One Direction call for tattooed tweens

March 10, 2013 10:25 am 0 comments Views: 1

One Direction’s fans are mostly made up of 10 to 16 year-olds. Picture: AP
Source: AP

The Facebook status calling for One Directioners to send in video of their 1D tattoos. Picture: Facebook
Source: news.com.au

ONE DIRECTION have been accused of encouraging tattooing among tweens after they asked fans to send in a video of themselves with a "1D tattoo" for a chance to appear in their new film clip.

The boy band – whose members range in age from 18 to 20 – sent a message to their 13 million fans on Facebook and 10 million fans on Twitter calling for video proof of the inking.

"Have a real 1D tattoo?" they wrote on the social networking sites, "Show us! Submit a 90 second YouTube video to 1d3dfan@gmail.com and show us why you should be in the 1D3D movie! 1DHQ x."

But fans of One Direction were quick to criticise the band for encouraging fans – who are largely made up of 10 to 16 year-olds well under the legal tattooing age of 18 – into getting permanent skin-art.

Julia Zwagerman said: "Okay One Direction, I love you guys to pieces I really do, but promoting young girls to get a tattoo?"

While Aimee tweeted: "WHY ARE U PROMOTING TATTOOS TO UR FANS DO U REALIZE U HAVE 10 YR OLD FANS OMFG"

Sarah Ha added: "Wow okay I actually really hate this status, what if like everyone actually go gets omg i luv 1d on their arm and we’re all like teenage-young adult girls, and it’ll be there for life. Why would you condone that." (sic)

Alarmingly, some fans as young as 13 said they were so excited by the prospect of appearing in the video clip that they wanted to get a tattoo just to be included.

"I shall now go beg my dad for a tattoo even though I’m only 13 haha", wrote Hannah Morgan.

While Sarah Mckay added: "I would get one just to be in this haha"

The news comes the same day as media outlets were left asking if Harry Styles had "taken his love of ink a little too far" after revealing a butterfly tattoo that takes up the majority of his upper body.

Louis Tomlinson also revealed a tattoo of a steaming cup of tea on his forearm just days ago, which now sits above the word "Oops", a stick man, a bird etching and a compass design on his arm.

The boy band has been accused of being "obsessed" with tattoos, to the point that they have now engaged in a competition to see who can gain the most.

For more information on the band’s preoccupation with getting inked, check out this article, detailing the "ugliest tattoos of one direction".