Thanks so much for watching!!! Huge shout out to the people who helped me make this: Editor & Collaborator: Cameron Davies (2 Cams) Tattooing me: (my wife) Felicity Handley: instagram.com/floppyhotdogs/ The Incredible Fuzi: instagram.com/fuziuvtpk/ And my amazing team at Struthless Studios: instagram.com/struthlessstudios (and of course everyone who watches hehe that is you xoxo)
One of my favorite tattoo artists does ignorant style, and the characters are always having an existential crisis of some kind related to how they are a tattoo. It's amazing and really breaks the 4th wall
Five Swedish guys were at my film school and they had never heard of the phrase ‘can you not’ which they found hilarious. Halloween rolled around and a guy dressed as a gay Steve Jobs (black crop turtle neck with low rise jeans) had a tattoo gun and all the Swedish guys got CAN YOU NOT on the ass. My legacy lives on
OMG!!!! I had totally forgotten about this!!! 😂😂😂 and, if my terrible memory serves, one of the guys got the same kangaroo on his leg that I have on my arm... what a night 🤪
@@struthless Yes!!! That was one of the Swedish guys too. 🦘 So funny. There is definitely a picture somewhere of all them them together, not sure if the world is ready for that
Check out Camus' novel l'Etranger, it's great. It's a short book and fun to read, the writing is great, the story is crazy and the later part really gets stuck into the absurdist philosophy.
@@AnthonyFlack Yeah i read its a very interesting novel, its counterpart, The Mersault Investigation by Kamel Douad is also a must if you love love Camus' work
This video should just be called "incredibly detailed and well researched history of tattoos". The amount of information and history packed into this is much much more than just explaining one recent style. Incredible video.
Somehow I lived among bikers, druggies, musicians, jugglers, tattoo artists and assorted crazies for decades without getting inked. Nothing against tattoos, I just always had better things to spend my money on (like bikes, drugs and guitars). Then, a couple of years ago, I needed 37 radiotherapy sessions to blast a pair of pretty naughty tumours. On day one, a young nurse used a needle and bottle of ink to tattoo 3 dots on my hip and groin, as registration marks for the machine.. my tattooed ex wife thinks it's hilarious! Now I tell people that the dots are a skull with a dagger through it, a wizard riding a dragon, and a full-length super realistic portrait of Dolly Parton... just done really really small.
@@alinanymus6830 Aw thank you! Well, 4 years ago my oncologist told me I had a 60% chance of still being alive in 10 years... but then, she's never seen me ride a bike.. I'll never be completely cured, but they've bought me some time, which I'm trying to make the most of. I hope you are enjoying your time too.. peace and light ;-)
While "Ignorant tattoos" might be relatively new, their style really hearkens back to old-school school notebook sketches. The simple but clean line art of simple separate charms and sketches was super popular in the early 2000s and very prevalent in skateboard culture. The art is easy to do one at a time in the margins of your notebook with a pen or pencil. Millennials who can afford tattoos now were drawing this style in school back in the mid 2000's. It makes sense when "party thighs" became a thing, that it would inevitably be the style of grade school doodling they did when younger. Look back at the snowboarding video game SSX On Tour (2005) and you see that this style of notebook art was literally used to style all the in-game menus. That's how prevalent the precursor style was to what is now "ignorant tattoos"
"Old people in 2070 will be hilarious" I love that you phased it that way. I had a conversation with some family members once how our generations (Millenials, Gen Z) will be like when their old. We came to the conclusion that the nursery homes will be full of people with piercings, overstretched ears and wrinkly (ignorant) tatoos. The imagination was hilarious! Now I am curious if we'll be "cool" old people one day.
"Now I am curious if we'll be "cool" old people one day." That depends entirely on the judgement of your grandchildren. They could find you horribly embarrassing!🥵😂
No, young people will absolutely mock our stretched ears and sneak pics of our bad tattoos to roast with each other about how dumb we have always been. Such is the way of the world.
As someone who's just starting out tattooing, I've noticed a lot of gen z/early millennial artists doing that style and I was so confused on the appeal. You explained it perfectly! It makes total sense especially during/after the pandemic and all the uncertainty it brought. Great video!!
My fellow millennials just find stupid tattoos appealing. I'm confused by this as well. I can feel them judging my meaningful tattoos, as well as their cringing. Lol.
@@itskitty808 fear not. Meaning and sincerity keeps us going, while irony and jokes are usually reactions to soften the blow of defeat. Your friends just gave up on meaning before you could. In my opinion, of course
@@itskitty808 I wouldn't judge meaningful tattoos as much as I wouldn't judge a dog riding a skateboard. Often they overlap anyways. Stupid dog on a skateboard, becomes MY stupid dog who liked running beside me while I skateboarded.
@@MrRemorseless I'm not saying you're being rude about it, because maybe it's just the way you worded it. But both are meaningful in their own way. And both can be fun and ridiculous in their own way. No tattoo, as long as it's done well, should be judged. By well, I mean safely and by a person with practice.
I have a cheap tattoo machine and I’m a graphic design major w no tattoos yet. I swear one of these days after a big exam I won’t be able to hold out any longer 😭🤘🏻
Really glad that this video is informational and optimistic! I see a lot of hate online towards ignorant style tattoos from people with more traditional tattoos, so its refreshing to know that the tattooing world isn't completely split by some sort of "traditional vs. ignorant" thing. I think almost every style of tattooing is cool and unique, so there should be no hate surrounding the styles people choose. After all, tattoos rose in popularity in attempt to strike out against the idea of an "ideal" person, so why hate a whole style because its not your "ideal" tattoo? Have fun!!
The idea of absurdism really made sense. I have a few ignorant tattoos (I'm especially fond of the one on my forearm that says "I like your dog") and I've found that as I get older I'm more into the idea of these weird, goofy tattoos. Maybe a sign that with age things just don't feel so serious anymore.
"Old people in 2070 will be hilarious", saying this has put a curious thought into my head about what younger people will be seeing of us when we get to our old age. What we have to go off of people in 1920 - 1950s, who are the old people of today, is pictures mostly. Whether its magazines, old films, illustrations, we don't have too much to go off of from that time. Whereas with today, when we get to 2070, the young people will have the entire internet to see what life was like back in the 2020's and will actually get a somewhat accurate depiction of the wide variety of people that live now. Like I'm just picturing a person in their teens in 2070, watching this video to find the origins of what would be considered vintage tattoo style to them.
What I'm scared of is if youtube will still be around 50 or 100 years later. People upload their entire lives online. Parasocial relationships are already a problem now, but imagine the teens of the future falling in love with dead content creators!
its gonna be even funnier since millennials are the the first generation that grew up with the internet. thats a whole generation of senior citizens fluent in internet culture. imagine finding out your grandpa has a meme account that he's been running for 50 years
When I was a kid, ppl would always say we would look like weird old ppl covered in tattoos. Well, look at us now! Gen X is the first gen absolutely covered in tats lol. No regrets.
The sad thing is, TH-cam will likely have shut down by then, and unless someone archives this video they won't be able to see it. Like, think about all the MySpace videos that are forever lost...
My first ever tattoo was when I was 17, which is technically illegal where I live so you can imagine the sketchiness of the guy I got it from. I drew up a very basic shitty guideline of what I wanted and when I arrived he had just printed out the shitty sketch I sent and I was too nervous to say anything so now I have a very shitty sketch that I made on my wrist lol
@@sajidaassaf174 this is so cringy but it's a barbed wire chain in the pattern of a heart beat with a heart hanging off of the end. I was 17 and it sounded cool okay hahaha
i love the way you guide us through all your interests so seamlessly, like this is a diff vibe than your latest vids, but im so here for it 🤩 ps - your post-production is goals 🖤
My favorite ignorant tattoo I’ve ever seen (maybe my favorite tattoo period) is some type of wild cat that looks a little jacked up, and it wearing a t-shirt that says “Covid-19 made me do this.” It really speaks and captures the feeling of an entire year in a way that I’ve never seen any other art do. And I think a big part is the fact that it’s utterly ridiculous and permanent on someone’s body. It wouldn’t have the same effect at all in any other medium.
I am an owner of an ignorant style wild cat that looks a little jacked up, it was a gumball tattoo I got, so I had to choose between that or a kid-cartoon style puppy dog face. Like 🐶 it was ok, but the cat was funky! I have a love hate relationship with it lol
I'm an illustrator and I used to hate this art style, and in general not only in tattoos. I used to think that the line art was lazy because it is not straight, those line art are little bit shaky. But now, I like so much that I illustrate using this style. I found some artists that make a shaky lineart but those lines are consistent, so is a balance between caos and order. I know that I'm being too much philosophical describing a line art, but I mean, it's what I feel about it.
