuilders having tattoos. Do they made them look better or kinda diseastous. (like Mike Tyson's face)

So do think this a sudden short trend and did Lee Priest's tattoos made an improvment for him?

[Lifter73]

Seems like everyone and their dog is getting a tattoo these days....GROAN!

To me they are NOW a dumb fashion statement, and on a bodybuilder they ruin an otherwise what may be a great physique. C'mon, how are you supposed to be judging/checking out the physique when there's a tattoo fighting for attention, or even worse, disruption the lines and the flow of the muscles..the striations, cuts, etc etc.

I wish the damn things would go away.....and of course, it's going to be DAMN funny to see these guys and gals running around with these sometimes HUGE tattoos when they are in their 70's, 80's or more! LOL!!

[1bigwoof]

Lifter73, you said exactly what I think about this subject. I have never understood how a bodybuilder would work so hard to make a physique great and then mask it with tattoos. Let's hope this trend passes soon.

[suma]

for most part I too don't care for tatoos.
but on a really rugged rough neck type (such as Muscle Eddie of YouTube fame, or MuslceMonster Mike) it CAN work for me

[Bull]

I dislike tattoos in general, but on a bodybuilder they amount to criminal defacement of art. Would you spray grafitti on Michelangelo's David?

As a general trend, they have become ridiculous. The whole point of tattoos was to show how rebellious you were. Now they show what a conformist you are, what a slave to peer pressure and fashion. In twenty years this whole generation is going to be running around with the equivalent of Afros and bell-bottoms permanently attached to their bodies, and their kids are going to be mortified by them.

[mewletter]

Ppl like Muscle Eddie are the minority few tattooed bodybuilders that their tattoos improve their look. It comes down on whether that guy is suitable to have it on and what design they had chosen.

I miss the old Pre-tattooed Lee Priest. Sign....

Wonder why they don't use the power of photoshop to see if the tattoo design fits them or not... Oh well, my opinion.

PS, arm band & barb wire tattoos are getting WAY too common... Not to mention Chinese character tattoos. There's a high chance the meaning of the word(s) isn't what you think it is.

[Yachirobi]

Mike Tyson's face (not to mention his life) was already a disaster before the tattoo. Afterwards it spiraled into some strange abyss of horror too awful for even H.P. Lovecraft to explore.

Tattoos. Some work, others don't. For me, it's really a matter of coverage. If you have lots of tattoos stuck on spots on your body then they look ridiculous, especially if they aren't analogous with each other. It's like seeing someone who put a bunch of random stickers on their body that they can't take off. That is hideous.

However, the tattoos that look good to me are ones that cover or encircle an area of the body. Cliche as they are, bicep band tattoos are great. A beefy co-worker of mine just got one and his looks great even though its not a spectacular work in and of itself. Another good one, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Samoan tribal tatoo over his right pec *sigh and drool* not only looks spectacular, sexy, and well placed, but it also has more signifigance because it is a part of his heritage and isn't just something cool he found at the tattoo shop.

For muscular guys I think it's important that they get tattoos that accentuate their muscles--see again the bicep band which makes the arm look larger by placing a horizontal band around it. Yesterday I watched bits and pieces of "Reign of Fire" and, while I've come to realize that Christian Bale is much hotter than Matthew McConaughey (who is still a scorcher) I was struck by the tattoo that the make-up artists gave him which actually traces the crevaces of his physique. Tatoos like that should be first choice among men who get tattoos.

And, while I'm thinking about it, women should pretty much NEVER get tattoos. They look to unfeminine (or, in some cases just look too girly and immature.) The lower back tattoo looks too cliche. It looks even worse on men, gay or straight.

[Yachirobi]

Originally Posted by Bull

As a general trend, they have become ridiculous. The whole point of tattoos was to show how rebellious you were. Now they show what a conformist you are, what a slave to peer pressure and fashion. In twenty years this whole generation is going to be running around with the equivalent of Afros and bell-bottoms permanently attached to their bodies, and their kids are going to be mortified by them.

