Things that make you go "WTF?"

[Nina]

Similar to the "tattoo ignorance" thread, but on a lighter note: what are the things people have said about your tattoos that made you laugh, or wonder if they were a) serious, b) aliens from a distant planet or c) just plain stupid?

I get the "is that real?" question a lot. Occasionally I have to rub my arm so that people believe it's really real. I'd say that's your run of the mill a).

But what was between b) and c) was this: "I didn't know tattoos could be done in color!" from a girl younger than me. WTF? Where have you been in the last decade?

A clear c): "That one didn't come from [name of German youth magazine], did it?". I guess he was trying to be clever. I said "Actually, I draw this on every day." :D

Most times though, I am surprisingly patient with people asking me these questions, touching my arm with or without asking, or, as it happened to me while I was passing a butcher shop in Old Town Nice (France) just recently, literally getting dragged inside the shop and shown around to coworkers and customers. That was actually pretty funny :D.

[Dana]

wow...and I thought my family talking shit about me behind my back was bad. It's funny how when you get a tattoo you suddenly become a heathen to some family members.

[Canny]

That's awefull indeed. Maybe your best response could've been "It's a f* you to everyone who thinks it's a f* you."

[Noelle]

yeah, I had my uncle go off about all the diseases tattoos can give you etc......except he was talking about guys he knew "back in 'nam" and shit.....I laughed at him when he said that and then he got kinda sore over it, I told him how things have changed quite a bit since then and that not only do shops have stricter regulations, but I had never been anywhere near someone with a tattoo machine that wasn't in a professional shop. These aren't the days where shops have one bucket of water to wash their machines in and they only have to change the water once a day.....a little past that

[Cat]

i've gotten that my sparkplug looks like a dogs penis.. which obviously makes me ask "so why are you looking at your dogs penis anyway??"

[J]

A co worker that had recently had a VERY large breast enlargement saw the edge of my tatoo peeking out on my shoulder. She said in (what looked to me like horror) OMG - you have a tattoo. Why would you do that to your body? I said, the same reason you got the boobs - for decoration. At least mine is original...

[Doug]

yeh ive got a big christian mate and he was playing the "OMG youve maimed your natural body, how could you do that?" card- the thing is he was smoking while telling me this... I went on to explain that he was currently increasing the chances of lung cancer, building up lung scar tissue, filling his lungs with tar and boiling temperature fumes, and, well, tattoos dont harm you at all

[Ferg]

I showed a friend the tattoo on my lower hip which is difficult because of it's location, it's an outline of angel wings and a halo and when they saw it they said "it looks like a big circle!" That was for sure a c) answer to me

[TS]

This Thanksgiving, my in-laws (who have been surprisingly non-confrontational about my tattoos) said "pretty soon you'll be covered". I just smiled while thinking to myself, "of course I will".

[Amber Allen]

I definitely get "is that real?" asked a lot, and "it's so big! wow!"....
and once, a whole convo got started about it...
Guy 1 (college guy): "it's a tramp stamp man!"
Guy 2 (with tattoos): "no it's not! See how big it is? that is NOT a tramp stamp, dude". He pointed across the room at some other girl.. "That's a tramp stamp! Wanna go talk to her?" and they went over across the room. It's like an jerk repelling tattoo... ;)

[Bones]

Its also nice to have a positive wtf story :-)

[Christina]

That is pretty cute! I had a similar thing happen when I met my father for the first time over Thanksgiving. Considering that I haven't met the man (unless you count the time when I was 2yrs old), I figured that I would go sans hi-I-have-a-large-tattoo. So I wore black stockings with a knee-length dress. My mom insisted that it just looked like a pattern on the stocking, and that you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking for it. I, of course, thought it was blatantly obvious... Seems like that would have been something on the market by now - kind of like those shirts with the sheer 'sleeve' sleeves.

[Dana]

It's funny because something like this happened to my friend at my bridal shower.

My grandmother had invited some of her elderly friends (people I don't really know) and my friend was wearing a cute dress with stockings which "covered" her large tattoos on her calves.

The ladies were whispering in the corner (not quietly) "do you think those are stockings?" Literally pointing at my friends legs. So she just turns around and says politely, "No, that's me". The ladies looked like they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar...I guess they didn't think anyone would hear them?!

It was a shame though because of that my friend felt like she had to wear a long dress to my wedding and cover her legs so she didn't distract from my day (which I told her was bullshit). The funny thing was she wore black and grey stripped stockings under her dress (like the wicked which wore) and she caught the boquet...so everyone saw those instead :)

Wow...sorry for rambling :)