It’s just the current hype and I literally detest the whole thing.. Honestly it looks childish with the cohesion of a sticker sheet.. People are walking Chipotlebags now.. Every 20yr. old girl in my country has a planter on their forearm too or some sort of sleeve (and otherwise stamp card upper legs) same hair, same polka dot etc. etc... Humanity is a fucking joke I cherish the days when tattoo’s weren’t some insipid fashion item.. I’m glad I have none
@@hoidoei941 lmao if you hate tattoos without meaning then get some with meaning to you then. all of mine are symbolically significant to me and are hand poked by me or my friends, its not hard to do this shit your own way my man
Saw a dude working in a food truck at Darling Harbour a few years ago with all the characters from "Where the wild things are" in a sleeve tatt. His response when asked about itnwas "its my favourite book" . Beautiful tatts
The guy who did my first tattoo had a thigh tat his 5 y/o had done, like not just the drawing, but with the actual machine, needles, and ink. I think b/c of that, ignorant for me initially felt very childlike, in a positive way. I don't have any ignorant, but I love that it celebrates the experience between the 2 ppl on either end of the tattoo in a way that is specific, self-referential, and joyful, even if it is gallows humor circling the death of our culture. Cool vid, ty!!
That sounds like it would hurt like a bitch LMAO. I’ve never gotten a tattoo before but I was under the impression that they don’t apply very much pressure. I’ve seen the way children use their entire palm to use a crayon so idk how he trusted his kid with that 😂😂
Yo real talk; who’s old enough to remember what tat shops were like before the Insta boom? Full of these horrendous dudes who looked like they would straight up kill you if you looked at them funny, who were giving people the most jacket up tattys(or at least they were round my end). Bless Instagram for changing everything omg, fabulous art, fabulous people, fabulous spaces. Proper can’t wait till we’re all wrinkled looking like multicoloured teabags at 80yo. BLESS YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY
@@fritobandito5374 those places still exist if you wanna go somewhere like that but mate it kinda sounds like you wish they kept the rape culture, bigotry and predators ..
back when I got my first tattoo machine and started to practice on my thighs I had the brilliant idea to tattoo "left foot" on my right foot and "right foot" on my left one. years later I did it self-tattooed and now it's my favorite most absurd tattoo that I got hahaha
My shitty derpy dragon I got as a teen in some meth heads hovel is my favorite tattoo. It beats out the professionals by sheer wtf situational memory. I never had a free range iguana hiss at me from behind a toilet in a shop.
@@trogdortheburninator3621 if i could just understand you we might have had a good discussion well thats no help to me unless you learn grammar young dragon man
One of my cousins used to draw these weird little demon doodles as a kid, and they were really strange, but kinda cool and cute at the same time. My aunt who has always had a lot of tattoos saw one of them and loved it so much that she she had it tattooed on her arm. It’s even more hilarious because a lot of her stuff is patchwork and generally American traditional, so it’s just funny to look at her arm and see a seemingly random little fine line children’s drawing of a demon. 😂
Interesting video, I remember seeing guys in prison in the 90’s with tattoos mostly scratched in with a pin and ink put on. These weren’t called Ignorant tattoos at the time but they looked a lot like some of the examples. It had a sort of “so bad it’s good” appeal and added a bit of humour to peoples grim situations
I guess my mother was ahead of the game too lol she had her name put on the top of her foot by her brother. It looked rather like comic sans, and it was hand done with Indian ink I think she said, when she was 18? So late 70s?
These vids are my comfort viewing. Nothing makes me happier than curling up with a bowl of food and seeing a new Struthless vid pop up on my homepage. Love you Cam
LoL, getting a Japanese or Chinese character tatted is pretty much the stupidest thing ever. Imagine getting a tattoo in English that said some stupid shit like “powerful, tiger, or god forbid…noodles”.
@@InDisskyS131 looks like I have to get a tattoo in English that says noodles. Maybe I'll get one that says bread instead. Nah I'll get one that says god forbid...noodles. It'll my first tattoo. I'll do it as long as this comment has under 10 likes
my favourite party thigh tattoo belongs to a highschool friend of mine. done in a cluttered bedroom, with nothing but a sewing needle, thread and hand sanitizer, she got ‘TEMPORARY’ added to her collection. It became a master piece amongst other phrases like, time flies dogs die. love u jada
For me what appeals with this style (for myself) is that I'm VERY self critical to the point that I go crazy over my own decisions. If I were to have something on my body that was supposed to be meaningful or beautiful I would stress out over it to an absurd amount if it wasn't perfect(don't think it ever could be for my mind). When a big part of the tattoo's identity is being butt-ugly it takes away the entire idea of stress for me, it can just exist there and be ugly and I don't care. So I think it's the only style I'll ever be able to have, which I'm totally fine with
These video essays are SO cool! The self help stuff youve been up to has been really awesome, but taking the same struthless approach to more documentary style subjects is SUCH a good fit, really really enjoying these
I tattooed my own ear when I was 24- just 3 lines near the edge. Last year I read an article about Otzi's tatts, with pics, and was delighted to see how similar to mine his are. In the article they mentioned that his tattoos could have been for a medicinal purpose, by causing inflammation in an area it would draw extra bloodflow and help tackle aches or injuries in that area. I liked that explanation because my tattoo was medicinal too. I did it when I was at a job I hated and going mad. It was a release valve saying "wait, I'm still me, I can't be controlled, I belong to myself."
My partner's friend tattoos under the handle "Discount stab shack" and tattoos almost entirely in the ignorant style. My partner has a lot of them now. My favorites are a balloon animal dog hat with the words "Heavy is the crown" and a bee with a top hat above the words "Straight stangin." 💯 Great video, I loved to learn the backstory.
I’ve got “party tattoos” and “ignorant tattoos” from like 2008. And I’d never heard these terms until just now. And the description of what they are and how they came to be was so spot on, I feel incredibly attacked right now 😂🎉
Been thinking about getting my first tattoo for a few years now and while I don’t think I’ll go for the ignorant style right away, this video took a lot of pressure off my shoulders and made me realize how fun tattoos can really be. The history was also fascinating and your way of telling it was just brilliant! Thanks for this video! Can’t wait to see what you do next! ^^
I don't know if it counts, but I have "The Movie is Called Memento" tattooed upside down on my thigh. I went through a stage where I kept referencing the movie and forgetting the title. So now it's on me forever. If I ever forget it I can just roll up my skirt a bit, and voila!
you mentioned the resilience required to survive an apprenticeship with hazing, unpaid labor, and weird power trips. this stuff is rampant in tattoo shops with just a bunch of cishet white guys, forget about women, LGBTQ ppl, and BIPOC. ignorant style opened the door for a lot of marginalized groups. it allowed for safer environments for tattooers and their clients, it gave people a lot of autonomy. i really loved watching this, i genuinely smiled through a lot of it, especially at the end. great stuff, thanks for making the video!
@@bruggeman672 i agree that anyone can be marginalized! it all depends on what context it’s happening in, and the groups i mentioned are the ones that are typically marginalized within the tattoo industry, while straight white men tend to be the dominant demographic. i don’t think straight white men are to blame for everything wrong with the world, and i don’t think what i said implies that. actually, i said the hazing etc is rampant even among that dominant group. it happens to everyone in the industry and i think it’s a shame. i’m glad ignorant style opened the door for marginalized groups including straight white men who find that environment to be totally out of line with their values.
@@bruggeman672 straight white males are the most targeted for hate as of the last 10 years it's disgusting 99% of straight white men are not the Boogeymen people are trying to create. Anyone who does think this is a prejudice piece of human garbage idgaf I'm white straight and a male and I love being me and I don't hate anyone for who they are OR being proud of who they are it's 100% ok for me to be happy about being any of those three things because if I was anything other than I would still be ok/happy with who I was.
I don't know what it would be categorized as but I love it when ignorant style imagery is done in a very serious black-and-gray application. I saw a 5 hr tattoo of a ramen monster and everything down to shading, and white ink was in detailed black and gray
Loved this video. Loved that you drew a connection to camus and absurdism. I think a lot of us are feeling like we are in a parallel time to sometime close to 100 yrs ago. I've heard a lot of people parallel 1890 and 1930 particularly.
I loved the little history lesson, cheers for that! Weirdest tattoo I've got is the evil criminal penguin from Wallace and Gromit's The wrong trousers (Feathers McGraw). He's a penguin wearing a rubber kitchen glove on his head as a disguise in order to look like a rooster. I feel like having a chuckle every time I look down at my bicep and see him ahaha
I've got probably 100 tattoos, 2 were done by a professional in a parlour, 5 were the classic party tattoos by friends, and the other 90something are by me, bent, many very ignorant or just poorly done with a real meaning, people always ask when I'll cover my horrible half-sleeve of dozens of different small pieces, and the answer is definitely never, I remember each one and what it meant to me at the time and with my memory being what it is I always want to remember those moments
The first tattoo I tattooed on myself with an ebay bought machine in my kitchen and I wrote under my knees "not worry" "make happy" and I'm still very proud of it and love it and it basically describes the essence meaning of the ignorant style. Don't take life too seriously.
