A (Not So) Complete History of TV Show Tattoos
Television is perhaps the most lowbrow of all the mass communication mediums. Despite a wealth of high-caliber programming in recent years, the small screen isn’t thought of in the same regard as music, film and literature. This is probably true because television is free (tell that to my effing cable bill!). Everyone watches the boob tube, as it is truly the everyman’s medium. With the fall TV season upon us, why not combine one lowbrow art form with another — the tattoo. But don’t get the wrong idea — we’re not passing judgment here. We love both forms equally. As do the men and women below, all of whom have taken their love of television and its myriad characters to new levels. As Larry Sanders would say, “No flipping.”
The old school black and white comedies of the 1950s still hold up fantastically in reruns. As do these tattoos of Larry, Moe, Curly, Lucy, Stan and Oliver.
In 1966, the world got “Star Trek,” and pasty geek flesh everywhere has never been the same.
Lots of folks have the Starfleet insignia inked on their skin, but it takes a true Trekkie to get an autograph of Brent Spiner, “Star Trek: The Next Generation’s” android Lieutenant Commander Data permanently etched in skin.
Few would argue that “M*A*S*H*” is one of the greatest series of all time, particularly these tattoo vets.
Jim Henson likely underestimated the impact he’d have on television. Or the arms of these hardcore fans of “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street.”
Animal may have been a kickass drummer, but he wasn’t a very good tattoo. And poor, poor Big Bird.
Cartoons make for classic tattoos, presumably because their simple design and bright colors replicate nicely on skin. When Bugs Bunny asked, “What’s up, doc?,” he likely wasn’t referring to Scooby’s dong. As we suspected, Daphne likes it doggy style, which Beavis would definitely approve of.
Here we have some kiddie faves including Daffy Duck, the Transformers, Rainbow Brite and the Powerpuff Girls.
What Would Cartman Tattoo?
What would Bart Simpson say during his tattooing session? “Ow-abunga, dude!”
Check out the wiener on Mr. Burns and the septum piercing and spacers in Homer’s ears.
This dude even has a “Treehouse of Horror” backpiece from “The Simpsons.”
They may not be as sweetly sublime their Simpsons counterparts, but the Griffins and Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” characters are popular choices too.
We pity these fools who got bad T tats.
But not as much as the weirdos who got Alf, Urkel, Al Bundy and Heathcliff Huxtable tattooed on themselves. Cosby Core forever!
“The truth is out there.” But presumably nowhere near these “X-Files” tattoos.
No, this isn’t the number of subsequent days these sci-fi nerds have gone without getting laid, it’s the mysterious number sequence from “Lost.”
Check out this fearsome foursome of television comedy: Stephen Colbert, Borat, The Hoff and Anderson Cooper.
We can only assume this fella’s name is Joanie. How else to explain this monumentally awesome tattoo of mother-fucking Chachi. 
Related posts: A (Not So) Complete History of Cinematic Tattoos | A (Not So) Complete History of Band Tattoos
09.06.07 at 3:03 pm
I’m not racist. I am white. But does anybody see the commonality between all these pics??? Dare I say… skin tone!!! These are prob some low level yahoos who live in trailer house, middle america, usa. These people eat spam, rice-a-roni, and hamburger helper for breakfast lunch and dinner.
09.06.07 at 4:34 pm
I don’t need to even comment. Your total lack of all things english already spelled it out for everyone Rich Bitch. Does “Rich” mean you finally got that promotion at your local wal-mart?
09.06.07 at 4:45 pm
P.S., I know you’re a monkey.
09.06.07 at 7:51 pm
Goddamn this Murder Mystery song is catchy. I need to track this down.
And for the record, tattoos of a stoned Cartman below a tribal armband just scream “White Trash, Second Generation” to me.
On the other hand, that Cosby tat rules.
09.07.07 at 3:12 am
Ya’ll an asshole. ya’ll deserve to die. Stupid yanks.
09.07.07 at 10:00 am
The fearsome comedy foursome is only half right. Colbert and Borat are both comedy, but Anderson Cooper is a journalist and Hasselhoff is a tragedy.
