Tattoos carry a STAMP of sexy. They are for the obvious.
Think about it, it is a permanent mark of decoration. One is committing oneself to an act of design or redesign upon one's flesh. Any sort of personal decoration is intertwined with one's sexuality.
To those that like them, they see this act as bold - which it is. It's like they call them on some - "tramp stamps" It is a pretty recognizable and irreversible expression of ones personality, and when visible, WILL cause others to judge one about it immediately, and quite often negatively (which is also probably part of the reason why getting one is seen as "rebellious".
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=407To some, this is something that is GARISH, and unprofessional.
I personally like them only when the piercing or tattoo is not on a person that has a corresponding stereotypical personality.
In fact, when I typically see a tattoo I can usually assume "loudmouthed dumb fuck". (I guess that makes me a statistical part of the Harris poll) The person may be a NICE loudmouthed dumb fuck, but the assumption is usually a fairly safe bet. I like it when a person has a tattoo but breaks that stereotype. Henry Rollins comes to mind.
Intelligent people with tattoos are cool...
as far as the tattoo being sexy... I think the only reason tattoos are confused with being sexy, is because often they are on exposed skin. If the same skin was exposed, but blank... That would probably be sexy too.
Heh, I just looked at a couple of lists of celebs with tattoos... and I had no idea that some of the hottest female celebrities, IMHO, had tattoos...
Barrymore, Jolie, Gellar (think vampires), Alba, Longoria, Jolie (well, I knew she had one, but could never remember it), Theissen, Witherspoon, Milano, Barry, Anderson, Hudson, Patrick (think nascar), Theron, McGowan, Applegate, Richards...
I bet half of you guys could fill in the first names on this list... Most of these ladies have been on a top10 list of most beautiful women in the US at some point or another.
Some people just need Turlington's.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1550019528lastly...Ok, that live free tattoo... That's pretty sexy... crazy... but sexy.