Miami Ink

Miami Ink is a reality show focusing on a Miami Tattoo parlor run by a group of Tattoo Artist who are friends. All of the tattoo artists on this show are highly skilled. With out a doubt, I would say this show blows A&E's "Inked" out of the water. "Inked" has way too much drama going on. I mean, I am tuning in for the ink and not for the drama. What do you expect when it's located in Vegas? Miami Ink is a great show which shows the running of a tattoo parlor and the interesting folks that finds their way in to get inked. This show does a much better job then the other one, on capturing the feeling of the customer and the process of the artist. Don't get me wrong they do have their drama on Miami Ink too, but its focus is where it really should be ... on the ink. Drama is good and all, but that's all "Inked" seems to have. I personally believe the tattooists from Miami ink are on a far higher level than the ones from H&H.

When it comes down to deciding what is the better tattoo show to watch, there is no decision, there is only one: Miami Ink.

Back when I was a teen and this series first came out, I really liked it. Up to that point I had only know tattoos to be these overly shaded blobs of uneven pigment that tended to turn a sort of unsavory green color. This series showed me, that tattoos can be nice and colorful, I wasn't yet fed up with the reality TV shtick either.

In hindsight the series isn't very good at all. For one, the quality of the tattoos is average at best. Excessive shading, weird linework and overall just unappealing motives. When it comes to oldschool style tattoos, they know what they are doing, and Kat can really make some nice portraits, but anything outside their scope is handled pretty poorly, and personally, I wouldn't be satisfied with 80% of what they present and thus I would personally never choose to get a tattoo from any of them. The series did however spark an interest in tattoos, and I did go on to figure out what I like and find artists more suited to my taste. That wouldn't be only reason why the series is not as good as I remember it.

The other reason is the already mentioned reality TV shtick, which I've grown tired of. The need to make every situation overly dramatic with unnecessary editing and music is just cringe. What is even more cringe is attempting to make every tattoo about a lifechanging story. Every customer had to "FIGHT" in life, be it school, work or any other pretty mundane situation. Let me tell you something. Tattoos don't actually need to mean anything beyond, you liking it at the time when you got it.

I did enjoy the series, when it came out and it did widen my horizons, it had aged poorly though and in retrospect is pretty cringy.

Miami ink is probably one of my favourite TV programmes, even if you don't like or have tattoos you can still appreciate the programme for what it shows and that is beautiful artwork on living, breathing canvas's who have beautiful stories behind their tattoos. the show also shows that people who have and get tattoos come from all walks of life and get them for many different reasons. Tattoos are beautiful pieces of art (i have many!) that people get for many reasons, Miami ink shows this and also shows that being a tattooist is a hugely talented and special job. i love this show also because it has the ability to change people minds about tattoos in general and the people who have them, i get enough stick from people about mine and that annoys me as they think that I've eternally scarred myself! Miami ink shows that there's always a story behind them!

Miami Ink is a rare show that challenges cultural stereotypes of tattoos and shows how talented the tattoo artists really are. Shot in a documentary/"reality" fashion with shop owner Ami James' narration, the show follows both patrons (who explain the deeper meaning behind their requested tattoo)and the artists who apply their exceptional talent on the skin of their clients. Unlike other tattoo shows (Inked), Miami Ink concentrates more on the tattoo as art rather than the artists interaction with one another.

Bottom line, even if you don't have tattoos, you'll enjoy the show because of the clients' thoughtful stories and the interesting dynamic of the four artists and their apprentice.