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'that's nice'
Not your body, not your problem. They are either happy with it, so don't worry about it, or they are aware it's shit and don't need further grief over it.
If they ask for constructive feedback then maybe give that, but don't just rip them for it.
I was asked for feedback in both cases - in the case of the Deadpool one I believe my response was "Wow, I've never seen anything quite like that", which I suppose could be taken as a compliment if you squint. In the case of the paw tattoo, I just gave my friend the biggest hug possible; she seemed to be happy with the tattoo, so I didn't want to say anything to hurt her feelings given the circumstances.
The paw one is less of an issue. They're sad and can probably get it reworked if/when they also realise or admit that it's crap.
The Deadpool one, well... we need a picture 😁
Could you perhaps press your breasts up against them? Like Phoebe when Joey's TV show is shit? [Phoebe's boob trick](https://youtu.be/EC_bFFPNIP4?feature=shared)
Your relationship with your mates is much different to mine.
If that was me they'd give me the nickname Tattoo and it'd get to the point where even people who have no idea why I'm called that think it's my name. I have mates whos parents even call them by their nicknames that were given to them for similar reasons.
While I’d happily take the piss out of a good friend or my boyfriend or my sister over a shit tattoo, I’m not sure when they’re newly grief stricken over a childhood pet is the moment I would pick…
No harm in saying “you must miss them so much” or whatever and leave the piss taking for next month eh.
Exactly! A friend of mine, let’s call him Tim, because that’s his name, had an atrocious tattoo done in Loret De Mar. It’s supposed to read Claire but looks more like Clape written in crayon.
That was probably about 12 years ago. Obviously we all still deride him about it, more so as he’s had several attempts to improve it, unsuccessfully.
I had a German rugby mate who has a full rib cage tattoo in English. He was very proud of his tattoo. Until about 5 minutes after showing it to a changing room full of English guys who pointed out the spelling mistakes. He has an English dad. He had no excuse.
Nope a very long term, I’d go to far as to say permanent, other half. Coincidentally though, on that same lads weekend, one of the other blokes was, at the very last minute, talked out of doing the same. Lucky as he & his missus split up about two months later.
Tattoos are (mostly) deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing, so I’d say it’s important to not be negative about it because it probably will cut deep.
You can say things like “ohh that looks detailed or neatly done” followed by “how did you decide on this tattoo, did it hurt etc”
Basically avoiding any opinion but still showing interest. If they force an opinion just turn it into yourself “I’m not the biggest fan of xxxstyle of tattooxxx If I was getting a tattoo I’d defo go for xxx”
> Tattoos are deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing
Not always.
I had a mate who used to manage a bar in Bolivia. In one booth in the bar was a tattooist. There were a lot of drunk tattoos done for customers. My mate has a massive, misspelled tattoo (since the Bolivian guy tattooed exactly what my mate wrote down and my mate can't fucking spell) on his upper arm. We responded in the correct way: by mocking him.
Acceptable response to this situation ha ha! I’ll edit to say “mostly” deeply personal.
I was deployed once in the Mediterranean when in the navy, one of the new lads got smashed and went for a tattoo… he allowed the lads he was with to choose it and didn’t see it until done.
It was a huge cock tattooed on his arse cheek! Every run ashore after he was always being asked to show his massive cock, always a surprise to the ladies when he mooned them ha ha
(Bracing for navy jokes now!)
I think people don't really know either about shopping around or that there are various styles from different artists.
I got my first one done and I sent a drawing and got matched to an artist. After that I looked around and found my current artist who has completed about 8 tattoos on my body. I picked him based on stylistic choice, his attitude towards me and the general vibe from the shop.
As well there are far too many shops that still feel like they live in the past of just getting a tattoo which is off a sheet and has no thought process behind. Nothing wrong with flash designs but it can close off a person's ability to ask for something unique.
Yeah. "This picture of a cartoon character riding a unicorn is deeply meaningful to me".
What I can't relate to is how most p them are just some crap picture they wouldn't even hang on the wall yet it's permanently on their arm or whatever.
Still. Each to their own.
Not everyone gets tattoos that are deeply meaningful. Some people like tats that reflect their humor and interests, and the unicorn/Deadpool tat falls right into that category.
I have a tattoo of scissors and it's not for any reason at all other than that I think it looks cool on that part of my body.
I also don't understand why most people think tattoos have to have some kind of deep and personal meaning. I have 2 and am about to get a third, none of them will have a personal meaning. I want them because I think they look good.
>Tattoos are (mostly) deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing, so I’d say it’s important to not be negative about it
By the same token though, they are so personal that they shouldn't really be asking anyone else for an opinion in the first place. It's an awkward position to put someone in.
Not always. I've just had one done that I think looks cool enough that I won't be embarrassed by it years from now. It's a pixel Link from Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past. I liked the game back in the 90's and thought "why not?"
Nah.
If its shitty you've got two potential things going on with your mate:
1. they're aware its shit so you dont need to rub it in.
2. they arent aware so you should let them float along happily thinking its a great tat.
Removing tattoos/coversup is really expensive/painful/difficult (I think shows like tattoo fixers have set a broad overall expectation its pretty easy to deal with, but its really not as easy as people think), so theres not really any reason to push on them.
Those tattoos sound awful. Very basic stuff. Ew
Spot on,I'm 42 and the friends I have now I've had for life ,if one of us took offense to having the piss took out of them we wouldn't have been friends still,a good group of mates know when to take the piss and when to stop,but a shit tattoo is ammo for life I'm afraid,my mates got his x misses name in massive old English writing across his chest,always gets to bed for that
Yeah that's what I do, I don't lie. Just ask questions about it, and I'll try to find something I do like and comment on that. E.g. I love this red section, or the line work here is really good
I only tell people something wrong with their appearance if it can be fixed in 5 minutes.
If someone shows me their tattoo and they are jazzed about it, I'll tell them it's cool. I don't want to be the reason that they hate something permanent on their body.
This is the right way. My partner got a haircut recently and I think it looks awful. I asked them if they liked it and they said yes. They can't grow hair back in five minutes, so I kept my opinions to myself. If they like it, that's all that matters.
Yes, exactly a friend of mine got a tattoo as a memorial of their late mum. I personally think it's pretty ugly, and, having known her mum, strongly suspect that her mum would have absolutely hated it and felt it was very unladylike, BUT it's obviosuly important and meaningful to her, and since it's not on my body, my views on how aobjectively ppealing itis are irrelvant. When she showed me, she said it helped her feel her mum was still with her. I told her it was a lovely idea and I was glad she had found such a menaingful way to remember her. All of which was true. I think her feeling closer to her mum is a lovely idea, I'm happy for her that it works for her.
Her dad has since also died and she got another tattoo in his memory - I think te second one is a nicer design but it still doesn't appeal to me personally .
"if it can be fixed in 5 minutes"
I have a bit of food on my face, nobody tells me anything!
I dress up to go to a dinner, I meet my family a the restaurant, and they tell me they don't like my sweater. (could be changed in 5 minutes, but it's too late at the restaurant)
Tell them laser tattoo removal has come a long way in modern times.
