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davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 08:35 PM

I'm actually surprised in my searches that I didn't find much on piercings and tattoos on here. Of all the things we cover, you'd think it would be common. There were a couple threads, but not much. Enough to know that Tooki likes body mods.

So I've decided to start a thread about body modifications. Which might seem odd, since my body is in the pristine condition it came in when I was born, save the scars I've earned along the way. No voluntary modifications.

Mainly because I'm kind of a wimp.

But lately, I've been considering two different things. So I thought I'd get other NNers to share their experiences. Not just for pics (though I wouldn't mind seeing them), but for they whys, the hows, the pain levels, etc.

So now here's what I'm considering. The first thing I've been thinking about is getting my nipples pierced. For a couple of reasons. First, I've been thinking about it for a while, and it would be a way to show myself I'm capable of doing things I don't think I am capable of. The second is sort of as a sign of pride for my mother and others who have suffered from breast cancer.

The other thing I'm thinking of would happen later this summer. A tat. I've always told my best friend (who has two half sleeves) that if I ever got one, it would be of Woody and Buzz from Toy Story.

It started as a joke because he would think it was kind of dorky and stop bugging me about getting a tat. But I got to thinking about it, and it would be really ideal for me. Woody and Buzz symbolize a whole lot for me: Friendship, new adventures, discovering things in yourself, believing in yourself and a gigantic love of Pixar movies.

I'd probably do Buzz and Woody flying from near the end of the first movie. I've actually got the pic I'd like to use on the cover of my VHS Special Edition of Toy Story.

They'd end up either on my right arm, so they are flying forward or on the top left of my back (shoulder blade area.)

So have at it. Give advice. Share experiences. Post pics. Go...

wanderer · Jun 24, 2006, 08:55 PM

Personally I think body mods like you describe are stupid. I think the best 'mods' are scars from a real experience, with hopefully an interesting story. I have a few of those. They're way cooler than tattoos IMHO. >shrug<

Cody Dawg · Jun 24, 2006, 09:17 PM

Whenever I see people with tattoos I think of them when they're 60 or older and their wrinkly skin and the way a tattoo is going to look then and I think, "EWWWW..." Especially chicks.

Kevin · Jun 24, 2006, 09:34 PM

I have a pneumatic penis.

davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by wanderer

Personally I think body mods like you describe are stupid. I think the best 'mods' are scars from a real experience, with hopefully an interesting story. I have a few of those. They're way cooler than tattoos IMHO. >shrug<

Oh, I have plenty of scars. Most with good stories.

There's the surgical scar that goes from the middle instep of my right foot to the middle of the calf. It's almost disappeared in places since it came about when I was a baby. Surgically corrected club foot - basically, my achilles tendon was too short so my foot was pointed downward and inward. They lengthened it and I'm pretty much "normal" from it aside from being able to predict the weather with my arthritis.

Then there is the gash above my left eye from when I was 14 trying out for the American Legion baseball team, chasing down a fly ball hit by the coach and running right into the fence. (There was no warning track.)

Or the small scar on my nose and it's buddy on the inside edge of my left eye from being attacked by a pit bull when I was 10.

davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

I have a pneumatic penis.

Let's not go there.

davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Whenever I see people with tattoos I think of them when they're 60 or older and their wrinkly skin and the way a tattoo is going to look then and I think, "EWWWW..." Especially chicks.

I honestly think it depends on the quality of the artwork. I don't find massive amounts of tats attractive, but nice ones can be very cool.

I've seen a 60+ year old tat or two. One on a man, who served in WWII and had a Naval tat on his arm (which I thought was awesome since you could see his eyes light up when talking about his buddies.) The other on a woman, and it was the worst kind of tattoo. Let's just say it was on her inner arm, and it wasn't something she got as an option. Nazis gave it to her. (That one was disturbing as hell.)

wanderer · Jun 24, 2006, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Oh, I have plenty of scars. Most with good stories.

