Though tattoos are now ubiquitous, many people still look askance at them. My boyfriend BG is a long-time tattoo afficianado, and over the years has acquired many of them on his arms - a few of which I'm posting here. Mind you, he doesn't strut down the street in a muscle top flashing them to the general public, but when he wears a short-sleeve shirt, some of them are visible. And based on this — especially combined with his triple hooped earrings in both ears — some assume that he is a certain "caliber" of guy, certainly not a bourgie kind of fellow, at any rate--and perhaps a sinister, dangerous sort to boot.
When I met BG, he did have some tattoos, but they were not of the highest caliber. Being a Halloween Scorpio, most of his tattoos celebrate this in some way - pumpkins, witches stirring steaming cauldrons, skulls, black cats, and so on. That fateful Halloween night when he walked into my regular bar and swept me off my feet, he was able to prove to me that it was indeed his special day by displaying a skull tattoo inscribed with his birthday, 10/31/50. But since the lame tattoo artist didn't know how to do clear numerals, the 5 looked like a 3, so I coyly asked him if he was born in 1950 or 1930. Very cute, I know.
Over the seven years I've known him, I've treated BG to many new tattoos. Since I knew of one cool tattoo parlor in my neck of the woods on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, I insisted he go there and get his work done by the young "kids" — 20-and 30-somethings — who knew how to do it up right, and were up on the latest technologies.
BG doesn't get the tattoos to intimidate others - he just loves them. And when you're into them, it's kind of an addiction. As soon as you get out of the chair, you forget the pain you went through and want more.
But once in awhile they do come in handy to deliver a "message." For instance, one time he was at a check-cashing center in the Bronx, paying his cable and phone bills. There was a long line, and he'd been waiting there for about 20 minutes, when some guy came out of nowhere and gave him a cock and bull story about how he'd been on line in front of him, but had gone to put money in the parking meter. BG rolled up his sleeves for emphasis, revealing an assortment of skulls and other horrific images, and informed the interloper that he wasn't about to let him get ahead of him. The guy instantly turned around and left, his check uncashed.
Article comments
1 - chantal stone
what a great story Elvira!
I can remember when i was about 7 or 8, my niece's father (she's my age, her dad would be my uncle, but my family is weird....whatever), anyway, my niece and i would spend weekends in upstate NY with her dad, and he was a tattoo artist. what's weird was that at such a young age, i already had a preconceived notion of what "tattoo people" were like....but my "uncle" and his friends---they were like this biker bunch----were so incredibly nice and just a great group of people. i just remember feeling loved and safe among this unconventional group of virtual strangers.
anyway, it's just strange how as a young child, the stereotypical impression was already there, i have no idea where that came from.
2 - Elvira Black
Chantal:
Thanks so much...that's a pretty nice story you have there too! The irony is that BG is the epitome of a nice guy--and I don't say that just because he's my b/f or anything (lol)--very polite, courteous, the whole bit. That's why I couldn't understand my friend's reaction. Even if she thought it, why say it? But that's just the way some people are--kind of thoughtless. I mean, I didn't inquire as to why she didn't use a condom, just for starters, or why she was guzzling so many Stolis on our dime while insulting my b/f--lol. Oh well, people are strange, no?
3 - -E
There's a show on called Inked about tattoo artists and some of the tattoos they do, who gets them, and all that. The other night one of them was talking about the stereotypes that follow tattoos and how he didn't like that since now you had doctors and lawyers with tattoos. I have one that most people never see, so when someone does I get the reaction akin to "YOU have a tattoo?!?"
4 - sr
Elvira,
What a great blog and no your not a crazy B. Tattooes or not.
My first tattoo was done outside of Ft Jackson SC. That was 1963. Was foolish enough to have her name tattooed on my left arm. Two weeks later I receive the usual dear john letter. Du. Saw that happen many times. After Nam I had the head of a large black panther tattooed over the old one. Never have regretted it. It's beautiful and I thank the little honey sending me the dear john letter after all these years because my family loves it. That was so many years ago.
Just for you women of song. Have a great NY minute. sr
5 - Elvira Black
-E:
Indeed, some people are still in the "closet" about their tattoos and can hide them with impunity--especially if they're done in a spot where the sun doesn't shine (lol). BG told me some artists won't do tattoos on the face or hands, because let's face it, it's going to be hard to get a job except in a funky record store if you do that. But yes, BG's seen doctors wander in for appointments when he's been in the chair, and it is a little bit of a "shock" in a way, though I guess it shoudn't be.
