2009: This Year in Tattoos

2009 was an eventful year for so many reason and it marks the end of one helluva decade. But since it’s kind of our thing, we’re gonna look back on this year in terms of tattoos. Whether you got your first or 50th tat in ’09, you’ve probably heard some insane stories about ink throughout the year. Tattoo acceptance in mainstream has come far enough for a popular doll to get her first tattoos. But we’ve still got a long way to go when the media is willing to believe a girl who claimed she fell asleep while the “mean tattoo artist” gave her 56 tattoos on her face. So here it is… the good, the bad and the permanent marks of 2009.

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Barbie Turns 50, Gets Tramp Stamp

That’s right. Barbie officially hit her midlife crisis and got inked. Totally Stylin’ Tattoo Barbie was released earlier this year and parents were pissed. Source

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Geek Tattos Are In (and xkcd Tattoos Are Awesome)

Geeky Tattoos definitely dominated in ’09, especially tats based on xkcd web comics. Source

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Chinese Get Bad Engrish Tattoos

After years of making fun of Americans for getting terrible Chinese symbol tattoos that say things like “gullible white boy” Chinese people are getting poorly translated tattoos in English. Among some of the nonsensical phrases, “I belong to the god and it bless me” and “Best love in my life.” Source

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Dying Woman Gets Tattoos of 20 Pets

Jayne Jubb was diagnosed with lung cancer and decided to have the faces of her 20 pets tattooed to her body. It makes sense since she’s always been passionate about animals and loves tattoos. The coolest part is that the pets are not traditional pets… she has raccoons, piranha, a snake, a fox and a bunch of other types of animals. Source

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Even Movies Stars Have to Ask Their Mom For Permission

When Megan Fox said she wanted to a sleeve tattoo it sparked a fight with her mom. Her mom made the good point that it might hurt her chances of getting certain roles when she’s older. But who cares about that right? Megan says “Every Time I get a tattoo, it’s a little f**k you to anyone who tells me not to.” Even if you’re not a fan of her tats, you’ve gotta admire that rebellious attitude. Source

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Stupid Girl Gets 56 Stars Tattooed on Her FACE and Lies About It

No way! She was lying about only wanting 3 stars and falling asleep while he tattooed 56 stars to her face? Thanks for reminding us why spontaneous face tattoos are a bad idea. Source

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Rihanna Isn’t Qualified to Tattoo Anyone

Apparently, if you let someone who’s unqualified and unlicensed tattoo people in your shop, you get in trouble… even if that person is a celebrity. Source

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MJ’s Autopsy Reveals Weird Tattoos

Michael Jackson’s autopsy revealed that he not only had his eyebrows and lips tattooed on his face, but a big black tattoo on his scalp to apparently cover up the fact that he was going bald. Source

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Soulja Boy’s Tattoos Are Fake… Oh Wait, They’re Not?

First I was like “OMG Soujla Boy is a punk ass with fake tattoos.” Then I was like “WTF of course his tattoos are real. The lights were just really bright at that concert.” Source

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Florida Pays for Nazi’s Tattoo Removal So He Won’t Look Bad in Court

What is the world coming to when Nazi tattoos can be used against you in a court of law during your hate crime trial? Good thing Florida is spending tax payer’s dollars to cover up swastika tattoos so no one— you know—judges you unfairly for how you look. Source

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Did we miss any great tattoo stories of ’09? Post ‘em in the comments!