There's the surgical scar that goes from the middle instep of my right foot to the middle of the calf. It's almost disappeared in places since it came about when I was a baby. Surgically corrected club foot - basically, my achilles tendon was too short so my foot was pointed downward and inward. They lengthened it and I'm pretty much "normal" from it aside from being able to predict the weather with my arthritis.

Then there is the gash above my left eye from when I was 14 trying out for the American Legion baseball team, chasing down a fly ball hit by the coach and running right into the fence. (There was no warning track.)

Or the small scar on my nose and it's buddy on the inside edge of my left eye from being attacked by a pit bull when I was 10.

Ouch. Ouch. And ouch. Sweet.

See, I think those are way cooler than tattoos.

tooki · Jun 24, 2006, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Whenever I see people with tattoos I think of them when they're 60 or older and their wrinkly skin and the way a tattoo is going to look then and I think, "EWWWW..." Especially chicks.

If worrying about what others think of your tattoos is the worst thing going on in your life when you're 80, I think you have it pretty good.

And besides, you're gonna have wrinkly, gnarly skin at that age, tattoos or not. Why not draw attention away from the liver spots and warts?

tooki

davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 10:31 PM

Oh, I forgot the moon shaped scar on my knee from getting the speed wobbles on my skateboard going down a steep hill on a dare when I was 11 or so.

Jumped off aimed for the grass on the side of the road... missed by a little.

davesimondotcom · Jun 24, 2006, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

If worrying about what others think of your tattoos is the worst thing going on in your life when you're 80, I think you have it pretty good.

Agreed. You'll be more worried about getting your dinner by 4PM at the local buffet and cursing at those damn kids for passing you when you are going 55 on a freeway where the limit is 75...

IceEnclosure · Jun 25, 2006, 12:35 AM

body mods:

38 or so stitches right between the eyebrows, deviated septum and some knee crap, car accident (I t-boned a guy in a Ford E350 cargo van at about 50mph in my old mustang)

18 stitches in my lip(some inside, some outside). I was sitting on a boat enjoying a beer and my friend was wakeboarding. He fell, and decided to get tugged along by the rope. The plastic handle ripped out of his hands and quickly made a dash for my face.

Nice scar on my hand, needed stitches but eh. Prairie Dog® bit the **** outta my freakin' hand.

skateboarding owns most of my scars, big one on the chin, knees, shins etc.

I have no tats or piercings so yea, I just felt like participating in this thread.

olePigeon · Jun 25, 2006, 02:03 AM

You should get your tongue split.

demograph68 · Jun 25, 2006, 02:25 AM

I've only gotten piercings done. (surface. septum, lip) I considered branding. It isn't exactly cheap.

Someone I know had some scarification done to her chest. Someone else that I know had gotten a tattoo done on her left hip.

I'll probably get a tattoo done someday. It's hard to figure out what design I'd want done. I'd probably have a tattoo artist come up with something since I'm not so creative these days. It would probably involve something scifi or computer geek related.

moonmonkey · Jun 25, 2006, 02:43 AM

Luckily I was not abused as a child so I don't feel a need to mutilate myself.

I do have lots of scars from various dumb accidents.

thestig · Jun 25, 2006, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by IceEnclosure

body mods:
Nice scar on my hand, needed stitches but eh. Prairie Dog® bit the **** outta my freakin' hand.
:

AHhAhaHAHahAHhahaahAHhaahhaahh that takes talent man. True talent. Hahhahaa.

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

Luckily I was not abused as a child so I don't feel a need to mutilate myself.

I don't think you have to be abused to get tattoos or piercings...

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by olePigeon

You should get your tongue split.

No way. WAY to extreme.

Besides, I'd end up being accused on here as speaking with a forked tongue.

Seriously, though, I am a business owner and have to look professional, so I can't do anything in my face, etc.

Doofy · Jun 25, 2006, 09:41 AM

These days, tattoos are a badge of conformity for delusional non-conformists.
See the South Park goths for details.

