Pornography... In and around a tattoo shop, what's your take on this?

[Jennifer Stell]

So... I have been in shops that have dirty magazines laying around, usually in the back or in a private area... But I have been in 5 shops that I can think of that XXX not "Pretty Playboy", were common objects on a lobby table or counter...

Honestly, I don't really care, I once thought oh no what if a kid sees that, but then again would be like what the fuck is a kid doing in a shop, but now I really wonder:

If you were coming into a shop for the first time, would you be offended or put off in some way enough to discourage you from being there at all... I'm not talking about tattooers knowing about a tattoo shop being badass and whatnot, this is purely aimed at patrons, and collectors in general?

I mean, no one leaves random dude on dude, making the snakes kiss bullshit laying around, but a few nasty typical pornos doesn't offend the typical female consumer? Whom happens to be the 80% of people getting actual tattoos nowadays, not just talking about it... ?

Input?

[jinxproof1996]

playboy in the lobby would be fine in my eyes (although and mags in the lobby isn't my thing), XXX is ok in an employee bathroom or rest/drawing area. anything else is ridiculous. i mean, who needs printed porn with whats on the interwebs??

[Shmitty]

We've got a couple of playboys laying around the front lobby, nothing really harder than that. However I have seen some pretty raunchy stuff in lobbies though. The way I see it is that kids shouldn't be there in the first place, and adults should know exactly what it is that they are picking up, unless they are blind and then it doesn't matter anyways. lol

[Dan S]

If I saw a Playboy on a table in the waiting room, I'd just shine it on. If I saw a Hustler, I'd probably split. I mean, it's a business, right? Even the Playboy is pushing it. I'm not a prude, hey, do what you like, but I don't think that stuff has any place out in public.

[Bunny Switchblade]

I think the newer female client base that has been brought up on "Ink" shows has a perception now of what a tattoo shop should be like based on television and anything raunchier than playboy would probably turn them off!

Would that matter to me.....hell no!

But why give any client a reason not to come into your shop?

[CultExciter]

I am a big fan of the female physique, but the last thing I want to think about when getting tattooed is getting laid. I get tattoos so I can get laid (I'm kidding, kinda...ok, maybe I'm not).

[slayer9019]

Porn out in open would make me question the shop a bit but I have been in a shop that has porn plastered all over the artist's bathroom. Hell I've been in a few offices that have porn in thebathroom (usually higher exec private bathrooms). If its not in the open then no big deal.

[fuckhead]

If you're a big enough square to get upset by the presence of a Playboy, you probably shouldn't be getting tattooed. Then again, I don't think there are a whole lot of "classy" shops that would leave a Playboy or any other porno jawn out for a customer to read.

[Hunter Morrow]

i mean, who needs printed porn with whats on the interwebs??

Eh, sometimes you like the feeling of a magazine in your hand or around, you know? Feels tangible, more "real." I mean, that is just speculation on my part.

Um....

Ok.

[Kev]

First contact I had with a Playboy (and tattoos) was at my hometown barbershop. It was run by an old Navy vet that smoked while he cut hair, classic country playing on the radio (or the baseball game)- your stereotypical classic barbershop. He also had the paper, Guns and Ammo, and Field and Stream, but the Playboys were in the bathroom. Their presence verified that the place was a "men's club" and when I see porn at other places- motorcycle/ hot rod shops, it gives the same vibe.

[Bunny Switchblade]

Now if I had a shop then I would just buy a donkey and paint it up like a zebra....then it would make the female clients happy and be safe for kids!

Everyone gets a ride!!!

And it's an alternate source of income!

:)

P.s. --- Kids should be exposed to tattoos and the process earlier in life! I personally see no problem with that and think that it may aid in them understanding that it's okay for people to be different from each other!

Of course I do understand this is on a shop by shop case......and you shouldn't just show up with a kid to be tattooed without asking the artist AND shop owner!

[Androosh]

I think I'd shy away from a shop with any sort of adult mags because that's just so goddamn corny.

[Dan S]

If you're a big enough square to get upset by the presence of a Playboy, you probably shouldn't be getting tattooed. Then again, I don't think there are a whole lot of "classy" shops that would leave a Playboy or any other porno jawn out for a customer to read.

