My Thoughts on Tattoos
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares a humorous and personal journey about tattoos, starting with social advice on complimenting tattoos to spark conversation. They reveal their own experiences with getting tattoos, including a small 'tattoo' tattoo and a larger one inspired by 'The Dark Crystal.' They reflect on changing societal perceptions of tattoos, family reactions, and their growing appreciation for body art. The speaker humorously contemplates getting more tattoos, offers advice on waiting before getting inked, and ends by promoting a Funko Pop collectible of themselves, hinting at possible future tattoos.
Takeaways
- 😀 Complimenting tattoos can be a great conversation starter. If someone wants to talk about it, they'll light up and share the story behind it.
- 😄 The speaker loves tattoos and shares a humorous story about his own tattoo experiences, despite potential concerns about seeming disingenuous after giving advice.
- 😆 Tattoos used to be a symbol of rebellion, but they're becoming more accepted, with many people proudly showing off their ink.
- 😂 The speaker wanted to feel like a 'badass tattooed guy' but had reservations about getting something permanent, like Magic the Gathering symbols.
- 😅 After pranking his family with a fake tattoo, the speaker realized how convincing even bad tattoos can be, as his parents and agent took it seriously.
- 😃 The speaker got a tattoo of the word 'tattoo' as his first ink, mostly as a rebellious joke, but also to fit his quirky vibe.
- 😇 Tattoos can feel like a big deal at first, but after some time, they become part of your identity, and the initial anxiety fades.
- 😉 After getting one tattoo, the speaker caught 'the tattoo bug' and quickly moved on to getting more meaningful and larger pieces.
- 😜 The second tattoo is of a character from The Dark Crystal, reflecting the speaker's deep connection to the movie, but also showcasing a personal interpretation.
- 😊 The speaker advises people to wait before getting tattoos, suggesting that giving yourself time to decide ensures you'll be happy with your choice later in life.
Q & A
What is the main life hack mentioned in the video for initiating conversations with new people?
-The speaker suggests complimenting someone's tattoo as a way to start a conversation. If the person wants to talk about their tattoo, they will likely engage and share the story behind it.
What was the speaker's initial fear regarding getting a tattoo?
-The speaker was initially afraid of getting a tattoo because it would be permanent, and they worried they might regret it in the future or stop liking it.
What was the speaker's first tattoo, and why did they choose it?
-The speaker's first tattoo was the word 'tattoo' tattooed on their arm. They chose it as a joke so they could humorously respond when people asked if they had a tattoo.
How did the speaker's parents react to the idea of getting a tattoo?
-The speaker's parents were not supportive of tattoos, viewing the body as a 'temple' and comparing tattoos to graffiti. However, the speaker notes that their mom eventually accepted it and even joked about it.
What does the speaker say about the cultural shift in the perception of tattoos?
-The speaker acknowledges that tattoos used to be seen as rebellious and unprofessional, but now they are becoming more accepted, if not expected, in society.
What was the speaker’s reasoning behind getting a tattoo from 'The Dark Crystal'?
-The speaker got a tattoo of the Chamberlain from 'The Dark Crystal' because the movie holds a special place in their heart, and they wanted to have a meaningful piece permanently inked on their body.
Why does the speaker advise waiting before getting a tattoo?
-The speaker advises waiting to get a tattoo because, at a young age, tastes and preferences can change. They believe it’s important to take time to ensure that the tattoo is something you really want before committing to it permanently.
How did the speaker's mom react to the 'Chamberlain' tattoo?
-The speaker’s mom did not react dramatically to the Chamberlain tattoo. She accepted it calmly, even questioning whether the speaker liked 'The Dark Crystal' that much, showing a less concerned reaction than expected.
What mistake did the speaker make regarding the 'Chamberlain' tattoo's design?
-The speaker mistakenly sent a reference image of their Chamberlain statue with the wrong scepter (the Emperor’s scepter), because the original triangle scepter had broken off. However, they didn’t mind the change and liked the silhouette more.
How does the speaker describe the experience of becoming more comfortable with their first tattoo over time?
-The speaker initially felt anxious about their first tattoo, experiencing a 'jump scare' when they saw it in the mirror. But over time, they became more comfortable with it, and it became just another part of their identity.
Outlines
🤔 Using Tattoos as a Social Icebreaker
The narrator shares a personal social interaction tip: complimenting someone's visible tattoo as a way to get them talking. If they’re not interested, they'll brush it off, but if they are, they’ll likely launch into a conversation about it. The narrator reflects on how, despite now giving this advice, they still genuinely love tattoos. Tattoos, whether their meaning, how they were obtained, or the subject matter, often serve as personal stories that people love to share. The narrator also humorously reveals that they themselves now have a tattoo and ponders their mother’s potential reaction.
