The tattoo-removal business is booming. A removal service in Beverly Hills, California, takes off at least seven Chinese-language tattoos a week, citing dissatisfaction with tats that were often mistranslated, like "blood and intestines" for "blood and guts" or jokes pulled on people too cool for their own good, such as Chinese characters for "gullible white boy."
Oh, this is such a relief! I can finally get rid of my two dozen or so biker tattoos, the skull and crossbones, various outdated political slogans, and the Doberman spiked collar that was permanently engraved around my neck, to say nothing of the Chinese words for "I'm an idiot," "I carry explosives," "I like large, hairy primates " and "Please hurt me." I'll probably keep the two-headed dragon, though, and the one that says "Popeye."
Being cool is such a burden.