I wouldn't be "upset" about the presence of any mag, but I'd question the shop-owners professionalism. Here ya go-I'm taking my 14 y.o. daughter with me this Friday when I go in to get some work done. Do I want her to have to look at a Hustler laying out in the open? No. do I want some skeezix reading Hustler and looking at my daughter? No-I'd rather not spend the night in Cook County Jail after I break his sticks.

Porn doesn't upset me in any way, and I couldn't care less if the private areas of a shop are covered in it, but it has no place out in the open in a business. ANY business. Another poster talked about his barber. Hell, my barber had mags in the backroom too-Esquire was about the hottest thing going then, but even in a business that caters primarily to men, you don't leave porn laying around out in the open.

That said, different strokes for different folks. Literally. If I went into a shop to get some work done, and saw hardcore laying on the table, I'd walk out. But that's just me. I want my work to be done in a clean, professional shop, not someplace where the vibe is "let's burn one off and dig the latest "Big up Front" while we wait for some sucker to come get scratched." Might be harsh, but that's how I'd see it.

[CultExciter]

Look at Smith Street though, the whole bathroom, sans a Mike Wilson original, is all rad pin-up flash. That is totally ok.

[Kev]

Look at Smith Street though, the whole bathroom, sans a Mike Wilson original, is all rad pin-up flash. That is totally ok.

The Smith St. bathroom has some GREAT flash

[irezumi]

Roy Boy.

[Jack]

y'know, that's the one place I didn't go in that shop. Looks like I'll have to go back...

[Jennifer Stell]

Roy Boy.

What about him?

And I'm not talking about anything flash, or painted...

And even porn playing on TV, or a computer, I mean I was 22 once, I had an office, and a hacked cable box, but behind closed doors is one thing, however out in plain sight; public restroom, or lobby table, or break room area, it's like cat shit in the middle of a nice clean lawn... Just fucks the whole view up.

[irezumi]

What about him?

He used to sell porn @ conventions & apparently out of the shop as well.

[riot]

i've never seen porn laying around in a shop before... well... not in the lobby anyways. i would certainly question the professionalism of the shop, but i wouldn't be offended.

[Bunny Switchblade]

So....is Easyrider considered porn?

Just curious?

I can't remember a shop 15 years and back I didn't see an Easyrider mag laying around in!

And most of the new tattoo mags are as good as soft porn....mostly girls half naked all up on each other with 2 or 3 tattoos....lol

[Jennifer Stell]

So....is Easyrider considered porn?

Just curious?

I can't remember a shop 15 years and back I didn't see an Easyrider mag laying around in!

And most of the new tattoo mags are as good as soft porn....mostly girls half naked all up on each other with 2 or 3 tattoos....lol

I wouldn't count easy rider as porn... But I hear what you are saying...

[David Flores]

I think there are some Hustlers or Penthouse in our reference library behind the counter (not sure who's they are? maybe collecters items?), but we don't have any magazines out for people to look at or any bought flash, everything on the walls was painted inside the four walls of the shop. Of course we have a bunch of tattoo books in the back along with tattoo artist magazines and if someone brings a gun or tattoo magazine in we might all look at it, and yes I would agree many tattoo magazines might as well be porn, but they take it with them when they leave or it gets recycled.

[Ursula]

I think Bunny hit the nail on the head for me here.

Tattoo magazines are just slutty looking chicks with little to no clothing on and shitty tattoos, so not any different than a 'real' porno mag other than the tattoo mags don't show an actual vagina hole. I mean obviously a porn mag is way further than just a slutty dressed chick as far as what's being shown but as far as a (and I hate to use this word but) feminist point of view, the chick in the tatt mags are worse cause they aren't even getting paid for it.

But yeah, as far as this topic goes in relation to porn being in shops, I think it comes down to most shops are all men, men tend not to realize what the middle aged soccer mom they tattoo might be offended by.

Personally, I don't understand why anyone would need or want to view pornography in any situation other than while masturbating or with the person you're about to fuck. Why do you need to look at a spread asshole while you wait to get tattooed? Can't you just look at a magazine about music or art or literature or whatever. Fly fishing maybe.

Do shops have these laying about just to prove how bad ass they are?

[Gregor]

Americans are obsessed with porn !! Like @Dan S I would question the professionality of a shop that has porn lying about .