Is having a tattoo a good idea? 6 Minute English

Rob: Hello. This is 6 Minute English,

and I'm Rob.

Sam: I'm Sam. Hello!

Rob: Now, Sam, we’re going to be talking

about tattoos. Are you a fan?

Sam: Of tattoos? Well, I don’t have one,

but they can be quite impressive

works of art.

Rob: Well, I’m not that keen on tattoos

– I mean, who wants things

drawn on their body?!

Sam: It sounds like you need

some convincing, Rob!

Maybe our discussion today

will change your mind.

Rob: Maybe. But as you’re a fan of them,

here’s a question for you

to answer. According

to the Guinness World Records, the record

for the most tattooed person in the world

goes to Lucky Diamond Rich from

New Zealand. Do you know how much

of his body is covered

by tattoos? Is it… a) 80%, b) 90%,

or c)100%?

What do you think, Sam?

Sam: Well, it’s got to be 100% if he is

the most tattooed man, surely?

Rob: Not necessarily, but, we’ll see if

you’re right at the end of the programme.

Now let’s talk more about tattoos. I know

many people have them. Sometimes it’s a

picture of an animal, like a small gecko,

sometimes it’s words like ‘I love you’

or the name of a loved one. And then

there are the huge designs spread

across someone’s back, chest or

arm - like footballer David Beckham has.

Sam: Well, he’s no stranger to a tattoo

parlour. A parlour is the name of the shop

where a tattoo artist draws

a tattoo on you with ink and a needle.

Rob: Needles! Ouch!

Sam: OK, you need some convincing, so

let's hear from Lucie Parfitt, YouTuber

and tattoo fan. Here she is

speaking on the BBC’s Smart

Consumer podcast…

Lucie Parfitt: I’m quite a creative person

and ever since I first discovered tattoos,

I thought it was a really

cool way of expressing yourself.

I’m quite a visual person as well,

so for me it really, like, just looked really

cool and it made me think more

about my own, like, personality and

how I could express

that in creative ways.

Rob: Right, so, Lucie describes herself as

a creative person. When you’re creative

you imaginative and like

to experiment with new ideas.

Sam: Yes, Rob. And tattoos are a good

way to be creative – trying out different

designs and colours - it’s

a good way to express yourself.

Here, to express yourself means

'to show how you feel in a particular way'.

Rob:OK, so some people express

themselves through singing

or wearing particular clothing,

but here she’s expressing herself through

the images on her skin. But what happens

if you want change

what you want to express?

Sam: Well, then it’s time for a new tattoo!

Rob: OK, well I know that the

tattoo industry is big business

now – which means it's

'popular and making lots of money'.

I’ve heard that one in five people

now have a tattoo.

Sam: Not you yet, Rob! But it has certainly

become a trend in recent years and it’s

something tattoo artist Lee Clements

has noticed. Also speaking on the

BBC’s Smart Consumer podcast,

he explains why he thinks that is….

Lee Clements: The thing for me

that has obviously changed massively

over the last, possibly, ten years is you

see a lot of celebrities

getting tattooed.

With that comes the fact that you’re going

to get people who want

to copy them or it becomes almost

like a fashion thing, so we do

see certain tattoos, sort of, becoming

a trend and… yeah, so I guess it kind

of dilutes that value a little bit, yeah.

Rob: Ah so it’s celebrities – famous,

well-known people from TV, film

and fashion – that have possibly

driven the trend. People want to copy

them – or it’s what he says is ‘a fashion

thing’, so you have a tattoo

because it’s fashionable, which means it’s

'popular at a particular time'.

Sam: And one of the down sides – the

negative things – about just having

one to be fashionable

is it dilutes the individuality of having

one. Dilute means to 'make something

less strong or less valuable'.

Rob: Well, I’m not going to

get one anytime soon - except

maybe a big six on my arm to remind me

that we only have 6 minutes for

this programme so I’d better reveal the

answer to the question I asked you earlier.

According to Guinness World Records,

the record for the most tattooed person

in the world goes to

Lucky Diamond Rich from New Zealand.

Did you know how much of his body is

covered by tattoos?

Sam: And I said 100%.

Rob: Well done, Sam. That is correct.

He has held the certified record

since 2006 of being

100% tattooed. This includes

tattoos inside his eyelids,

mouth and ears.

Sam: Wow! I wonder who gets

to see those!

Rob: OK well, now it’s time to recap the

vocabulary we’ve discussed

today starting with a parlour.

Sam: That’s the name for a shop or room

where certain businesses carry out

their trade – such as a tattoo parlour,

a massage parlour

or an ice cream parlour.

Rob: A creative person is someone

who uses imagination and

experiments with new ideas.

Sam: And when you express yourself,

it means you 'show outwardly

how you feel and what you’re thinking'.

Rob: If something is big business it is

an activity that is currently popular

and making lots of money.

Sam: And something that is fashionable

is popular. And when something becomes

popular it can dilute its value

or uniqueness – so

it becomes less strong or less valuable.

Rob: OK, thank you, Sam. That’s all for

now but there’s plenty more on our

website at bbclearningenglish.com.

If you can’t remember the address,

why not tattoo it on your arm?!

You can also find us on social

media and on our app. Goodbye for now!

Sam: Bye!