@@marcelohm123 yes you did 😅 well, Simple Plan is one of those bands I used to listen to when I was a teenager and it did not age so well. Like once you do not relate to the lyrics anymore the music is sort of dull. It did not happen with MCR, Green Day or Nirvana, bands I am still a fan of.
The edit on this video, the typography chosen, the sound effects, there's something about this video that stands out to me other than the content itself. GREAT VIDEO
I’ve been getting ignorant style tattoos since like 2009 😹 my weirdest one is probably a line drawing/self portrait of a sibling with a banner underneath that says “this is dumb” Glorious.
Great video once again! Here's the best tattoo I've ever seen: I was hanging with a band after their concert and talking about tattoos with deep meanings and the singer starts explaining and showing that he had a tattoo of a wristwatch on his wrist, but instead of a clock face it was a pizza and that's because it's always time for pizza!
I didn't actually expect a break down of the history, but I'm here for it!! Loved the style, and quality of the editing :)) I just got my first tattoo this year and I realize after this video that i probably wouldn't have dared to take it without this whole movement/trend/whatever you want to call it
Just got your book in the mail, so glad!! It’s awesome. Just got diagnosed with ADHD late in life and I’m reading it with my husband and 14 year old, who is stoked that I knew who you were lol. Tattooing and buying equipment online became my latest ADHD hyper focus hobby and a good reason to work on my art more. Thanks for being you!!
I only have 2 tattoos and they both fit into this style. I never understood why i enjoyed it so much but drawing the parallel to absurdism made alot of sense to me. I also like the tattoos because the meaning and the appreciation for the tattoo dosnt come from the application and execution but more from the meaning you bestow upon the concept. The meaning behind the idea not the art itself
I am so glad you brought up Camus and absurdism! That is certainly my philosophy and coping mechanism for late stage capitalism and a notable generational attitude. I also totally love ignorant tattoos
I entered 2020 with 1 poorly done professional tattoo and left with over 20 I did myself while having black mold poisoning. They are mostly meaningless but got me through so much. One of my strangest ones is a naked portrait of myself on my thigh.
Thanks for all the research! I have tons of issues with abusive old-school apprenticeships, BUT I also don't think anyone should buy a cheap tattoo kit and tattoo their friends- the risks for hepatitis, HIV and even just bacterial infections are no joke. Tattooing without any knowledge of bloodborne pathogens and cross-contamination could easily ruin someone's life.
@@bigamateur9055 exactly, the problem was about 1. The job: they usually just took you to clean the shop and not to learn the craft 2. Protection in general for the apprentice from clients, coworkers and sometimes bosses from getting harassed and fired the last day before the end of the apprenticeship (so they wouldn't have to keep you and it was just free work for them, since the apprentice was "paying" in service for learning) But legal apprenticeships? We need them a lot more
my friend's housemate made a QR code tattoo of a website he made for his ex-gf to win her back, and after a while he stopped paying for the website so it's just a qr code that goes to a blocked page. but he's together with the gf still so i guess it served its purpose. this was an awesome video btw!! loved it and i learned so much
I never knew what these types of tattoos are called but I've always been so interested on how imperfect they are. I think it also relates how patchwork sleeve tattoos are getting popular esp to younger people bc it gives you more choice to have a variety rather than having just one big arm tattoo.
Absolutely. And they could also be popular because you can work on them bit by bit, not having to commit to longer sessions and higher prices. It's like paying in installments, but for a sleeve 😂
16:55 - I don't know how "absurd" this is, but the tattoo that I think most captured my attention in a long-term way was one of the words from Shelley Jackson's _Skin_ -- described as "a 2095-word story published exclusively in tattoos, one word at a time, on the skin of volunteers", in case anyone is unfamiliar. One of the volunteers was a teacher of a class I took once, and had... I think it was the word "piece"?? I might be mis-remembering, though. Anyway, the whole project idea just kinda fascinates me.
Wow. Those strangers will be bound forever, because each one will hold/carry a tiny piece of a written story. They don't know each other but they know there are others like them around carrying the other pieces of the same story. Quite fascinating indeed.
I always thought Struthless always filmed alone until I hear those laughter in the back … 🤯😂 love your video man, as always! Great content and appreciate the interview with Fuzy as well!
I've had this in my bookmarked videos for months, finally got around to it, and so glad I did! This was such a wonderful and concise history of how we got to this moment. A pleasure to watch!
The tattoo that has stayed in my mind since I first saw it as a kid was at a water park. A guy emerged from the water and it looked like his back was bleeding, as if the skin had peeled off to the point of showing bone. For a second, I was terrified and probably assumed that it happened coming off a water slide like in Always Sunny, but as soon as I realized it was fake I just thought it was really cool art work. It kind of made me want my own back tattoo, but I would do as realistic angel or butterfly wings as I could get. Also the amount of work that went into this video really comes across, from the editing to the content.
When I was 18 I got “¿Qué pasa?” tattooed on my right palm. It’s been nearly 15 years now so it’s barely visible now, but I still chuckle every time I see it :)
Heck yeah! In my opinion, tattoos should be something that makes you feel good. Whether you find it aesthetically pleasing, or funny, it's something for you, you know? :)
@@Volcanic_Activity if you translate it literally it would mean "what's wrong?" but it's a spanish expression which in english would be translated to "what's up"
i tattoed the word "tattoo" on myself as one of my learning practices. it looks shitty but it's for sure one of my favourite tattoos ever. i'm down to add that word to all the tattos i make if the victim wants to :)
The only piece I had done was a "gao yord" sak yant tattoo at Wat Bang Phra in Thailand. It started out as a tourist adventure until I got to the temple and realized that not everyone is permitted to get the ink done. You have to take the spirituality seriously, from the monk's perspective. You also don't get to choose what you receive. There is a traditional system of application and choices, but the monk tattooist decides. These are done with handcrafted ink which includes snake venom and human bone ash, using long steel or bamboo needles. Also, only men can get tattoos from monks. Monks are not allowed to touch women, so women can only get them from female temple staff. Everybody gets a final blessing from the Abbott and exits through a gift shop though. I found the process became quite profound and experienced some zen peace. I'll go back and get more in years to come, but I'll only go to Wat Bang Phra. That is the centre now of traditional Khmer tattooing.
@@Alittlebitsour6 every religious organization I've ever heard of has a store or goods for sale, even the local Satanic Temple. You must not be aware of the kind of role Thai temples play in their communities. It's worth investigating. They provide a number of services that local governments would in a western country. It's not unusual to have markets and shops associated with temples.
As a person without a tattoo and never seeing your content, this was an awesome video. Well presented, educational and interesting and currently relevant. Cheers.
Damn, I went into this thinking I wouldn't really be interested in the topic, but you made it fascinating. Awesome job, and I'm looking forward to your future video essays. Also, your summation line had me laughing so hard!
I'm a tattoo artist who, strangely, struggles sometimes with the idea of tattoos being on me forever. although as an art form it's my favourite thing to provide for others, i always get a sense of anxiety when getting a new piece myself, "what if people are right and i WILL regret this when i'm 70?!". but this video, and especially your point at the end felt like it calmed every anxiety ive ever had about it and put it into perspective. to choose to revel in the absurdity of life, to realise that in 2070 we will all be old and wrinkly and covered in scribbles and that that doesn't matter in the best way, makes it all feel a bit silly to actually worry about it like that. love your videos as always, but it was extra special to watch this one about a topic so important to me!
I always regret more not doing it and wasting my time I finally got a canopy bed and changed my signature for a crown lol I’m adding mannequin heads into my wall Your personality cores will remain the same
Yay! I somehow managed to avoid the party thighs. Total fluke tbh. Only got my first two and super meaningful tattoos last year. The second one gets a bit of a knee jerk reaction to it. It’s a dangling spider. Matching tattoo with my bestie, first conversation we ever had was about spiders. Every time I look down at my wrist I now go “shit, I really should text her / text her back” and don’t. But it’s a mutual thing. 🙃
i don't know why i love this video so much, but it's just so comforting to hear the definition/history behind this particular style because it is so laid back
i didn´t expected that fuzi played such a big role in the tattoo scene, i always liked his graff and i got a few "ignorant" tattoos from my friends while they started out with tatooing. i´m glad this stuff gets mainstream and acceptable, so i don´t need to be shy about my legs since i´m old now and a dad :D
I just started tattooing I think it’s so cool I ended up learning so much from a struthless video on something so important to me! I always learn so much from your videos man .. i feel like my life is on track with your videos
Ok I was curious and clicked on this video thinking it would be “a not so amazing video about a style I really don’t appreciate” and I just literally got a masterclass. Really good research and insights! I love all your videos and obviously this one would not suck. Thanks for the awesomeness!