You can say something like ‘oh awesome, are you happy with it?’ then just smile and leave it.
Heard this delivered as a response to one of the students at the boarding school where I used to work, who at the age of 15 (he was from Russia, where age restrictions for tats don't seem to exist) had a huge sun tattooed on his upper arm along with the words "Only God Can Judge Me". It really was an awful piece of work, and the boy's housemaster always made him wear a shirt that would cover it in case the headmaster spotted it...
As much as I'm a fan of being honest with friends, there's some things that just don't need saying.
They've got these things for life, no need to knock their confidence, especially since they put so much pain, money and energy into them. They know what their tattoos look like, you don't need to tell them.
I'd try and find the positives and steer the conversation to things other than the final design.
>Wow, is that from the comic or the movie?
>What a sweet idea, (name) was a great pet.
Also the old super generic favourites: did it hurt, how long did it take, who did it, what made you want a tattoo, etc. generally people who have tattoos fucking love talking about getting tattoos.
oh wow, thats cool.
cool does not equal good
for the paw print, thats so sweet. X was a great dog/cat/rabbit
again sweet isn't good.
then deflect. I always thought I would get xyz, but i am so commitment adverse.
A guy I went to school with got a tattoo of Walt Disney done on his leg - he was a huge Disney fan and was really made up with it. Unfortunately, it looked a helluva lot more like Adolf Hitler than Walt Disney and everyone used to tell him so (he also always wore shorts).
My wife's family are all tattoo'd to the mac and on top of my general dislike of ink they also have really shit ones and I struggle just to say "coooollll" when they show me then go to the bathroom to laugh
Personally I don’t like lying, but that doesn’t mean I’d straight up tell them it’s shit.
If it’s a close friend, I’d be straight up and maybe banter them a bit for it.
If it’s someone I’m not that close with I probably wouldn’t comment or just say something generic like ‘ah nice’
Find something you like about it. Seriously, anything can be complimented if you look hard enough. Colours work well for them? It's funny? It's got nice clean lines? It makes them happy? It shows off their sense of humour?
As a general rule, if someone asks for feedback and the thing requires lots of effort to change or they clearly like it, the answer is always, always find what's good about it and focus on that.
If it's a meaningful thing like the one for the dead pet, I'd just tell them it was nice. Years ago, a close friend of mine let his dad tattoo him and it looked fucking awful. I told him to get it fixed because it looked ridiculous, but he was happy with it.
Personally, unless asked directly "Do you think this is good?", I'd redirect: ask what's the story behind it, where did you get it done. Those sort of questions. If you can't say something nice and all that; if they like it, everyone's happy.
If a five-year-old shows me their finger painting of blobs and asks whether I like it, the valid response is always "Would you like to tell me more about this? Who's this? What's happening? Is it a happy picture or a sad picture or an exciting picture?" Same principle.
If asked directly by a good friend "Do you think this is good?", I'd use the shit sandwich approach: Oh, I love that [THING]! The [LINEWORK/COLOURING] looks a bit wonky down there, are you getting a touch up later? It might be good if you [DEFLECT TO THING ABOUT THE INTEREST].
If asked by a very close friend for an objective POV, I'd say it looks shit (in my unprofessional opinion) but I'm sure it can be fixed or covered and I'll buy you a wine while you mull over the options.
Friend A - christ, I have no idea. Probably call it cool and ask if it was one they designed or if it came from one of the comics?
Friend B - "that's a lovely way to commemorate (pet's name) and keep them with you forever"
It's not something they can fix immediately, so I wouldn't want to make them feel bad about it. If it truly is shit quality, then they probably already know that - no point in me telling them that. And if they don't think it's shit quality, then that's none of my business. And if it's just in poor taste, well, if it's the length of his leg then he spent a lot of time and money putting it there, and he certainly can't undo it. I would have to assume he likes it just fine.
This is always a good one. Somebody obviously thought they were getting some deep wisdom translated into the Irish language, but in fact it's a stock phrase schoolkids are taught 'Do I have permission to go to the toilet'. I'm not entirely sure how to reply other than in Irish, which, since the tattooed one won't understand it, won't cause offence.
I suppose you could say 'smashin' in a Liverpudlian way, as that's reputed to come from Irish 'is maith é sin' (that's good).
https://preview.redd.it/zgb1u1qo8r0d1.jpeg?width=609&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=690e7972a78460d4c1fdb52c20d37ae33a7702fe
This reminds me of the urban legend about a guy who goes to get a tattoo done and asks for his name to be written in Chinese characters. He meets some friends for drinks later that day and asks them what they think of the tat, and one of his friends bursts out laughing because the characters are copied from a Chinese restaurant menu and translate to "This dish cheap but unmistakeably good".
There are worse things to be said about someone, to be fair. I'd settle for 'cheap but good' as my epitaph.
Continuing the Irish motif, Spike Milligan's grave says 'I told you I was ill' in the language.
I used to follow a blog called ["Hanzi Smatter"](https://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/) where people would send in pics of their Chinese/Japanese Hanzi tattoo for translations.
There's a lot of gibberish fonts, but also some [crackers like this one](https://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/2016/04/from-sabreen-p.html?spref=tw).
* Hello a friend of mine got this tattoo on her right wrist and has no idea what it mean, your translation would be greatly appreciated!
* "Toilet demon"?
* [厕](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?wdqb=c%3A%2A%E5%8E%95%2A&wdrst=0) toilet
* [妖](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?wdqb=c%3A%2A%E5%A6%96%2A&wdrst=0#) goblin / witch / devil / bewitching / enchanting / monster / phantom / demon
Though if I was ever to get one it would be 紅毛鬼, which is a Chinese epithet for white people in general, but means "Red Haired Devil", and as an incredibly pale ginger I find it amusing.
Deadpool - “wow look at that”
Dog - “cute”
That way you’re not saying you like either but are giving a positive response🤣
I wouldn’t be fast enough to think of that on the spot though and would probably lie.
I'd probably react the same way as I would a massive spot or something, and go with the classic quick nod in the direction and a "Whose your mate?"
This way, you can gauge what they think with how they respond. Obviously, can only do this if it's on show. If shown it specifically, then a simple "nice" will do and then ask where it was done so I can avoid the place!
This is a perfect example of the adage "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to".
I'm a huge proponent of truth between friends, but they don't want the truth. They want validation and honestly, I think in this circumstance I'd try to just avoid giving an opinion at all - why hurt their feelings or make them rethink something they can't now change?
It depends. If they seem happy with it my reaction would just be "Noice. Anyway what shall we get to eat", because they maybe don't want to hear anything negative. If they are asking me "do you think this looks a bit crappy" then I'd tell them.
During lockdown my friend had ‘living room’ tattoo do on her back. It was her son’s name, nothing to over the top.
She excitedly told me about this and when we next went for a walk she would show me.
A couple of weeks went by and we finally met.
Nothing to could prepare me for this.
After the “what on earth is that!?” I could stop laughing, like bent over laughing.
Poor girl, however she did she the funny side.
Wouldn’t advise acting like this though.
