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.

[Erin]

Exactly what I was going to post! I got that a lot, especially when one person on my office saw it and told everyone "You've got to see this..." I think everyone said "You know it's going to be there forever, right?" If I was funnier, I would have yelled "Noooooo!!! I thought if I rub real hard it would come off!"

[HangmanAngman]

I actually had a woman lick her hand and try to rub my flames off when they were new. It's amazing what tattoos do to people's sense of propriety! Thanks for spitting on me, madam! Jimminy...

[Jess]

That's disgusting! What did you say?!?!? I guess we, the tattooed, are in charge of educating the rest of the ignorant folks out there about the do's and don't-s. People got balls, that's for sure.

[HangmanAngman]

It was at a concert at the Concord Pavilion (Allman Brothers & Foreigner) and she was a little drunk, I suspect. I pulled my arm away and said something along the lines of "Do you mind?" The rest of the show was a lot of fun, but that interaction sure stuck with me.

I think Erving Goffman would have called tattoos an "opening device." They make the person wearing them open to other people's intrusions on private space in much the same way as children, pets, and being pregnant all do. Opening devices change the rules, for better and for worse.

[Mad]

I've gotten the "you know that's permanent, right?", but I've also been asked if I got them in jail (WTF?!), what am I going to do about them when I'm old and gray (pour acid on them? WTF?!), the typical "did it hurt" (it's a fuckin needle, WTF do you think?) and once somebody tried to rub it off with their finger but first they wet it with their saliva. So innappropriate and disgusting and rude and ... URRGHHHH.... but the best was the inherent stupidity of "So you must like tattoos a lot, huh?"

[jill]

I get the same "you must like tattoos a lot, huh?" My response has become, "No, not really. They're painful and I'm terrified of bugs (I have a lot of insects on my left arm) but my boyfriend makes me get them."

[HangmanAngman]

My favorite response to stupid and offensive questions is one, actually, that I've never used, but one of my interviewees uses it regularly. "I'll tell you [insert answer to invasive, stupid, or rude question here] if you tell me the last time you took it in the ass." That shuts 'em up really quickly!

[Zoe]

haha, love your sence of humour hun, i like to be a little mischievous too. I must say i havent had any negative feedback on me tattoo's well maybe the odd 'Why would you want to that to your body' maybe its just cause i look hard, cause i got tats., lol. I find most people are very accepting and want to know more about the tattoo's and the culture surrounding it and i am very happy to talk tats all day so it dosent bother me. If people ask stupid questions then i find stupid answers are very appropriate, lol. I actually think most that people who comment on tattoo's secretly would love to have them, but are maybe concerned about too much stuff to go ahead with it. i just drag everyone to the tattooist now, wheather they like it or not. Lol

[Kimmy]

I usually get the "Are those real?" and "Did that hurt?"... I had a co-worker say to me once "Gee, you don't look like the tattoo type." ...and what might THAT look like???

[Jess]

THAT would be your typical stereotype biker chick! LOL People just can't fathom that a professional business person can also be heavily tattooed for some reason. Maybe like when I'm surprised to learn that a nurse smokes?

[Jess]

You're brave to show tattoos in the open in Japan. After seeing Dave's picture of the swimming pool rules from his recent visit, it's pretty clear where tattooed folks fit in in their society. Funny gym story! I exercise at the YWCA which is basically a bunch of little old ladies. I was quite hesitant to make the recent facility change (from the "hip" club in town with shitty customer service and dirty machines to the old lady place) but I've been very surprised and impressed at the acceptance the gals have shown me. I even had a lady ask to see my tattoos closer the other day.....she has to be at least 75!!

[jill]

My WTF moments are usually when I'm in line at the grocery store with my son. Some people will scoot forward until they're up the ass of the person in front of them to get away from me. I just scoot closer to 'em. I'll whisper to my son to stare at them - he gets a kick out of it. I was playing with the impulse items at the checkout with my son and I had a lady tell me that she was surprised at how attentive I was to my son. I asked her what she meant, because she caught me off-guard, and she said "well, because of your tattoos."