Cable has latched onto reality shows, but by cleverly disguising
them by
putting them on nerd channels such as A&E and The Learning
Channel (TLC),
somehow the trashy stigma is not as apparent as it is on, say,
"So You Think
You Can Dance? (By the Way, If You're On This Show, You Probably
Can't)"
(subtitle by Jamie Frevele). Oddly enough, these two "legit"
reality shows
center around an aspect of culture that some may consider questionable
- the
tattoo industry. Was it to let people know that it *is* a legitimate
industry (and it is)? Or is it just another freak reality show?
Judging by
the first episodes of both shows, "Inked" (A&E)
and "Miami Ink" (TLC), the
objective is definitely the former.
"Inked" follows the artists who run Hart & Huntington
Tattoo Company in the
Palms Casino Resort of Las Vegas. Well, one of them, since the
other signs
his rights over in the pilot. Now the owner is Carey Hart, also
known as the
future Mr. Pink, which is how I'll be referring to him from now
on. (For the
record, for anyone that concerned, Pink was not in the first or
second
episodes, which have already aired.) Mr. Pink gains full ownership
after
"divorcing" from John Huntington and the future of the
shop hangs in the
balance as the two duke it out in closed door meetings. Fortunately,
this
show is only half an hour long, so we are not held in suspense
for the full
hour. And taking into consideration that this was the first episode
of the
show, it was pretty obvious how this was going to turn out. During
those
meetings, we are introduced to Thomas Pendleton, who will be the
co-owner by
the end of this attention-span-friendly episode. He has an adorable
look-alike son named Lucky, and that relationship injects a steady
stream of
pathos to the show. Yes, pathos, business ethics, dippy 21st-birthday
girls
and the nervous apprentices who love them, are all in a day's
work at Hart &
Huntington Tattoo Company.
"Miami Ink" is a bit more laid back and more premised
on a tattoo shop (the
titular Miami Ink - I've been dying to use that word in a sentence)
at its
very beginnings: the opening, the first clients, the first dollar
earned,
and the ugliest sign found at the last minute. Aside from the
awkward,
amateurish narration by Ami James (whose only fault in this is
being a
supremely talented tattoo, and not voiceover, artist), "Miami
Ink" shows the
lighter side of working in a tattoo parlor. The business aspect
is there,
but more focus is placed on the artists and their clients, which
I,
personally, found more entertaining since there is always a story
behind a
tattoo. "Inked" had some of that, and it may show more,
but it definitely
focused mainly on the shop as a business and less on its clientele.
"Miami"
does give its fair share of screen time to its artists, and that's
definitely okay for its audience since, fortunately, these guys
are not
assholes. In fact, if "Miami Ink" has done anything
for this viewer, it's
reminded me how much I love going to tattoo parlors, not just
for new ink,
but for the easygoing nature of the artists.
As a "tattooed lady," both these shows have a special
place in my heart,
but "Miami Ink" reminds me how that special place came
to exist. "Inked" may
be set in the splashy, flashy Las Vegas and you might see Pink,
but Miami
Ink is just starting to find its footing, and both the show and
the shop
should be able to find followings in due time.
In the meantime, let me take the next couple of lines to tout
my favorite
tattoo parlors on Long Island before I give one of them more business
this
fall:
Flaming Lotus Tattoo in Sayville, NY
http://www.lotustattoo.com
I have gotten most of my work done here, by Aja, Civ, and Jay.
Very
friendly place, nice atmosphere, and easy to find. Good script
and cover-up
work, and easy to work with. Honest and talented, definitely.
291 W. Main Street
Sayville, NY
631-244-8288
Cort's Royal Ink in Patchogue, NY
http://www.cortsroyalink.com
I wussed out of getting my latest piece here, but just for that,
I'll be
going back because I liked the artists so much. Every place is
different,
but I have yet to find assholes at any of them. Same laid-back
atmosphere as
Lotus, and really nice guys. (Girls too, but I didn't get to talk
to any.)
500 Rte. 112
Patchogue, NY
631-447-1123
Cliff's Tattoo in Patchogue, NY
http://www.cliffstattooli.com/locations_patchogue_tattoo.asp
A very good place for small pieces; they did three of mine. A
little hard
to find parking, but not impossible if you're creative. Cheryl
is the most
popular artist there, and she did one floral piece on me; Nick
did the two
other ones, and he looked to be about five years old but was a
wizard with
colors.
288 E. Main Street
Patchogue, NY
631-447-2253