😬 The Anxiety of Getting a Tattoo
The narrator discusses the anxiety they experienced after getting their first tattoo, a small tattoo of the word 'tattoo.' Initially, seeing the tattoo every day caused surprise and concern, but over time, it became a part of their identity. They go on to share their perspective on tattoos, encouraging others to focus on the joy tattoos bring in the present rather than worrying about how they’ll look at an older age. They also reflect on how some people hide tattoos from their parents, while they chose honesty when revealing theirs, leading to an unexpectedly lighthearted response from their mom.
🖌 Catching the Tattoo Bug
The narrator talks about the allure of getting more tattoos after their first. They describe their excitement about a new tattoo depicting a character from 'The Dark Crystal.' While explaining the decision, they also dive into their love for puppetry, discussing a second tattoo they plan to get, related to another puppet-based series, 'Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.' The narrator humorously addresses a potential fan critique about the tattoo's accuracy, revealing that the character is holding a different scepter due to a broken figure used as reference. Despite this, they embrace the unique alteration.
🤷♂️ The Family's Surprising Reaction to Tattoos
The narrator details their family’s underwhelming reaction to their new tattoo. Hoping for a dramatic response, they were surprised when their mom and dad didn’t react strongly at all. Even their grandma, whom they had feared would disapprove, ended up liking it. This leads to a reflection on the shift in their family’s attitude towards tattoos over time. The narrator advises younger viewers to wait before getting a tattoo, expressing relief that they themselves waited until they were older, and hinting at future tattoo plans involving a portrait of their grandmother.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tattoos
💡Rebellion
💡Personal Expression
💡Permanence
💡Social Norms
💡Anxiety
💡Magic the Gathering
💡Family Reactions
💡Catching the Bug
💡Autistic Conversational Cheat Code
Highlights
Complimenting someone’s tattoo can either spark a conversation or politely end it, depending on how they feel about sharing the story behind their tattoo.
The speaker reflects on the rising acceptance of tattoos, which were once seen as rebellious and job-threatening but are now more normalized in society.
The idea of being a 'badass' tattooed person appealed to the speaker, but the permanence of tattoos was a major concern, leading them to avoid certain designs like Magic: The Gathering symbols.
The speaker once pranked their family by photoshopping a bad tattoo onto their arm, and the internet and family believed it was real, causing chaos.
The speaker's parents were not supportive of tattoos, comparing them to graffiti on a temple, which the speaker humorously counters by pointing out that Jesus had piercings.
The speaker got their first tattoo—a small tattoo of the word 'tattoo'—so they could humorously answer questions about whether they have tattoos.
After getting their first tattoo, the speaker began to feel less anxious about it and more comfortable, as it became part of their identity.
The speaker embraced the concept of getting a tattoo without deep meaning, as a form of rebellion and self-expression.
The speaker developed a love for talking about tattoos after getting their own, giving advice to others and encouraging them to enjoy tattoos in the present.
They got a second tattoo from the movie *The Dark Crystal* and found it became a great conversation starter with fellow fans.
The speaker has a humorous relationship with their family over tattoos, as their mother initially disapproved but later reacted mildly, even suggesting ways to incorporate the tattoo into a *Star Wars* reference.
They humorously note the progression of their tattoo obsession, coining the phrase 'catching the bug' after becoming eager to get more tattoos.
The speaker humorously reflects on their unfinished tattoo and the head-canon they created about a character from *The Dark Crystal* holding a different scepter due to a broken statue.
They advise younger people to wait before getting tattoos, as their tastes may change over time, and express gratitude for waiting to get their own.
The speaker hints at getting a full back piece of their grandmother’s face as a joke, knowing their family would love it.
