A somewhat bizarre story but it got me thinking about what other famous people with disabilities might be showing up in tattoos these days. I know from talking to my students that many people with no connection to disability or little people love "Little People, Big World." It is a great show, IMHO.ALLEGANY, N.Y. - Many television shows have devoted fans, people who know every storyline and detail of the characters' lives.
But few could compete with Chris Martin of Allegany.
Mr. Martin, 23, has a picture of Matt Roloff, scion of the family at the center of The Learning Channel reality TV series, "Little People, Big World," tattooed on his right shoulder blade.
"Little People, Big World" chronicles the lives of Matt and Amy Roloff and their four children, Molly, Zach, Jeremy and Jacob. Matt, Amy and Zach have dwarfism. Their other children are of average height. The show, in its third season, tracks how Matt, Amy and Zach adapt to life in a world sized for people 2 feet taller than they are.Mr. Martin said it makes for entertaining television.
He works at Duggan & Duggan General Contractor Inc. in Allegany. He said he and friends Kyle and Corey Duggan, sons of Duggan & Duggan founder Mel Duggan, hardly ever miss an episode of "Little People, Big World." The show airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on The Learning Channel.
Last year they were joking around, talking about how much they enjoy the show when one of the Duggan brothers, Mr. Martin can't remember which, said if he liked the show so much he should get a "Little People, Big World" tattoo. They bet Mr. Martin $100 he wouldn't get the tattoo. Mr. Martin said he'd accept as long as the Duggan brothers paid for the tattoo.
"I won the bet," Mr. Martin said. "They paid $300 for the tattoo and I got $100."And because of that tattoo, Duggan & Duggan will get some free publicity on national television.
Kyle Duggan took a picture of Mr. Martin's tattoo and sent it to the show. A few weeks later, Matt Roloff called Duggan & Duggan and invited Mr. Martin, the Duggan brothers and Kyle's wife, Katie, to his farm near Portland, Ore., to see where the show is filmed. (They are pictured above visiting the Roloff farm).
"They all treated us very nice," Kyle said. "They're just like any other family."
As a thank-you gesture for the invitation, the Duggan brothers sent a care package of Duggan & Duggan T-shirts, ball caps and sweatshirts to the Roloffs before heading to the West Coast themselves. Kyle said they didn't ask the Roloffs to wear the Duggan & Duggan gear on TV, they were just gifts. But Zach Roloff did wear a Duggan & Duggan sweatshirt during filming of the show and the episode will air Monday.
Kyle said he found out by chance."My wife and I were watching the show Monday, because we always get a charge out of it," he said. "At the end of the show they played previews for next week and Zach was wearing one of our sweatshirts."
Mr. Martin said it was fun meeting Mr. Roloff and having a chance to show him the tattoo.
"Matt thought the tattoo is really, really cool." Mr. Martin said.He remembers the moment Mr. Roloff saw the tattoo."He said, 'This is just the most
outrageous damn thing I've ever seen,'" Mr. Martin said.
He said reactions have been mixed among other people.
"My mom thinks I'm crazy," he said. "But my dad got a kick out of it."
The tattoo was created by tattoo artist Mike Buckley of The Underground in Olean.
"He did a fantastic job. He's great with portraits," Mr. Martin said.
Mr. Martin said the tattoo's unique story is one of the reasons he decided to get it.
"I just thought you couldn't pick a more vague TV character to get a tattoo of," he said. "I think sometimes about what it's going to be like when I'm a dad or a grandpa and I have to explain what this tattoo is all about."