For Lou - who loves all things rainbowy

Tattoo Generation

Having breakfast in Yarraville yesterday, Moondoggie commented on the fact that 'everybody's got ink Mum'.  When I looked around I realised he was right.  All our waiters had fabulous artwork up their arms, and I'm sure elsewhere - all our friends who are in their 20's also have tattoos and I am sure that Moondoggie and Gidget assume that it is just what you do. 

Things have changed quite a lot recently - in the 80's they were rare amongst my friends and girls tended to get small discreet butterflies or flowers where few would ever see them.  Tatts tended to belong to bikers/surfers/skaters/or crims in the main.  I remember people commenting on Surfer Boy's ink when we started dating.  Now one shoulder blade pales in comparison to entire sleeves, torsos and multiple artworks. Tattoos seem to have hit the mainstream which begs the question - will they lose their appeal if worn by the masses? 

What has changed?  Or has it?  Is it the decade, Gen Y or merely the area I live in?