There are so many different tattoo designs that you can get on your body! From getting a lamb tattoo, an umbrella tattoo, or even a spade tattoo, there are a lot to choose from. What most people do is incorporate the meaning behind a tattoo design so that they can feel a personal connection with the tattoo. One such tattoo design that can help you navigate the hardships of life is the “Laugh Now Cry Later” tattoo!
So what does the laugh now cry later tattoo mean? There are a lot of meanings that can be given to this tattoo design because of its various origins. So let’s explore the different origins of the laugh now cry later tattoo and figure out what it actually means when it comes to life and how you can incorporate some unique designs with this tattoo!
Key Takeaways
- The origin of the design comes from ancient Greek theatre while the tattoo design is more recent, depicted in the 1970s by Mexican gang members.
- There are many meanings that you can interpret for the tattoo but some might view it as a negative symbol due to its relation to gang violence.
- I have included 5 unique tattoo designs that you can do with the laugh now cry later tattoo!
Origins of Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo Design
See the problem with the laugh now cry later tattoo is the inspiration that it takes from Ancient Greece. So let’s look at the origins from all the way back 2000 years ago to the more modern interpretation of the design!
Ancient Greece: the drama mask
The Ancient Greeks revolutionized dramas and theatre plays all the way back in those times. It has such a profound impact on the world that those same plays are still done in stage productions! But the unique thing about it was the masks that were used during the play. The drama masks are of two types; the laughing comedy mask and the crying tragedy mask. These were used to portray the emotions of what was going on in the drama which is where the laugh now cry later tattoo design can be traced back to!
Modern times: Mexican gangs and gangster rappers
Even though the Greeks were the original place where the design came from, but the actual laugh now cry later tattoo is more recent than you may think! While you might find it strange, the laugh now cry later tattoo that we see more of today had its roots in more recent times in the 1970s. It was a popular tattoo design for some Mexican gang members who used to get it and the design really caught on in the 80s and 90s. So much so, that gangster rappers like Tupac used to have a laugh now cry later tattoo on their back! Even rapper Ice Cube popularized the inscription through one of his albums of the same name.
Meaning Behind Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
As you can see, the design has a storied past which gives birth to many different interpretations of the tattoo! That is what elevates the meaning and symbolism behind the tattoo as well. Since gangsters were some of the first to get the tattoo, it was to depict more acts now and think about the consequences later. Just like the tattoo laughing on one side and crying on the other, the life of gangsters has always been about hardship.
Since the meaning of the tattoo can also be related back to Ancient Greek theatre, art students and drama students can be seen with such designs on their bodies as well. It is to demonstrate the love they had for their craft and pay homage to where modern theatre had all begun.
Even if you are not part of any of these lifestyles, the laugh now cry later tattoo can be a great symbol of the hardships of life. Having to always put up a smiling face can be difficult so the tattoo can help you understand that is okay to cry later when no one is looking. Life has a very thin line between happiness and sorrow which is exactly what the design of the tattoo depicts with one mask laughing while the other is crying.
Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo and its negative symbol
The problem that the laugh now cry later tattoo has had is because of the careless, ‘live fast, die young’ attitude thought of when seeing the tattoo. The relation to gangster did the tattoo no favor which is why most people in the USA see it as more of a negative symbol than anything else.
While it could depict a more carefree and think about consequences later attitude, the negative symbol that the laugh now cry later tattoo once had is now slowly dissipating. The 90s were a long time ago and the meaning changed along with it as well. Nowadays, the tattoo has more of a meaning that is related to life and how hard it might be for some rather than a negative symbol.
So you can get the tattoo because the negative symbol that it once was associated with has been long forgotten!
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5 Unique Ideas for Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo and Placement
This tattoo can range in design ideas because of the many different designs that you can come up with laughing and crying masks! Here are some of my ideas about the laugh now cry later tattoo that you can incorporate into your next tattoo!
Face behind the mask laugh now cry later tattoo
A great design is adding subtly to it in a way that does not take away from the original design that it once had. That is why I think someone who is unmasking themselves where the mask is doing one of the expressions and the real face doing the opposite expression can be a great tattoo design!
- Places to get: shoulders, chest, biceps, thighs
Clowns Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
Clowns are often depicted as always smiling the person behind the makeup is not always like that. So taking that idea and putting it into the laugh now cry later tattoo where the masks are replaced by a happy and a sad clown instead! You can also decorate the tattoo with cards because the Joker card is in a deck.
- Places to get: chest, shoulder, back
Rose Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
Probably the closest thing in nature that the laugh now cry later tattoo can be associated with is the rose. The rose has a beautiful flower on top but the thorns on its side can depict the harshness of life. Now include the mask where the rose stems are going through the masks creating a connection and you have a great tattoo design! For this tattoo, I would say mixing tattoo styles is very effective where the masks are in blackwork and the rose is more of a traditional one!
- Places to get: forearms, hips, biceps
Separated Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
Most of the time the laugh now cry later tattoo is depicted together. But what if you could incorporate a design that keeps them separated but can be placed together? Since the masks are independent designs, I think having the designs on opposite sides of the body which can come together is a great way to design the tattoo! And the best place to get this is being the back of your hands so you can bring the two masks together.
- Places to get: back of the hands
Simple Drama Masks Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
If you want a simple design for your laugh now cry later tattoo, then the drama masks as they are depicted from the ancient theatres is the way to. You can even add the quote along with the appropriate masks to add a depth of layer to the tattoo.
- Places to get: anywhere
Cost of Laugh Now Cry Later Tattoo
The laugh now cry later tattoo is dependent on many different aspects. The tattoo artist’s experience and the rates of the shop can determine how expensive it might be even before you take into account the design and size of the tattoo itself!
You can expect the tattoo to be anywhere around $150 to $600 depending on the size and style of the tattoo. Blackwork tattoos would cost less than a colored design but a full blackout design would be expensive on its own. The longer the tattoo artist needs would also influence the price.
It is hard to determine the price of the tattoo because of so many variables involved. That is why it is important to consult the tattoo artist before you get to the tattooing part so you know exactly what you are getting into and what the cost might be.
FAQs
Which celebrities have a laugh now cry later tattoo?
Celebrities like Harry Styles and Tom Hardy have this tattoo and Tupac had this tattoo on his back while he was still alive.
What do the Greek drama masks symbolize?
While it is not completely known, one theory is that the two masks depict the two goddesses of comedy and drama. Melpomene is the goddess of drama and depicts the tragedy (crying) mask while Thalia is the goddess of comedy depicting the comedy (laughing) mask.
Where did smile now cry later come from?
It was done by Freddy Negrete while he was serving in a juvenile detention facility. There, he came up with the smile now cry later tattoo design inspired by the Greek theatre and later took that design to his gang members San Gabriel’s La Sangra gang.
Final Thoughts
Laugh now cry later tattoos can be a great tattoo. Even if people view it as a negative symbol, it is because of the grim origins that it has over the end of the 20th century that really influences that notion. Nowadays the tattoo design is more personal and a reminder that it is okay to be in touch with your feelings. That is why I really like this tattoo since it can be so varied in meaning, especially with the different designs that you can do with it! So make sure you talk to your tattoo artist about the tattoo design so you can find out how long it would take and how much it cost to get a laugh now cry later tattoo design.
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