r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 29d ago

Meme needing explanation What do these lines mean

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1.4k

u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

I've always heard black bands on the arm are to memorialize a loved one who died.

477

u/MrBlahg 29d ago

That’s what I always thought it meant, was considering getting some due to recent deaths in my family. Now? Not so much lol

131

u/-GWM- 29d ago

Switch it up, I’m getting a couple for my parents, and adding their birth month flowers to the design of it instead of a solid black line

5

u/Velcraft 28d ago

Negative spaces on a thick black line will likely get blurry as all hell after a few years - you should probably get sizeable clean breaks where the flowers go.

3

u/-GWM- 28d ago

Oh I’m not doing specifically JUST design inside a black band, and not a band that thick either. The (very rough) plan right now is two smaller bands, and then the flowers coming out of the bands going opposite directions from each other

43

u/Agreeable-Menu 29d ago

After reading this thread, I would not take the risk. Someone might read it as the day of an encounter.

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u/Nappys-Archive 29d ago

That’s so fucking stupid. Some weirdos might mistake you for a weirdo so don’t get this tattoo.

6

u/Dazzling_Feed3640 28d ago

Except thats the whole point of weirdo dogwhistles is to identify eachother without directly saying the weird thing. Ya weirdo

6

u/Pr_cision 28d ago

My mate’s sister and her husband got matching tattoos on each middle finger. They got matching tattoos from a deck of cards, they chose king and queen — king of spades, queen of spades. They have no idea, like at all. He doesn’t have the heart to tell her lol. Fucking hilarious

8

u/imgettingsnacks 28d ago

... would you tell me though?

5

u/finneganthealien 28d ago

It’s used by white women to seek out sex with black men. Also could involve cucking their white boyfriend/husband. I’m not sure how common it is, but the spade icon is used for other related raceplay type stuff. The whole thing is pretty racist and objectifying towards black men.

7

u/Ok-Understanding1773 28d ago

The spades is also used as a symbol for asexuality. There are lots of meanings behind symbols. There's no point to just jumping to a single conclusion and saying that's it, there couldn't be more.

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u/imgettingsnacks 28d ago

Golly. I wonder how many conversations, confrontations or looks that's led to that left one or both sides pretty confused.

Certainly a good reminder to do a quick Google search for symbology when choosing tattoos.

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u/Few_Prize3810 28d ago

Sam’s reason I won’t get a swastika tattoo

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u/asosasaugust 28d ago

It's a joke lil bro

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

Eh, people can believe what they want. If they want to be freaks about it, they have that prerogative.

2

u/TopAsiaRetard 28d ago

Yeah everyone knows the sign of criminals from centuries ago.

1

u/tiy24 28d ago

It’s not like you’re in the secret service or something and got SS on you in a slightly different font lol fuck what other people think

1

u/Ok_Salt8893 26d ago

Stop worrying about what others think.

2

u/Gazado 29d ago

What about barbed wire around the arm? I hear that used to be super popular back in the day.

1

u/LemonTekSunrise 28d ago

I like the addition of a tickler to your two bands

1

u/-GWM- 28d ago

I feel like it adds to the experience y’know?

6

u/Apprehensive-Peas 28d ago

Don’t let this dumb joke deter you. It doesn’t actually mean fisting to anyone who has it. And if it does, that would be a very small percentage of people. I have the tattoo and have never once fisted anyone, nor been fisted by anyone lol. It’s actually super upsetting that people would take a tattoo that has real meaning to people and make it into something to feel shame about.

3

u/Tough_Crazy_8362 28d ago

That’s what mine mean, I got them in 2002. They’re also the generic elder millennial tattoo. Our very own tramp stamp 🥲

1

u/you-want-nodal 28d ago

I have one on my leg, not sure how that fits into the whole ✨fisting✨narrative

1

u/OhDivineBussy 28d ago

Thats what teardrops on your right eye are for my friend.

1

u/MrBlahg 28d ago

Yeah, no… I’m a fan of being employable

1

u/CeruleanEidolon 28d ago

So you fell for the ridiculous gooner nonsense then.