My mods:
Scar where they sewed my right heel back on after a bike accident.
Scar above the eye where they sewed my head back together after a bike accident.

Doofy · Jun 25, 2006, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Besides, I'd end up being accused on here as speaking with a forked tongue.

Seriously, though, I am a business owner and have to look professional, so I can't do anything in my face, etc.

Get a larger wiener. If you need to know where to get one from, just disable SpamAssassin for a day.

invisibleX · Jun 25, 2006, 10:52 AM

I don't see anything wrong with "personalizing" yourself. May seem a bit silly to some people, and a the extreme end it is self-destructive, but a tattoo or piercing is perfectly normal.

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

Get a larger wiener.

No need.

Doofy · Jun 25, 2006, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

No need.

Until you can go to the bathroom without getting out of your favourite comfy chair in the lounge, there's always a need.

ghporter · Jun 25, 2006, 04:18 PM

Body mod-no thanks. I have two piercings, one in each earlobe. That's enough. I find that NOT having tattoos or multiple piercings makes me more individual than any of those would, so I'm happy with it.

Oh, and I'm allergic to pain, too, so I don't think I'm going to look seriously into getting any body art that involves needles.

I have applied external ink to a few people (and myself) for costume use. I had to settle for permanent marker because I couldn't find a good quality ink in the right colors (usually royal red, royal blue, royal green, and royal purple).

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Body mod-no thanks. I have two piercings, one in each earlobe. That's enough. I find that NOT having tattoos or multiple piercings makes me more individual than any of those would, so I'm happy with it.

I wouldn't ever do anything to show the outside world how "different" I am. Anything I do will be for me. Not to be different, but to be me.

dreamryche · Jun 25, 2006, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

These days, tattoos are a badge of conformity for delusional non-conformists.

Right on.

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

These days, tattoos are a badge of conformity for delusional non-conformists.
See the South Park goths for details.

I dance like those guys, except for the step where they take a drag off of a cig. I don't know that.

scaught · Jun 25, 2006, 09:20 PM

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

Luckily I was not abused as a child so I don't feel a need to mutilate myself.

that's ignorant.

people should do whatever the **** they want with their couple cubic feet of flesh and not have to hear uninvited commentary about it from the general public.

thestig · Jun 25, 2006, 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by scaught

that's ignorant.

people should do whatever the **** they want with their couple cubic feet of flesh and not have to hear uninvited commentary about it from the general public.

Cool. Then hit the back button.

davesimondotcom · Jun 25, 2006, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by scaught

that's ignorant.

people should do whatever the **** they want with their couple cubic feet of flesh and not have to hear uninvited commentary about it from the general public.

Well, to a point.

I mean, if you put a tattoo on your face or anywhere visible, you have to assume people are going to see it and make a judgement one way or the other about it. You are, in fact, inviting commentary.

That's why I wouldn't ever get something I can't cover with a shirt/pants. In business, fair or not, people will make assumptions if they see certain things. Tattoos and piercings are two of those things.

Doofy · Jun 25, 2006, 10:09 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5079470.stm

I suppose they distract from the unfortunate fact that she's not at all hot.

moonmonkey · Jun 26, 2006, 05:10 AM

Originally Posted by scaught

that's ignorant.

people should do whatever the **** they want with their couple cubic feet of flesh and not have to hear uninvited commentary about it from the general public.

Damn these public forums!

ghporter · Jun 26, 2006, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5079470.stm

I suppose they distract from the unfortunate fact that she's not at all hot.

She looks very similar to most of the "cover girls" I see on Stateside tattoo magazines. Not bad, but not fantastic either. Of course they all seem to do some rif on the Betty Page hair style (Betty apparently never had a tattoo anywhere, though), and there are few photos of such adorned ladies wearing anything that isn't black. It kind of grates-some of the skin art is fabulous, but the appearance of the person (including their style sense) makes it seem that they aren't much fun to be around. Just past the edge of "emo," if you take my meaning.

