Ink and Illusions
There’s a horrid stench in the world of magic and mentalism.
No, it’s not a sweaty sock or a 50p stink bomb, it’s far more disgusting than that.
SNOBBERY!
The kind of snobbery that peers down its monocle at magicians with tattoos… Yes, really.
In 2025, a world where you can train an octopus to pick your lottery numbers and an infinite amount of information is just a click away, there are still performers looking down their noses at inked skin as if it’s an instant disqualification from life!
I was recently in a magic forum where somebody started a post around tattoos, the poster feels that tattoos should be covered up when performing. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, right?
Of course they are, that doesn’t mean to say they’re right though!
Whilst none of the comments are directly offensive to tattooed people, there is gremlins of disapproval running throughout the post. Two of the comments struck a chord with me, one person said:
In passing, as it happens none of the very lovely people I know have tattoos.
I think that’s an unusual way to measure for loveliness…
His comments do feel like they have a bite to them, especially as he also stated:
For me, one is okay. But arms and legs-full is more than overkill; it’s ugly.
Like his approval is somehow needed to decorate your skin!!!
Spoiler:
Loveliness is not determined by square inches of bare skin.
Don’t nice people have tattoos too?
Another person said:
On a personal level I think tattoos on a woman are gross – they take away the beauty of the woman.
I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this. My reply to him was:
What’s actually gross isn’t tattoos on women… It’s men who think their bodies exist to suit their preferences!
Today, I’m calling time on this judgemental B***S**T!
So let’s debunk some of the common gripes…
Tattoos are unprofessional
Oh please: The only thing less professional than a tattoo is a magician explaining their own jokes.
Tattoos are distracting
Perfect, that means nobody is watching ‘the move’.
Tattoos are ugly
Beauty is in the eye of the (card) holder and if your eyes don’t like it, maybe you should practice more blindfold peeks!
Skin should look clean.
Clean? WTF? Does having tattoos dirty your character?
This is nothing more than garden variety snobbery!
Snobbery is always rooted in fear, usually it’s a fear of someone or something alien to us. In this case I think it’s a fear that if a magician doesn’t fit the bow tie & white shirt archetype, then the art form is somehow weakened.
Tattoos are just another form of theatre, it’s a theatre that lives on you and goes everywhere with you, telling a story to the people that see them.
Audiences love authenticity. If tattoos are part of who you are, then to hide them away would be a tragedy. Would you rather watch the performer who looks like they stepped out of a Discworld novel? Or yet another black suit, white shirt guy with all the personality of a tangled up TDK?
My past life on the coils
Before I was Ryan Mentis, I lived another life…
I was a tattoo artist and for about 15 years my world was full of dragon sleeves, mandalas, tribal suns and the occasional customer who wanted their future ex’s name etched on their chest in Old English letters.
I learned very quickly that tattooing isn’t so much about the ink, it’s about the story and every design carries a story on skin… Grief… Love… Rebellion… Identity. Some are loud declarations, others are subtle secrets in swirls of black and grey.
Some of the kindest, most soulful people I’ve ever met were covered head to toe in glorious indelible ink. Some were grieving, some celebrating and some were just carrying their own mythology on their skin. Snobbery, disguised as taste, is still snobbery. Those comments weren’t about tattoos, they’re about control and a desire to define what a person should look like.
A tattoo isn’t decoration, it’s a declaration but that doesn’t give anybody free reign to judge them.
When someone chooses to ink themselves, they’re not just saying:
I like skulls.
They’re really saying:
This skull means something to me. So much so, that I’ll still be wearing it when I’m old and wrinkly!
That level of commitment is more real than most of the magical personas built on borrowed tuxedos and fake gravitas.
What really annoys the socks off me is:
That same magician who looks down their nose at tattoos will happily perform while wearing a garishly loud tie, a sequined waistcoat or half a tub of ‘WET LOOK‘ gel dumped on their napper!
Heaven forbid that your tattoo of a phoenix peeks out from under your cuff, suddenly you’re distracting… You know what?
It’s not distraction, it’s intimidation. Your tattoos intimidate them and reminds them that magic doesn’t belong to one miserable magician! Magic belongs to everyone, from the scoundrel with a ‘Born To Die‘ tattoo, to the old school conjurer stinking of BRUT!
Why this matters
The art of magic is already fragile, if we gatekeep based on ink, we’re shrinking our community, turning it into a fossilised exhibit instead of a living, breathing, evolving art.
You’re not just insulting someone’s skin, you’re shutting a door on the future of the craft and let’s face it:
Audiences don’t care if you have tattoos of unicorns or dolphins, they care if you connect with them, astonish them and leave them with goosebumps.
Not once has an audience member stopped me mid routine to say:
Excuse me, your tattoos are distracting from the trick.
Funny that!
Fragmented Thoughts
Snobbery is the real distraction, so here’s my plea to the magic and mentalism community:
Stop sneering, gatekeeping and pretending your idea of professional is universal. Tattoos are not the enemy of magic… Snobbery is! Magic is supposed to be about freedom of thought and imagination. If we can’t allow people the freedom in how they look without judging them, then what kind of art are we protecting?
Tattoos remind me that mystery isn’t about perfection, it’s about the story and stories are what make magic unforgettable. Ink your skin, blow minds and laugh at those snobs in their hired Tuxedo’s!
Stay Weird
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief