I Have Tattoos. Here's Why They're A Bad Idea.

Nancy Mace, a congresswoman nearing 50, recently revealed two full sleeves of tattoos—flowers, religious imagery, the word "justice." Multiple news outlets covered the development, and Snopes even published a fact check confirming the tattoos exist. Matt Walsh, host of The Matt Walsh Show, has three tattoos himself, including a cross on his forearm and another on his shoulder, both obtained in his early 20s. Despite being "tatted," he argues that tattoos are now a bad idea for nearly everyone, and he explains why from the vantage point of someone whose own tattoos turned out about as well as possible—and still regrets them.

The best-case scenario is "fine"

Walsh's central argument is that even when a tattoo works out, the upside is negligible. He describes his own tattoos as "fine"—not embarrassing, not job-losing, not the subject of ridicule. People rarely comment on them, and when they do, the exchange is a shrug: "Oh, tattoo, huh?" / "Yeah." / "Cool." That's it. Seventeen years later, Walsh says he is "as happy about the decision that my 23-year-old self made in that tattoo parlor as a 40-year-old man could possibly be." And still, the best he can say is "it's fine."