What do these celebrity tattoos tell us? Are they symbols of art or branded missteps?
Tattoos used to be our best kept secrets. What was once a source of private knowledge to our parents is now an obsession in civil society. Body art has developed into a fashion statement: an open book of folktales and innuendos ingrained in pop culture which has desecrated the most unlikely sorts. What do Rihanna, Fantasia, and Angelina Jolie all have in common? They have opened a floodgate of questions as to whether their creations are symbols of art or public missteps. What do you think?
1. Rihanna
Singer Rihanna is a die-hard tattoo fiend…so much that it’s a task to try to keep up with her! She has admitted to a total of 13 tattoos; each displaying a different meaning. She has a trail of stars going down her back, a pistol below her right shoulder, and another with the phrase “Never a failure, always a lesson” inscribed on her shoulder blade. The latter, she says is about not making the same mistake twice, but learning from it the first time. Love it or hate it, we wonder if she can hold out on the next tattoo at least until the next record is due.
2. Angelina Jolie
Once Angelina Jolie shows up to a movie set, makeup artists are forced to hide the blemishes branded on her skin. The mother of six has cleaned up since her earlier days in the movie business, but has she gone overboard on calligraphy? Her tattoos each symbolize a special meaning from every part of the world. She owns Gothic symbols, Buddhist incantations, and an Arabic term on her right arm meaning “Determination.” You can tell those escapades have rubbed off on her.
3. Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole is no stranger to bold creations. We have watched her evolve from a hard-knock character to a Hot soul artist. With that, her permanent inks have not quite faded. She proves that pouring out our emotions can heal the soul, but should we be wearing them on our sleeves (or, more literally, our arms)? Some of hers include a large tattoo of a dagger through the heart on her right arm, a rose tattoo with her initials on the left wrist, and a message on her neck that says “Have Faith.”
4. Mary J. Blige
R & B superstar Mary J. Blige delivers heart-felt music to last for decades, but are her bloodthirsty accents too much for soft tunes? She carries a cross on her left arm and a rose on her leg…just enough to rewrite the fashion manual.
5. Fantasia
Idol alumnus and singer Fantasia bares an art gallery of roses, inscriptions, and symbols no different from any artist. But recently, her imprints have thrust her further into the spotlight for the wrong reasons. A name branded on her shoulder blade (a married man’s name no less), almost damaged her career. We wonder if she’s thinking twice about that one.
6. Eve
The first lady of rap, Eve dares to express herself on and off screen. The rapper-turned-television personality-turned fashion stylist carries an open wound of tattoos including paw prints on her chest, which she is famous for, and lighthearted Asian calligraphy on her arm. If she happens to remove them all, will she be able to keep up with her tough exterior? There is no holding back from Madame Eve.
7. Monica
R&B singer Monica is more than just a mainstay with audiences. But is she another example of a soul artist gone too far? She owns several risqué creations on her upper arm, ankle, and a new one baring the name “Romelo, Rodney,” which are her son’s names.
8. Megan Fox
Actress Megan Fox is synonymous for her roles in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” and “Jennifer’s Body,” but the Hot siren is also known for exposing her innermost secrets to the world. The 24-year-old has a collection of nine tattoos and regrets some of them. Her poetry includes two inscriptions on her upper body: one reading, “We will laugh at gilded butterflies” and another on her forearm with Marilyn Monroe’s face. We don’t know if we should label this unique art or misguided visual art.