This is my favorite part about all the people who got super meaningful tattoos that are perfect, try to budge in with their own stories that nobody cares about when everyone else is asking people about their party tattoos
Yesss! I love this video and the new styles so much. I’m pretty amateur at tattooing but it’s my favorite art medium, really enjoying doing my own “party thighs.” I really appreciate the “art for art’s sake” type of tattooing, I’ve always felt it’s a little pretentious to only get meaningful tattoos, whatever that means.
My tattoo artists wasn't the person to buy the $ 60 machine. My old roomate was and then I gave it to her with a promisse to lend my skin as their first humans canvas. I love it
Great video, It's really neat to see someone talk about absurdism and how it relates to the explosion of popularity surrounding certain kinds of tattooing. I don't have any ignorant tattoos aesthetically- but quite a few of my traditional ones are still definitely inspired by that same irreverent absurdist philosophy- because it's one I really like. I was brought up in a fairly conservative household, whenever the subject of tattoos came up, they were always talked about with disgust and wariness, something you should never indulge in- and only remotely acceptable in others if they are getting designs with some deep and sombre personal meaning. That anything else made you look ~trashy~ and stupid. Every conversation followed a theme of promises of excruciating pain and the danger of "ruining your body forever!!!!!!" But that mindset never really gelled with me- so I ended up getting a few intentionally "stupid" tattoos as an adult, because why the fuck not? Why shouldn't I have a little grey alien's head with "ayy LMAO" written on it? will I explode if I do? (Spoiler: I didn't explode and it looks funny as hell) The part at the end of the vid about implication 4 especially resonated with me, because all of the protests I've heard about "what will it look like when ur old!" have only ever emboldened me in not giving a shit about having goofy tattoos- because it makes the whole thing even funnier to me. If future me ever wakes up one day to find my sense of humour has withered away so much that my dumb tattoos actually bother me- then fuck that guy- he has it coming.
Fuck that guy he has it coming killed me 🤣🤣🤣 I grew up around the same mindset and I think it’s unlikely I’ll ever get a tattoo with any meaning because of it. The fear-mongering backfired a bit
I have a friend who has a classical style Buddha taking a dump on an R. Crumb “Tommy Toilet.” Another gloriously absurd one that I’ve seen was a woman who had a full back and butt tattoo of a beautiful geisha leading an armadillo on a leash while riding a razor scooter, wearing high-top red Converse sneakers, done in the style of an Edo period Japanese woodcut. I’ve been in love with her for years. Thanks for a great channel. I was exploring the Great TH-cam Rabbit Hole and stumbled onto your “fonts” video. A lucky day for me! Subscribed, liked, shared with friends. Keep up the superbly eclectic work.
thank you so much for this! i've long wondered why people intentionally get stupid tattoos, but every time i asked i was met with "because they want to! shut up!" and no one ever bothered giving an answer. so thanks! now i know the history and culture behind stupid tattoos!
I saw this year's ago in a Tumblr post in relation to a lot of online content and "artwork" in how we've entered an era of so called neo-Dadaism. Dadaism came into being post WW1 when a lot of youth had undergone a period of economic instability, warfare, and an uncertain future, not unlike how millennials and gen Z have. It makes sense that that feeling expanded into tattoo artwork as well. I think it's worth it for anyone who liked this video to go look into the history of Dadaism and how it's reflected in current culture, it's really neat. Great video 👍🏼
I learnt so much from this video! My first (and so far only tattoo) is made by my friend who is a hobby tattooist and it says "Let's do this!" (which has a story behind it itself) which I find quite hilarious as I did it on impulse as my first tattoo. It's not perfect and looks like someone wrote it with ink in an indie comic - but I love it! 🖤
Hey Camb, love the content ! I think adding sources to your videos would make them even better - would just be the cherry on top of the awesome narratives. Would give credibility and allow for people to delve deeper into the topics you deliver. Really like the direction you are going in!! Keen to see more
Thanks so much for watching!!!
Huge shout out to the people who helped me make this:
Editor & Collaborator: Cameron Davies (2 Cams)
Tattooing me: (my wife) Felicity Handley: instagram.com/floppyhotdogs/
The Incredible Fuzi: instagram.com/fuziuvtpk/
And my amazing team at Struthless Studios: instagram.com/struthlessstudios
(and of course everyone who watches hehe that is you xoxo)
Your best video yet!
“Commit self-die” is the best way to say the “s” word on TH-cam btw. Credit for the term is DonutOperator
When's your tattoo tour video?
Loved the video, thank you for the update. By the way the funniest phrase I've heard someone say suicide was "liven't"
Excellent
One of my favorite tattoo artists does ignorant style, and the characters are always having an existential crisis of some kind related to how they are a tattoo. It's amazing and really breaks the 4th wall
can you share their @ please? :)
shot in the dark, but is it woozy machine tattoos?
@@struthless thats the one!
awesome tattoo artist, I love that style and I bet his tattoos are high quality and still look good a decade+ from now
I love that. God bless 💓
Five Swedish guys were at my film school and they had never heard of the phrase ‘can you not’ which they found hilarious. Halloween rolled around and a guy dressed as a gay Steve Jobs (black crop turtle neck with low rise jeans) had a tattoo gun and all the Swedish guys got CAN YOU NOT on the ass. My legacy lives on
OMG!!!! I had totally forgotten about this!!! 😂😂😂 and, if my terrible memory serves, one of the guys got the same kangaroo on his leg that I have on my arm... what a night 🤪
@@struthless Yes!!! That was one of the Swedish guys too. 🦘 So funny. There is definitely a picture somewhere of all them them together, not sure if the world is ready for that
@@sallylillian2760 I am ready
@@whatareyoudoingthis4 ....I'm invested
Doesn't "can you not" come from the movie "Die Hard"?
th-cam.com/video/IP81DPBHFEA/w-d-xo.html
I saw a guy with a lower back tattoo of a postage stamp that said “tramp” on it once like 15 years ago, and I still think that’s so hilarious
did not expect absurdism to be explained in a video about a tattoo style but def here for it
Why not? Tattoo is art like any other medium, and can be used to explain a number of artistic trends.
2nd what bravo is saying. Absurdism has defined the incoming generation, and all mediums will have to take influence.
Check out Camus' novel l'Etranger, it's great. It's a short book and fun to read, the writing is great, the story is crazy and the later part really gets stuck into the absurdist philosophy.
@@sashakucher261 and bravo yeah i guess i mainly thought of absurdism as a philosophical movement and did not consider its effect on art yet
@@AnthonyFlack Yeah i read its a very interesting novel, its counterpart, The Mersault Investigation by Kamel Douad is also a must if you love love Camus' work
This video should just be called "incredibly detailed and well researched history of tattoos". The amount of information and history packed into this is much much more than just explaining one recent style. Incredible video.
"just"??
Somehow I lived among bikers, druggies, musicians, jugglers, tattoo artists and assorted crazies for decades without getting inked. Nothing against tattoos, I just always had better things to spend my money on (like bikes, drugs and guitars). Then, a couple of years ago, I needed 37 radiotherapy sessions to blast a pair of pretty naughty tumours. On day one, a young nurse used a needle and bottle of ink to tattoo 3 dots on my hip and groin, as registration marks for the machine.. my tattooed ex wife thinks it's hilarious! Now I tell people that the dots are a skull with a dagger through it, a wizard riding a dragon, and a full-length super realistic portrait of Dolly Parton... just done really really small.
Niice haha hope you’re cured by now!
@@alinanymus6830 Aw thank you! Well, 4 years ago my oncologist told me I had a 60% chance of still being alive in 10 years... but then, she's never seen me ride a bike.. I'll never be completely cured, but they've bought me some time, which I'm trying to make the most of. I hope you are enjoying your time too.. peace and light ;-)
@@captaincrash9286 damn thats an awesome story enjoy your time mate have a good one :)
@@nefty1004 cheers mate, it's all about the journey, we all have the same destination.. I hope you enjoy the ride, too!
@@captaincrash9286 Thank you! And yes make the best of it! I wish you good luck and a great time
I’m a great-grandma with many tats! I started in the 70s! They are for everyone☮️💟
I came for the bad tattoos, stayed for the existential philosophy.