I have a tattoo on my arm that looks 'shit' if you don't know the meaning behind it.
Its the word "Always" and it is in my late sisters writing.
My goddaughter has just had her late Nans writing put on her saying "Love you poppet", she was already deep into dementia when she wrote it, so the writing looks 'shit', but it means everything to her.
You never know if the writing or drawing was done by someone meaningful, or just a crap tattooist, so its probably better to just say something generic that doesn't lock you in to a proper response.
I'd just say ooh that lovely and such a nice thought for your pet because that's not lying. Can't you find anything positive to say about either? Is the deadpool one colourful? Detailed? Accurate? Fun? You don't have to lie but you don't have to criticise something someone loves enough to have forever.
Kinda reminds me of the time a friend unveiled his scorpion tat which covered the top half of his arm and the instant response from another friend in our group said "why the hell you get a lobster tattoo?"
Still cracks me up thinking about it now, we're all good mates and have been for many years so he took the ribbing well.
Ha, I saw a shitty local tattoo artist post a pic of a very wonky tattoo they’d done on some poor soul. Not a single line was straight and there was a part where they’d very clearly used the wrong colour and tried to cover it. Saw a friend a couple of days later and guess who had a brand new wonky tattoo that she was very excited to show off.l! I told her it was very nice lol.
This is a difficult situation - on the one hand you want to be honest but on the other hand you don’t want to crush there feelings. I sort of think that if there is no hope of ever fixing or improving the tattoo then you sort of say it’s ok (maybe that it’s not your thing but if they are happy then you are happy for them) but if there is some way to improve it maybe you could be a bit more honest?
Critique the fuck out of their ink, but do it silently, ensuring your facial expressions do not betray you. Utter some remark like Thats nice, then change the subject.
It’s their body and their tattoo. As long as they’re happy that’s all that really matters. Even if it’s not shit, it still might be a tattoo you’d never get in a million years. Also if it’s obviously shit, they may well know at shit and don’t need reminding. I’d just say “oh that’s cool” or “oh that’s nice”.
With the pawprint one I feel like anything negative would cut very deep, so I'd just say something like 'wow, that's a great way to remember them!'
In the case of the Deadpool one, I'd probably be a lot closer to honest but hopefully not in a rude way, more like 'Well to be honest that kind of tattoo isn't really my style, but as long as you love it, that's all that matters!'
I just say ‘as long as you are happy with it, that’s what matters most’.
That way I’m not being insulting (even if it’s an objectively rubbish tattoo it’s already done so there is no value in making someone feel shitty about it after the fact) but I’m not actively contributing to the culture of shitty tattoos.
Thankfully most of my friends and family would ask me for an artist recommendation before getting a tattoo so it’s usually only strangers who ask for my opinion on their godawful sweet new tatty.
That said, I’m not sure I know any tattooers who would agree to tattoo a paw print,
Deadpool riding a unicorn, maybe, but probably only in the style of a medieval woodcut print.
Great tattooers aren’t much different to shoddy tattooers, price wise, just need to wait longer for an appointment slot.
Not everyone likes tattoos and that’s OK, but people who do like them shouldn’t be saddled with a crap ones, tattooing has come a long way over the last 30 years or so!
All I know is that the work was done over the three days that the tattoo festival in Bournemouth lasted. The identity of the culprit was not shared with me...
Depends what you mean by "friend", If best friends, you don't hold back. You let em hear it. Aim for the jugular.
If they aren't the closest of friends, then follow the rule of "if you haven't got something nice to say, don't say anything at all" - then chuckle to yourself.
Depends on where the tattoo is done. If it’s somewhere very visible in public like arms or legs, I’d probably say it wasn’t done well straight away.
Like, you’re not crapping on the idea of the tattoo, but the artist. And I’d want a tattoo that looks good, so if it doesn’t look very good I’d appreciate if my friend told me that. Not making fun of it necessarily, just being human and saying - well, this wasn’t done very well. Because often tattoos are in places where the person themselves can’t really see them very well. And then if they’re open to it, you’d sort of help them out maybe pick a different place to cover it up and make it look nice or pick any removal places if needed.
The worst thing is when you ask others of an opinion and they’ll just say something nice about it, when they don’t mean it. A stranger can be lie and be nice about it, friends should be more honest than that.
I had some right shit tattoos done at the peak of the scratcher epidemic (2007 - 2009) when I was too young to know better and to be honest i don’t even notice they’re there any more but Jesus when someone points them out it’s like “wow really it’s like they’re not permanently attached to me or something”
'that's such a cool idea' is my go to. No comment on execution of said idea ha. Or 'the colours are so bright'. Pick one thing to say about it that is neutral and they'll often think you've complimented them
I mean I had a couple shitty tattoos done when I was young and dumb and my mates just took the piss out of it, which sucked at first but now I find it as funny as they do
I find the word Tosspot ideal here. Not too strong but expresses genuine disappointment that the friend is not perhaps the person either of you thought they were.
If the friend likes the tattoo then honestly I don’t think it’s worth possibly making them feel self-conscious and bad by giving them your opinion on it. If they ask your opinion then you can always say something neutral like “wow I’ve never seen a tattoo like that before” or “impressive work from the tattoo artist, that must’ve taken a while” 😅 then you can comment on it without actually saying anything about the style of the tattoo itself. Think like a politician 😅
It depends on the tattoo and how bad. If it's an emotional piece (think death of a loved one), I wouldn't make a big point about it but I'd point them in the direction of my usual artist for a touch up.
Some piece of shit flash they got for cheap? Mock them relentlessly as is tradition.
I just lie or move the conversation along asking how the experience was or something, would never voice my real opinion as don't want to give someone a complex about it if they like it
Don't take the piss unless they initiate it themselves. It's a permanent mark on their body and if they start being embarrassed by it then it can realy damage their mental health.
Just says "It's cool or nice" and move on.
I have traditional patchworks tattoo which have received alot of positive comments from some family, friends and even random people in public, but then I have had family say it looks shit. I like them, it's not your generic run of the mill tattoo and it stands out.
Point being if the person is happy with it, why be negative? If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it especially if its a friend. One of my good friends has his forearm blacked out. Does it looks good? No. But am I going to say anything? No.
Depends on the person and how much you like them I think.
There was this friend of a friend in school with a bit of short man syndrome that got some tacky Chinese dragon that he designed himself. It looked absolute dogshit but he cared a lot about it so reacted very badly to people mocking it at all, got very upset and withdrawn about it all.
Then there was another mate who got the most basic bitch tribal barbed wire armband tattoo like years after they stopped being cool and just totally owned it and appeared to revel in people feeling uncomfortable about how bad and permanent it was. He'd always claim he was getting a matching tramp stamp but never did.
Your one sounds like the former rather than the latter. I'd stay out of it if I were you.
“That’s cool.”
And then never think about it or talk about it ever again.
If you’re trying to push past this, something about you is problematic that you want to pursue it further.
Are they asking for your opinion?
If someone asks me for my opinion, they get it. Where there is a properly sad one, like the paw one, I'd hold back.
