Celebrity Ink
It used to be that celebrity ink referred to the amount of publicity received by the famous and infamous in the various tabloid papers and gossip magazines that litter the media landscape.
These days, however, when we speak of celebrity ink, we are more than likely talking about the tattoos that adorn the bodies of the athletes, musicians, actors, and models whose lives garner so much of our attention.
As celebrities gain more and more exposure, and, in turn. keep exposing more and more skin, we are getting to see more and more celebrity skin art. So let’s take a look at a few of the coolest and most recognizable tats found on today’s celebrity bods.
Sports Tattoos
When it comes to sports, the NBA (with 55 percent of its players sporting ink) provides us with the greatest ink spectacle around. Among its biggest stars, LeBron James is not only one of the league’s leading scorers, he’s up there in number of tattoos as well, with somewhere close to thirty. The crowned lion on King James’ chiseled, right arm is a work of art.
In-Your-Face Celebrity Tattoos
In terms of in-your-face audacity, no tattoo stands out more than former heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson’s Maori tribal design, which adorns the left side of his face, starting at the forehead and curling around his left eye. According to Tyson, he was originally going to put an arc of small hearts there, but was talked into the tribal tattoo by his tattoo artist.
Rock Stars’ Tattoos
As long as musicians are around, tattoo artists should have no shortage of business. From the iconic images of Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph, on the arms of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s, Anthony Kiedis, to the cascade of stars running down Rihanna’s back, rock stars continue to provide us with great music and cool designs.
Tinseltown Tattoos
In the field of entertainment, award shows always afford us the opportunity to catch the latest in celebrity tat wear, as actresses in revealing outfits walk the red carpet. One of the earliest, major stars to show off her ink, Angelina Jolie has over a dozen tattoos on her person. One of the standouts, on her left shoulder, is a Buddhist protection prayer for her and her adopted, Cambodian son, Maddox, written in Khmer, the Cambodian language. In addition, Jolie wears a tattoo on her left arm displaying the geographical coordinates of her kids’ birthplaces. The slightly smudged area underneath that tattoo was once home to a dragon topped with the name, Billy Bob, for Jolie’s ex, actor Billy Bob Thornton. After the couple split, she had those removed by laser, proving that, these days, tattoos are not necessarily forever.