While "Ignorant tattoos" might be relatively new, their style really hearkens back to old-school school notebook sketches. The simple but clean line art of simple separate charms and sketches was super popular in the early 2000s and very prevalent in skateboard culture. The art is easy to do one at a time in the margins of your notebook with a pen or pencil. Millennials who can afford tattoos now were drawing this style in school back in the mid 2000's. It makes sense when "party thighs" became a thing, that it would inevitably be the style of grade school doodling they did when younger. Look back at the snowboarding video game SSX On Tour (2005) and you see that this style of notebook art was literally used to style all the in-game menus. That's how prevalent the precursor style was to what is now "ignorant tattoos"
Had this thought with a super “S” (long-pre-internet meme) on one of the party thigh images
Yeah we did that in the 90s too for sure! I'd argue it began early 90s alt/skateboarding/metal communities.
Kilroy was here
o.o
Bruh do you not know Killroy was here or sum 😂
idk why I love the idea of "ugh all old people have tattoos 🙄" and imagining it said in an annoyed teenage way 🤣
"Old people in 2070 will be hilarious"
I love that you phased it that way. I had a conversation with some family members once how our generations (Millenials, Gen Z) will be like when their old. We came to the conclusion that the nursery homes will be full of people with piercings, overstretched ears and wrinkly (ignorant) tatoos. The imagination was hilarious!
Now I am curious if we'll be "cool" old people one day.
2070 I'll be 80 years old... seems so far but so near at the same time. 🤯. I have full sleeve and piercings, if be one of those old people lol
"Now I am curious if we'll be "cool" old people one day." That depends entirely on the judgement of your grandchildren. They could find you horribly embarrassing!🥵😂
No, young people will absolutely mock our stretched ears and sneak pics of our bad tattoos to roast with each other about how dumb we have always been. Such is the way of the world.
oh god i hate to imagine that i’ll be alive in 2070 😓 it sounds so far away but i’ll only be 63
I'll be 69 (hehe)
As someone who's just starting out tattooing, I've noticed a lot of gen z/early millennial artists doing that style and I was so confused on the appeal. You explained it perfectly! It makes total sense especially during/after the pandemic and all the uncertainty it brought. Great video!!
My fellow millennials just find stupid tattoos appealing. I'm confused by this as well. I can feel them judging my meaningful tattoos, as well as their cringing. Lol.
@@itskitty808 fear not. Meaning and sincerity keeps us going, while irony and jokes are usually reactions to soften the blow of defeat. Your friends just gave up on meaning before you could. In my opinion, of course
@@itskitty808 I wouldn't judge meaningful tattoos as much as I wouldn't judge a dog riding a skateboard. Often they overlap anyways. Stupid dog on a skateboard, becomes MY stupid dog who liked running beside me while I skateboarded.
@@angelp2092 Relatable, have a nice day.
@@MrRemorseless I'm not saying you're being rude about it, because maybe it's just the way you worded it. But both are meaningful in their own way. And both can be fun and ridiculous in their own way. No tattoo, as long as it's done well, should be judged. By well, I mean safely and by a person with practice.
I survived art college with no tattoo. I felt like a proper freak.
Lmao well done ! I personally preferred leaving before becoming one of them 😭😂
you were, we just didnt say anything.
@alpandi Rockwell omg profile pic twins
I got my 1st tattoo before I even started studying sociology lol
I have a cheap tattoo machine and I’m a graphic design major w no tattoos yet. I swear one of these days after a big exam I won’t be able to hold out any longer 😭🤘🏻
Really glad that this video is informational and optimistic! I see a lot of hate online towards ignorant style tattoos from people with more traditional tattoos, so its refreshing to know that the tattooing world isn't completely split by some sort of "traditional vs. ignorant" thing. I think almost every style of tattooing is cool and unique, so there should be no hate surrounding the styles people choose. After all, tattoos rose in popularity in attempt to strike out against the idea of an "ideal" person, so why hate a whole style because its not your "ideal" tattoo? Have fun!!
Absolutely. This video is surprisingly informative.
The idea of absurdism really made sense. I have a few ignorant tattoos (I'm especially fond of the one on my forearm that says "I like your dog") and I've found that as I get older I'm more into the idea of these weird, goofy tattoos. Maybe a sign that with age things just don't feel so serious anymore.
"I like your dog" is awesome!
i would honestly lose it if i saw the "i like your dog" tattoo and be giggling for days
"Old people in 2070 will be hilarious", saying this has put a curious thought into my head about what younger people will be seeing of us when we get to our old age. What we have to go off of people in 1920 - 1950s, who are the old people of today, is pictures mostly. Whether its magazines, old films, illustrations, we don't have too much to go off of from that time. Whereas with today, when we get to 2070, the young people will have the entire internet to see what life was like back in the 2020's and will actually get a somewhat accurate depiction of the wide variety of people that live now. Like I'm just picturing a person in their teens in 2070, watching this video to find the origins of what would be considered vintage tattoo style to them.
Reminds me of a comment somewhere saying that history will be taught through tiktoks lol
What I'm scared of is if youtube will still be around 50 or 100 years later. People upload their entire lives online. Parasocial relationships are already a problem now, but imagine the teens of the future falling in love with dead content creators!
its gonna be even funnier since millennials are the the first generation that grew up with the internet. thats a whole generation of senior citizens fluent in internet culture. imagine finding out your grandpa has a meme account that he's been running for 50 years
When I was a kid, ppl would always say we would look like weird old ppl covered in tattoos. Well, look at us now! Gen X is the first gen absolutely covered in tats lol. No regrets.
The sad thing is, TH-cam will likely have shut down by then, and unless someone archives this video they won't be able to see it. Like, think about all the MySpace videos that are forever lost...
My first ever tattoo was when I was 17, which is technically illegal where I live so you can imagine the sketchiness of the guy I got it from. I drew up a very basic shitty guideline of what I wanted and when I arrived he had just printed out the shitty sketch I sent and I was too nervous to say anything so now I have a very shitty sketch that I made on my wrist lol
What is it of if you don't mind sharing
@@sajidaassaf174 this is so cringy but it's a barbed wire chain in the pattern of a heart beat with a heart hanging off of the end. I was 17 and it sounded cool okay hahaha
@@comfypeepo this is probably why it's illegal to get tattoos at 17 lmaooo I would've thought it was call at that age too
same thing happened to me hahaha
That‘s what you got.
i love the way you guide us through all your interests so seamlessly, like this is a diff vibe than your latest vids, but im so here for it 🤩 ps - your post-production is goals 🖤
you are too kind!! and thanks for being into the different vibe 🥰🥰🥰
Definitely here for all of it!!
Wild - this is the first of his videos I've seen and I'm enjoying it. 🤣
Jesus Christ loves you
My favorite ignorant tattoo I’ve ever seen (maybe my favorite tattoo period) is some type of wild cat that looks a little jacked up, and it wearing a t-shirt that says “Covid-19 made me do this.” It really speaks and captures the feeling of an entire year in a way that I’ve never seen any other art do. And I think a big part is the fact that it’s utterly ridiculous and permanent on someone’s body. It wouldn’t have the same effect at all in any other medium.
There are a lot of parallels between the attitudes of the 1920s and the 2020s. Electro-Swing is a kick ass music genre too.
I am an owner of an ignorant style wild cat that looks a little jacked up, it was a gumball tattoo I got, so I had to choose between that or a kid-cartoon style puppy dog face. Like 🐶 it was ok, but the cat was funky! I have a love hate relationship with it lol
I'm an illustrator and I used to hate this art style, and in general not only in tattoos. I used to think that the line art was lazy because it is not straight, those line art are little bit shaky.
But now, I like so much that I illustrate using this style. I found some artists that make a shaky lineart but those lines are consistent, so is a balance between caos and order. I know that I'm being too much philosophical describing a line art, but I mean, it's what I feel about it.
I believe You are right. It's like dancing on the edge between chaos and order.
It’s just the current hype and I literally detest the whole thing.. Honestly it looks childish with the cohesion of a sticker sheet.. People are walking Chipotlebags now.. Every 20yr. old girl in my country has a planter on their forearm too or some sort of sleeve (and otherwise stamp card upper legs) same hair, same polka dot etc. etc... Humanity is a fucking joke
I cherish the days when tattoo’s weren’t some insipid fashion item..
I’m glad I have none
@@hoidoei941 lmao if you hate tattoos without meaning then get some with meaning to you then. all of mine are symbolically significant to me and are hand poked by me or my friends, its not hard to do this shit your own way my man
@@jaywilliams720 I don’t want any tattoos at all 😂
@@hoidoei941 Then why would you have such a strong opinion on them 😂
Saw a dude working in a food truck at Darling Harbour a few years ago with all the characters from "Where the wild things are" in a sleeve tatt. His response when asked about itnwas "its my favourite book" . Beautiful tatts
The guy who did my first tattoo had a thigh tat his 5 y/o had done, like not just the drawing, but with the actual machine, needles, and ink. I think b/c of that, ignorant for me initially felt very childlike, in a positive way. I don't have any ignorant, but I love that it celebrates the experience between the 2 ppl on either end of the tattoo in a way that is specific, self-referential, and joyful, even if it is gallows humor circling the death of our culture. Cool vid, ty!!
