Body art - Alex

Ink, tats or whatever you call them, tattoos seem to be surprisingly rife among people my age (the 18-25 demographic). If you have any idea what I am like it must come as no surprise to you to find out that I look at tattoos with a great deal of scepticism.

There are the obvious draw backs of a tattoo, the most widely appreciated drawback being that a tattoo is (by definition) permanent. This comes up as an issue because how are you to know what the future holds for you? You might find it funny at one point to have a tattoo saying "made in Aldershot" around your belly button, but then 35 seconds after the completion of said tattoo you may look down at your newly destroyed belly buttons and think "cock, I destroyed my belly button and it makes me look stupid and probably much less respectable", but there is nothing you can do! Well not without great expense, and that is an argument for a different blog. I am talking about the reasons why I would not like a tattoo as opposed to the frightening laser filled methods of getting rid of one.

 My little brain has decided that the second reason not to get a tattoo is because many people seem to get tattoos for the sake of it. I am in the frame of mind that if I was to go to notable expense and significant pain to permanently change the pigment of my actual skin I would want it to fit the very bohemian idea of meaning something*. Some tribal art on your arm may look very pretty to some people, but the odds are that 95% people will think that you are a bit of a pillock.** I have nothing against a discreet tattoo with significant meaning (often commemorating the addition of/loss of a family member). Nor would I argue against an elaborately planned and deeply meaningful tattoo in which every single part has a valid argument behind it's need to be underneath your skin.

Enough of that, now for number three. And it is the financial and physical discomfort of getting a tat. I only have third person information but a tattoo seems to cost at least £50, which is the price of a brand new Xbox game. Also they seem to cause more pain than playing an Xbox game, as the worst pain I have ever received playing Xbox was probably when I hit myself really hard in the thigh because I once conceded a sloppy goal on Fifa.

So there you have it. Three reasons, put forward in paragraph format, why the most square person on the Internet would not get a tattoo, hpwever I would suggest that if you want to appear cool you should take anything I ever say and do the opposite. And to end on a fact, 1 in 4 Australian's under the age of 30 have a tattoo.

*That's about as close as I come to talking about my feelings. Well to strangers on the Internet anyway.
** Good piece of British slang there.