09.09.07 at 12:33 am
Have you every seen sky writing at night ( Jimmy Walker ) said it lol
09.10.07 at 1:04 pm
sweet i know the guy who belongs to that cosbycore tattoo
09.10.07 at 2:20 pm
Nice entry! I found it quite entertaining. I also have a “t.v. tattoo” if you ever do a part two to this entry feel free to include it.
09.10.07 at 2:21 pm
here’s the link:
http://a184.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/97/a_a3942272626027fb5d6cff44d7cee777.jpg
09.11.07 at 4:46 pm
JSTFU and RichBitch, shove it up your ass and move along.
Those are some really awesome tattoos; shows quite a dedication to a movie/show/actor.
I personally don’t think I’d ever get a tattoo, but they’re cool none the less.
09.11.07 at 6:56 pm
1. People of all ethnicities and income levels get tatoos.
2. The subject of common tatoo themes between ethnicities could be an interesting debate, but I believe the issue is more to do with income level/class than race.
3. Any one who can blow $100-200+ on a tatoo of any TV character probably doesn’t live in a trailer park.
4. I think Tatoos, piercings and other body modifications can be both bueatiful and refined. Caveat, Scooby cornholing a co-star,(a character that might be type casted as a “Rich Bich”, oddly enough), Doesn’t have the same artistic value as a portrait, or a lost relative. but the point is made.
09.17.07 at 11:37 am
LA GENTE SE ABURRE… ES TRISTE Y CUTRE…
09.17.07 at 2:18 pm
Vaya panda de flipaos madre mia!!!!!! O_O
09.25.07 at 2:52 pm
Rich Bitch,
First of all, I think you have clouds in your eyes because more than half of these people’s skin complexion range from fair to light and the remaining have darker skin tones…therefore, they don’t have a common skin color.
Second of all, people from all social classes get tattoos…so your comment is pretty ignorant.
Oh and by the way, I don’t think a rich person would be calling themselves rich bitch…or looking at bad tattoos online. Usually people lack what they boast about…
10.28.07 at 10:09 pm
im not racist, i HATE everyone, rich people suck, and so do you. who gives a shit
10.29.07 at 2:27 pm
Ha one of these is mine, dun dun DUN.
Just so you know, I am from no trailer park, infact I am from jolly old pleasent england located nowhere near anything of the sort.
AND I am a sci-fi geek who happens to have boobs, and not man boobs, real life woman boobs conected to a somewhat female body, and therefore can get laid thankyou very much.
Although I am pasty skined, hope the future will turn out like startrek, have a Mensa IQ, and wish to be swept off my feet by those pesky aliens.
So ya know, who said sterotypes are unfair
11.11.07 at 10:35 pm
theses comments are funny….
12.05.07 at 10:04 am
I think that I understand the Beavis tatoo, South Park tatoos, and maybe even the Borat tatoo. But, the X-Files? You can’t get much cornier than that.
12.11.07 at 8:00 pm
I love all of these tats. I’m tattooed from shoulders to knees. I have one “tv” tattoo. I am proud of my mythbusters tattoo. I have wht looks like “busted” welded on my hip lol…
I’m a nerd oh and by the way I make over 130k a year
12.28.07 at 11:05 pm
koo I thing… I think there are a lot cornier things than the X-Files… I mean it could be a Murder She Wrote or even a Titanic Tatt… Plus I am so getting an X-Files tattoo in May… The hallway scene in Fight the Future… such an amazing show deserves a spot on me… Anyways… Rich Bitch… a lot of people get tattoos, and I don’t see any face shots so how can you even know what class these people are??
12.31.07 at 10:08 am
Do you stand erect? Tattoos don’t show very well on darker skin tones, it has nothing to do with race.
12.31.07 at 10:16 am
Just for the record, i was referring to Rich Bitch.
01.08.08 at 4:31 pm
[…] Brandon Keim wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptTelevision is perhaps the most lowbrow of all the mass communication mediums. Despite a wealth of high-caliber programming in recent years, the small screen isn’t thought of in the same regard as music, film and literature. … […]
01.10.08 at 10:55 am
And I thought I loved Stephen Colbert…