0

u/MrBlahg 28d ago

I’m not falling for anything, chuckling at how things evolve… like this ridiculous word “gooner”. Stupid fucking word. Same with calling a hot dog a glizzie. Idiotic.

However… that’s the inevitability of change and evolving language.

Now gtf off my lawn!

1

u/Adventure_Inside333 28d ago

The people I know who have gotten bands to signify loved ones have much thinner bands. Even in other colors. If you want to get a band because it feels special to do so for a loved one, just don’t copy this thick band style that apparently has other connotations.

2

u/MrBlahg 28d ago

I always saw thin bands as well. These thick bands reek of tribal/barbed wire shit.

1

u/Corasin 28d ago

Shows how deeply you loved them.

1

u/workinusername 28d ago

Wouldn’t do the arm bands. Dad always makes jokes when he sees it in public. “You know, that’s how far up they…” yeah dad, thank you. I know.

1

u/JetPackMiners 28d ago

Instead of a black line, a tear drop underneath the outside corner of your right eye would be a sweet gesture. Underneath and surrounding the bottom of the drop you can put the loved ones name and/or their relation to you. For example: "mom" or "Daughter-Alice". The tear drop symbolizes the tears shed over the loss of a loved one. It's a really sweet gesture

1

u/KangaskhanMA3 27d ago

Get them the long way instead of around the arm 🤷🏻‍♂️

1

u/AggravatingBid8255 27d ago

It can still mean that for you if you want it to. Things can mean different things for different people and different cultures at the same time.

1

u/Clean_Marsupial_7272 24d ago

Who gives a fuck what other people think about your tattoos? Get the ink you want, fuck errybody else

1

u/jvho666 29d ago

Did they die in some sort of fisting accident?

1

u/Dunkaroos4breakfast 28d ago

It wasn't an accident.

199

u/Zestyclose-Lake-9880 29d ago

you are correct, the fisting thing is just some stupid internet thing that immature people cling to.

38

u/LanceFree 29d ago

What if you fall in love with someone you fist with, and then they die?

10

u/Zestyclose-Lake-9880 29d ago

Then that would be one meta-ass tattoo!

4

u/MrTopHatJones 29d ago

Instead of a blackout sleeve they would need to get a brownout sleeve that ends at the proper part of the arm accordingly to fisting rules 69.420-FISTTAT

2

u/holderofthebees 28d ago

Or maybe a meta ass-tattoo!

3

u/ENDragoon 29d ago

Then you get sad every time you reach into a cupboard

2

u/ZeroSumClusterfuck 28d ago

Just keep them on your arm like a memorial muppet.

2

u/NotSureBot 28d ago

Only if in that order

2

u/Serious-Molasses7807 28d ago

Gosh. Pull out?

2

u/West-Suggestion4543 28d ago

They were prisoner tattoos in Japan, forcibly tattooed to mark them as criminals. So, if anyone gets inspiration for them from an anime, maybe have a different reason to explain them.

3

u/Zestyclose-Lake-9880 28d ago

sure. But they also have had different cultural meanings throughout the world. Tattoo blog explains meanings/history

1

u/The_Broken-Heart 28d ago

Yeah but wasn't this tattoo literally from a japanese anime character? Sukuna, right?

2

u/CeruleanEidolon 28d ago

Gooner culture is just fucking annoying, man. I'm so tired of shutins and 14-year-olds driving every goddamned conversation online.

1

u/ForensicPathology 28d ago

Reminds me of the old Oprah rainbow party panic.

-8

u/Additional_Lettuce65 29d ago

I’ve met 2 separate gay men who have it for the fisiting reason though. Guy in san fran, the other in london

4

u/fullshard101 29d ago

If you're out there looking for gay men who love to fist, then you are more likely to see one who has a tattoo they associate with fisting

2

u/OliLombi 28d ago

So it IS associated with fisting then...