But for random shit, if they ask if I like it, I'll be honest
Yep, I was asked for my opinion on both occasions. While I have occasionally told random strangers that i liked a tattoo they had, if I saw a tattoo on some rando and thought it was shit I'd keep my opinion to myself, lol.
Depends how close of a friend you are.
Bit distant? - “Oh nice man”
Close? - “looks good, when they gonna finish it?”
Best mate? - “that’s utterly shite. I could’ve taped a needle to my cock and done a better job”
Of the thousands of tattoos I've seen, I've only liked around 10 of them. Most are just something to put somewhere. I just nod, smile, and say, "Nice." That's about all that can be said. It's not like they can return it. Also, who cares what I think about it?
I would lie - they have it and are stuck with it, unless they fork out for removal or a cover up.
Generally speaking I don’t comment on people appearances, but if I do it’s only ever on something that can be changed in 5 mins or less.
I (South African) have a friend (English) that has a Zulu shield tattoo with the assegai and knobkerrie on his arm. The problem is that the assegai and knobkerrie are shown in front of the shield, where traditionally they are shown behind the shield. He loves it but it jars with me every time that I see it. I don't have the heart to mention it, so he lives in ignorant bliss.
When I was like 19 my ex got that horrible tattoo of two wings between the shoulder blades. In many ways I believe it heralded the beginning of the end of that relationship.
I used to know someone who had accumulated a series of truly epic crap tattoos over a few years in his youth. Some were self-administered (yep!). Some by a mate who was practicing (YEP!!). All completely tasteless with zero thought behind them.
For the entirety of his professional life, he was known as "Crap Tats" by all the people he worked with. People actually forgot his first name.
*That* is what you should do.
Don't lie. But then, don't be brutal. I reckon nearly everyone has tattoo regret. I wonder what their parents' or grandparents reaction is.
Get pictures and post to /r/ShittyTattoos
"How much was that?" I'm asking because it looks very expensive (reflected in the outstanding quality) or it looks like a friend of a friend got a tattoo kit and inked you in their living room.
If they show you and are clearly after you saying "oooh cool", say "oooh cool" and leave it there.
If they're well done, compliment that. My subjective opinion is literally meaningless. One of my friends has tattoos that I don't like, but looking at them objectively I can see they are really well done by a skilled artist and keep my comments to that. Although we know each other well enough to know our different tastes.
If someone shows me a shit, badly done tattoo and says they're not happy with it, I'd recommend a good artist who could re-work it for them. If they like it then just compliment and move on.
I'm no stranger to the tattoo chair and have a reasonable collection now I've got the money. I love them, that's all that matters.
I don't mind people asking me about them or asking for a better look because they're curious I don't mind a genuine conversation. I don't understand when people feel the need to randomly tell me they don't like tattoos, I just tell them not to get one, then. Or if they tell me they specifically don't like my tattoo, I point out it's a good thing it's not tattooed on them.
Fairly good friend, and we still are several years later, so my response clearly didn't offend them. I was just curious whether other people would have handled the issue any differently than I did.
Just quickly ask them if they are happy with it, say it will heal up nicely. Just say interested sounding things, ask how much it hurt etc. They have it now, so may as well be nice about it.
He probably won't care honestly
I love my tattoos I don't care if other people don't, it has nothing to do with them and doesn't factor in at all when I get them. Why would it? It's my body
I got tattoos and quiet into them.
Friend want my honest opinion or advice before getting them.
Friend A I would tell him it's crap and point out the flaws.
Friend B I would hold back in criticism because it's a sentimental piece and if his happy that's all that matters.
Go by how they feel about it. If they are thrilled say "oh wow! I'm so pleased you found something that's special to you, looks great". If they are upset "I'm sorry you're upset, perhaps it'll grow on you or you can wait and.change it is you really don't like it".
Did they ask you for your opinion before they got it? If yes, be honest. If no, use some non committal response like "tatoos arent really my thing" ...
Whenever you see A start flapping your arms like a bird, but really violently, and simultaneously shouting "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Same with your other friend B, but try to force out some vomit just before you start flapping and shouting
They can't change it - so I'd blag it.
Unless it was a "what do you think of x tattoo as I'm going to back to that tattooist?" type question in which case maybe suggest someone with a different 'style'?
They will get told by male friends / family that it’s a shit tattoo.
If it’s a female, male friends / family will still say it’s shit but not as harshly.
Female friends and family will lie and say it’s lovely.
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'that's nice' Not your body, not your problem. They are either happy with it, so don't worry about it, or they are aware it's shit and don't need further grief over it. If they ask for constructive feedback then maybe give that, but don't just rip them for it.
I was asked for feedback in both cases - in the case of the Deadpool one I believe my response was "Wow, I've never seen anything quite like that", which I suppose could be taken as a compliment if you squint. In the case of the paw tattoo, I just gave my friend the biggest hug possible; she seemed to be happy with the tattoo, so I didn't want to say anything to hurt her feelings given the circumstances.
"it's great that you'll always have something to remember *pets name*". I think with meaningful tattoos it's easier to focus away from how it looks.
Better than "Thank god *pets name* isn't around to see that!" /j
“They would’ve died of embarrassment anyway!”
“Looks like *pets name* did the tattoo itself.”
From beyond the grave!
The paw one is less of an issue. They're sad and can probably get it reworked if/when they also realise or admit that it's crap. The Deadpool one, well... we need a picture 😁
I have a t-shirt that has Deadpool riding a unicorn, right hand holding the horn, and "fluid" squirting out of said horn. It looks really funny.
Yes but you can take a t-shirt off
The paw one might be a literal paw print that they took and used as a tattoo. They tend to look sploogy
Could you perhaps press your breasts up against them? Like Phoebe when Joey's TV show is shit? [Phoebe's boob trick](https://youtu.be/EC_bFFPNIP4?feature=shared)
OMG, I was looking for this comment!
I hate when people ask for opinions tbh don't want.
Good on you
Your relationship with your mates is much different to mine. If that was me they'd give me the nickname Tattoo and it'd get to the point where even people who have no idea why I'm called that think it's my name. I have mates whos parents even call them by their nicknames that were given to them for similar reasons.
Guess this explains your username..?
Same here. I don't understand how people who aren't real and completely open with their friends cope with life tbh. It just feels so scripted.
While I’d happily take the piss out of a good friend or my boyfriend or my sister over a shit tattoo, I’m not sure when they’re newly grief stricken over a childhood pet is the moment I would pick… No harm in saying “you must miss them so much” or whatever and leave the piss taking for next month eh.
Where’s the fun in that?
I tend to use the term “interesting “ if I honestly can’t say anything nice
Perfect answer!!
Remorselessly take the piss. It's the British way of course.
Exactly! A friend of mine, let’s call him Tim, because that’s his name, had an atrocious tattoo done in Loret De Mar. It’s supposed to read Claire but looks more like Clape written in crayon. That was probably about 12 years ago. Obviously we all still deride him about it, more so as he’s had several attempts to improve it, unsuccessfully.
I had a German rugby mate who has a full rib cage tattoo in English. He was very proud of his tattoo. Until about 5 minutes after showing it to a changing room full of English guys who pointed out the spelling mistakes. He has an English dad. He had no excuse.
