Recent surge of tattoo shows/tattooed people on TV

[slayer9019]

I have been recently noticed something, that on TV tattoos seem to be everywhere. This might also due to the fact I never had cable TV for the last 5-6 years but it is kinda crazy to me. Aside from the obvious "Inks" shows and Inkmasters, there are a ton of moderate to heavily tattooed people on TV as of late. This is especially prevelant on the channels owned by Discovery Communications (TLC, etc). I just find it strange that a few years ago only the bad guys in movies had tattoos, now they have non-celebrity TV show hosts that have some decent coverage (even pentagram hand tattoos and head tattoos).

And yea TLC sucks with their tattoo school (which seems to be cancelled, thank god!), but just interesting all the same.

[Kev]

You don't think it's normal to see fully sleeved/ neck bombed chefs making cupcakes? Giant colorbombs of mixing bowls and whisks and stuff seems to be the norm on those cooking shows.

A bit O/T: My Dad was a chemical plant operator for over 25 years-real rough neck shit. He and hardly any of his friends had tattoos and if they did, they were smaller traditional stuff like roses, names, eagles,etc. None of them had giant cooling towers, various chemical compounds, or tools of their trade running up their sleeves. I am who I am, not what I do. I don't need to get tattoos of art supplies to prove I'm an artist. I do something novel, like create art ; )

[slayer9019]

You don't think it's normal to see fully sleeved/ neck bombed chefs making cupcakes? Giant colorbombs of mixing bowls and whisks and stuff seems to be the norm on those cooking shows.

A bit O/T: My Dad was a chemical plant operator for over 25 years-real rough neck shit. He and hardly any of his friends had tattoos and if they did, they were smaller traditional stuff like roses, names, eagles,etc. None of them had giant cooling towers, various chemical compounds, or tools of their trade running up their sleeves. I am who I am, not what I do. I don't need to get tattoos of art supplies to prove I'm an artist. I do something novel, like create art ; )

Haha if I had tattoos of what I do for work I would be covered in excel and word document tattoos....now that would be rediculous.

[Tim Burke]

Haha if I had tattoos of what I do for work I would be covered in excel and word document tattoos....now that would be rediculous.

bet someone does somewhere...

[MGblues]

Haha if I had tattoos of what I do for work I would be covered in excel and word document tattoos....now that would be rediculous.

I'd be covered in telephones, laptops, desktop computers, Cisco routers, and radios... Makes me shudder.

[slayer9019]

I'd be covered in telephones, laptops, desktop computers, Cisco routers, and radios... Makes me shudder.

Haha yea I would have been too if I tattooed according to my last role as a system admin.

Although I always wondered if there is such a thing as a good programmer tattoo...

[Kev]

Hmm-maybe an "Inkmasters" producer will pick this up as a 'challenge' for their show: "Today we're going to be pushing your design skills and creativity to the limit. Each of you will be responsible for creating a tattoo based on your client's line of work..."

[gougetheeyes]

It's cause you just got cable..

[slayer9019]

Hmm-maybe an "Inkmasters" producer will pick this up as a 'challenge' for their show: "Today we're going to be pushing your design skills and creativity to the limit. Each of you will be responsible for creating a tattoo based on your client's line of work..."

That could lead to some terrible or awesome tattoos

[RoryQ]

I'm afraid I'm invoking 'London Ink' here, but FWIW Louis Molloy did a butchers / meat themed half sleeve that turned out pretty clever, I thought.

Butcher's chop tattoo gets an airing - Ealing Gazette

Can't find a decent picture of it online though. A sort of meat angel with a giant pork chop and some butchering bits and pieces.

In a way isn't the tie between tattoo and profession kind of an uber-traditional thing i.e all those nautical designs and the original sailors who got them...

[David Flores]

Hmm-maybe an "Inkmasters" producer will pick this up as a 'challenge' for their show: "Today we're going to be pushing your design skills and creativity to the limit. Each of you will be responsible for creating a tattoo based on your client's line of work..."

I haven't heard much about this show except that Oliver is in it, but I would say if they want to make it realistic the first challenge they should do is have a client come in with a horrible idea. The tattooers job will be to talk the client out of it and make them get something better. Extra points if finished tattoo is a eagle, dagger, or jungle cat of some sort.

[Kev]

Seems like producers think those 'challenges' work best when they give people exactly what they want, then show the negative reaction shots. Most of my knowledge of this is from watching baking shows w/ my fiance' who does cakes in her spare time (no mixing bowl/ cupcake/ sprinkle sleeves for her...yet).

[David Flores]

Yeah me and my wife watch some of those shows, mostly savory cooking shows. I just wonder when is enough enough. How many times can they have a competition for Top Chef and still expect it to mean something. The only thing about a tattooing show is you actually have to convince the client of your idea before you execute it, which could make things a little more interesting.

[slayer9019]

Yeah me and my wife watch some of those shows, mostly savory cooking shows. I just wonder when is enough enough. How many times can they have a competition for Top Chef and still expect it to mean something. The only thing about a tattooing show is you actually have to convince the client of your idea before you execute it, which could make things a little more interesting.

I have a hunch that the people that are getting tattooed on TV have a desire for attention and will accept the idea in the end, of course this cannot be without some drama as well.