Pascal Derrien

5 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~100 ·

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Tattoos & Storytelling

Tattoos & Storytelling

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I am no expert in Tattooing nor am I going to give you a lecture on the topic either. It all started with Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich and an interview he gave to a local TV in Atlanta. What triggered my curiosity was an answer to a question on tattoos in particular. When asked why he did not have any tattoos in an industry where most artists nowadays display various ink drawings on their skin on a large scale, he simply answered because he did not need it to.

I love the simplicity of his reply, I love the fact that he is strong enough not to follow the herd and that he is able to take a stand on his own ability to resist mimetism. Because lets face it, wearing a tattoo nowadays is almost as original as a sales man wearing a suit. 

Historically  it's true that it has not always been like that, a quick glance at Wikipedia will provide a few useful quick facts about tattooing. Anything from the first tattoo found on an iceman ( I guess he was also a nice man :-)) who lived 3300BC to the sacred meanings of tribal tattoos on Polynesian Islands or New Zealand before becoming popular enough in the US in the 1860s and finally has been part of the mainstream fashion industry in the western world for the last 20 years.  

I came across my first two tattoos when I was a kid, the son of her neighbour of mine enrolled in the French navy and when he came back from his first assignment I remember he proudly exhibited a neat and superbly designed tattoo on his forearm. Not an anchor like Popeye but I remember it was unusual enough to fascinate me to the point of obsession. The second one was a number encrusted in my grandfather skin, I think it was just below his right wrist. When I dared once to ask him what it was, he answered me very simply that this was a WW2 German camp Prisoner identifier that had been brutally applied on his skin.

A story of difference, deviance or a form of expression it seems that the debate is raging a bit today on whether on not tattoos are still a statement or merely a fashion item. On the latter its interesting to note that its no longer exclusive to any particular social background, people from any segment of the society or gender have embraced the art of tattooing by wearing up to ten of them and sometimes more. It has also become an addiction for a few.

Personally I think the whole thing has become a bit of a hipster trend recently and in the last 10 years in particular. Don't get me wrong I think some are beautifully executed but it appears that having a tattoo has become the norm at the moment. I am one of the few I know who don't seem to have succumbed or fallen into the mould. 

A few reasons I can think of maybe.  I have already a few visible scars and I don't really need to add any fancy statement to an already very raw life experiences display. I don't really need to project my story in a cryptic way for all to see either. I could add with irony or sarcasm that not being Polynesian could also account for not being overly receptive to become an ink recipient.

In the end its just my observation and only my two cents on what is finally a very unimportant topic. Who knows maybe future sociologists will debate in 100 years from now on the what, why, when. Our descendants will take a look at this with fascination. Was it shallow tribal regression, collective behaviour patterns, back to roots, survival expression, art , democratisation, individualism and empowerment or just simply the good old storytelling?

By the way , you guys have a tattoo ? :-)  




Sources

People & Stuff

Wiki

Photo Credit

Tattoo Drawing/unknown


Produced for beBee


Written Material Copyright 2018 -Pascal Derrien-



Comments

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #66

#73
I'm 60 and that's the last place I'd put a tattoo given that I've birthed two enormous sons; kudos to her for finding a flat place! :)

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #65

#69
hahaha.....how adorable!! I love it that your kids want that permanent association with each other; by that, through their parents too! At least it didn't start with I, II, III, IV..etc. That would be a bit spooky! I'd tiew down the last remaining and use a sharpie :) Did read your link, hence my ceasation of wild abandonment....lol.

Louise Smith

5 years ago #64

#74
Criteria is not "how Funny" but "Participation" besides I think your post is very interesting as not often discussed so does well on the "Unusual" Criteria My Recent new RULE - Do NOT Compare !

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #63

#72
#72 Paul' s post is ten times funnier that this one :-)

Louise Smith

5 years ago #62

My "friend" still fearing her mother's reaction if found out - finally finessed a tattoo for her 60th Birthday present to self 3 very small birds flying underneath her bikini pants line so only able to be seen when in her birthday suit !