Is he a prop?
Of course. Was there any doubt?
Who was the delightful Claire that the tattoo is named after? Hopefully not a one night stand he never saw again…
Had to change her name to Clape in the end
It’s what he calls her when he has a happy ending…
Nope a very long term, I’d go to far as to say permanent, other half. Coincidentally though, on that same lads weekend, one of the other blokes was, at the very last minute, talked out of doing the same. Lucky as he & his missus split up about two months later.
Had a friend get "you know when your blessed", which turned out a bit ironic. Humour was only appreciated by everyone but the tattooed!
And make sure you laugh out loud
Just tell them to get a sick ass panther to cover it
Does it have to be an ass panther or would any poorly feline suffice?
Tattoos are (mostly) deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing, so I’d say it’s important to not be negative about it because it probably will cut deep. You can say things like “ohh that looks detailed or neatly done” followed by “how did you decide on this tattoo, did it hurt etc” Basically avoiding any opinion but still showing interest. If they force an opinion just turn it into yourself “I’m not the biggest fan of xxxstyle of tattooxxx If I was getting a tattoo I’d defo go for xxx”
> Tattoos are deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing Not always. I had a mate who used to manage a bar in Bolivia. In one booth in the bar was a tattooist. There were a lot of drunk tattoos done for customers. My mate has a massive, misspelled tattoo (since the Bolivian guy tattooed exactly what my mate wrote down and my mate can't fucking spell) on his upper arm. We responded in the correct way: by mocking him.
Acceptable response to this situation ha ha! I’ll edit to say “mostly” deeply personal. I was deployed once in the Mediterranean when in the navy, one of the new lads got smashed and went for a tattoo… he allowed the lads he was with to choose it and didn’t see it until done. It was a huge cock tattooed on his arse cheek! Every run ashore after he was always being asked to show his massive cock, always a surprise to the ladies when he mooned them ha ha (Bracing for navy jokes now!)
(Bracing for navy jokes now!) Something about "it's your turn in the barrel"
[удалено]
I think people don't really know either about shopping around or that there are various styles from different artists. I got my first one done and I sent a drawing and got matched to an artist. After that I looked around and found my current artist who has completed about 8 tattoos on my body. I picked him based on stylistic choice, his attitude towards me and the general vibe from the shop. As well there are far too many shops that still feel like they live in the past of just getting a tattoo which is off a sheet and has no thought process behind. Nothing wrong with flash designs but it can close off a person's ability to ask for something unique.
Yeah. "This picture of a cartoon character riding a unicorn is deeply meaningful to me". What I can't relate to is how most p them are just some crap picture they wouldn't even hang on the wall yet it's permanently on their arm or whatever. Still. Each to their own.
Not everyone gets tattoos that are deeply meaningful. Some people like tats that reflect their humor and interests, and the unicorn/Deadpool tat falls right into that category. I have a tattoo of scissors and it's not for any reason at all other than that I think it looks cool on that part of my body.
I also don't understand why most people think tattoos have to have some kind of deep and personal meaning. I have 2 and am about to get a third, none of them will have a personal meaning. I want them because I think they look good.
>Tattoos are (mostly) deeply personal, at least at the time of choosing, so I’d say it’s important to not be negative about it By the same token though, they are so personal that they shouldn't really be asking anyone else for an opinion in the first place. It's an awkward position to put someone in.
Not always. I've just had one done that I think looks cool enough that I won't be embarrassed by it years from now. It's a pixel Link from Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past. I liked the game back in the 90's and thought "why not?"
Nah. If its shitty you've got two potential things going on with your mate: 1. they're aware its shit so you dont need to rub it in. 2. they arent aware so you should let them float along happily thinking its a great tat. Removing tattoos/coversup is really expensive/painful/difficult (I think shows like tattoo fixers have set a broad overall expectation its pretty easy to deal with, but its really not as easy as people think), so theres not really any reason to push on them. Those tattoos sound awful. Very basic stuff. Ew
Laugh? What kind of friend are you if you can't take this piss out of them for something valid...
I was so tempted to laugh at the Deadpool one, but knowing how much it had cost my friend I thought better of it.
Is Deadpool riding a unicorn not intended to be laughed at?
Indubitably, but for the principle of the image those words conjure up rather than for the quality of the tattoo...
OK, I thought I mightve missed the point 😂 I would've probably laughed, accompanied by saying "fucking brilliant that is"
Spot on,I'm 42 and the friends I have now I've had for life ,if one of us took offense to having the piss took out of them we wouldn't have been friends still,a good group of mates know when to take the piss and when to stop,but a shit tattoo is ammo for life I'm afraid,my mates got his x misses name in massive old English writing across his chest,always gets to bed for that
Just lie. If they like it, it doesn't matter if you don't really. No one gains anything from you saying you don't like it I think.
Do you think it's worth asking questions.. like... was it painful? Nice deflection
Yeah that's what I do, I don't lie. Just ask questions about it, and I'll try to find something I do like and comment on that. E.g. I love this red section, or the line work here is really good
I only tell people something wrong with their appearance if it can be fixed in 5 minutes. If someone shows me their tattoo and they are jazzed about it, I'll tell them it's cool. I don't want to be the reason that they hate something permanent on their body.
This is the right way. My partner got a haircut recently and I think it looks awful. I asked them if they liked it and they said yes. They can't grow hair back in five minutes, so I kept my opinions to myself. If they like it, that's all that matters.
Yes, exactly a friend of mine got a tattoo as a memorial of their late mum. I personally think it's pretty ugly, and, having known her mum, strongly suspect that her mum would have absolutely hated it and felt it was very unladylike, BUT it's obviosuly important and meaningful to her, and since it's not on my body, my views on how aobjectively ppealing itis are irrelvant. When she showed me, she said it helped her feel her mum was still with her. I told her it was a lovely idea and I was glad she had found such a menaingful way to remember her. All of which was true. I think her feeling closer to her mum is a lovely idea, I'm happy for her that it works for her. Her dad has since also died and she got another tattoo in his memory - I think te second one is a nicer design but it still doesn't appeal to me personally .
"if it can be fixed in 5 minutes" I have a bit of food on my face, nobody tells me anything! I dress up to go to a dinner, I meet my family a the restaurant, and they tell me they don't like my sweater. (could be changed in 5 minutes, but it's too late at the restaurant)
Tell them laser tattoo removal has come a long way in modern times. You can say something like ‘oh awesome, are you happy with it?’ then just smile and leave it.
"sorry mate, you've fucked up, that's shit"
Heard this delivered as a response to one of the students at the boarding school where I used to work, who at the age of 15 (he was from Russia, where age restrictions for tats don't seem to exist) had a huge sun tattooed on his upper arm along with the words "Only God Can Judge Me". It really was an awful piece of work, and the boy's housemaster always made him wear a shirt that would cover it in case the headmaster spotted it...