That sounds like it would hurt like a bitch LMAO. I’ve never gotten a tattoo before but I was under the impression that they don’t apply very much pressure. I’ve seen the way children use their entire palm to use a crayon so idk how he trusted his kid with that 😂😂
Yo real talk; who’s old enough to remember what tat shops were like before the Insta boom? Full of these horrendous dudes who looked like they would straight up kill you if you looked at them funny, who were giving people the most jacket up tattys(or at least they were round my end). Bless Instagram for changing everything omg, fabulous art, fabulous people, fabulous spaces. Proper can’t wait till we’re all wrinkled looking like multicoloured teabags at 80yo. BLESS YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY
@Halloween All Year Round It didn't change it for the better. They should have gatekept harder.
@@fritobandito5374 coming out hard in favor of rape and bigotry I see, interesting choice
@@fritobandito5374 those places still exist if you wanna go somewhere like that but mate it kinda sounds like you wish they kept the rape culture, bigotry and predators ..
@@rattus8112 Lol! "rape culture" Got more NGO dispensed buzzwords for me?
@@fritobandito5374 why would you want to exclude people from an art community like tattooing :/
back when I got my first tattoo machine and started to practice on my thighs I had the brilliant idea to tattoo "left foot" on my right foot and "right foot" on my left one. years later I did it self-tattooed and now it's my favorite most absurd tattoo that I got hahaha
Always handy incase you need to put your shoes on late at night to quickly go out
My shitty derpy dragon I got as a teen in some meth heads hovel is my favorite tattoo. It beats out the professionals by sheer wtf situational memory. I never had a free range iguana hiss at me from behind a toilet in a shop.
@@trogdortheburninator3621 if i could just understand you we might have had a good discussion well thats no help to me unless you learn grammar young dragon man
One of my cousins used to draw these weird little demon doodles as a kid, and they were really strange, but kinda cool and cute at the same time. My aunt who has always had a lot of tattoos saw one of them and loved it so much that she she had it tattooed on her arm. It’s even more hilarious because a lot of her stuff is patchwork and generally American traditional, so it’s just funny to look at her arm and see a seemingly random little fine line children’s drawing of a demon. 😂
Interesting video, I remember seeing guys in prison in the 90’s with tattoos mostly scratched in with a pin and ink put on. These weren’t called Ignorant tattoos at the time but they looked a lot like some of the examples. It had a sort of “so bad it’s good” appeal and added a bit of humour to peoples grim situations
I guess my mother was ahead of the game too lol she had her name put on the top of her foot by her brother. It looked rather like comic sans, and it was hand done with Indian ink I think she said, when she was 18? So late 70s?
These vids are my comfort viewing. Nothing makes me happier than curling up with a bowl of food and seeing a new Struthless vid pop up on my homepage. Love you Cam
My brother accidentally discovered that one of his "Japanese inspired" tattoos was also a symbol for BDSM.
What is it, if you don't mind me asking?
BAWHAHAHAHA
Happy Accidents
LoL, getting a Japanese or Chinese character tatted is pretty much the stupidest thing ever. Imagine getting a tattoo in English that said some stupid shit like “powerful, tiger, or god forbid…noodles”.
@@InDisskyS131 looks like I have to get a tattoo in English that says noodles. Maybe I'll get one that says bread instead. Nah I'll get one that says god forbid...noodles. It'll my first tattoo. I'll do it as long as this comment has under 10 likes
my favourite party thigh tattoo belongs to a highschool friend of mine. done in a cluttered bedroom, with nothing but a sewing needle, thread and hand sanitizer, she got ‘TEMPORARY’ added to her collection. It became a master piece amongst other phrases like, time flies dogs die. love u jada
For me what appeals with this style (for myself) is that I'm VERY self critical to the point that I go crazy over my own decisions.
If I were to have something on my body that was supposed to be meaningful or beautiful I would stress out over it to an absurd amount if it wasn't perfect(don't think it ever could be for my mind).
When a big part of the tattoo's identity is being butt-ugly it takes away the entire idea of stress for me, it can just exist there and be ugly and I don't care. So I think it's the only style I'll ever be able to have, which I'm totally fine with
These video essays are SO cool! The self help stuff youve been up to has been really awesome, but taking the same struthless approach to more documentary style subjects is SUCH a good fit, really really enjoying these
We all need the word STRUTH!
I tattooed my own ear when I was 24- just 3 lines near the edge. Last year I read an article about Otzi's tatts, with pics, and was delighted to see how similar to mine his are. In the article they mentioned that his tattoos could have been for a medicinal purpose, by causing inflammation in an area it would draw extra bloodflow and help tackle aches or injuries in that area. I liked that explanation because my tattoo was medicinal too. I did it when I was at a job I hated and going mad. It was a release valve saying "wait, I'm still me, I can't be controlled, I belong to myself."
You mean, “how similar you’re were to his”…
@@InDisskyS131 you're saying "how similar you are were to his" which makes no sense
I know what you meant. You said it just fine. Clear to me!
Haha yes, gotta love auto correct. “ how similar yours were to his”.
@@levisipos Thanks for catching that. Smart devices don’t always understand context.
My partner's friend tattoos under the handle "Discount stab shack" and tattoos almost entirely in the ignorant style. My partner has a lot of them now. My favorites are a balloon animal dog hat with the words "Heavy is the crown" and a bee with a top hat above the words "Straight stangin." 💯 Great video, I loved to learn the backstory.
Lol the bee one sounds awesome
I have a short attention span and don't love educational videos yet you had me entertained the whole time without even taking a break
I’ve got “party tattoos” and “ignorant tattoos” from like 2008. And I’d never heard these terms until just now. And the description of what they are and how they came to be was so spot on, I feel incredibly attacked right now 😂🎉
Been thinking about getting my first tattoo for a few years now and while I don’t think I’ll go for the ignorant style right away, this video took a lot of pressure off my shoulders and made me realize how fun tattoos can really be.
The history was also fascinating and your way of telling it was just brilliant!
Thanks for this video! Can’t wait to see what you do next! ^^
I don't know if it counts, but I have "The Movie is Called Memento" tattooed upside down on my thigh.
I went through a stage where I kept referencing the movie and forgetting the title. So now it's on me forever. If I ever forget it I can just roll up my skirt a bit, and voila!
That is very meta! 😆
You’re hilarious.
I absolutely love that xD
Erin Rodgers? More like John G.... sry
That's awesome. You got a memento of Memento
you mentioned the resilience required to survive an apprenticeship with hazing, unpaid labor, and weird power trips. this stuff is rampant in tattoo shops with just a bunch of cishet white guys, forget about women, LGBTQ ppl, and BIPOC. ignorant style opened the door for a lot of marginalized groups. it allowed for safer environments for tattooers and their clients, it gave people a lot of autonomy.
i really loved watching this, i genuinely smiled through a lot of it, especially at the end. great stuff, thanks for making the video!
Anyone can be marginalized. Including straight white men, who are apparently to blame for virtually everything wrong with the world...
@@bruggeman672 i agree that anyone can be marginalized! it all depends on what context it’s happening in, and the groups i mentioned are the ones that are typically marginalized within the tattoo industry, while straight white men tend to be the dominant demographic. i don’t think straight white men are to blame for everything wrong with the world, and i don’t think what i said implies that. actually, i said the hazing etc is rampant even among that dominant group. it happens to everyone in the industry and i think it’s a shame. i’m glad ignorant style opened the door for marginalized groups including straight white men who find that environment to be totally out of line with their values.
@@xepru maybe you don't, but most others seem to...
I agree, great comment!
@@bruggeman672 straight white males are the most targeted for hate as of the last 10 years it's disgusting 99% of straight white men are not the Boogeymen people are trying to create. Anyone who does think this is a prejudice piece of human garbage idgaf I'm white straight and a male and I love being me and I don't hate anyone for who they are OR being proud of who they are it's 100% ok for me to be happy about being any of those three things because if I was anything other than I would still be ok/happy with who I was.
I don't know what it would be categorized as but I love it when ignorant style imagery is done in a very serious black-and-gray application. I saw a 5 hr tattoo of a ramen monster and everything down to shading, and white ink was in detailed black and gray
The ignorant style might not have been reaching the mainstream until Instagram, but it's been around in the punk scene (stick and poke) since forever.