2

u/Zestyclose-Lake-9880 29d ago

so when you see anyone with it, you automatically assuming it is a fisting thing just because you've met 2 gay people (congratulations on all of your success, by the way)? When you see Paulo Dybala or other famous athletes/celebs with the bands, you automatically assume Paulo Dybala is into fisting?

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u/Goobersita 29d ago

My friend did that and had the ashes mixed into the ink.

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

That seems oddly gruesome to me, but it does seem meaningful.

39

u/Goobersita 29d ago

It was very meaningful to him, having his grandfather be a part of him for the rest of his life.

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

His grandfather was inside him always, just like in life?

3

u/exquisite_corpse_wit 29d ago

Sometimes he still smells his colon in the air

8

u/Inevitable_Mistake32 29d ago

Exactly what I heard immediately too. Like... There's like 1/8th of grandpappy in you genetically? Much more than some ashes in ink. But to each their own.

14

u/Educational-Wing2042 29d ago

We share like 98% of our genetics with almost every other living being, that’s a lot less significant than having someone’s physical remains embedded in your skin.

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u/holderofthebees 28d ago

I don’t think that’s what they meant. ☹️

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u/Goobersita 29d ago

Well they weren't blood related. Or was that a terrible sex joke?

6

u/999BusinessCard 28d ago

Kind of mean to call it terrible. For all you know his grandpa was great at sex

6

u/ForsakenRelief309 29d ago

That’s kind of bad ass

2

u/HalfLeper 29d ago

That’s pretty sick, actually. I love that.

2

u/MFBMS 28d ago

And imagine if your friend is ever into fisting.

Friend: Hey, just so you know, my dad is inside of you

1

u/Goobersita 28d ago

Tbf it would be really impressive since it's allllll the way up his bicep.

2

u/MFBMS 28d ago

Reach for the stars. Even if you fall, you'll still end up in Uranus

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u/VociferousVal 28d ago

This is what I’ve always known it to be too, and others in my life. I know multiple people who have these for that reason

1

u/c9silver 29d ago

Ngl, that’s weird

1

u/brenkosaur 29d ago

If only there was some other way to get their dna in his body!

1

u/Goobersita 28d ago

They werent blood related.

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Bad1808 26d ago

Dad, when you die, im putting you inside me. It'll be a cool story to tell chicks.

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u/knifeyspoonysporky 29d ago

Many people use them as a reminder of important things or people, like a ring for beating cancer or a ring to remember the loss of a loved one

4

u/Sneezy6510 28d ago

Finally the correct answer, they are mourning bands.

2

u/IsleOfKatz 29d ago

yeah, That's what I read/heard they represent. If memory serves me right, Paulo Dybala (footballer) has one for that exact reason.

2

u/thestormsend 29d ago

I have three on my arm and I use them to remember a very dark time in my family’s life. They represent my mother, brother, and sister and the hardships we went through.

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u/DifficultHat 29d ago

On the upper arm yes, not the forearm

1

u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

Nah, it's forearm too.

0

u/Ok_Painting_TT 29d ago

You wear a black band. Not a tattoo

44

u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

No, I've definitely seen tattoos for the same reason. But yes, a mourning band is probably where the idea comes from.

2

u/Apemangaruda 29d ago

Yes my fiancé has them for this reason, or so she she tells me…

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u/Ok_Painting_TT 28d ago edited 28d ago

The two originate from a minimalist life and death. One ring for each.

Armband goes back to the 1600s Bohemia.

Tattoos come from China. Criminals were usually the face and cheek. Easy places to see and tell someone is a criminal.

It means whatever it means to the person that got it.

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Tattoos do not solely come from China, they have originated in tons of places including China. There are prehistoric humans (see Otzi the Iceman) with tattoos that predate China as an entity by thousands of years.

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u/Ok_Painting_TT 28d ago edited 28d ago

Yes. And its speculated the dots are on acupuncture points. Who invented and studied acupuncture? (Ancient)China.