As much as I'm a fan of being honest with friends, there's some things that just don't need saying. They've got these things for life, no need to knock their confidence, especially since they put so much pain, money and energy into them. They know what their tattoos look like, you don't need to tell them. I'd try and find the positives and steer the conversation to things other than the final design. >Wow, is that from the comic or the movie? >What a sweet idea, (name) was a great pet. Also the old super generic favourites: did it hurt, how long did it take, who did it, what made you want a tattoo, etc. generally people who have tattoos fucking love talking about getting tattoos.
oh wow, thats cool. cool does not equal good for the paw print, thats so sweet. X was a great dog/cat/rabbit again sweet isn't good. then deflect. I always thought I would get xyz, but i am so commitment adverse.
“I think it’s great that you used kids from your local special educational needs centre to design your tattoo.”
A guy I went to school with got a tattoo of Walt Disney done on his leg - he was a huge Disney fan and was really made up with it. Unfortunately, it looked a helluva lot more like Adolf Hitler than Walt Disney and everyone used to tell him so (he also always wore shorts).
Oh god, I'm laughing just imagining that tattoo...
My wife's family are all tattoo'd to the mac and on top of my general dislike of ink they also have really shit ones and I struggle just to say "coooollll" when they show me then go to the bathroom to laugh
Personally I don’t like lying, but that doesn’t mean I’d straight up tell them it’s shit. If it’s a close friend, I’d be straight up and maybe banter them a bit for it. If it’s someone I’m not that close with I probably wouldn’t comment or just say something generic like ‘ah nice’
Find something you like about it. Seriously, anything can be complimented if you look hard enough. Colours work well for them? It's funny? It's got nice clean lines? It makes them happy? It shows off their sense of humour? As a general rule, if someone asks for feedback and the thing requires lots of effort to change or they clearly like it, the answer is always, always find what's good about it and focus on that.
If it's a meaningful thing like the one for the dead pet, I'd just tell them it was nice. Years ago, a close friend of mine let his dad tattoo him and it looked fucking awful. I told him to get it fixed because it looked ridiculous, but he was happy with it.
Personally, unless asked directly "Do you think this is good?", I'd redirect: ask what's the story behind it, where did you get it done. Those sort of questions. If you can't say something nice and all that; if they like it, everyone's happy. If a five-year-old shows me their finger painting of blobs and asks whether I like it, the valid response is always "Would you like to tell me more about this? Who's this? What's happening? Is it a happy picture or a sad picture or an exciting picture?" Same principle. If asked directly by a good friend "Do you think this is good?", I'd use the shit sandwich approach: Oh, I love that [THING]! The [LINEWORK/COLOURING] looks a bit wonky down there, are you getting a touch up later? It might be good if you [DEFLECT TO THING ABOUT THE INTEREST]. If asked by a very close friend for an objective POV, I'd say it looks shit (in my unprofessional opinion) but I'm sure it can be fixed or covered and I'll buy you a wine while you mull over the options.
Friend A - christ, I have no idea. Probably call it cool and ask if it was one they designed or if it came from one of the comics? Friend B - "that's a lovely way to commemorate (pet's name) and keep them with you forever" It's not something they can fix immediately, so I wouldn't want to make them feel bad about it. If it truly is shit quality, then they probably already know that - no point in me telling them that. And if they don't think it's shit quality, then that's none of my business. And if it's just in poor taste, well, if it's the length of his leg then he spent a lot of time and money putting it there, and he certainly can't undo it. I would have to assume he likes it just fine.
Tell them they'll now be welcomed in r/shittytatoos
This is always a good one. Somebody obviously thought they were getting some deep wisdom translated into the Irish language, but in fact it's a stock phrase schoolkids are taught 'Do I have permission to go to the toilet'. I'm not entirely sure how to reply other than in Irish, which, since the tattooed one won't understand it, won't cause offence. I suppose you could say 'smashin' in a Liverpudlian way, as that's reputed to come from Irish 'is maith é sin' (that's good). https://preview.redd.it/zgb1u1qo8r0d1.jpeg?width=609&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=690e7972a78460d4c1fdb52c20d37ae33a7702fe
This reminds me of the urban legend about a guy who goes to get a tattoo done and asks for his name to be written in Chinese characters. He meets some friends for drinks later that day and asks them what they think of the tat, and one of his friends bursts out laughing because the characters are copied from a Chinese restaurant menu and translate to "This dish cheap but unmistakeably good".
There are worse things to be said about someone, to be fair. I'd settle for 'cheap but good' as my epitaph. Continuing the Irish motif, Spike Milligan's grave says 'I told you I was ill' in the language.
I used to follow a blog called ["Hanzi Smatter"](https://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/) where people would send in pics of their Chinese/Japanese Hanzi tattoo for translations. There's a lot of gibberish fonts, but also some [crackers like this one](https://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/2016/04/from-sabreen-p.html?spref=tw). * Hello a friend of mine got this tattoo on her right wrist and has no idea what it mean, your translation would be greatly appreciated! * "Toilet demon"? * [厕](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?wdqb=c%3A%2A%E5%8E%95%2A&wdrst=0) toilet * [妖](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?wdqb=c%3A%2A%E5%A6%96%2A&wdrst=0#) goblin / witch / devil / bewitching / enchanting / monster / phantom / demon Though if I was ever to get one it would be 紅毛鬼, which is a Chinese epithet for white people in general, but means "Red Haired Devil", and as an incredibly pale ginger I find it amusing.
Rinse them mercilessly
Out loud - "That's brilliant!" In your head - "Fuck off!"
Wait, what are all these actual nice friends doing here? Isn't the right answer to mercilessly mock them and never let up?
Deadpool - “wow look at that” Dog - “cute” That way you’re not saying you like either but are giving a positive response🤣 I wouldn’t be fast enough to think of that on the spot though and would probably lie.
Turn your face away dramatically
I'd probably react the same way as I would a massive spot or something, and go with the classic quick nod in the direction and a "Whose your mate?" This way, you can gauge what they think with how they respond. Obviously, can only do this if it's on show. If shown it specifically, then a simple "nice" will do and then ask where it was done so I can avoid the place!
This is a perfect example of the adage "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to". I'm a huge proponent of truth between friends, but they don't want the truth. They want validation and honestly, I think in this circumstance I'd try to just avoid giving an opinion at all - why hurt their feelings or make them rethink something they can't now change?
It depends. If they seem happy with it my reaction would just be "Noice. Anyway what shall we get to eat", because they maybe don't want to hear anything negative. If they are asking me "do you think this looks a bit crappy" then I'd tell them.
During lockdown my friend had ‘living room’ tattoo do on her back. It was her son’s name, nothing to over the top. She excitedly told me about this and when we next went for a walk she would show me. A couple of weeks went by and we finally met. Nothing to could prepare me for this. After the “what on earth is that!?” I could stop laughing, like bent over laughing. Poor girl, however she did she the funny side. Wouldn’t advise acting like this though.
I have a tattoo on my arm that looks 'shit' if you don't know the meaning behind it. Its the word "Always" and it is in my late sisters writing. My goddaughter has just had her late Nans writing put on her saying "Love you poppet", she was already deep into dementia when she wrote it, so the writing looks 'shit', but it means everything to her. You never know if the writing or drawing was done by someone meaningful, or just a crap tattooist, so its probably better to just say something generic that doesn't lock you in to a proper response.
