Stuff that pops into my head. Innit.

Monday 23 August 2010

Tattoos

A corruption of the Samoan word Tatau, these first caught the attention of Europeans around 250 years ago and is first referred to by Joseph Banks, the naturalist aboard Cook's ship the "Endeavour" in 1769 where he mentions it in his journal.
To paraphrase,  he states, "I shall now mention the way they mark themselves indelibly, each of them is so marked by their humor or disposition".
It's much the same today, people (not always successfully) attempt to put a bit of their personaliy or allegiance on their skin.
They have never been more prevalent in our Western culture. We now have a number of genres to speak of, and each fulfils an (Haha!) important social function. Among the most popular is the "partner" tattoo. With these, a person permanently inscribes the name of their lover on to a (usually very visible) piece of their flesh.
An indelible way of saying "I'm yours", the tattoo can also serve as a memento of happy times, to be cherished once the relationship has irreparably broken down. Then there are Asian symbols: Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese – it doesn't matter, as long as the tattoo (apparently) means "Om" or "Tiger" and it is done on a beach in Thailand – or in Camden Market. These scream "life-experience".

Yeah, sure they do. I'm tattooed myself -several times- but these days it seems everyone is-young girls, old men, grannies, everyone. The point I'm trying to make here is this.

Choose carefully, really carefully.

Good

                            

Bad

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG OMG OMG!!!

That tattoo is the greatest. How on earth can you think that is bad?

I mean, if we didn't have shitty tattos, we wouldn't have anything to laugh at when we are at Wal-Mart, right? Okay, maybe we WOULD have shit to laugh at, but I still love laughing at a super duper shitty tattoo.

My cousin has one of a skeleton blowing his brains out. He showed it to me and I laughed. His face dropped and he said, why are you laughing? I said, Jamie, not to mention it is an umbearably BAD tattoo, it makes no sense. He asks, how so? I said, because it is a SKELETON, blowing it's BRAINS out. Skelteton's don't have brains you asshat, that is why they are skeletons.

He has regretted that tattoo since day 1. I feel responsible for that.

Starts with one said...

I remember getting tattoos for very ani-social , anti-establishment reasons..and because I liked then of course.
It seems to have become very homogenized and "cool', getting tattoos to fit in or be accepted.

Miss Melicious said...

I love shitty tattoo's they're the funniest things ever!...No joke. I know a girl who got a spiral around her belly button when we were kids...I told her it was a ridiculous idea, that she should think about what it'll look like when she has a baby...she said nope..no babies happening with me. Fast forward a few years...she was pregnant, what do you think that tattoo looked like?! And I agree with Starts...Tattoo's used to be seen as very against the norm...now its the opposite.

fizzee rascal said...

There's shitty tattos which are funny, and then there's the lower one on the post here. Half Swayze (in sleeveless formal shirt and bow tie) and half Horse. I mean really, WTF are you on?

The Beans said...

Oh, dear. A double-rainbow and a Chippendales centuar? NOOOOOOOOO...

-French Bean

Laura H said...

What are you talking about??
Patrick Swayze = awesome
Centaurs = Awesome
Patrick/Centaur hybrid = phenomenal!

Mrs Midnite said...

So Fizzie which of those tattoos are yours? I think you understand what I say when I said tattoo encrusted, there are tattoos and then there is tattoo encrustation!

My little brother is moving down the tattoo addiction path. He has his sons name and DOB which was OK, hopefully you won't fall out with your own kid. A design similar to the good one above. But the third one was a reaction to a friend dying, he has RIP XXXX on the back of his calf, its massive and horrible. My dad will explode when he eventually sees it.

I want one but don't know where to put it!

Ellie said...

I think people clearly get tattoos for many different reasons: to be different (and smart when others ruin it for them); to be the same; because they believe it will give them something their personality can't; because they haven't thought it through; because they don't consider it a big deal; because they have a personal reason for the image/writing they have; to shock; to feel deep; or sometimes just because you're a huge fantasy/dirty dancing fan with a taste for the garish.

I have two - I love them both :)