True. But I think tattoos work as long as the design is something near and dear to the person wearing them (and really gorgeous.) As I mentioned above, The Rock has a huge pec tattoo that will always looks good, even though its a little cliched, because it is a symbol of his heritage. Granted, the view of it changes once you know where it comes from, but I think it makes him hotter.

[Ohme123]

I absolutely hate tattoos. Period. I try to ignore them but sometimes it's too hard.

[agreatguy6]

I hate them.
I don't understand why someone would go through PAIN for a lifelong thing, which is only a fad...

rather dumb if you ask me.
Plus, there's going to be a lot of 40 year old women and men with tattoos, and it'll REALLY go out of style.

[a_lost_prophet]

Tattoos like most things are just as matter of taste, hit and miss, you got some people who are covered in them or only have a few, but it always depends on the design and position.

Huge fan of a good tat

[msclundylvr]

I agree with most people here. I can't stand tattoos, yet it seems like half of the people out there have marked themselves with something. I don't understand the appeal. In fact, if a hot guy raises a well-shaped muscular arm and his t-shirt raises up to reveal a tattoo. Instant turn off.

[kezzz]

I like tattoo but only if they're nicely designed and fit on to a good body part/frame. Not just any sort of tattoo... Tattoo is an art too, so it must go well with the body "canvas" and speak the power of the wearer.

However tattoo on face can be quite a "turn-off".

[ashleydelfin]

o_0? Why's everyone so AGAINST tattoos? They are, for the most part, pretty awesome. I admit it all depends on the guy/place/design of said tattoo, but for the most part (or at least, with the ones I have seen/encountered) they look good.

I actually love muscled arms with a tattoo. And other places. =3

Maybe I just dig the "bad boy" look...

[dallasmsl]

Originally Posted by Lifter73

To me they are NOW a dumb fashion statement, and on a bodybuilder they ruin an otherwise what may be a great physique. C'mon, how are you supposed to be judging/checking out the physique when there's a tattoo fighting for attention, or even worse, disruption the lines and the flow of the muscles..the striations, cuts, etc etc.

Totally Agree, Lifter73! Usually when I see a guy covered in Tats, I wanna ask, "What prison were you in?" But then, do I really want to know?!!! LOL. I always wonder how someone with tats all over his neck, arms, and possibly face, goes into a job interview. Personally, I think they are disgusting.

[TaurusJake]

I think one or two are OK if they are in the right place and it's the right design. I dunno, some just strike me as very cool and some seem really stupid. If you plan on competing, though, I think you should avoid them, or just get a small one if possible.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by agreatguy6

I hate them.
I don't understand why someone would go through PAIN for a lifelong thing, which is only a fad...

rather dumb if you ask me.
Plus, there's going to be a lot of 40 year old women and men with tattoos, and it'll REALLY go out of style.

A fad that has lasted thousands of years. Not everything was invented by the recent generations.

Yeah some people go overboard but that's their choice. Tastelessness also has been around forever too.

However, a tattoo or two (or three or four. Not so many more) can look all right and not be a fright and even perpetuate the lore.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by Gene

A fad that has lasted thousands of years. Not everything was invented by the recent generations.

Yeah some people go overboard but that's their choice. Tastelessness also has been around forever too.

However, a tattoo or two (or three or four. Not so many more) can look all right and not be a fright and even perpetuate the lore.

PS: I know a LOT of over 40 people (and 50 and 60 and 70 and 80 and even 90) who still love their tattoos and even stretch out the skin so you can see it! Stories forever. The mind may forget the real story but the body doesn't and provides fresh seed for the next embellished telling of the tale.

[mewletter]

And of course the WORST kind of tattoo is the one that the person is drunk and had him/herself getting a tattoo, and regreted it the next morning. LOL

In some countries, like Russia and Japan, tattoos tell one's status and authority in the underworld. These kind of tattoos you dont want to fool around... Seen it in some documentry.

As for the rest of common ppl, it is best to ask STRANGERS whether the tattoos they will be choosing are suitable for them. After all, tattoos are meant to show.

