re: Who are the idiots who popularized tattoos over the past few decades?

As others have pointed out, tattoos have been around for a long time and often reflected belonging. For generations they signaled community, whether military units, tribes, or tight knit groups. My cousin was a Hell’s Angel and was covered in them. For him, they were part of the uniform.

Later, tattoos became a badge of nonconformity. They suggested independence, edge, a refusal to blend in. Ironically, as more people embraced them, they became less about standing apart and more about participating in a broader cultural movement.

Trends rarely stand still. In California, tattoo removal has become one of the most requested cosmetic procedures. Public figures have begun removing theirs, and that shift may influence others over the next few years.

It is not surprising. The tattoo that felt essential in your twenties can carry different meaning in your forties, when experience reshapes how you see yourself and the world.

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Pot use is entertwined with awful tattoos.

Get rid of pot.
And tattoo culture goes with it

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Ah yes. The bi weekly tattoos are trashy post.

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You sound like a person who is bitter that you can't wash off your tattoos.

The only thing trashier than tattoos is body piercings.

As a policy consultant, I was tasked with assisting in writing a policy for dealing with body alterations of people under care of an organization. In this process, I learned a lot about the unregulated chemicals involved in creating various tattoo colors. Surprisingly damaging chemicals are used which are not addressed under any food and drug or medical guidelines. Chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead...
Known toxins and suspected carcinogens are commonly part of tattoo ink.
Immediate screening for hepatitis and other diseases was suggested.
Leaving them in place has risks as these degrade over time and enter the bloodstream to harm internal organs.
But removal is as dangerous as getting them because the chemicals flow through the blood stream when lasered loose.
No free ride.
Just take a look at what chemicals make up those colors before impulsively getting a tattoo so you make an informed choice.

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I would credit Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson as major contributors to helping this fad take off.

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you've lost at life if these are the 2 people you look up too

Your boyfriend.

I like the ones with no other colors than black, gray and some skin showing. Hate the ones with color mixed it. And, the home made or unique ones are usually distasteful. For the record, I have no tattoos.

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I would credit Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson as major contributors to helping this fad take off.

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I laugh when I see black guys with lots of tats. Someone needs to say to them, "You realize no one can see what the design is? You just look like you've got a skin condition."

I don't have any tattoos but I would love to know the number of folks in this thread that call tattoos disgusting and disrespectful are obese

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You sound like a person who is bitter that you can't wash off your tattoos.

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Why would I be bitter about tattoos I chose to get? Silly comment.

I just find it hilarious how many times this topic comes up, and the amount of people that flock here to give their shitty self righteous opinion. An opinion 99% of you wouldn’t say out loud to someone with a tattoo.

Truthfully I don’t gaf if someone likes, dislikes, has or doesn’t have a tattoo. But I know ol Rebecca, the op, wouldn’t say shite to anyone outside of her keyboard in her accounting office.