Reality Exploits - Reality TV

Miami Ink Searches for a New Artist

by Lynn on June 23rd, 2007

I have to admit to being a latecomer to the show Miami Ink. I had only ever watched an episode or two here and there since it’s been on, and never really gave it much thought. After all, I have no tattoos of my own. That’s not a judgement, it’s just nothing I ever really thought about before.

And then, my good friend, Cindy told me that I should give it another look. She’s in the same age bracket as me (notice that I’m not divulging which bracket that is…), doesn’t have any tattoos and she isn’t even as much of a reality TV addict as I am. I was completely surprised that she likes the show! I knew that I needed to give it another chance.

So I tuned into the episode on TLC this week where the team of artists started their hunt for a new artist to fill the void left by Kat Von D last season. And I was surprised that I do like the show. Here’s what happened in this week’s episode:

First, the show’s lead person, Ami James, talked to his partners about how to handle the need for a new artist. After all, a shop of this calibre can’t just hire any old tattoo artist. They have a reputation for the absolute top quality work and need to hire accordingly. They decided to bring in visiting artists to work in the shop each week until they find the one that will be a perfect permanent replacement.

And then there are the interesting and completely diverse clients that come into the shop. I knew that tattoos were far more mainstream these days than ever before, but had never really paid that much attention before. Yes, folks, tattoos are not just for bikers and military guys any more! Here are some examples of the cool group of people we got to see this week:

Nancy, a bikini designer and model wanted two Chinese symbols on her inner wrists to symbolize Strength and Courage. She came in wearing one of her own designs and Chris had a tough time concentrating on the tattoo process, because he was so distracted by her. The tattoos ended up looking very cool and sophisticated. Simple, but well done.

Annie, the crossing guard, a woman in her 80s came in requesting that Ami do a tat for her. She had given it a lot of thought and decided with the hurricanes and storms in South Florida, it might be smart to have a way to identify her if a tragedy happened. She chose a simple capital letter “A” with highlights in red & yellow for her shoulder.

She and Ami got into a fun discussion of what it takes to live long and be healthy and she told Ami that he lost his hair because he eats too much meat! Ami loved her and did the tat for her for free! She and Ami seemed to really connect and she said that she would love to adopt him. What a cool lady!

Then the team met with a prospective artist, Tasi Lyn, who showed them her portfolio and told them that she likes to do dark, scary images. But then on her first day, she showed up an hour late. Ami wasn’t happy about it. They liked her work during the week, but decided to continue to look for a new artist.

Encina, a “vampiress” wanted the back view of a female vampire with metal spikes coming from her skin and wings put on her thigh. The wings would have covered everything important, so they left them off. She was a fascinating person too because she actually has fake fangs, sharpened fingernails and implants to look like she had been bitten by a vampire.

Chris Garver did the tattoo and was worried at first, but then she passed the three vampire tests: she came to the shop during the daytime, she saw her reflection in the mirror and she wasn’t afraid of the garlic he had eaten on his sandwich. He concluded that she wasn’t dangerous. ;-)

Then another client, Corey, the student wanted a zombie scene on his arm. That seemed like it was just perfect for Tasi to do. She wasn’t used to the fast pace of the shop, so Ami helped with the design. Corey wanted that design because his mother and grandmother were both fans of horror films too and he got it to remind him of good times with both of them. So it was actually a sentimental tattoo. (That’s so interesting!)

Ellen, casting assistant, wanted a tat of her late horse, Thunder put on her calf. She had lost him a couple of years before and the tattoo was a way to keep him with her. Darren Brass gave her a portrait of the horse that really seemed to please her. She had told him a very sad story of how the horse had died.

Tasi told the guys that shw was going to go play tennis and Ami said that exercise never happens there because they are not the sporty types. LOL

Steven, a bread distributor, who had just become an American citizen, wanted to commemorate the event. He told Ami to do whatever he wanted for it. Ami created a gypsy head for good luck and various related symbols to put on Steven’s arm. Steven was happy with it and even asked for him to extend it farther down his arm.

Ami & Yoji (Ami’s assistant) got to play tennis against Tasi and Chris Nuñez. It was very funny! None of them knew how to play and it was like watching a comedy show.

I learned a few things by watching the show this week. Mostly, I was impressed by the fact that people get tattoos for emotional reasons. I had always imagined that they got them for decorative reasons only. They get them to commemorate an event, to memorialize lost loved ones and to use as symbols of their own personalities. Unbelievably, I actually gave a moment of thought to what I would want to have tattooed on myself if I ever did it. Just a moment, but that’s something I have never thought about before.

I’d say that this is a very good reality show and in my opinion. What makes a reality show good is that it helps us learn about each other or see people grow, even in a small way. If you’ve never watched the show, you might want to tune in and try it once. You might find, like I did, that you enjoy it too!

I now have it set as a “season pass” on my trusty TiVo. (Hey, for a gal that watches as much reality TV as I do, that’s a big honor!) ;-)

Reality TV, TV, Television, Miami Ink, Ami James, Chris Nunez, Chris Garver, Darren Brass, Kat Von D, Tasi Lyn

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POSTED IN: Miami Ink, Reality Thoughts, Series Reviews