It feels like tattoos are everywhere these days, but they’ve actually been around for ages. Tattooing is a practice that dates back to the Neolithic era and native tribes. It was first used for a variety of purposes, including during religious ceremonies and as a rite of passage.
While the origin of tattoos is unknown, Dr. David Lane, an assistant professor at Illinois State University and an expert in the field, estimates that tattooing has existed for at least 5000 years. “The oldest human remains we’ve recovered have tattoos on them,” he says.
And as people use them for self-expression and to show off their artistic creativity, which is always a cool thing to do. However, some tattoo designs, no matter how cool they may seem at first, are actually pretty offensive and dangerous to wear if you don’t know what they mean. As someone with no tattoos, I can only imagine the horror some experience when they discover their ink has a hidden meaning. Like this woman from Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Brittany Lewin frequently posts on her TikTok account, showcasing her hangouts with friends and other content she desires to share with her audience. However, she has a pineapple tattoo prominently displayed on her forearm, frequently seen in many of her videos.
Unfortunately for Brittany, she recently became aware that the innocent pineapple tattoo has a different connotation for some viewers. She had no idea that the symbol had a hidden meaning, which is that it’s a “secret sign used by swingers to recognize each other in public.” In a viral TikTok video, Brittany expressed her regret at getting the tattoo and warned others not to make the same mistake.
Brittany wrote as a caption for her video, saying, “I’ve made a mistake, besties.”
After chatting with a follower on TikTok, Brittany learned the true meaning of her tattoo, in her video, she said, “So apparently, if you have an upside-down pineapple tattoo, it means you’re in the swingers community.” She was horrified to learn that she had a secret sign on her body that she didn’t even know about. Now she’s stuck with the swinger symbol for the rest of her life unless she decides to undergo the painful process of tattoo removal.
Brittany’s TikTok video has received tens of thousands of views and has spread from Australia to America. While some people found the whole story amusing, others pointed out that the meaning of the tattoo is not actually a secret and has been widely discussed online for years.
Many people blamed Brittany for not doing enough research on her tattoo before getting it permanently inked into her skin. Others, however, didn’t blame her for failing to realize the symbol’s secret meaning.
The comments on Brittany’s viral TikTok video were varied.
One user wrote, “Every time I see the tattoo, I was thinking to myself, ‘does she know?’”
Another user quipped, “I always thought you and James were just into some extra fun stuff. Lol, I’m sad that you didn’t actually know.”
Yet another user suggested, “Just turn [the tattoo] into Spongebob’s house and add some seashells.”
When every single piece of information is one click away, ignorance doesn’t hold water in the discussion of getting tattoos without knowing the background behind it. Regardless of what people thought of Brittany’s situation, her experience serves as a cautionary story about doing thorough research before getting a tattoo.
So, whatever you do, make sure to thoroughly research any design of interest before getting a tattoo.
WATCH the video below:
@b_brittanylewin I’ve made a mistake besties…. 🤦♀️🤣🙃 #fyp #foryoupage #fail #pineapple #pineappletattoo #ohno
