Tis' the End

I find it crazy that this will be my last blog post for the eight weeks. And to think that at the beginning of all of this I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough to write about. These eight weeks gave me the opportunity to explore the world of tattoos, something I wouldn’t necessarily do on my own.

I’ve always found tattoos interesting but just recently did I begin to make the connection of tattoos and art. Each week I wrote about new trends in the industry and what clients should consider before getting a tattoo. This new way of writing was refreshing, allowing me to add the appropriate amount of facts and opinion.

I’m glad to announce I still only have one tattoo, but I’m starting realize why people say you can’t really stop at one tattoo. Every time I see a picture I like or when I hear a quote or song lyric, I think about how that could be incorporated into a tattoo.

Recently I’ve been really interested in the Serenity Prayer. I love the meaning of it and think that if I could learn to live by the words of it then I’d be less stressed and I could accept things more easily. I was flipping through a catalog of one of my favorite jewelry stores when I saw a pendent that had the three main words of the Serenity Prayer, serenity, courage and wisdom. I looked at it for awhile and thought, if I get another tattoo, this is what I want. I turned the book around to show my mom and told her that’s what I wanted.

She looked at me and said “You’ve got your one tattoo already.”

I think it takes certain people to wear a lot of tattoos well; I’m not one of them. I rather my tattoos be easily hid and I figure if I get all these tattoos while I’m young then in the future, when I find one I really want then I won’t have a good area for it. Talking about the importance of tattoos has insured me to think before I act.

Blogging on this topic provided me with new information on tattooing as well as enlightenment. I view tattoos with even more appreciation than before.

Put it on a T-shirt: Part 2

I can’t even pretend to understand the reasons why people do it. I fail to see why someone would want to have a picture of Mario etched into their neck. I wouldn’t even hang a Nintendo poster in my house, at most maybe a mouse pad, or some other appropriate venue for silliness. “The tattoos strike me as a geek’s way of always being able to remember the times they’ve spent in their parent’s basement, jobless, and friendless,” stated a friend of mine as we discussed the topic. I understand that all of us have our hobbies, but I’m not a fan of the “Gamer” tattoos.

Maybe it’s because I was never that into video games growing up. I remember playing Sonic with my brother on our Sega and aiming the little gun at the Nintendo set to shoot the birds, but no way would I ever consider getting a tattoo that represents either of the two.

I wanted to look into gamer tattoos so I searched online and the first few sites were not what I wanted at all. They were basically sites for gamers to encourage each other to get what I see as nerdy, pointless tattoos.

“I'm 18 years old and I have an appointment to get a video game related tattoo next week. I'd like to know how on earth this automatically makes me ‘45 and living with my mother’. Tattoos are about having a piece of art on your body, something you plan to carry with you for the rest of your life. Some of us just happen to prefer more original designs than the repeats you see over and over,” explained an anonymous comment left on a blog (ILuvNUFC, 2007).

I’m all for tattoos and the fact that they are truly art but I want to hear this guys reasoning for the tattoo. Original? Sure, but most tattoos are, none is completely identical to another.
Getting a tattoo should be about getting something not just because you like it. If I did that I’d have a spur on my shoulder blade, a white tiger on my forearm, and a portrait of Joe Jonas on my back. I would be foolish aside from looking ridiculous. Truth is, those things will mean next to nothing to me in the future.

I finally came across a site that shared my opinion of these senseless tattoos. I wish I could share all their witty comments but here are a few:

"Ok, as with a few other tattoos on this list, how the hellis getting a tattoo of an effing piece of video game hardware representative of how muchyou like video games? Hey, I really like typing and playing PC games, maybe I'll get agoddamn keyboard tattooed on my forehead. Idiot," (Burt, 2007).

"Hey buddy, remember how much you regretted getting that Atari Jaguar tattoo on yourright arm? Yes, that's because systems go away and usually we don't care when they do.Game Boy is gone and done with, no one cares about your new tattoo, and if you aren'tmentally handicapped you will crap yourself when you come to this realization," (Burt, 2007) .

At first I thought, “Maybe I’m just not getting it,” but this guy obviously shares my views. If a tattoo really has meaning then go ahead and get it, even if there’s no significance, who am I to stop you? I just think that there are some things that are better left on a t-shirt. Tattoos aren’t a game; in reality we don’t get second lives like in Actraiser. If they’re not thought about then instead of light sabers you’ll be seeking tattoo removal by real lasers.

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Burt, A (2007, October 15). The 30 Most Hideous Gamer Tattoos. Gamerhelp, Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://www.gamerhelp.com/article_viewer.cfm?article_id=129780



ILuvNUFC, (2006, December 1). Video Game Tattoos. Look At This, Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://seehere.blogspot.com/2006/12/video-game-tattoos.html

Put it on a T-shirt: Part 1

We’ve all seen tattoo’s that have made us wonder “What were they thinking?!” I know I have. Now that I’ve been exploring the tattooed community which is rapidly growing, I have seen more unbelievable tattoos than ever. From Mario Brothers to Mickey Mouse, nothing is unheard of.

I was watching Miami Ink one night and the show has its amount of interesting stories, but this one sticks out because it was just odd. A woman went in with a case. Inside was a grilled cheese, not just any though, a famous grilled cheese. “Diana Duyser of Ft. Lauderdale made a grilled cheese sandwich and, upon taking her first bite, noticed what she said was a likeness of the Virgin Mary burned into the bread,” (Vagnoni, 2006).

This occurred back in autumn of 1994. But the sandwich continues to live on.

The owner of this sandwich decided to finally sell it on e-Bay, years later. It was sold for a whopping $28,000 to an internet casino. “Goldenpalace.com says it will take the sandwich on world tour before selling it and donating the money to charity,” (Vagnoni, 2006).

“The most expensive piece of bread in the world was on display in front of Miami Ink Tattoo Studio on Friday while the woman who sold it for a whopping $28,000 prepared to have its controversial image permanently placed on her body,” read a Miami newspaper (Local 10, 2006).

The casino paid for Diana’s tattoo, which was done by Kat and cost an estimated $1,000.

"We all believe in certain things, OK, and this is what I believe in, and this is what I want near and close to my heart," Duyser said. "She'll be there forever," (Local 10, 2006).
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Vagnoni, N (2006, June, 6). Woman gets Virgin Mary grilled cheese tattoo. Slashfood, Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/06/woman-gets-virgin-mary-grilled-cheese-tattoo/


Local 10, (2006, June 2). Woman Gets 'Virgin Mary' Sandwich Image Tattooed On Chest. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from Miami News Web site: http://www.local10.com/news/9312515/detail.html