As the anticipation ahead of the birth of their first child draws media representatives to France and room rentals at a certain Italian lake keep shooting up just in case there's a wedding, now comes the revelation of the Brangelina Love Tattoo! Yes, Brad and Angelina have indelibly inked their love for one another.

Sources speculate this one has actually been in existence for some time now. Ms. Jolie has been a fan of tattooing for some time now and Brad has been known to don theatrical tats for his movie roles from time to time. As it's not recommended for a woman to get tattooed while she is pregnant, it's most likely these love stigmata were inked many months ago.

Our sources can't agree where the two celebrity lovebirds might have gotten the ink done. Some people are insisting a Cambodian monk/tattooist was flown to their residence in France specifically to tattoo the design by traditional hand methods. Others speculate the pair might have slipped off to Amsterdam to get their ink done, as that city is well-known for its tattoo culture. However, with New York and Los Angeles frequent work stops for the pair, it's possible an artist in either city might have gotten the commission as well.

The tattoos seem to have taken some influence from the ancient practice of Japanese love tattoos, whereby lovers had a small matching design executed on their skin as a sign of eternal devotion. Not only were these skin illustrations small, but they were tattooed in locations that remained private from view by anyone except those to whom the wearer chose to reveal the tattoo. Classic images for these tattoos include a single cherry blossom petal (for fleeting moments) or the kanji for "eternal" or "life."

As you can see, the design is the yin yang. This symbolizes a balance of forces in the world, masculine and feminine, both existing with a small bit of the other inside them. Across this are three kanji tattooed in a line: unity, loyalty, and child. Clearly, all three concepts are important elements to both partners.


You can see more of Angelina Jolie's tattoos in Celebrity Skin: Tattoos, Brands, and Body Adornments of the Stars. Brad Pitt can be viewed wearing a lot of fake tattoos in Ocean's 11 or Ocean's 12 (a black tribal forearm tattoo) and Snatch (he's covered in tats in this one!).



Editors Note: This parody was produced in honor of April Fool's Day, 2006. ;-) We don't know either Brad or Angelina, and we're pretty sure they didn't get tattooed together. At least not yet....