Scribbling on skin

Tattoos are everywhere - on bodies and in society. 

Around a third of Aussies have at least one tattoo. This jumps to around 42% for millennials, proving once again they are the generation with the best taste/the greatest need for external validation. 

Tattoos are also a useful indicator of culture. In Korea, for example, tattoos have gone from being associated with organised crime to being legal to be given by non-medical professionals after a 30 year ban.

For many, they’re also a way of expressing their individuality or belonging to a group. 

Zoomers are demonstrating their superfandom, with 12% of them getting a tattoo to connect with their favourite artist. Brisbane Lions podcast, The Roar Deal, has a ‘first tattoo club’ to encourage fans to brand themselves with the AFL champions. One man fighting what is surely a losing battle to have the magpie crowned as bird of the year got a tattoo of the vicious little swooper on his arm.

These examples aren’t just about the art that eventuates, they’re about the experience of being inked. Which is why two recent pieces of news are so disheartening.

First, people are increasingly getting tattoos under anesthetic, removing the (minor, come on) pain but also the entire escapade.  

Next, Austin-based startup Blackdot has developed an AI-powered tattoo device that can deliver perfect designs. It is apparently “a tool, not a replacement”. But you know the famous saying, if it buzzes like a duck and permanently alters your skin like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Or something.

Getting tattooed should only be forgotten if you’re too drunk to remember, and should only be perfect because of what it means. Stop ruining it.