Raw video: Interview with Buddy Wheeler of Tattoo Charlie's

WHAS11 coverage

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VIDEO: Kentuckiana Ink

Once seen as a rebellious statement, tattoos now embraced as fashion accessories or personal tributes

(WHAS11) - Dennis Rodman may have been among the first athletes to sport tattoos and really put them on display.

Now, it's probably more the norm, at least on the basketball court, and not just sports stars, but Hollywood stars, like Angelina Jolie.

More and more people are getting inked; maybe even people you wouldn't suspect.

Songs are written about them, TV shows are centered around them. Tattoos aren't just for bikers any more.

Tamara Ikenberg writes about pop culture for the Courier Journal, she says tattoos aren't so much about rebellion these days, but expression.

On the basketball court, it's a slam dunk you'll see tattoos. Take the Cardinals, take Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith, two players, two chests, two tributes to their mothers.

Buddy Wheeler, whose dad started Tattoo Charlie's in Louisville, says tattoos are more mainstream now.

“It’s more mainstream because of celebrities and sports stars, some of whom got them in the 80's,”

He says Dennis Rodman was among the first to get inked and not hide it.

Now it's commonplace to see stars with tattoos, like Angelina Jolie or the girl next door type, Kelly Ripa.

So just how mainstream are tattoos?  Rachel decided to ask the people she knows best, the WHAS11 staff.

She sent out an email asking if people would be willing share their tattoos.

Within minutes Rachel was flooded with emails. One young female co-worker ready to show her tattoo but not her face, not everyone in her family knows!

Others proudly displayed their artwork.

Numbers show about one in four people has a tattoo.

WHAS11 also talked with buddy wheeler from Tattoo Charlie’s on things you need to know before you get a tattoo like safety measures and words or signs they won't tattoo!!!

You can hear it all in the raw video with Buddy. Click here to watch interview with Buddy

And we want you to send in a photo of your tattoo so we can add it to our tattoo slideshow.

Click here to submit your tattoo photos

Click here to view others' tattoos