Are Comedy Tattoos Funny, or Just Lame?

Did you ever see that sketch on the Whitest Kids U’ Know where the drunk guy goes into a tattoo parlor and asks for a very complicated tattoo he is making up on the spot, involving Bowser from Super Mario Brothers playing a double necked guitar while surfing, with a pot leaf and a cross as a background and “Happy Birthday Rick” written across the top?  Well, at least one person out there actually went and got the tattoo described in the sketch.  When I saw it, I was pretty torn between thinking it was a complete work of genius, and being kind of glad I hadn’t woken up after a heavy night with it on me.

Browsing through LOL tatz you get a similar feeling.  An entire Where’s Waldo scene inked on someone’s back is a pretty genius idea in many ways, but how long will it take for the novelty to wear off?  And would a tattoo of an obscure character from one episode of the Simpsons be unique and ironic, or just make you look like the most irritating kind of hipster?

Because such a significant factor in choosing a tattoo is ensuring that you don’t pick a design you will regret in later years, deciding whether or not to get something funny is as important a design choice as deciding whether or not to get somebody’s name on there.  Here are some things to think about:

Will it Stand the Test of Time?

Some jokes and pop culture references are classic, and others are transient.  If the tattoo you are considering is a catchphrase or line from something contemporary, or an image relevant to something very now, consider whether you or anybody else will still find it funny in a few years (or decades) time.  Will people still remember Nyan Cat in 2031?  Because if not you’re just going to be someone in their fifties with a really weird picture of a cat that is also a poptart on your arm.

Is it Your Own Idea?

People who get these sorts of tattoos to be individual achieve it by thinking of something themselves, that to their knowledge nobody else has.  Obviously the Whitest Kids U’ Know guys thought up the Bowser tattoo, but the guy who actually got it done most likely came up with the idea of doing it either on his own or with his friends.  Getting a “comedy” tattoo because a celebrity has it or worse, because it is on one of the posters at the tattoo shop is just plain sad.  A girl might chuckle slightly the first time she sees “Your Name” tattooed on a guy’s butt, but I know a girl who has seen this tattoo on five different guys.  That is a fail.

Is There a Story Behind it?

Sometimes even the most seemingly ill advised tattoos become cool if there is a good story behind them, even if it involves a lot of drink and a bet.  If your funny tattoo relates to an in joke or anecdote that is always going to be fun to tell curious people, then you are far less likely to look like a fool.

We all know ink shouldn’t be entered into lightly but that doesn’t mean it has to be a humourless world of intricate dragons and Japanese letters.  Just make sure your comedy tattoo isn’t going to make you look lame either now, or down the road.