Transcripts
here's a little social interaction life
hack I've discovered if you're meeting
someone new and you want to get to know
them better and you see any semblance of
a tattoo peeking out of their sleeve
compliment it if that person doesn't
want to talk about their tattoos they'll
say oh thank
you anyway this is my stop but if they
do want to talk about their tattoos
their face will light up and then
they'll do the rest of the talking I
realize that by giving you this advice
now anytime I compliment someone else's
tattoos it will seem disingenuous but
it's not most of the time I love all of
your tattoos that's right I'm talking to
you I love your tattoos dude whether
it's how you got the tattoo the meaning
behind the tattoo or being a tattoo of
something you like every tattoo is a
story and most people love telling
stories about themselves I wouldn't know
anything about that personally I never
understood why some people liked talking
about their tattoos until I got one of
my own what you think I'm going to make
a whole video about tattoos when I
didn't even have any that's right I'm A
Marked Man Mom what are you going to do
about it stop unconditionally loving me
yeah right wait what are you doing with
that cheese grater okay but in all
seriousness can you make sure grandma
doesn't see this video mom I I don't
want to upset her on the way out back in
the day tattoos used to be a symbol of
rebellion and meant you couldn't get a
job no regts baby but I feel like
tattoos are getting more and more
accepted if not expected I'll see a
jacked bald guy covered in tattoos and
think okay yeah he was meant to look
like that for me the idea of being a
badass tattooed guy with a sketch pad
and a beanie and ripped jeans and a
beaded bracelet always seemed cool to me
but like most people when it came to
tattoos I had reservations o this is
going to be on my body forever
what if I hate it I had an idea once of
getting these five Magic the Gathering
symbols tattooed on my forearm I even
dotted them out and Sharpie once just to
give them a test drive but I ultimately
decided not to get them because I was
worried in 5 years I would go oh these I
was really into Magic the Gathering in
my 20s not anymore though so now every
morning I wake up with impending
feelings of Shame and remorse that I
even decided to get this thing and I
didn't want that to happen even though
I've been playing Magic for over 15
years and it means a lot to me and I'm
going to be buried with my sliver deck
and all right maybe I should just get it
even though people know that tattoos are
permanent there are still way more bad
tattoos than there should be one time I
saw this picture of someone's tattoo on
a bad tattoo subreddit and I thought
it'd be funny to prank my family group
chat by photoshopping that tattoo onto
my arm and then I thought it'd be funny
to post that picture onto Instagram I
didn't think anyone would fall for this
poor excuse of a Photoshop job but then
the internet and and my family proved me
wrong immediately I started getting
phone calls from my parents and even my
book agent rang me up and was like did
you actually get that tattoo no it's not
a real tattoo I mean it is a real tattoo
but it's on someone else's body that's
their cross to bear I can only imagine
what that person's family and book agent
went through my parents were not
supportive of me getting tattoos but who
are am I right some people like my
parents say that your body is like a
temple and getting tattoos is like
putting graffiti on it which sure okay
that's why I paid a professional
graffiti artist to paint my temple
exactly how I wanted also you can't tell
me not to deform my body when that's
exactly what you did before I was even
24 hours old also Jesus had piercings
and he loved showing them off to his
buddies so I think he'd be chill with a
little tattoo after much thought and
deliberation I finally settled on what
my first tattoo would be this was going
to be permanently Inked onto my body for
the rest of my life I got a tattoo
tattoo in corer new luckily the artist
was able to finish this in one session
it took quite a while almost five whole
minutes now let me explain why I got it
it was so that if anyone ever asked me
do you have any tattoos I could go why
yes I do and then roll up my sleeve and
then I'd go
ha ha ha when I showed off my tattoo
tattoo on Jaden's streamon there was one
comment that said James having tattoo
actually tattooed onto him is exactly
the kind of tattoo I expected James to
have and that made me feel really good
because that meant the tattoo fit my
vibe and the second reason I got the
tattoo was because I wanted to Rebel
since tattoos were frowned upon growing
up I wanted to have one just to have one
so I got a tattoo with no meaning
whatsoever which in a way is the meaning
even though the tattoo tattoo was small
and usually covered up by my sleeve I
still felt anxious about getting it and
I continued to feel that way for about a
week after I got it it was a jump scare
every time I saw it in the mirror and I
would look at it closely and go yep
that's really in there I sure hope I
don't regret this but then after some
time the tattoo tattoo just became a
part of me like I didn't look in the
mirror and go yep there's James and
tattoo I would go yep there's
James full stop and from that day on I
loved giving people advice on tattoos as
a Marked Man myself I think you should
absolutely get that Shadow the Hedgehog
full back piece YOLO remember what
you're worried that it's going to look
bad when you're
70 yeah it's going going to look bad
when you're 70 you're 70 don't think
about how bad it's going to look think
about how much you're going to enjoy it
from now to when you're 69 I've known
people my age who still hide their