BG could always hide his tattoos completely with a long sleeve shirt, but recently he got Scorpions (for his sign, Scorpio, of course) on his arms and the tips of the tails show a bit below the wrist. I've been meaning to introduce him to one of my 80-something aunts, and though she's fairly open minded, I know that she'll wonder the same thing Babs did. The difference is that she'll likely wonder to herself.
6 - Elvira Black
sr:
Thanks, my friend. Getting a tattoo of a girlfriend is a big commitment--it can easily outlast several marriages (lol). I got BG the book 1000 tattoos and in it there were a few folks who just kept scratching out the old names and tattooing in the new, but your solution sounds much better.
I've been after BG to get touch-ups on a few of his older tattoos, because I know the young artists could improve them. But he's too busy getting brand new ones to do that, at least right now.
I saw a show where a 30ish woman who was now in a very straight job was working on getting her tattoos removed with laser treatments. I hear it's 10 times more painful than getting tattooed. That would give me pause, all right...
7 - Brooke
I loved this. I am crazy tattooed bitch, but it's a little bitty one on my butt, so nobody knows about it unless I tell them. Or they read my blog.
I love that you have Henk's book there! I got my tattoo at his place in Amsterdam!
8 - Elvira Black
Brooke:
Thanks--that book is awesome! It's one of the first gifts I got for BG, and he loved it.
Now that's an idea--if we ever go to Amsterdam, I think BG may be in for a brand new tattoo!
9 - A.L. Harper
I love my tattoos. They are just small and on my foot and ankle but I am planning bigger and better ones in the near future. For me my tattoos have nothing to do with fashion (as my husband keeps insisting) but rather it feels to me like an obvious and outward expression of my sexuality (of course of me almost everything is an expression of my sexuality). I don’t think that makes me a crazy bitch " just a horney freak.
10 - Elvira Black
A.L.
If I were ever to get tattoos, my ankle is probably where I'd start too. Yeah, tattoos can be damn sexy--I'd never had a boyfriend with any, but BG's are awesome. Horny freak? It's all good!
11 - A.L. Harper
Elvira -
The first one I got was on my toe. Don't start there it really F£*$£n hurt.
12 - Elvira Black
A.L.:
Your toe? Ouch--I'm cringing just thinking about it!
13 - A.L. Harper
The worst part was the sensitive skin between my toes. It hurt only slightly less than giving birth.
The tattoo on my ankle hardly hurt at all. The buzzing needle actually numbs the area. It kind of tickles after the initial outline is done.
14 - Elvira Black
A.L.
Did you say BETWEEN the toes? Oy vey.
BG tells me that the most painful area he's had done is his inner bicep, near the armpit area. The outer bicep was a piece of cake in comparison.
I've seen pix of people who've had their--um--genetalia tattooed. That's gotta smart some.
15 - KYS
Elvira!
Lovely piece! I have a tatoo, and I also got it on the lower east side. I wonder if we've run into eachother!!!
16 - Elvira Black
KYS:
Thanks! Hey, you never know!
17 - Scott Butki
There's a funny story in the NY Times today about people who had tattoos with what their thought were positive comments in Chinese or other Asian languages and... oops, they were done wrong.
So a dad who thought he had "much love" tattood when he became a father instead had one put on that said "love hurts."
and now he is getting it removed. Which hurts.
Ow.
18 - Elvira Black
Scott:
Wow...I'll have to check out that piece. Wonder if they were all honest mistakes or little practical jokes. Getting it removed hurts...OH yeah. That's what I hear--many times worse than having it put on.
19 - Scott Butki
Honest mistakes,they said.
20 - Scott Butki
Here's the story
21 - Elvira Black
Scott:
Thanks--that was hilarious! All I can say is that I'd hate to be walking around Chinatown and have to explain why I have a tattoo that says "demon bird moth balls" on my arm.
22 - Eric Olsen
very nice Elvira! thank God you have remained an untattooed crazy bitch
23 - Elvira Black
Thanks Eric--crazy is enough all by itself!
24 - Scott Butki
Glad you liked it, Elvira.