Blame the Tahitians

Last week, I was reading about the effect of Tahiti on the European sexual imagination, and Joseph Banks and his tattoo did get a mention in passing.  Well, it seems from another book (Maritime History and Identity:  The Sea and Culture in the Modern World) that we can blame the current scourge of Western civilisation (tattoos, of course) on the same period in history:

I should add though:  I don't really have an issue with an actual islander person (especially a male) having an authentic islander design on their body, if it is a genuine reflection of connection to a culture that is many centuries old.  (I draw the line at face tattoos, though.)   My biggest problem is, of course, with the garish Western rubbish of skulls, flags, dogs, girlfriend/boyfriends names, slogans, unicorns, fairies and flowers that comprises modern tattooing.