tattoos from their parents but like the
honest prodical son that I am I wasn't
going to be doing that but the next time
I visited my parents I walked into their
house and the very first thing my mom
said to me was do you have any tattoos
she beat me to the punch uh what
why why why would you ask that because
last night I had a dream that you came
home and were covered in tattoos so
which one of you incepted my
mom God I said are all tattoos bad yes
all of them are bad even this one and I
rolled up my sleeve and revealed my
massive tat and her reaction was
a well it's not the worst word have
permanently Inked on your body later on
she said if you go to a Star Wars party
you could change it to Tatooine so I
think she took it pretty goodly now some
of you might be thinking that my epic
sleeve of a tattoo isn't that big a deal
it's tiny and can only be seen if I'm
swimming or boxing or wearing a tank top
but you see after getting tattoo
tattooed I experienced what people in
the tattooing business call
catching the bug after seeing how much I
liked my first tattoo and knowing that I
could handle having a tattoo I was ready
to get something badass I set up a big
boy tattoo appointment with an artist I
liked and when I was in The Tattoo Shop
the artist asked is this your first
tattoo is this my first tattoo uh no
sweetheart I I think I know a thing or
two about tattoos so without further Ado
I would like to Deb this out of the blue
[Music]
tattoo you know from The Dark Crystal
the Jim Hensen 80s puppet Movie that
that I did a video on it years ago now I
have the best character permanently
Inked on my skin forever and ever that
movie will always hold a special place
in my heart and now it'll hold a special
place under my skin and now whenever I
show someone the Chamberlain we end up
talking about The Dark Crystal which is
great because that's what I wanted to
talk about anyways I think I just
discovered an autistic conversational
cheat code when I was getting it done
the artist asked me if there were any
other tattoos that I wanted to get and I
said why yes I do I wanted to get the
computer from don't hug me I'm scared
because I also love that series and
because I'm a computery guy and I didn't
realize until as I was explaining it to
the artist that both of these characters
are puppets so I don't know what that
says about my psyche I never thought
that I liked puppets that much but if
anyone wants to psychoanalyze me in the
comments that'd be great and speaking of
YouTube comments I know a lot of people
are going to bring this up so I'm just
going to address it right
now you probably notice that Chamberlain
isn't holding his iconic triangle
scepter yeah I already know that that's
because he's holding the emperor scepter
it's like my own little head Cannon you
got to be the emperor because he's cool
and awesome and come on Dark Crystal
fans you think I don't know my lore I
didn't get the wrong scepter or anything
you you think I'd get something wrong
about the Dark Crystal okay you want to
know what happened I own a Chamberlain
statue because of course I do and I took
pictures of it to send as a reference
image to the artist and I totally forgot
that I accidentally broke off his
triangle scepter and now because of that
he's holding an entirely different
scepter on the tattoo but you know what
I don't care this one's better it's a
more clear silhouette now this time when
I went to show my parents the tattoo I
don't know exactly what I was hoping for
but I wanted to see some dramatic Pearl
clutching you know just some real
disappointment Chamberlain had to be
split up into two sessions and I only
got one done when I went to Arizona for
a wedding I saw my mom and she didn't
immediately ask me if I had any more
tattoos God didn't tattle on me this
time I told her mom I got to tell you
something privately what is what is it I
need you to keep a secret from Grandma
okay I'm serious grandma can't find out
about this okay look it's Chamberlin and
I showed her the unfinished tattoo and
she went oh do you even like the Dark
Crystal that much I mean yeah the plot's
kind of mid but it's a cool world why
were you more upset about my fake baby
Yoda tattoo than my real Dark Crystal
tattoo she didn't care and neither did
my dad and you know what I actually
showed my grandma too and she liked it I
can't make these people mad no matter
what I do one of my cousins is a tattoo
artist and I was talking to him about
tattoos and my mom said oh you should
get your cousin to finish it and even he
said do not do that speaking of tattoo
advice if you're thinking about getting
a tattoo I think you should wait
obviously it's your body your choice but
with the minimum age of tattoos being 18
and in some states 16 with parents'
permission I just can't imagine being
happy with any tattoos 16-year-old James
could think of all I'm saying is that
I'm glad I waited and gave myself time
to really know if this is what I wanted
and it was I know you're young and you
want to look as hardcore as possible but
you can still get a tattoo when you're
like 23 and it'll look good trust me no
matter what tattoo you get it's a way to
express outwardly to the world what you
like what you want to remember and who
you are now if you'll excuse me I'm
about to get a full back piece of my
grandma's face there's literally no way
my family wouldn't love that thank you
all for watching this YouTube video and
now that you're all done I'm excited to
announce that I have a Funko Pop of me
if that's something you're interested in
then you can head on over to my website
and you can get assigned Funko while
supplies last as always thank you to my
amazing team and the next time I'll see
you I might have more tattoos who knows
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