Scott Campbell has tattooed Sting’s back and Helena Christensen’s ankle, said Jesse Ashlock in Details. But there’s one body part the celebrity tattooist refuses to ink. “There was this 19-year-old girl who came [to my studio] with her friend. I was like, ‘Okay, what are we doing?’” he says. The girl pulled out a piece of paper with a large W on it—the logo of rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. “I was like, ‘So where are we putting this?’” She pointed at her cheek. “I [said], ‘No, absolutely not.’ And she was like, ‘Such-and-such a tattoo shop will do it. My friend got it.’” Her friend then turned and showed Campbell the W on her face. “It just broke my heart. I immediately picked up the phone and started screaming at that other tattoo shop, ‘You just ruined a girl’s life for $80!’” Campbell realizes he sounds like a hypocrite. “I have tons of terrible tattoos on me. It’s just a mishmash of God knows how many drunken evenings. But facial tattoos are dangerous,” he says. “I can still button up [and] put on my normal-guy costume when I want. Once you have a tattoo on your face, people don’t remember your name. You’re just that guy with a tattoo on his face.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Road trip: New England’s maple syrup seasonFeature New England is serving up maple syrup in delicious and unexpected ways
-
Music Reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRaeFeature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