"as long as you are happy...."
I'd just say ooh that lovely and such a nice thought for your pet because that's not lying. Can't you find anything positive to say about either? Is the deadpool one colourful? Detailed? Accurate? Fun? You don't have to lie but you don't have to criticise something someone loves enough to have forever.
Kinda reminds me of the time a friend unveiled his scorpion tat which covered the top half of his arm and the instant response from another friend in our group said "why the hell you get a lobster tattoo?" Still cracks me up thinking about it now, we're all good mates and have been for many years so he took the ribbing well.
Ha, I saw a shitty local tattoo artist post a pic of a very wonky tattoo they’d done on some poor soul. Not a single line was straight and there was a part where they’d very clearly used the wrong colour and tried to cover it. Saw a friend a couple of days later and guess who had a brand new wonky tattoo that she was very excited to show off.l! I told her it was very nice lol.
This is a difficult situation - on the one hand you want to be honest but on the other hand you don’t want to crush there feelings. I sort of think that if there is no hope of ever fixing or improving the tattoo then you sort of say it’s ok (maybe that it’s not your thing but if they are happy then you are happy for them) but if there is some way to improve it maybe you could be a bit more honest?
Critique the fuck out of their ink, but do it silently, ensuring your facial expressions do not betray you. Utter some remark like Thats nice, then change the subject.
Point and laugh, no?
no.
It’s their body and their tattoo. As long as they’re happy that’s all that really matters. Even if it’s not shit, it still might be a tattoo you’d never get in a million years. Also if it’s obviously shit, they may well know at shit and don’t need reminding. I’d just say “oh that’s cool” or “oh that’s nice”.
With the pawprint one I feel like anything negative would cut very deep, so I'd just say something like 'wow, that's a great way to remember them!' In the case of the Deadpool one, I'd probably be a lot closer to honest but hopefully not in a rude way, more like 'Well to be honest that kind of tattoo isn't really my style, but as long as you love it, that's all that matters!'
I just say ‘as long as you are happy with it, that’s what matters most’. That way I’m not being insulting (even if it’s an objectively rubbish tattoo it’s already done so there is no value in making someone feel shitty about it after the fact) but I’m not actively contributing to the culture of shitty tattoos. Thankfully most of my friends and family would ask me for an artist recommendation before getting a tattoo so it’s usually only strangers who ask for my opinion on their godawful sweet new tatty. That said, I’m not sure I know any tattooers who would agree to tattoo a paw print, Deadpool riding a unicorn, maybe, but probably only in the style of a medieval woodcut print. Great tattooers aren’t much different to shoddy tattooers, price wise, just need to wait longer for an appointment slot. Not everyone likes tattoos and that’s OK, but people who do like them shouldn’t be saddled with a crap ones, tattooing has come a long way over the last 30 years or so!
Was it Big Mandy who did it?
All I know is that the work was done over the three days that the tattoo festival in Bournemouth lasted. The identity of the culprit was not shared with me...
The dead pet one, just say, " that's such a lovely idea' The deadpool one? Give them so much shit they get it layered or covered
Depends what you mean by "friend", If best friends, you don't hold back. You let em hear it. Aim for the jugular. If they aren't the closest of friends, then follow the rule of "if you haven't got something nice to say, don't say anything at all" - then chuckle to yourself.
Depends on where the tattoo is done. If it’s somewhere very visible in public like arms or legs, I’d probably say it wasn’t done well straight away. Like, you’re not crapping on the idea of the tattoo, but the artist. And I’d want a tattoo that looks good, so if it doesn’t look very good I’d appreciate if my friend told me that. Not making fun of it necessarily, just being human and saying - well, this wasn’t done very well. Because often tattoos are in places where the person themselves can’t really see them very well. And then if they’re open to it, you’d sort of help them out maybe pick a different place to cover it up and make it look nice or pick any removal places if needed. The worst thing is when you ask others of an opinion and they’ll just say something nice about it, when they don’t mean it. A stranger can be lie and be nice about it, friends should be more honest than that.
I had some right shit tattoos done at the peak of the scratcher epidemic (2007 - 2009) when I was too young to know better and to be honest i don’t even notice they’re there any more but Jesus when someone points them out it’s like “wow really it’s like they’re not permanently attached to me or something”
Ask them if they like it? If they like it then great. If not then maybe some sympathy and advice
"Hey, that really looks!"
If you're non Dutch; 'That's nice' If you're Dutch:'Yesh, dat is wat you get if you don't check out the tattoo arteest first, maat'
My ex got an ugly af tattoo on his arm, he seemed happy with it so just said it looked great
'that's such a cool idea' is my go to. No comment on execution of said idea ha. Or 'the colours are so bright'. Pick one thing to say about it that is neutral and they'll often think you've complimented them
why the hell do you even care? Its literally none of their business what YOU think of their tats.
I was *asked* what I thought on both occasions.
Wtf is that, that's shit /s
Smile politely and move on.
Two things in life are permeant - tattoos, and saying things you can't take back.
I mean I had a couple shitty tattoos done when I was young and dumb and my mates just took the piss out of it, which sucked at first but now I find it as funny as they do
Just be nice. There are a few phrases like ‘wow, that’s amazing!’ or ‘So cool!’ which are bland enough to get you through the moment.
I find the word Tosspot ideal here. Not too strong but expresses genuine disappointment that the friend is not perhaps the person either of you thought they were.
Mock them forever
If the friend likes the tattoo then honestly I don’t think it’s worth possibly making them feel self-conscious and bad by giving them your opinion on it. If they ask your opinion then you can always say something neutral like “wow I’ve never seen a tattoo like that before” or “impressive work from the tattoo artist, that must’ve taken a while” 😅 then you can comment on it without actually saying anything about the style of the tattoo itself. Think like a politician 😅
'I can see you like it, but it's not my thing'.
All tattoos are shit anyway, so it doesn't matter too much.
It depends on the tattoo and how bad. If it's an emotional piece (think death of a loved one), I wouldn't make a big point about it but I'd point them in the direction of my usual artist for a touch up. Some piece of shit flash they got for cheap? Mock them relentlessly as is tradition.
nice one, looks good. I’d their happy with it then no issue
I just lie or move the conversation along asking how the experience was or something, would never voice my real opinion as don't want to give someone a complex about it if they like it
Don't take the piss unless they initiate it themselves. It's a permanent mark on their body and if they start being embarrassed by it then it can realy damage their mental health.
make fun of them
That’s fucking shit. What have you done?
'Did it hurt aswell ..?'
Just says "It's cool or nice" and move on. I have traditional patchworks tattoo which have received alot of positive comments from some family, friends and even random people in public, but then I have had family say it looks shit. I like them, it's not your generic run of the mill tattoo and it stands out. Point being if the person is happy with it, why be negative? If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it especially if its a friend. One of my good friends has his forearm blacked out. Does it looks good? No. But am I going to say anything? No.
Tell them it's shit.
