Banana tattoos are a recent trend that had people going bananas. They can represent anything from “I love bananas” to “I am a fruit loop,” and, of course, they’re funny all together.
But what does a banana tattoo actually mean? Unfortunately, while the meaning of your banana tattoo may depend on what your intention when getting it is, most experts agree that there is no one definitive meaning — unless you want to pay hundreds of dollars and in-person appointments at pricey artists in Miami Beach.
There is also a bit of a question about whether banana tattoos are racist.
The “I love bananas” interpretation isn’t necessarily racist because it doesn’t have any inherent hate or malice behind it, but the fact that we can use an image of a banana to represent many unpleasant stereotypes (of Asians, Latinos, and African-Americans) makes many people uncomfortable.
This suggests that people should think more carefully about getting their banana tattoo if they intend for it to be humorous or if they’re just not sure what it means to them.
To help you make that decision, we’ve collected a few of the most common meanings for banana tattoos so that you can see if any of these meanings resonate with your own reasons for getting one.
I’m a fruit loop
A banana tattoo is an easy way to make fun of a friend or coworker who you think might have a tendency to be overly-excited or bendy. In this sense, they are a simple but effective put-down, used to highlight the other person’s foolishness. It is a term that many people tend to use when they want to poke fun at someone for being silly or for having strange nonsensical ideas.
I love bananas!
If your reason for getting the banana tattoo is because you actually enjoy eating them then you may well be quite serious about it.
Of course, while people like to joke about bananas and other fruit, we must remember that our ancestors ate bananas because they were a healthy part of a well-balanced diet.
One might argue that it is only appropriate to get a banana tattoo if you even slightly enjoy the fruit — but it’s up to you.
Maybe I’m just silly…
As with other fruit tattoos, this one is usually related to being silly or having bizarre interests. Getting a banana inks may also be used as an expression of unusual tastes or for having unusual interests. Banana tattoos may also be used as self-expressions of silliness or for showing off one’s sense of humor.
Bananas have strong links to fertility and dating due to their shape which resembles parts of the male anatomy.
Hapiness
A banana tattoo is an indicator that the person sporting it has found happiness in life. The tattoo can mean so much more but the symbolism of a banana usually indicates that the owner of said tattoo has been truly fulfilled or has reached a point where they have achieved satisfaction and peace with their life.
The banana tattoo typically goes hand in hand with the peach tattoo to show that the person wearing them has found happiness inside themselves, rather than through any other external source.
The lines on the banana extend past the peel, perhaps to indicate how many times they have felt happiness or satisfaction in life. It can also be a reminder of where they got to after feeling dissatisfaction for so long. The stripes on this fruit are sometimes extended upward to represent growth and power, closely related concepts when it comes to finding peace within yourself.
For some individuals it is enough just to know that they are happy with who they are as people without having to tell anyone else about it. Others use tattoos as a way of advertising their success in life while others still wear the tattoo out of appreciation for the learning experiences they have gone through in life.
When dreamed of by adults, bananas are associated with sexuality due to their phallic form. Yellow bananas are associated with happiness and contentment, green with some new beginnings and even a new job. A banana can also symbolize some unpleasant, unpredictable situations.
Satisfaction
A banana with eyes, on the other hand, is not looking longingly at itself in a mirror but rather to remind us that we are all capable of finding satisfaction through our interactions with others.
A banana is not always meant to be taken quite so seriously; sometimes people choose bananas as their tattoos simply because it has become somewhat of a meme within pop culture.
The fruit has evolved into an internet sensation which means that if you want one, chances are pretty good that it will be recognized by someone else who uses the site where you first saw it. This can be both fun and dangerous depending on your comfort level with revealing your interests to strangers online.
For example, if you feel safer keeping your interests private then it is probably best to choose a fruit that will not leave much room for people to guess at what you like.
in the end
No matter where the tattoo comes from or why it was chosen in the first place, tattoos are always meant be meaningful and personal which means they need to come from somewhere deep within the person wearing them.
Do not let anyone tell you that all bananas tattoos look exactly alike because while some might have very similar characteristics, others can vary greatly depending on where they came from and who chose them in the first place.
Your banana tattoo should be just as unique as you are!
