This summer, there are not one, but two reality shows built around tattoo shops. Andy, being a tattooed man, of course was interested, so we've watched both. Here are my thoughts:
Show 1: Inked on A&E
Show 2: Miami Ink on TLC
Location
Inked: Palms Casino, Las Vegas
Miami Ink: Miami, FL
Winner: Inked - I prefer Vegas to Miami any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Shop
Inked: Hart & Huntington, a swanky, modern-looking, red-walled shop
Miami Ink: bright, white-walled shop decorated with some art
Winner: Draw - H&H looks nice, but some of the shows centered on how dirty the shop was. Miami Ink's shop looks more like a traditional shop, but is clean, brand-new and seems well-run.
Focus
Inked: The artists and people who work on the shop
Miami Ink: The people getting the tattoos
Winner: Miami Ink by a long shot - the people in the shop in Inked are dysfunctional and whereas their personal problems might be interesting to some viewers, I rather see some actual tattoos and find out why people get them
Average Customer (featured on the show)
Inked: A guy wants something tattooed on his penis; random drunken gamblers/tourists
Miami Ink: A guy wants a tattoo of a turtle in memory of his cousin who drowned; a young mother wants to have a tattoo of a fairy redone in honor of her newfound sobriety
Winner: Miami Ink - the stories are compelling and touching. It's no wonder the producers chose to focus on the artists on Inked, because many of the customers are obnoxious jerks. Well, OK, it was sort of funny to see the guy who wanted something tattooed on his Johnson, but the manager and artists were so weirded out by him that it stopped being funny about a minute into segment.
Soundtrack/theme song
Inked: A pop-punk anthem to rebellion
Miami Ink: If I'm not mistaken, "Funky Kingston" by Toots and the Maytals
Winner: Miami Ink - no explanation needed
Favorite Artist/Character
Inked: Clark - a one-eyed, old-school artist who consoles the receptionist, Monica, during a rough time in her life
Miami Inked: Chris Nu�ez - the "hottie" artist who often does memorial tattoos, as he suffered his own tragedy at an early age
Winner: Tie - Clark is a more quirky and interesting character, but he gets little screen time. Chris is sympathetic person and does excellent work for his clients - he seems to really care about their pain
Schooling the Apprentice
Inked: Thomas makes Dizzle, the apprentice, tattoo a fruit; when Dizzle thinks he's going to do his first tattoo on a friend, Thomas instead brings in his old-school biker/former teacher, Rick Walters, who makes Dizzle tattoo himself
Miami Ink: Ami makes his apprentice, Yoji, wax his car
Winner: Inked - Ami may be a better teacher for all I know, but Dizzle's first tattoo makes for better TV
Relationships
Inked: Thomas's breakup with Monica is messy and ends with her quitting her job
Miami Ink: Yoji marries his pregnant girlfriend on the beach
Winner: Miami Ink - the ceremony was beautiful and it is refreshing to see people actually like each other on TV
Leader
Inked: Thomas
Miami Ink: Ami
Winner: Miami Ink - Thomas comes off as an insecure asshole; Ami, even when he's being a jerk, still seems to care about the people around him.
Hot Girl Moment
Inked: a drunken gambler passes out while getting a tattoo on her back
Miami Ink: Ami draws fake tattoos on a model for a photoshoot
Winner: Miami Ink - please.
Totals
Inked - 2
Miami Ink - 6
Draw - 2
Miami Ink is the clear winner. It's the better show, though I'm not sure how much coverage it's getting, both from the press, ads and the network, and I fear it might not last. Inked may have style, but Miami Ink has more substance.
For more info:
Inked: http://www.aetv.com/inked/crew.jsp
Miami Ink: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/miami-ink/intro.html