[tarmangani]

The problem with tattoos is that most guys don't consider design and placement. A band around the bicep can sometimes be effective or a design that disappears down behind the posing suit's waistband. A design on the hip that seems to go under the poser's side straps is good if not too busy. Tattoos should be considered like jewelry; something that enhances. Not just a lot of ink. The problem with most guys is that they can't seem to stop at one. Pretty soon it starts to look like the graffitti you see in an alley behing an old building. Maybe the best solution is tattoos that are seen by a only select few. Of course given the increasing brevity of bodybuilders' posers that doesn't leave a lot of area for a graphic statement. Hey, no one said it would be easy! Let's just hope "branding" doesn't come into to vogue.

[suma]

here's an example of tatooed muscle that looks very good

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...s/JonWells.jpg


this one looks awful, he's way better off without the tatoo

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...genZeidler.jpg

[mewletter]

the first photo of that dude looks great, suma.

But seriously, its really hard to have a great looking tattoo.

http://www.oddee.com/item_84547.aspx

And who said about 'branding'?

[tarmangani]

There's an interesting thing about guys with multiple tattoos. I met such a guy one night and in the course of conversation I asked, "Is it true that guys with more than one tattoo usually have one that's never seen by the public?". He said "Yeah" and proceed to show me his "private stock". Well it was near his privates, but you couldn't see one without the other. Since then I've repeated this scenario and more often than not the same thing happens. Could exhibitionism and multiple tattoos be linked or are these guys just really comfortable with their bodies and sexuality? Anybody else have any views or stories?

[RPM]

In the vast majority of cases, I find them a nuisance. However, there are those rare ones that will somehow enhance a physique. I've seen maybe 2 or 3 guys pull that off, but it's possible. I also think body-paint can be really cool (I remember seeing some pics here of a bodybuilder playing a demon for some stage or ice show - VERY cool make-up job), but to do that permanently? Not a fan of it, at all.

[Yachirobi]

Originally Posted by mewletter

the first photo of that dude looks great, suma.

But seriously, its really hard to have a great looking tattoo.

http://www.oddee.com/item_84547.aspx

And who said about 'branding'?

ACK!!! That guy with the skull tattoo should be deported to the moon! I'm all for normal tattoos but when you do things on your face, especially like that, you show that you can't function in society. I can even understand the neck tattoo (Jeffery Sebilia, the Project Runway 3 winner, has one for example. No muscles however.) but not anything like that hideousness.

However, did and of you last long enough to see the guy with the Tom of Finland fucking the world?

[scootbud]

I agree that tattos only distract from an otherwise great body. Your
body is a work of art, but a muscular body is a masterpiece. Tatoos are
a total turnoff. I overheard some women from work who mostly did not like them on men, but there was one who did ( five others didn't )

[tremorwolf]

Sorry guys. but im gunna half to break away with you on this. Tats can be hot when done with style and taste. It took me three years to get my first tat, and it has about a decades worth of symbolism behind it. Now, to clear the air, im talking about real tattoos. Not this bull shit drunk frat boys get off a wall and have placed on there ass for 60 bucks. Im talking about REAL art and symbolism.

Now, not everyone has to agree with this. opinion is in fact as numerous as the styles of tattoos there are out there

but dont just look at a tattoo and turn your nose up. Take a hard look and think about it.

[suma]

Originally Posted by suma

here's an example of tatooed muscle that looks very good

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d1...s/JonWells.jpg

another pic of same bber I think, judging by the tat
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i2...hoto/204bi.jpg

[classiclife]

Originally Posted by mewletter

There's an increase of pro. bodybuilders having tattoos. Do they made them look better or kinda diseastous. (like Mike Tyson's face)

So do think this a sudden short trend and did Lee Priest's tattoos made an improvment for him?

Personally as a art student, I think that it really depends on the tattoo and where they have it located. Because most tattoos stretch when you grow bigger. So that is the only thing I can see being a issue.