DKeithA · Jun 26, 2006, 08:08 AM

Part of me - not quite complete in this older photo.

I also have plenty of injury scars as well.

davesimondotcom · Jun 26, 2006, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5079470.stm

I suppose they distract from the unfortunate fact that she's not at all hot.

And she should have known before she put that ink on her body that visible tattoos are frowned upon by most employers.

But wait. She works as a temp and she can afford THAT much ink in 4 years? I should become a temp.

thestig · Jun 26, 2006, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

And she should have known before she put that ink on her body that visible tattoos are frowned upon by most employers.

But wait. She works as a temp and she can afford THAT much ink in 4 years? I should become a temp.

hahahahhahahha.

Doofy · Jun 26, 2006, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

She looks very similar to most of the "cover girls" I see on Stateside tattoo magazines. Not bad, but not fantastic either. Of course they all seem to do some rif on the Betty Page hair style (Betty apparently never had a tattoo anywhere, though), and there are few photos of such adorned ladies wearing anything that isn't black. It kind of grates-some of the skin art is fabulous, but the appearance of the person (including their style sense) makes it seem that they aren't much fun to be around. Just past the edge of "emo," if you take my meaning.

"Suicide girls", I believe they're called. I pretty much detest that whole scene - something a little depraved about the whole thing (which I guess is why some people like it).

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

But wait. She works as a temp and she can afford THAT much ink in 4 years?

I've no idea how much that lot would cost, but you seem to think it'd be a lot, so... ...employment law is a little different here (maternity leave, paternity leave, etc.), which tends to lead to good temps being highly sought after. It's even good for the bad temps.

Eug Wanker · Jun 26, 2006, 09:07 AM

MacNStein · Jun 26, 2006, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by Doofy

These days, tattoos are a badge of conformity for delusional non-conformists.
See the South Park goths for details.

That's hardly fair. I love my tats (all 8 of them, soon to be 10) and didn't get them for anyone else, just me. They're for my personal enjoyment and I love the way they look. In fact, very few people in my life know that I have tatoos.

Sure, there are people who get them to look tough, or so that they'll fit in with a specific crowd, but not everyone.

Doofy · Jun 26, 2006, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by MacNStein

That's hardly fair. I love my tats (all 8 of them, soon to be 10) and didn't get them for anyone else, just me. They're for my personal enjoyment and I love the way they look. In fact, very few people in my life know that I have tatoos.

Sure, there are people who get them to look tough, or so that they'll fit in with a specific crowd, but not everyone.

True. I'll let a few people off (yourself included) from that generalisation. Basically, anyone who isn't a lib* gets a free pass.

(* I do have grounds for this assertion - it is mainly the left-leaners here who display the badge of non-conformist conformity.)

Powerbook · Jun 26, 2006, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by DKeithA

---8< picture snip 8< ---

Part of me - not quite complete in this older photo.

I also have plenty of injury scars as well.

You look like you have Germany on your left shoulder?

Regards
PB

davesimondotcom · Jun 26, 2006, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

"Suicide girls", I believe they're called. I pretty much detest that whole scene - something a little depraved about the whole thing (which I guess is why some people like it).

I have a friend who would fit that description - tats, piercings, Betty Page-esque hair, but I normally don't find it attractive. Too depressing.

Originally Posted by Doofy

I've no idea how much that lot would cost, but you seem to think it'd be a lot, so... ...employment law is a little different here (maternity leave, paternity leave, etc.), which tends to lead to good temps being highly sought after. It's even good for the bad temps.

I didn't see all of her ink, nor can I tell much about the quality, but my friend's back piece that has taken 6 or 7 sessions to complete would cost roughly $2000 if she didn't get the "know ya" discount.

gururafiki · Jun 26, 2006, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by moonmonkey

Luckily I was not abused as a child so I don't feel a need to mutilate myself.

What the heck?!

demograph68 · Jun 26, 2006, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by DKeithA

http://www.unc.edu/~alexandk/keith1.jpeg

I approve.