A Tattoo Apprentice Went Viral For Sharing Her "Green Flag" Tattoos, And I Need To Hear Your Thoughts
As anyone with (and maybe without) tattoos knows, there still exists a stigma around tattoos and people who choose to get them, as some make negative assumptions about what the tattoo means or even implies about their personality. To subvert stereotypes, 23-year-old tattoo apprentice Melody — better known as @urtattoomommy on TikTok — began a video series around tattoo themes and styles that are green flags, along with positive traits that she normally (and playfully) associates with the people who have them.
"When you're spending so much time in a tattoo shop and meeting new people, you start to associate certain styles with personalities and personality traits," Melody told BuzzFeed. "It's all very subjective though and varies on a case-by-case basis. It's all in good fun, and it's especially entertaining when your perception is confirmed." Because she's consumed so much tattoo-related content as an apprentice, Melody was inspired to share her experiences and fun takes on TikTok, where many viewers have shared that they feel seen by her content.
In her series' most popular video — which currently has 1.2M views — Melody shares four tattoos that she dubs green flags, starting with plant tattoos. She gives different examples of tattoo placement, specifying that those with plant tattoos along their necks or shoulders are "certified hotties."
Next, she highlights neotrad tattoos. Neotrad is short for neotraditional, and neotrad tattoos usually involve bold lines, saturated colors, and an illustrative-style that have a more modern look than, well, traditional tattoos. According to Melody, folks with neotrad tattoos are typically "super imaginative," "very kind," and "probably like video games/animation."
The third tattoo theme she features: skeletons. Melody adds that whoever has skeleton tattoos also gets another 100 bonus points (and two forehead kisses) if the skeleton has a fun personality (to emphasize this, she shows one skeleton wearing a cowboy hat while making a finger gun).
Last but never least: monochrome tattoos, especially when all of someone's tattoos or their entire sleeve is monochrome. Melody congratulates anyone with monochrome tattoos for being hot and notes that people with monochrome tattoos, in her experience, are usually laidback.
On top of 1.2M views, Melody's video received 214K likes and a comment section full of tattoo discussions from clients and artists alike. Melody revealed that she was shocked by the positive reception and shared, "My favorite response I've received is how many people have mentioned that they felt more included, appreciated, and seen just by me referencing a tattoo similar to theirs."
Of course, some viewers commented to ask what tattoos Melody considers to be red flags, so she explained, "So many people wanted to know this and asked about it on my TikTok: Truly, the only tattoos that I consider real red flags are ones that are associated with extremist politics, slavery, hate, or cultural appropriation."
As an apprentice, Melody works under an established tattoo artist to learn about tattooing and the tattoo industry. "Tattooing is a very sacred and traditional industry," she said, "so it's seen as a sign of respect to take the time to seek out a mentor and an apprenticeship if you're interested in pursuing this as a career." As such, she created her TikTok account to give people a look into her life as an apprentice, as well as the tattoo industry. She elaborated, "When I was first building my portfolio and looking into being an apprentice, I tried to find advice or a glimpse into what that might entail, but there wasn't much to be found. I wanted to share parts of my journey for anyone that might be in the same position I was in and make the information more accessible."
Overall, Melody enjoys the positivity her videos spread and seeing people relate to her content in the comments, concluding, "The tattoo community has a history of showing more respect and favor toward certain styles or subject matter, and it can lead to people feeling left out or apprehensive about what they want, so it means a lot to me to be able to make people feel validated and welcomed."