Loved this video. Loved that you drew a connection to camus and absurdism. I think a lot of us are feeling like we are in a parallel time to sometime close to 100 yrs ago. I've heard a lot of people parallel 1890 and 1930 particularly.
i got a fish in a business suit as my first tattoo a few months ago and i love it to death! it really does remind me to not take life too seriously :)
Do you listen to Car seat headrest?
@@AnneGamers yes! they're my favorite band, i got the tattoo in honor of them :D
@@raainy42 That's so cool! They're my favorite band as well. I hope your fish tattoo doesn't get weak knees (:
@@AnneGamers thank you!! i actually got this one specifically bc i already have bad knees, so i thought it was funny 😁
Exactly! Tattoos can be whatever the fuck you want.
I loved the little history lesson, cheers for that!
Weirdest tattoo I've got is the evil criminal penguin from Wallace and Gromit's The wrong trousers (Feathers McGraw).
He's a penguin wearing a rubber kitchen glove on his head as a disguise in order to look like a rooster.
I feel like having a chuckle every time I look down at my bicep and see him ahaha
I have grommit, damn I had that penguin as a key ring why did I not think of that lol
great tattoo
Awesome tattoo!
I've got probably 100 tattoos, 2 were done by a professional in a parlour, 5 were the classic party tattoos by friends, and the other 90something are by me, bent, many very ignorant or just poorly done with a real meaning, people always ask when I'll cover my horrible half-sleeve of dozens of different small pieces, and the answer is definitely never, I remember each one and what it meant to me at the time and with my memory being what it is I always want to remember those moments
Woaaaaah Johny, that's so fukkkkkin edgy! Phanks phor sharin.
sounds awesome
The first tattoo I tattooed on myself with an ebay bought machine in my kitchen and I wrote under my knees "not worry" "make happy" and I'm still very proud of it and love it and it basically describes the essence meaning of the ignorant style. Don't take life too seriously.
I have've got two in this style, one of two angels holding up a Cool S on my arm and one of Bobby Hill crying on my leg
i wanna get hank hill on my left thigh 😎
Wtf why did u get Bobby sad
🤣
the way you called out why i get all my tattoos... life is not that serious just live and do what you love and have fun this video is awesome
Someone once showed me a tattoo that said "simple plan lyrics" while I was watching their livestream. That was pretty absurd.
😂😂😂 word on the street is he showed it twice
Perfect. How could this happen to me? I just wanna jump
Hey Dad, look at me. Think Back and talk to me. Did I grow up according to plan?
@@marcelohm123 yes you did 😅 well, Simple Plan is one of those bands I used to listen to when I was a teenager and it did not age so well. Like once you do not relate to the lyrics anymore the music is sort of dull. It did not happen with MCR, Green Day or Nirvana, bands I am still a fan of.
That's fucking genius
The edit on this video, the typography chosen, the sound effects, there's something about this video that stands out to me other than the content itself.
GREAT VIDEO
I’ve been getting ignorant style tattoos since like 2009 😹 my weirdest one is probably a line drawing/self portrait of a sibling with a banner underneath that says “this is dumb” Glorious.
Great video once again!
Here's the best tattoo I've ever seen: I was hanging with a band after their concert and talking about tattoos with deep meanings and the singer starts explaining and showing that he had a tattoo of a wristwatch on his wrist, but instead of a clock face it was a pizza and that's because it's always time for pizza!
I know a guy with a wrist watch tattoo with the hands point to the words "Party Time"
Hahahaha
@@Torqueyeel hahaha love that
I didn't actually expect a break down of the history, but I'm here for it!! Loved the style, and quality of the editing :))
I just got my first tattoo this year and I realize after this video that i probably wouldn't have dared to take it without this whole movement/trend/whatever you want to call it
Just got your book in the mail, so glad!! It’s awesome. Just got diagnosed with ADHD late in life and I’m reading it with my husband and 14 year old, who is stoked that I knew who you were lol. Tattooing and buying equipment online became my latest ADHD hyper focus hobby and a good reason to work on my art more. Thanks for being you!!
This is incredibly researched and well done. You can tell a lot of thought and effort went into it
I only have 2 tattoos and they both fit into this style. I never understood why i enjoyed it so much but drawing the parallel to absurdism made alot of sense to me. I also like the tattoos because the meaning and the appreciation for the tattoo dosnt come from the application and execution but more from the meaning you bestow upon the concept. The meaning behind the idea not the art itself
I am so glad you brought up Camus and absurdism! That is certainly my philosophy and coping mechanism for late stage capitalism and a notable generational attitude. I also totally love ignorant tattoos
I entered 2020 with 1 poorly done professional tattoo and left with over 20 I did myself while having black mold poisoning. They are mostly meaningless but got me through so much. One of my strangest ones is a naked portrait of myself on my thigh.
mans really tattooed himself naked on himself. what a legend
Thanks for all the research! I have tons of issues with abusive old-school apprenticeships, BUT I also don't think anyone should buy a cheap tattoo kit and tattoo their friends- the risks for hepatitis, HIV and even just bacterial infections are no joke. Tattooing without any knowledge of bloodborne pathogens and cross-contamination could easily ruin someone's life.
Same with sex.
And yet...
@@bigamateur9055 exactly, the problem was about 1. The job: they usually just took you to clean the shop and not to learn the craft 2. Protection in general for the apprentice from clients, coworkers and sometimes bosses from getting harassed and fired the last day before the end of the apprenticeship (so they wouldn't have to keep you and it was just free work for them, since the apprentice was "paying" in service for learning)
But legal apprenticeships? We need them a lot more
my friend's housemate made a QR code tattoo of a website he made for his ex-gf to win her back, and after a while he stopped paying for the website so it's just a qr code that goes to a blocked page. but he's together with the gf still so i guess it served its purpose.
this was an awesome video btw!! loved it and i learned so much
I have an ignorant tattoo of just a smiling rubber duck. When my mom asked why I did it I said “I like ducks”
I never knew what these types of tattoos are called but I've always been so interested on how imperfect they are. I think it also relates how patchwork sleeve tattoos are getting popular esp to younger people bc it gives you more choice to have a variety rather than having just one big arm tattoo.
Absolutely. And they could also be popular because you can work on them bit by bit, not having to commit to longer sessions and higher prices. It's like paying in installments, but for a sleeve 😂
I got plenty tattoos from a swedish artist called Pastilliam. One of my favorite is a simple bow with an arrow aiming at the wrong direction
Jealous! Pastilliam has been one of my faves for years but I've not managed to get one of his yet.
16:55 - I don't know how "absurd" this is, but the tattoo that I think most captured my attention in a long-term way was one of the words from Shelley Jackson's _Skin_ -- described as "a 2095-word story published exclusively in tattoos, one word at a time, on the skin of volunteers", in case anyone is unfamiliar. One of the volunteers was a teacher of a class I took once, and had... I think it was the word "piece"?? I might be mis-remembering, though. Anyway, the whole project idea just kinda fascinates me.
Wow. Those strangers will be bound forever, because each one will hold/carry a tiny piece of a written story. They don't know each other but they know there are others like them around carrying the other pieces of the same story. Quite fascinating indeed.
@@neliaferreira9983 Yup!!
I always thought Struthless always filmed alone until I hear those laughter in the back … 🤯😂 love your video man, as always! Great content and appreciate the interview with Fuzy as well!
I've had this in my bookmarked videos for months, finally got around to it, and so glad I did! This was such a wonderful and concise history of how we got to this moment. A pleasure to watch!
10:21 I thought the "escape through a leap of faith" was the "fun way to say suicide" not a second option lol 😄
The tattoo that has stayed in my mind since I first saw it as a kid was at a water park. A guy emerged from the water and it looked like his back was bleeding, as if the skin had peeled off to the point of showing bone. For a second, I was terrified and probably assumed that it happened coming off a water slide like in Always Sunny, but as soon as I realized it was fake I just thought it was really cool art work. It kind of made me want my own back tattoo, but I would do as realistic angel or butterfly wings as I could get.
Also the amount of work that went into this video really comes across, from the editing to the content.
I personally don't have any ignorant tattoos myself, but this style always confused me. This video cleared up that confusion. Thank you.
When I was 18 I got “¿Qué pasa?” tattooed on my right palm. It’s been nearly 15 years now so it’s barely visible now, but I still chuckle every time I see it :)
Heck yeah! In my opinion, tattoos should be something that makes you feel good. Whether you find it aesthetically pleasing, or funny, it's something for you, you know? :)
la wea buena
Which means?
@@Volcanic_Activity if you translate it literally it would mean "what's wrong?" but it's a spanish expression which in english would be translated to "what's up"
i tattoed the word "tattoo" on myself as one of my learning practices. it looks shitty but it's for sure one of my favourite tattoos ever. i'm down to add that word to all the tattos i make if the victim wants to :)
I'd have it for the absurdity factor. Of course it's a fucking tattoo, but just in case I forget, y'know?