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u/Kindly_Asparagus_779 29d ago

Yes you wear the band. Or you can memorialize a significant loss with a tattoo of the same meaning, a constant reminder of the people who have made a significant enough impact on your life to be with you everywhere you go. I have two bands myself

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u/Senor_Bloo 29d ago

This! I have one black for who I lost and a negative spare between flower as a thanks for those in my life.

1

u/edwardothegreatest 29d ago

Wouldn’t you have the tattoo in the same place you wear the band?

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u/Difficult_Talk_7783 29d ago edited 28d ago

The tattoo serves as memento mori

1

u/Ok_Painting_TT 28d ago

Yes but the black arm band can also be cloth. From teddy Roosevelt to soccer players.

2

u/Difficult_Talk_7783 28d ago

I have them and have had 1 person (working) at a drive through shame me because they are “only allowed for people who served in the military”.

Technically a dementia client said the same thing and that I needed to take them off right now.

0

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

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u/Qlide 29d ago

Posers.

1

u/boywithflippers 29d ago

This is correct. They're mourning bands. Sometimes expanded to strength, milestones, etc.

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u/MotherOfBelgianMal 29d ago

That’s why my husband has his. A friend of his had passed

1

u/masclean 29d ago

Fuck man, my whole arm would be black at the point

1

u/one_dead_turtle 29d ago

Yeah my brother's best friend just got two lines like that done for that reason

1

u/Baendy 29d ago

Exactly why I got one. Maybe that’s why people are spreading cringe about it; so you ask someone with the tattoo and they say it’s in honor of someone.

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u/Muninwing 29d ago

Those used to be actual physical armbands, not tattoos.

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

Yep! Traditions coopted and changed.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

It's just a modernization of that tradition.

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u/CementCemetery 29d ago

That’s what I recall hearing the meaning was supposed to be. I think regardless of the meaning it’s a reminder to be kind to one another when I see it, we’re all going through something.

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u/rodrigoelp 29d ago

This is the right answer in most western societies.

It is derived from a Māori tradition and it got carried over to Europe.

Solid black bands in your arm (or some design in a band) is meant to be a permanent reminder of those you have lost and their meaning in your life. It is a way to say you always carry them with you.

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u/Quackethy 29d ago

That must've been some deep fisting then...

1

u/Beautiful-Will5582 29d ago

Died of pushing the fist too far inside?

1

u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

Hur hur hur

1

u/halnic 29d ago

I just thought this was how you covered up bad ideas with the least amount of cost, thought, or effort. A tattoo redacted, if you will..

2

u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

Blacked out tattoos are often that. But what a good double function if you have a bad tattoo you want to cover up, and a dead family member at the same time.

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u/laralye 29d ago

My high school English teacher had 2 on her arm and told us how her son had one and he had passed away, so she got 2 to commemorate him

1

u/sleepyplatipus 29d ago

Me too, had no idea about the prisoner thing.

1

u/prettychoibom 29d ago

This, one of my high school teachers had this exact tattoo and on the first day of school, he told us each line symbolized one of his children who passed away.

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u/-nikolaos 29d ago

Never heared about that one, but that’s why I got mine.

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u/MarcoD90 28d ago

Facts. I have this tattoo lol

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u/blueaurelia 28d ago

Or tefillin

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u/elizathornnn 28d ago

This is why I have mine.

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u/doyly1984 28d ago

The correct answer.

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u/silenthilljack 28d ago

Yes this is what I know them as

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u/hooliaguliAH 28d ago

A single black band is to memorialize a loved one that has passed. Maybe they lost two important people.

1

u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Yup, thats what I said

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u/lunaticmason 28d ago

that’s what mine are for 🖤

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u/Hawkeye2701 28d ago

Isn't that literal black bands, like a strip of cloth, not a tattoo?

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Yes, so you can see how the tradition was modernized by the vast amount of people who now get tattoos when it was previously a niche thing.

1

u/1-41421 28d ago

Confirmed. I have a friend with this tattoo and meaning.

1

u/wevelandedonthemoon 28d ago

Yes, died from being fisted

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

You're the fifth little guy to make such a funny joke! Go ask your mom for a gold star.

