the buzz log

Are tattoos private?

The obvious answer is: Depends on where you ink them. In-your-face skin art tends to be on one's face, neck, or arms. Fashionable marks show up on the ankle, and peekaboo tats get lower-back placement. Anywhere else, well, only bikini season can tell.

But with so many celebrities baring their latest ink art to anyone who'll ogle, tattoos don't seem like a hidden message ... unless you're Brad Pitt, abashed by an inquisitive Oprah Winfrey fan. His refusal to answer what tattoos he had where during an "Oprah" episode has inadvertently launched a Search probe for "brad pitt tattoos."

Even though the show aired Nov. 19, people are still trying to uncover his alleged skin modifications of "otzi the iceman" and a quote from the late journalist Daniel Pearl, who inspired the movie "A Mighty Heart," starring Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie.

So far, no mainstream source verifies the Pearl quote, but reports of Pitt's tattoo of 5,000-year-old mummy Otzi, who bore at least 57 tattoos, are more than a year old (and had inspired comedian Stephen Colbert to accuse Pitt of being involved in Otzi's demise). The latest Web reaction to Pitt's bashfulness about baring his "personal and special" tattoos has been either flabbergasted or charmed (as well as the usual "who cares"). With more people getting skin modification these days and reality shows on the whole business, tats have sort of lost the exotic tribalism or counter-cultural edge of days past.

Plus, of course, Jolie is notorious for using her body as a canvas, as searchers knew back in 2006. In fact, she still ranks among the top 5 most-searched celebrities inked in the past 7 days. (Oh, Pitt would be no. 6.)

Most-Searched Celeb Ink

1. Megan Fox Tattoo
2. Angelina Jolie Tattoo
3. Scarlett Johansson Tattoo
4. Rihanna Tattoo
5. Heidi Klum Jolie Tattoo

Incidentally, since the holidays are nigh upon us, if all this inspires you to give the gift that keeps on giving, consult the below list for tattoo design searches that have jumped in popularity. And if you don't want to commit, consider the faux tattoo sleeve, which has perked up 7% in the past 7 days. No fuss, no muss. 

Fastest Moving Tattoo Design Searches

1. Celtic Tattoo (off the charts)
2. Wings Tattoo (+90%)
3. Tribal Tattoo Designs (+16%)
4. Heart Tattoo (+3%)
5. Cherry Blossom Tattoo (+1%)