A TikTok video featuring a man showcasing a seemingly meaningless tattoo has gone viral, only for viewers to uncover a sweet backstory behind it. Tattoo artist Alissa shared her husband Shawn’s new tattoo on her TikTok page, @alissajungink, with the quote “Tattoos are permanent. They should have meaning.” The tattoo featured a cartoon from an IKEA building guide, showing a sad figure looking at a disassembled item with an X over him, while two smiling figures were ready to work together on the furniture. Alissa, who owns a tattoo studio in Seattle, revealed that the tattoo actually had a sentimental meaning.
Alissa explained that when she and Shawn were dating long distance, he would send her photos of the instruction manual with two people building furniture together, wishing she was there to help. This became an inside joke between them. After Shawn helped Alissa build furniture for her new business, she promised to tattoo the IKEA figures on him. The humorous introduction to the tattoo as having no meaning was intended as a playful jab at the trend of tattoos needing significance. However, viewers were quick to find their own profound interpretations in the tattoo.
Despite being initially introduced as a joke, Shawn’s tattoo resonated with viewers who found different meanings in it. Some saw it as a reminder to ask for help or a statement about loneliness and the need for community. Others described it as a beautiful representation of building a life together. The video received over 1 million likes and nearly 9 million views, with the comment section filled with heartwarming responses. Alissa was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive and wholesome reactions to the tattoo, as she expected it to be seen as unserious due to its initial presentation.
According to data from Statista, around 41 percent of millennials in the US had at least one tattoo in 2024, while the number dropped to 23 percent for Gen Z. Shawn’s tattoo, despite starting off as a light-hearted joke about tattoos needing meaning, touched many viewers in unexpected ways. The tattoo not only represented a sweet gesture between a couple but also resonated with a broader audience who found deep significance in the simple cartoon from an IKEA manual. Alissa shared that it was heartwarming to see the positive and meaningful reactions from people online, and she was grateful for the unexpected emotional connection the tattoo sparked in viewers.
