10 Most Horrifying Nerd Scarification Tattoos
We can all agree, wherever, whatever, that tattoos are awesome. Or so we’ve been led to believe, under the influence of peer pressure. But what’s one step more badass than getting a tattoo? Why, what about scarification, the art of carving pictures out of your very flesh? Oh, wait, did we say badass? We meant to say staggeringly horrible. However, as with tattoos, it’s perfectly possible to do something decidedly strange in this supposedly gnarly medium – so here are 10 of the most bizarre and gross examples of nerd scarification. And just for clarity: DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!
10. Hello Kitty
Scarification for the lady nerd – but holy Christ, Hello Kitty. This one’s so fresh it has blood dripping out of it. Talk about brand loyalty – in this case to a twee, peculiar and frankly mind-boggling global leviathan, that has marked its kitty stamp on the four corners of the Earth. However, Kitty herself couldn’t have hoped to have reached this level of customer immersion – that’d be just below the level of their flesh.
9. NES controller
Somebody likes classic gaming just a little bit too much. The man who got this casually declared: “It wasn’t the most fun experience I ever had.” But we do declare him to have reached the apex of nerdiness. For those too young to remember, this is a NES controller – an 8-bit gaming system that existed when all you needed to play Zelda was an A button, a B button and a directional pad. It was discontinued 15 years ago. Kudos for antiquity because you’d have to be a douchebag to want an Xbox controller printed on your arm.
8. Freak cubed
Is he the third freak? Or is he a freak to the power of 3? In either case, that level of commitment has nerd if not geek written all over it, and, as we all known, maths related body art doth the nerd exemplify.
7. Euler’s Equation
One of the best known mathematical formulas (for those who follow that sort of thing), Euler’s formula (seen above) has been called “the greatest mathematical formula ever” and “the gold standard for mathematical beauty.” But what were saying? Oh, yes, having Euler’s identity tattooed across your back definitely, definitely makes you a nerd.
6. Computer symbols
Yikes, someone seems to have some specific categorization for their fingers – that’d be the ‘on’ switch and the USB and Firewire icons. We’ve heard of the techies who embedded small magnets in their fingertips (so they can feel electric currents), but we can only hope this fellow doesn’t have computer cables coming out of him, whatever the signs say.
5. Space Invaders and Pac-Man
Scarification takes everything a little bit further than tattoos – they’re horrible, they look extraordinarily painful and they will never, ever go away. So if you decide you want Space Invaders or Pac-Man running up your arm, you better be pretty sure about it. You wouldn’t want people thinking you sit in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music while being chased by ghosts now, would you?
4. Dragon
You know what’s not cool? Having a giant mythical monster (and mainstay of fantasy fiction) cut into your leg. Whatever the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo might say, dragons, as made famous by The Lord of the Rings and Dungeons &, err, Dragons, are more than a little nerdy (not to mention the fact that said Girl was a nerdy goth computer hacker). So despite what you might be thinking, dragon scars, of the self-inflicted kind, really aren’t a good way to go.
3. @
And the mark of the nerds shall be ‘@’. While that’s a lovely curve (nobody, but nobody likes a shoddy piece of body art), what is this one really trying to say? You’re a fan of the internet? You’re a nerd? We could probably have worked that out after a two minute chat. For all the meaning that can be gleaned from this, you might as well have a giant hash symbol.
2. Erdball
This little number is a reference to the band Welle: Erdball. A band, you say? That’s not nerdy. People who like music enjoy healthy social interaction and so on. However, Erdball are, put simply, one goddamn nerdy German bitpop band, who developed their sound using the Commodore 64 SID card. This lady also has a chemical symbol tattoo on her – as she says, “Nerdy feminism,” because, hold your horses, it’s the chemical formula for estrogen. That is some unusual scarring…
1. Yoda
Gigantic Star Wars themed self harm? Nerd cachet: ten out of ten. Horror factor: ten out of ten. What could be more definitively peculiar than having the almost life size Jedi master cut into your ribs? This is conceivably the ultimate mark of nerdery. Never again will you take your shirt off without displaying your love for the greatest muppet of them all (and making children run screaming away from the pool). The Force is strong in this one.
Written by Julian on August 30th, 2010 | Tagged as: Popular Culture
On August 30th 2010, C wrote:
those aren’t really “tatoo” tatoos..
those are the ones were people rip their skin off and have it as a scar..
thats gross
On August 30th 2010, captain obvious wrote:
That’s what “scarification” means dimwit ^^
On August 30th 2010, Eva wrote:
Body modification is what it is. I like it, it’s a different form of self expression than I personally am used to, but as long as your artist is good and your art comes out as desired why not? It’s not like piercings and tats don’t bleed. Some people don’t like any of it, but it’s a part of many cultures, and they’re not going away.
On August 30th 2010, Kate wrote:
That…is INSANE.
Not to mention it looks incredibly painful.