Louise Smith

5 years ago #61

Pascal Derrien https://www.bebee.com/producer/@paul-croubalian/misadventures-in-mid-life-dating-the-talk-the-result-the-wtfff#c65

Louise Smith

5 years ago #60

#60
SAGE

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #59

#63
I wonder why the link did not hyperlink - trying it again https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/114/Jumping-to-Conclusions

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #58

#64
In the case of my kids it is a matter of "wearing your heart on your sleeve" - I am not a tattoo person but the VIII carved on the arms is a message of unity and if anything it would be nice that all eight kids carried that tattoo on their arm in a similar fashion, I don't see the point of something like that being discrete and small - better not to have anything if it is not meant to be visible. It would be a real cool photo to have all them with one extended arm linked in that unity.

Randall Burns

5 years ago #57

#67
Will absolutely tag you Lisa Vanderburg :-)

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #56

#66
Hey...the pleasure's mine Randall Burns! Sorry I missed it first pass and feel free to get the Bruce Willis cameo (do they even have invisible tat ink?). Please tag me with your mallet when you buzz!

Randall Burns

5 years ago #55

#61
LMFAO!!! Lisa Vanderburg (would I have to get a cameo of Bruce Willis tattooed next to that?) Although a great idea has just occurred to me, Thank You for your "nudging", in that I'm now thinking of incorporating a flying fish in it somewhere, they are very tasty and produce excellent roe/caviar and from my experience/buzz which I know you read, (and I'm thinking that's what you're referring to). Thanks for the inspiration Lisa!

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #54

#60
lol.....kiss of death to any relationship (unless you've been married as long as me - I could use a reminder of his name! :)

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #53

#58
Are you sure, Chris \ud83d\udc1dR Guest's no pushover...?

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #52

#53
The link; haha...there goes my wild abandonment CityVP \ud83d\udc1d Manjit!

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #51

#29
Mercifully I permanent evidece of trippin' the light fantastic Cyndi :)

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #50

#23
How about 'Video pullorum mortuis'....you could substitude last word for fish?

Cyndi wilkins

5 years ago #49

#58
Lol Chris \ud83d\udc1dR Guest! I just had a vision of you dragging your 30 year old into the surgeons office;-) Seriously though, it all depends on the size and location as to whether or not you experience the 'sag factor'...but I get your point...we don't think about those things when we are young...and not everyone has good taste when it comes to tattoos. I always tell anyone who asks an opinion... do not EVER tattoo your boyfriend/girlfriend's name on your body!!!

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #48

#58
most probably Chris \ud83d\udc1dR Guest my scars seem to "embellish " with time if I can use that term 😜whereas Tattoos fade ?

Louise Smith

5 years ago #47

#51
This psychologist is more human that psychologist ! 30 years of primary/elementary special ed. deaf multiple disability plus High School Japanese, ENglish, Social Science, Health & Debating before psychology ! ! ! ! ! BUT yes well done U 2 !

Cyndi wilkins

5 years ago #46

#54
Here's to you Praveen...AP Project..."Eye In The Shy'...Complete with the awesome intro;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdyto5rf0HU Enjoy! And have a great weekend;-)

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #45

#46
Pascal, it turns out that just because I cannot see a tattoo that I assume there is no tattoo. When I asked my kids why she was the only one without a tattoo, they basically retorted that i didn't know what I was talking about and that she always had one - discreetly marked VIII on her ankle. So they were on the mark (no pun intended) that just because I saw the tattoos where on their arms, that I assumed that not seeing a tattoo on arm meant "no tattoo" - so guess what I am reading now? Yep - a website that writes about logical fallacies https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/114/Jumping-to-Conclusions :-)

Randall Burns

5 years ago #44

#47
HaHa! Praveen Raj Gullepalli Check this out and it will give you a little insight; https://www.bebee.com/producer/@randall-burns/god-sends-meat-and-the-devil-sends-cooks

