Well that's the problem you're thinking with a corporate mind and tattooing is a human tradition dating back thousands of years with the earliest examples known from around 3000 B.C.

Judging someone in a professional context because of how they adorn their bodies and not their actual qualifications is, in my mind, not much better than judging someone on race or religion. Unfortunately that sort of mentality is the status quo in our society.

Someone is automatically not professional if they aren't "white bread" (as in blue bunny bread) un-pierced and barber salon-ed. It's rather sad :(

I can kid myself and hope that it will change in 30 years when all the baby boomers have retired from their corporate jobs, but I know I'm just kidding myself as the Gen Xer's who might change things aren't gonna have those type of jobs anyway and Gen Y are to busying being boy scouts, looking up to the authorities, and enjoying the status quo.

Man I am bitter today! :D I didn't mean to jump on your case via815 I swear! I've just got a very different POV on the whole tattooing thing.

As far as lower back tattoos go, I just think it's kind of sad when someone picks one out a book or an album of flash art instead of getting something that has some meaning to them or was designed for their body.

A corporate office job is not the only employment option for everybody. Tattooed folks tend to prefer physical labor and trade work. I know I'm generalizing, but I've worked in both offices and in the trades. That guy with a sleeve tattoo might be earning twice as much as you.

I do agree that tattoos have lost their uniqueness since the 90s. Everyone seems to have one including myself. Now I see the people that do not have tattoos as cutting edge.

Jammy and Shimmercore, the guy with the sleeve tattoo IS earning twice as me, i see him every day. I am the last person to judge what is appropriate as I am currently finding the idea of the American Dream, i.e. house, spouse, 2.5 kids, work hard and get ahead to be oppresive. If mediocrity is the best I can get in my life, I will be really dissappointed. The odd thing is I like piercings, I just don't dig the tattoos. Maybe it's time for more therapy to unblock that part of my subconcious

Being the proud collector of tattoos (13 or so) including the stamp, I do have to say that I enjoy them more and more. I have already gone past the point of no return. Now for me it's making myself happy and showing people that not they're aren't all tramp stamps! Honestly I am glad that people don't like women with too many tattoos. It makes easier for me to weed out the people I don't want to date. Really, why would I want to date anyone that cares so much about just my skin. That is what we are talking about right- skin and the ink that goes in it?

It is unfortunate that this is the stigma. I often find it humerous that one located on or closer to a females reproductive organs is not consider a tramp stamp but the lower back is. Most often the process of receiving a lower back tattoo involves revealing very little of your skin. You wear a low pair of jeans and roll the back of your shirt up. Which is nothing compared to having to remove your shirt for a shoulder tatt, or even your bra or pants for ones on your hips, or chest. Seems unfair and quite ignorant that because a female would like to place a tattoo on a flat surface of her body that can be covered for professional reasons she is considered “tramp”. Odd how it’s 2009 and people still aren’t quite past this.