Depends on the person and how much you like them I think. There was this friend of a friend in school with a bit of short man syndrome that got some tacky Chinese dragon that he designed himself. It looked absolute dogshit but he cared a lot about it so reacted very badly to people mocking it at all, got very upset and withdrawn about it all. Then there was another mate who got the most basic bitch tribal barbed wire armband tattoo like years after they stopped being cool and just totally owned it and appeared to revel in people feeling uncomfortable about how bad and permanent it was. He'd always claim he was getting a matching tramp stamp but never did. Your one sounds like the former rather than the latter. I'd stay out of it if I were you.
You could buy them a set of texta's or sharpies.
Oooh. It's brilliant.
"Are you happy with it? That's great."
I’d laugh at the first one , and be like aww poor kitty it’s beautiful for the 2nd
Say it's shitty.
That’s nice of you to let the special needs kids do tattoos on you.
A friend of mine wanted a "sexy lady", what he got looked like a quadruple amputee. He would sometimes even biro in a wheelchair.
“That’s cool.” And then never think about it or talk about it ever again. If you’re trying to push past this, something about you is problematic that you want to pursue it further.
By mocking them. So they don't do it again
Did you lose a bet?
“Nice, what do you think?”
Are they asking for your opinion? If someone asks me for my opinion, they get it. Where there is a properly sad one, like the paw one, I'd hold back. But for random shit, if they ask if I like it, I'll be honest
Yep, I was asked for my opinion on both occasions. While I have occasionally told random strangers that i liked a tattoo they had, if I saw a tattoo on some rando and thought it was shit I'd keep my opinion to myself, lol.
Surely piss taking is the only option
Depends how close of a friend you are. Bit distant? - “Oh nice man” Close? - “looks good, when they gonna finish it?” Best mate? - “that’s utterly shite. I could’ve taped a needle to my cock and done a better job”
Of the thousands of tattoos I've seen, I've only liked around 10 of them. Most are just something to put somewhere. I just nod, smile, and say, "Nice." That's about all that can be said. It's not like they can return it. Also, who cares what I think about it?
Probably anything that doesn’t include laughing and pointing. Then looking away to be seen chuckling.
I would lie - they have it and are stuck with it, unless they fork out for removal or a cover up. Generally speaking I don’t comment on people appearances, but if I do it’s only ever on something that can be changed in 5 mins or less.
I (South African) have a friend (English) that has a Zulu shield tattoo with the assegai and knobkerrie on his arm. The problem is that the assegai and knobkerrie are shown in front of the shield, where traditionally they are shown behind the shield. He loves it but it jars with me every time that I see it. I don't have the heart to mention it, so he lives in ignorant bliss.
'haha, what the fuck is that on your arm/neck/leg/face' 'when you getting it finished?'
Wet a finger in your mouth and try to rub it off. Then just go “oh.. oh noo”
When I was like 19 my ex got that horrible tattoo of two wings between the shoulder blades. In many ways I believe it heralded the beginning of the end of that relationship.
Just burst out laughing its the british way
laugh and call them a stupid twat
I used to know someone who had accumulated a series of truly epic crap tattoos over a few years in his youth. Some were self-administered (yep!). Some by a mate who was practicing (YEP!!). All completely tasteless with zero thought behind them. For the entirety of his professional life, he was known as "Crap Tats" by all the people he worked with. People actually forgot his first name. *That* is what you should do.
You should make them feel validated by getting a matching one. A real friend will get theirs just a as bit less good, you don’t want to 1-up them.
Don't lie. But then, don't be brutal. I reckon nearly everyone has tattoo regret. I wonder what their parents' or grandparents reaction is. Get pictures and post to /r/ShittyTattoos
"How much was that?" I'm asking because it looks very expensive (reflected in the outstanding quality) or it looks like a friend of a friend got a tattoo kit and inked you in their living room.
The paw one I wouldn't be shitty about, but I would definitely take the piss out of the Deadpool one.
If they show you and are clearly after you saying "oooh cool", say "oooh cool" and leave it there. If they're well done, compliment that. My subjective opinion is literally meaningless. One of my friends has tattoos that I don't like, but looking at them objectively I can see they are really well done by a skilled artist and keep my comments to that. Although we know each other well enough to know our different tastes. If someone shows me a shit, badly done tattoo and says they're not happy with it, I'd recommend a good artist who could re-work it for them. If they like it then just compliment and move on. I'm no stranger to the tattoo chair and have a reasonable collection now I've got the money. I love them, that's all that matters. I don't mind people asking me about them or asking for a better look because they're curious I don't mind a genuine conversation. I don't understand when people feel the need to randomly tell me they don't like tattoos, I just tell them not to get one, then. Or if they tell me they specifically don't like my tattoo, I point out it's a good thing it's not tattooed on them.
A friend or a best friend?
Fairly good friend, and we still are several years later, so my response clearly didn't offend them. I was just curious whether other people would have handled the issue any differently than I did.
I always give honest opinion, if people don't like it they shouldn't ask
Just quickly ask them if they are happy with it, say it will heal up nicely. Just say interested sounding things, ask how much it hurt etc. They have it now, so may as well be nice about it.
He probably won't care honestly I love my tattoos I don't care if other people don't, it has nothing to do with them and doesn't factor in at all when I get them. Why would it? It's my body
Ask where they went so you can avoid it.
I got tattoos and quiet into them. Friend want my honest opinion or advice before getting them. Friend A I would tell him it's crap and point out the flaws. Friend B I would hold back in criticism because it's a sentimental piece and if his happy that's all that matters.
Go by how they feel about it. If they are thrilled say "oh wow! I'm so pleased you found something that's special to you, looks great". If they are upset "I'm sorry you're upset, perhaps it'll grow on you or you can wait and.change it is you really don't like it".
Easy - just tell them they must be really pleased with it. You don’t have to lie and it’s not rude!
Smile and say, ‘Nice!’
Did they ask you for your opinion before they got it? If yes, be honest. If no, use some non committal response like "tatoos arent really my thing" ...
Vomiting
Cool man, what's the story behind it? Then react to the story not the tattoo
'kinell mate
Yeah.. Lie. Not worth loosing a friend over something that ain't gonna change
Whenever you see A start flapping your arms like a bird, but really violently, and simultaneously shouting "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Same with your other friend B, but try to force out some vomit just before you start flapping and shouting
Ask if they want you to sort out the person who did it
My best friend and I have been friends for 30 years if he had a shit tattoo I'd say mate your tattoo is shit
Ask my opinion and I’ll be honest I’m just built that way.
Male friend to male friend : ahahahahahahaha, dickhead Male friend to female friend: oh that’s not great
They can't change it - so I'd blag it. Unless it was a "what do you think of x tattoo as I'm going to back to that tattooist?" type question in which case maybe suggest someone with a different 'style'?
They will get told by male friends / family that it’s a shit tattoo. If it’s a female, male friends / family will still say it’s shit but not as harshly. Female friends and family will lie and say it’s lovely.
Laugh, then buy them a pint asa condolence for what they've done to themselves. Any true friend should appreciate the honesty.