Cyndi wilkins

5 years ago #43

#32
If you get crackin' (no pun intended) on that post Randall Burns...I will surely 'buzz-on' by for a spell;-) Lol! #41 Will you look at that Ken Boddie?!?! We fooled the psychologist;-) #48 Totally dig the Alan Parson's Project too Praveen! 'Eye In The Sky' was on my top ten list for decades;-)

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #42

#33
thanks CityVP \ud83d\udc1d Manjit it sounds like the exception to the rule ratio in your family the 80/20 of tattooing maybe 🤔

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #41

#34
thanks Neil Smith what a fascinating story wow 😳 thanks so much for sharing that one

Louise Smith

5 years ago #40

#43
If you read & write an Asian Language (IMC Japanese), you will see Tourist T Shirts with slogans that are written upside down, back to front, half missing, rude, meaning less and any combination of these.

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #39

#35
thanks Ken Boddie same here interesting reflection on Asia and alphabet never thought about it before 😀

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #38

#36
thanks Franci\ud83d\udc1dEugenia Hoffman, beBee Brand Ambassador I am more or less of the same opinion the only caveat is that I feel there is more mimetic than desire sometimes 😀

Louise Smith

5 years ago #37

#35
I would have bet $ you had a tattoo Ken Boddie !!!!

Louise Smith

5 years ago #36

Historically reasons for & perceptions of tattoos have changed Tattoos were associated with Jail Time or Navy service or Marfia They were seen as exotic artistic expressions of "foreigners" or associations to evil cults or teen gangs People with one or more visible tattoos have been found to be more impatient and present-oriented which fits with the historically negative preconceptions. "People that got tattoos on a whim seem to be the most impulsive and short-sighted – as compared to those who contemplated their tattoos for some time.” Randall Burns Getting your hair dyed a fluorescent colour or getting your head shaved seems tame now days in comparison BUT is not irreversible ! https://www.570news.com/2018/02/14/impulsive-inked-laurier-study-looks-psychology-behind-tattoos/

Louise Smith

5 years ago #35

Studies of who gets tattoos found People with tattoos are more likely to be thrill & adventure seekers, to have a higher number of previous sexual partners & to be less inhibited. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/reef-karim-do/psychology-of-tattoos_b_2017530.html

Louise Smith

5 years ago #34

My younger brother wanted to get his whole face tattooed It was incredibly hard for him to consider that this would have a significant negative influence on people who didn't know him well. His response was "That's their problem, not mine " Now he has a partner & an 8yo son & even though he would never admit it, I know he is glad he didn't do it. Strangely enough though he didn't get & doesn't have any other tattoos visible or otherwise I know because my nephew would have told me !

Louise Smith

5 years ago #33

#30
Impulse Tattoos are very common as well as tattoos used as an endorphin release and substitute for addictive behavior.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #32

Interesting post, Pascal. Personally I never had the need or inclination to have a tattoo. The only tats I find even remotely interesting on others are Maori or Polynesian traditional ones. One thing that I find rather strange, having been to China and Japan, is that I haven’t seen any Chinese or Japanese with English letters on their skin. Go figure.

Neil Smith

5 years ago #31

A real memory waking post Pascal. My dad had three tattoos. One was an eagle across his chest that he got when he was an amateur boxer and bodybuilder in his teens. As he aged he saw it more as a reminder of the fragile pride of youth than a memento of the good old days. The two on his arms however he hated. One was a red hand of Ulster and the other was King Billy on his white horse. He grew up in a family that were very involved in the Orange Order and he played flute and accordion in marching bands. As an adolescent he had them put on after a march one year following a few drinks, bravado and peer pressure. When he met my mother he had already come to realise that the bigotry they represented had no place in his life and getting away from the Order and those around him who were members was a big reason they upped sticks and left the central belt of Scotland for a tiny village in the highlands. "Living like a hermit" as my gran overdramatised it. He wore long sleeves on the sunniest of days and was very careful to keep them covered in public. He was never comfortable with them and deeply regretted what they said to other people about him and how there was no nuance in the images and no way to show that those days were gone. He never imposed his view on me but I have never been tempted to go down the ink road.