@@HadenBlake 👶
What do you think about the fact that It’s quite common tattoo?
@@optimisticboy8603 at least it's not a lion or a clock, i guess
The only piece I had done was a "gao yord" sak yant tattoo at Wat Bang Phra in Thailand. It started out as a tourist adventure until I got to the temple and realized that not everyone is permitted to get the ink done. You have to take the spirituality seriously, from the monk's perspective. You also don't get to choose what you receive. There is a traditional system of application and choices, but the monk tattooist decides. These are done with handcrafted ink which includes snake venom and human bone ash, using long steel or bamboo needles. Also, only men can get tattoos from monks. Monks are not allowed to touch women, so women can only get them from female temple staff. Everybody gets a final blessing from the Abbott and exits through a gift shop though. I found the process became quite profound and experienced some zen peace. I'll go back and get more in years to come, but I'll only go to Wat Bang Phra. That is the centre now of traditional Khmer tattooing.
I think you meant gao yord here ^^
@@AmiLovesMusic you're right.
@@Alittlebitsour6 every religious organization I've ever heard of has a store or goods for sale, even the local Satanic Temple. You must not be aware of the kind of role Thai temples play in their communities. It's worth investigating. They provide a number of services that local governments would in a western country. It's not unusual to have markets and shops associated with temples.
@@briannewton9369 sorry for my ignorant comment I didn't realize all that
Wow, what a cool story and interesting information about monks.
As a person without a tattoo and never seeing your content, this was an awesome video. Well presented, educational and interesting and currently relevant. Cheers.
Damn, I went into this thinking I wouldn't really be interested in the topic, but you made it fascinating. Awesome job, and I'm looking forward to your future video essays. Also, your summation line had me laughing so hard!
I'm a tattoo artist who, strangely, struggles sometimes with the idea of tattoos being on me forever. although as an art form it's my favourite thing to provide for others, i always get a sense of anxiety when getting a new piece myself, "what if people are right and i WILL regret this when i'm 70?!". but this video, and especially your point at the end felt like it calmed every anxiety ive ever had about it and put it into perspective. to choose to revel in the absurdity of life, to realise that in 2070 we will all be old and wrinkly and covered in scribbles and that that doesn't matter in the best way, makes it all feel a bit silly to actually worry about it like that. love your videos as always, but it was extra special to watch this one about a topic so important to me!
I always regret more not doing it and wasting my time I finally got a canopy bed and changed my signature for a crown lol
I’m adding mannequin heads into my wall
Your personality cores will remain the same
i love you for the fact that you talked about Camus, he's one of my favorite authors of all time
Never seen you before, BUT loved the history lesson. Had a lot of fun with this video, thank you.
as a young tattoo artist this was very motivational and also very informative on a subject that is not talked frequently
Yay!
I somehow managed to avoid the party thighs. Total fluke tbh. Only got my first two and super meaningful tattoos last year. The second one gets a bit of a knee jerk reaction to it. It’s a dangling spider. Matching tattoo with my bestie, first conversation we ever had was about spiders. Every time I look down at my wrist I now go “shit, I really should text her / text her back” and don’t. But it’s a mutual thing. 🙃
I’ve never watched any of your videos and don’t have any tattoos. This was one of the best videos i’ve ever watched. So enjoyable listening to you
i don't know why i love this video so much, but it's just so comforting to hear the definition/history behind this particular style because it is so laid back
i didn´t expected that fuzi played such a big role in the tattoo scene, i always liked his graff and i got a few "ignorant" tattoos from my friends while they started out with tatooing. i´m glad this stuff gets mainstream and acceptable, so i don´t need to be shy about my legs since i´m old now and a dad :D
I just started tattooing I think it’s so cool I ended up learning so much from a struthless video on something so important to me! I always learn so much from your videos man .. i feel like my life is on track with your videos
I did not expect this to turn into a philosophy lesson, but I’m so here for it!
The history, the research you’ve done, the storytelling and the edit🙌🏼🙌🏼 this vid was too good!! Loved it
Ok I was curious and clicked on this video thinking it would be “a not so amazing video about a style I really don’t appreciate” and I just literally got a masterclass. Really good research and insights! I love all your videos and obviously this one would not suck. Thanks for the awesomeness!
This is my favorite part about all the people who got super meaningful tattoos that are perfect, try to budge in with their own stories that nobody cares about when everyone else is asking people about their party tattoos
Yesss! I love this video and the new styles so much. I’m pretty amateur at tattooing but it’s my favorite art medium, really enjoying doing my own “party thighs.” I really appreciate the “art for art’s sake” type of tattooing, I’ve always felt it’s a little pretentious to only get meaningful tattoos, whatever that means.
My tattoo artists wasn't the person to buy the $ 60 machine. My old roomate was and then I gave it to her with a promisse to lend my skin as their first humans canvas. I love it
Great video, It's really neat to see someone talk about absurdism and how it relates to the explosion of popularity surrounding certain kinds of tattooing.
I don't have any ignorant tattoos aesthetically- but quite a few of my traditional ones are still definitely inspired by that same irreverent absurdist philosophy- because it's one I really like.
I was brought up in a fairly conservative household, whenever the subject of tattoos came up, they were always talked about with disgust and wariness, something you should never indulge in- and only remotely acceptable in others if they are getting designs with some deep and sombre personal meaning. That anything else made you look ~trashy~ and stupid. Every conversation followed a theme of promises of excruciating pain and the danger of "ruining your body forever!!!!!!"
But that mindset never really gelled with me- so I ended up getting a few intentionally "stupid" tattoos as an adult, because why the fuck not? Why shouldn't I have a little grey alien's head with "ayy LMAO" written on it? will I explode if I do?
(Spoiler: I didn't explode and it looks funny as hell)
The part at the end of the vid about implication 4 especially resonated with me, because all of the protests I've heard about "what will it look like when ur old!" have only ever emboldened me in not giving a shit about having goofy tattoos- because it makes the whole thing even funnier to me.
If future me ever wakes up one day to find my sense of humour has withered away so much that my dumb tattoos actually bother me- then fuck that guy- he has it coming.
Fuck that guy he has it coming killed me 🤣🤣🤣 I grew up around the same mindset and I think it’s unlikely I’ll ever get a tattoo with any meaning because of it. The fear-mongering backfired a bit
I have a friend who has a classical style Buddha taking a dump on an R. Crumb “Tommy Toilet.” Another gloriously absurd one that I’ve seen was a woman who had a full back and butt tattoo of a beautiful geisha leading an armadillo on a leash while riding a razor scooter, wearing high-top red Converse sneakers, done in the style of an Edo period Japanese woodcut. I’ve been in love with her for years.
Thanks for a great channel. I was exploring the Great TH-cam Rabbit Hole and stumbled onto your “fonts” video. A lucky day for me! Subscribed, liked, shared with friends. Keep up the superbly eclectic work.
thank you so much for this!
i've long wondered why people intentionally get stupid tattoos, but every time i asked i was met with "because they want to! shut up!" and no one ever bothered giving an answer.
so thanks! now i know the history and culture behind stupid tattoos!
I don’t have tattoos and don’t know shit about tattooing, yet I watched this whole video with a lot of interest. You would be an amazing teacher!
Got your book for my birthday last week and absolutly love it! Thank you for your work.
I saw this year's ago in a Tumblr post in relation to a lot of online content and "artwork" in how we've entered an era of so called neo-Dadaism. Dadaism came into being post WW1 when a lot of youth had undergone a period of economic instability, warfare, and an uncertain future, not unlike how millennials and gen Z have. It makes sense that that feeling expanded into tattoo artwork as well. I think it's worth it for anyone who liked this video to go look into the history of Dadaism and how it's reflected in current culture, it's really neat. Great video 👍🏼
I learnt so much from this video! My first (and so far only tattoo) is made by my friend who is a hobby tattooist and it says "Let's do this!" (which has a story behind it itself) which I find quite hilarious as I did it on impulse as my first tattoo. It's not perfect and looks like someone wrote it with ink in an indie comic - but I love it! 🖤
Hey Camb, love the content ! I think adding sources to your videos would make them even better - would just be the cherry on top of the awesome narratives. Would give credibility and allow for people to delve deeper into the topics you deliver. Really like the direction you are going in!! Keen to see more
Liked and commenting for visibility. Here here!
agree!
you and abby cox dropping history videos that make a point of 'this generation LOVES absurdism' within two days of each other>>>
Bloody love this mate! Inspired me to finally commit to my shitty tattoo idea.
super cool video man. love the intersections you pointed out with absurdism, history + modern culture etc