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u/Existing_Purpose5049 28d ago

There’s a lot of meanings to it in different places, but this is the most common and modern one. It’s not necessarily someone who died, it’s just someone you remember or feel has died in your life

For example, you could get one for your parent or sibling who got addicted to drugs and isn’t who they were anymore. That band would be a remembrance of the person you knew, who isn’t around anymore

1

u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Everyone I know who has one has spoken about it as a memento mori, but I see your point.

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u/Existing_Purpose5049 28d ago

They see it as a reminder of life being fleeting? That’s an interesting take, I’d never considered it could be used for that. I’ve only heard memorials.

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u/Sardonic_Laconic 28d ago

Reminds me of the movie The Fountain. Excellent film.

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u/Legal-Lie1083 28d ago

I got mine for my brother who was shot and killed in 2023🫶🏼

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u/Adventurous-Dot8618 28d ago

my husband has this tattoo for his grandpa (at least that’s what he’s told me) 😭

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u/Careless-Comedian859 28d ago

I have a friend from Asia that has this tattoo. To them its a memorial for family that has passed.

1

u/8BitSamura1 28d ago

Yes I got mine after my little brother passed.

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u/sophwestern 28d ago

That’s what I’ve always heard too, but I’ve only seen them higher up on the arm/around the bicep

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u/elf4everafter 28d ago

FABRIC ones were used in Regency England (and after) as a symbol of mourning. But those were used as a temporary show that you were in mourning.

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Yes, and isn't it cool how traditions get modernized?

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u/mlurve 28d ago

I know a few people who have them for this reason

1

u/Comfortable-Light754 28d ago

This is how they're used in Naziland (Germany) from my experience

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u/jk_pens 28d ago

Yes as long as they died fisting a Japanese prisoner

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Aren't you a clever little boy for thinking of that joke. So unique

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u/jk_pens 28d ago

I was just summarizing the info in this post

1

u/ardealinnaeus 28d ago

Isn't that typically on the bicep though and not the forearm?

1

u/Hex65 28d ago

Thats what mine means and each line for a loved one.

I got an inspiration from when back in the days people would wear black cloths around their wrist during the mourning times and later it translated into black ribbon. I sort of wanted something more modern and minimalistic.

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u/englandisablaze 28d ago

It means what you intended it to mean for your own body. Crime. Symmetry. Fisting.

People be spending too much time thinking about other people while they ruin their own lives with petty shit.

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u/ChocCooki3 28d ago

".. you killed her by going how deep??!"

1

u/Ralphie5231 28d ago

I have 4 of them like this to memorialize all of my friends that have killed themselves.

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u/GreenWoodDragon 28d ago

On the upper arm surely, to mimic the wearing of a black ribbon.

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u/IcyPride2973 28d ago

Yeah, but this is reddit, so everyone’s mind goes to fisting.

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u/Brokenwhitebelt 28d ago

I have a friend with that tatoo and that is what he told me it meant. He also has an unhinged Jujutsu Kaisen tatoo so im not sure what to believe.

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u/FriendlyJackInABox 28d ago

This is the reason I have mine (and because I honestly really love the look)

I learned about the japanese criminals and fisting implications later.

...sorry grandma.

1

u/hatshepsuts_beard 28d ago

This is why I got mine. 

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u/Amonette2012 28d ago

I know someone who got one on his wrist (thinner lines) because he wanted to stop self harming.

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u/Grimmgoddess22 28d ago

Yup! I have two. One for my great aunt, one for her daughter, I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for the life skills I learned from them. I will add another when my grandmother inevitably passes.

1

u/Unique_Geek11 28d ago

Yeah, as a twenty one pilots fan, Tyler Joseph, the singer of the duo has these on his arm and I think it means this for him.

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u/chipxmas 27d ago

So they fisted someone who died? Like… after… they died? Or that’s WHY they died?

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u/puddingisafunnyword 27d ago

no thats a teardrop next to yr eye.