CityVP Manjit

5 years ago #30

The only people in my family who have tattoos are seven of our eight kids. One of the girls so far has done the Lars Ulrich but i dig that the other seven identify themselves with a "VIII" tattooed on their arms. I actually never asked the only kid who did not get this done why she has not, but like you said, that is ultimately a personal choice. The only consideration I personally have about tattoos is "does it hurt?" and that is me basically wimping out :-)

Randall Burns

5 years ago #29

#29
LOL, I figured you for a "New Age" girl Cyndi wilkins, (in the best of ways of course), but didn't know you were into crystals. ;-) Ahhh yes, our old friend cannabis, that topic could be worth several Buzzes on it's own... Maybe I'll work on that...

Cyndi wilkins

5 years ago #28

#30
I wouldn't call it 'impulse' exactly...more like cannabis;-) Howwwwevvvvvveeerrrr, I did wait a respectable amount of time before actually getting the tattoo. Knowing it was permanent...the placement was very carefully considered...An impulsive tat might have ended up somewhere else!

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #27

#29
an impulse tattoo almost how interesting Cyndi wilkins :-)

Cyndi wilkins

5 years ago #26

I blame mine on Pink Floyd...That damned 'Dark Side of The Moon" album sucked me right in... Lol! Fun post Pascal Derrien...I could claim my prism to have a spiritual meaning behind it...but I'd lyin' like a rug;-)

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #25

#27
oh gosh re reading my comments I missed words and made some typos you should be cautious :-) Yeah I am getting interested in seeing that Ying and Yang

Randall Burns

5 years ago #24

#25
HaHa! I know that you're not anti-tattoo Pascal Derrien This is an "open" discussion. just to let you know after re-reading your comment on my last Buzz I will incorporate the Yin & Yang symbol into my tattoo, (maybe on the knife handle), with your insightful sentiments in mind :-)

Debasish Majumder

5 years ago #23

#14
sir Louise Smith i am just flabbergasted by your warm support and appreciation. i am privileged and honored. love you a lot dear.

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #22

#23
thanks Randall Burns I am actually not anti tattoo I have evolving in rock/ music circles for nearly 40 years and I agree if they are meaningful and a choice what gets me is the trendy hipsta frenzy about it now its good for business there is almost a tatoo parlour in every city where I supposed it was to be done in secrecy in hidden locations :-) I quite like the sound of your project :-)

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #21

#22
Yeah agree Praveen Raj Gullepalli while evolution is always a good thing it seems that something got lost in translation when it comes to tattooing or I probably just don't get it I ? :-)

Randall Burns

5 years ago #20

Great topic Pascal Derrien While I have no tats at the moment I'm seriously considering it, (have been for the last year), to commemorate my over 40 years in the kitchen. I'm almost 60 and at the place in my life where I can intelligently make the choice. I don't "need" one; I "want" one. Tattoos are fairly common in the kitchen and there are some beautiful ones, generally culinary oriented. In my last Buzz I talk about some history of the kitchen. I want to get a medium size tat on left for arm of a chef's knife with a mosaic of fruits, vegetables, etc. and the Cook's motto/battle cry on the blade, "Vulnerati non Victi" "Wounded not Defeated" The story of my life in the kitchen Great post!

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #19

#20
my thoughts exactly Harvey Lloyd :-)

Harvey Lloyd

5 years ago #18

I have always thought that tattoos were spiritual. A person would create a sacred mark of belief or experience. With the weight carried like a wedding band. Today I don’t sense anything spiritual. I sense a projected image most can’t carry. Great thoughts

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #17

#17
thanks 🙏 for adding some relevant element to the discussion Louise this is a great and old tradition indeed

Louise Smith

5 years ago #16

Indigenous Australian body art, such as tattoos and intentional scarring recorded where certain groups traveled, their values and rituals and how they related to other cultures. four primary motifs were often repeated - a fish headdress, a snake, a four-pointed star and triangle variations. The triangular designs were often scarred onto women's skin indicating these individuals were in mourning. Although there was a land bridge, Aboriginal people in Cape York Peninsula had "a different artistic system in operation, which did not incorporate many designs from Papua New Guinea."

