Millennials Horrified As Tattoo Artists Share Eye-Opening Observation
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A tattoo studio has gone viral as staff members discussed the most stereotypically millennial ink they've been asked to do.
Manco Tattoo is a family-run business based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, owned by Donny Manco, 54, who has been tattooing for close to 30 years, and he knows a millennial tattoo when he sees one.
As he put it to Newsweek: "Never, ever forget 'live, laugh, love' in Bleeding Cowboy font."
"Another big hit among millennials was the infinity symbol—and don't forget tiny script words like 'hope' or 'family.'"
Manco's studio has a large following on TikTok, where they post under the username @tattales. On July 11, they posted a video asking their artists about tattoos that give "peak millennial energy"—and it went viral, with over 8.2 million views.
In the video, staff members at the shop are asked straight up: "What is a millennial tattoo?"
And each have their own answer ready, from the word "faith" written in cursive, to Winnie the Pooh, and dream catchers, described as the "most abundantly millennial tattoo."
Donny Manco and a fellow tattoo artist discuss millennial tattoos.
Donny Manco and a fellow tattoo artist discuss millennial tattoos.
TikTok @tattales
A feather tattoo, with dark-colored birds flying out from it, was a very popular choice, with more than one worker declaring that exact tattoo to be ultra-millennial.
Tattoos inspired by the Virgo star sign, watercolor cheetah print, obscure song lyrics, and the classic moustache also made the list, as did geometric-style tattoos of an owl.
TikTok users had a huge response, awarding the video more than 500,000 likes, as one warned Gen Z that "your time will come as well."
"As a millennial with many tattoos, I'm proud not to have any of these," another said, as another predicted: "It's a cycle, in a few years they be making fun of Gen Z tattoos."
Others shared their own offers of stereotypical millennial tattoos, including Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows, infinity signs, anchors, pocket watches and tree line silhouettes.
Manco told Newsweek: "Trends often get a bad rap, but they shouldn't—I see them like snapshots of our society's spirit, capturing what's meaningful to us in that moment.
"It's important info! They show us how culture evolves and adapts, which is exactly how it's supposed to work. I might tease people about being trendy, but I love the concept of a single image bringing us together—it really does reflect the transformative power and sheer reach of tattooing."
Manco and another artist share that obscure lyrics and star signs are common millennial tattoos.
Manco and another artist share that obscure lyrics and star signs are common millennial tattoos.
TikTok @tattales
Manco himself loves tattooing "black and gray illustrative realism," but "the most enjoyable tattoos for me are the ones that help people to cross their own mental and spiritual thresholds through the power that tattoo brings to them. This can happen in an infinite number of ways and I'm here for it."
He clarified that while he sometimes makes fun, "I'm not dumb, and neither are millennials.
"These tattoos are more than just designs, they're like little badges of millennial philosophy—simple, meaningful with a refreshing desire to express love and positivity in a big, sometimes crappy world. Love these guys!"
He's noticed a "wholesome" emerging trend among millennials as they move on to "commemorating their parenting eras," with, for example, their three children represented by "three baby birds on a branch, or three lion cubs with the mama lion," or adding the time of birth of their child to their millennial pocket watch tattoo.
When it comes to Gen Z tattoos, however, he can't pinpoint an exact trend—as he described it, "these guys have thrown out the rules and are rewriting the book. It's exciting to see where this is going."
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