On August 30th 2010, jabo wrote:
People with tattoos and self scarring are of the lowest people in society. Anyone that covers a large percentage of their bodies with tattoos, whether they are rich and famous, or poor, in reality, hate their own bodies. An immediate turn-off for me and most other men I know is a woman with tattoos all over their arms, butts and other places. Is it because so many women want to be more like men and their tattoos make them feel superior to men?
In a way it is like a small child who likes to show-off in public. Men are even more guilty, than women, when it comes to covering their bodies with tattoos. They have low self esteem, and from what I’ve heard they usually fail to satisfy their partners, whether they are male or female, because a large percentage of tattooed men are homosexual. Nothing wrong with being homosexual, but how can you see what you’re getting with someone covered in tattoos? These are just my opinions, and I have not done any scientific experiments to disprove it.
On August 30th 2010, autumn44 wrote:
I feel sorry for JABO. JABO just has to criticize and condemn those JABO considers less than JABO.
How sad….
On August 30th 2010, Robert W. wrote:
This has got to be one of the most stupid things I’,ve run across.
I got scares on my upper torso. But it’s from doctors saving my life One is almost 10 inches long, I was embarassed to be seen on the beach, but now I’m used to it
On August 30th 2010, RL Neva wrote:
Any tatoo and I mean any, even if it cost you over 400 dollars is really a pretty poor buy. They all look awful after time passes and you forget why you got one in the first place. Mom and Dad was right, they looked cheap in the 40′s and 50′s and they look cheap today. Everyone in prison has one and I should know, I worked as a guard for 20 years in a state pen. Never saw any I liked either.
On August 30th 2010, gigi wrote:
OMG! these people dont realize how much they are putting themselves at risk. Anyone ever here of MRSA or VRE????? Idiots!
On August 30th 2010, Personna wrote:
I like tattoos (even if I am too afraid to get one myself). But these just look PAINFUL more than cute.
On August 30th 2010, Mercy wrote:
@jabo: If you think homosexuals have a poor sex life and are horribly insecure, well… You don’t talk to many homosexuals. Which was obvious anyway. Spend ten minutes with a queen and tell me he doesn’t have more self esteem than you and Angelina Jolie put together. Just when I start having faith in people’s capacity to respect others, someone like you comes along and ruins it for me.
Yes, self-scarification is more permanent than tattoos. And I’m guessing it hurts a hell of a lot more. But the only difference between tattoos and scarification is the amount of skin taken, and the lack of ink. It’s the same effect, sometimes even more discreet depending on the depth of the original wound.
I wasn’t very pleased with this article at all… It combined ‘nerdiness’ with unusual self-expression, turning otherwise unrelated deviance into some horrifying “Look what those crazy freaks are doing!” circus sideshow. Non-nerds do self-scarification. Scarification wasn’t a direct result of them being into Star Wars or *gasp* Lord of the Rings. It just felt like someone with a vendetta against nerds and tattoos making a slide show to justify their opinions.
I have tattoos, by the way, and am complimented almost daily on them by soccer moms and bikers and little old ladies alike.
On August 30th 2010, Karin wrote:
I was going to get “I’m an Idiot” scarified across my forehead, but then I decided that would be redundant.
On August 31st 2010, Belladona wrote:
The lightning bolt chest scar looks like the logo for “OPEL”, a German made buick:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel
On August 31st 2010, introspective wrote:
For some people there is only one thing in their mind – get noticed.
On September 4th 2010, BdUB wrote:
Hey Jabo, I’ve got tatts… Why don’t you send your girlfriend over and I’ll prove your little theory wrong. Oh wait! You’re a 400 lb. douche bag, who sits at home playing WoW and eating doritos, you don’t have one! And FYI, just because you’re too much of a bitch to get a tat doesn’t mean you should hate on us real men. My tats all have a meaning behind them and I will never forget why I got them. I would LOVE to see you try to make that comment to my face. And as far as women go, I don’t think its attractive on them either, but I NEVER pass judgment, because IT IS THEIR RIGHT.
On September 24th 2010, jaxin teran wrote:
this is really dumb to do to ur body
On November 8th 2010, Ashley wrote:
I’m sorry but this site seriously pisses me off. If they are so freaking nerdy how come they have the balls to do something you could never imagine yourself doing? Beauty is percieved in many different ways. Just because you are blind doesn’t give you the right to put down others.
On December 18th 2010, jeff minnesota wrote:
GIVE IT UP TO JABO HE’S A REDNECK
On March 18th 2011, Pou wrote:
eehk, this is so goddamn scary!! i felt sick even just looking at the flesh removal ones, i mean, i’ve cut in the past, and i guess i’ve done some self scarification, but this is brutal D:
On June 25th 2011, iris del castillo wrote:
me duele mushooo la panosha y las jetass nomas de verr
On July 30th 2011, Charlene wrote:
I cannot believe people do this shit to themselves. It is so demeaning and damaging to the ONLY body you will ever have. I cannot believe that it is now fashionable to pay someone to burn and ruin skin just to “make a statement.” It is sickening and I’m really tired of seeing more and more people deliberately screw up their skin. Ink is bad enough, but now intentional, permanent red scarring? GROSS!
On April 11th 2012, Josh wrote:
lol