Louise Smith

5 years ago #15

IN NZ, Maori are big into tattoos from Polynesian tradition The design elements all have meaning No two tattoos are alike They were used to mark rite of passage to adulthood They are also very painful to get by chiseling deep cuts & filling them with pigment Their face tattoos are distinctive, often cover the whole face and indicate rank, power & prestige They were like an identification card and it was an insult if the other person could not interpret them http://www.zealandtattoo.co.nz/tattoo-styles/maori-tattoo/

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #14

#14
I concur Louise Smith 👍

Louise Smith

5 years ago #13

#6
Very clever comment Debasish Majumder !

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #12

#6
cheers Monsieur Debasish Majumder always the right word 😀

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #11

#7
kool and detailed answer Aaron \ud83d\udc1d Skogen some have real meanings and in your case a story and a message behind I just feel is not always the case and that's alright too i am just a mere observer 😀

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #10

#8
thanks for dropping by Lisa Vanderburg it's true that some tats don't age particularly well 😜🤘☠️

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #9

#9
thanks Lada \ud83c\udfe1 Prkic I did not know about Ronaldo btw also applicable to diabetics it's not advisable either ☝️

Lada 🏡 Prkic

5 years ago #8

Not I nor anyone in my family has a tattoo. Never felt the need to tell a story by ink, but I understand those who did. I agree with you that, in a way, it's like following the herd, especially among so-called celebrities. There are a lot of famous people who don't have ink. One of them is Cristiano Ronaldo. He skipped the ink as a precaution against hepatitis for he is a blood donor. Interesting topic for a buzz, indeed. :-)

Lisa Vanderburg

5 years ago #7

About bleedin' time someone talked about tats - my man Pascal Derrien! I've resisted too...in my ex-line of work, scars & burns are a mark of pride (or pain - same difference :) ). I've toyed over the years with 'what would I have if I did' and it'd be either a big-toe dotted line with PLACE TAG HERE or a bacode with my expiration date. Failing that, a tat on my femor (the bone only) saying THIS WAY UP....other than that, I guess I won't have one. As you said, some tats are really beautiful - most are just a mess of maze. I always wonder about those that become parents - what will their kids think to the 'LOVE' 'HATE' on opposite hands??

Debasish Majumder

5 years ago #6

lovely buzz Pascal Derrien! you surely having a tattoo in terms of your writing style! enjoyed read and shared. thank you for the buzz.

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #5

I would have never Otzi and you were related :-) Gert Scholtz I can see it does break your heart discontinuing a family tradition :-)

Gert Scholtz

5 years ago #4

Pascal Derrien The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin is found on Otzi the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Otzi was an ancestor of mine (both our names have a “z” in it), and the tradition of tattooing was passed on through many of my ancestor generations. That was up until about four generations ago when the tattooed skin was too hot under the African sun. So I have never succumbed and doubt I ever will, just to break the chain from Otzi :) )

Gert Scholtz

5 years ago #3

Pascal Derrien Apparently, the oldest discovery of tattooed human skin is found on the body of Otzi the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Otzi was an ancestor of mine (both our names have a “z” in it), and the tradition of tattooing was passed on through many of my ancestor generations. That was up until about four generations ago when the tattooed skin was too hot under the African sun. So I have never succumbed and doubt I ever will, just to break the chain from Otzi :) )

Pascal Derrien

5 years ago #2

#1
Thanks Ali I think its funny to think how signs of conformity have turned on their head :-)

Ali Anani

5 years ago #1

Pascal Derrien- "you wrote " I am one of the few I know who don't seem to have succumbed or fallen into the mould". I am one of the few who have not fallen to tattooing. Why? Because simply I don't need it. .

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