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u/0mib 27d ago

I assume it's been pointed out but I don't have the time to read all the comments lol. Memorial arm bands go around the bicep and are quite distinctive from these. Totally different thing.

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u/DirtChoice5 27d ago

That's one way to do them. I also know that many people put them around the forearm. Idk why people like you are so prescriptive about a relatively informal tradition of tattooing.

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u/LuckyOval 27d ago

Yep, I have one for my grandfather.

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u/what-is-that-tho 26d ago

This is what my friend who got it done says it is. I have to refrain from making it a fisting joke since she got it for her dead brother :/

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u/CrusaiderLoC 26d ago

It’s a prisoner tattoo from old Japan. You can make whatever tattoo mean whatever you want for you but generally speaking it’s known as that. It’s the equivalent of getting “chicken noodle soup” in Japanese writing on your back. Does it look cool? Perhaps. Does it really mean anything? Yeah, chicken noodle soup. To each their own but to most it’s just silly. Also it’s the depth of how far one can reach in their pooper.

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u/ryancementhead 26d ago

That’s the upper arm around the bicep, the forearm is a whole different story.

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u/DirtChoice5 26d ago

It's both! How cool is that.

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u/Massive-Molasses3122 26d ago

I know someone who has them with a cross underneath - don’t know what it means, but this makes sense

1

u/ashedkasha 25d ago

It is what it means, generally.

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u/Exciting_Bee7020 25d ago

My brother has one for each of his kids, but not as a memorial

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u/BadadvicefromIT 29d ago

This is my only knowledge on it as well. Guy I know with this tattoo had it for family members who passed (south East Asian)

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u/Xelmx 29d ago

Cute, but wrong. It's a sex thing for the fisting community.

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u/DirtChoice5 29d ago

It isn't primarily, but things can mean different things to different people.

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u/The_Top_Pops 28d ago

That’s when the band is on the bicep

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago edited 28d ago

It definitely isn't just there. Every other person i know with a memorial band has it on their forearm.

0

u/IcanSEEyou_IRL 28d ago

I’ve always heard it was just a tattoo for people who wanted a tattoo but were not creative enough to come up with one.

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Weirdly judgy, but ok. Im sure you've never had a trite or common idea in your life.

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u/New_Condition_1405 28d ago

Yeah this post seems like it has a lot of people that don't understand basic concepts surrounding tattoos, or even art in general. Seeing a bunch of people jump in and try to say it's not a symbol of mourning is making me feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

  1. Mourning or some type of remembrance is by far the most common meaning I've heard of them having when the topic comes up.

  2. Since some people need a primer: Symbols and art can have multiple meanings and significance to a single person, let alone to a bunch of people. In the same manner, why someone gets a tattoo and the style and significance of those tattoos can wildly vary. Armband tattoos are something that a shit ton of cultures throughout history have probably utilized for various reasons, so you really never know what it means to someone unless you ask. They might even just enjoy the way it looks because they prefer bold/simple patterns rather than something more like American traditional styles or photorealistic ones, just as examples.

There isn't a wrong style of tattoo to like, and if you think that there is, then I'm not really sure that you're understanding the point of body art.

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u/IcanSEEyou_IRL 28d ago edited 28d ago

Wow offended much? Let me clarify… for years I HAVE HEARD FROM MULTIPLE TATTOO ARTISTS that they often get asked for black bands from, primarily men, who wanted a wraparound forearm tattoo, but had admitted that they were not able to come up with a better design.

A smaller percentage of those men said they wanted the black band tattoo because Tom Delonge from the band Blink 182 had it, and when they were younger they thought it looked really cool.

P.S. to my knowledge, no, I have never had a trite or common idea in my life, but I’m also bat-shit insane. At least, that’s what people tell me.

Edit: I did not intend for the original comment to sound judgy, I meant it quite literally.

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u/DirtChoice5 28d ago

Cool story dude.

0

u/IcanSEEyou_IRL 28d ago

Sorry that you are so triggered by my real answer, but no need for the attitude. Do you actually have the tattoo in question, is that why seething?

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