LA Ink?

I’ve spent the whole fourth season, so far, wondering what happened to LA Ink.

I am a big, big fan of watching artists do what they do, or shall I say watching a cinematic approximation of what they do.

Documentaries first and I’m all in favor of reality TV that is NOT about tacky, bitchy drama between strangers forced to compete with one another.

Unfortunately, what LA Ink has become is the cheapest of set up melodramas. How did this happen? Who is pulling the strings? What new TV executive need to be fired for slaughtering their pet pig?

As an artist, LA Ink was very entertaining and I miss it.

The stories behind the individual tattoos are still good. It’s always interesting to hear a personal tale. Watching the women work their tattoo arts was inspiring. But now Hannah Atchison and Kim Saigh are gone.

Kat Von D’s outrageous rocker fashion sense and self-presentation as art still amuses. Her boots are great. She can wear more makeup than any child alive. I marvel at how she still has her sight after all the glitter eye shadow she’s worn. Don’t get me wrong I think you all know I love glitter! I am a glitter queen. I can wear only the smallest amount of glitter eyeliner, and I do, but it must be far from my actual eyeballs or it fall right in, or I rub it in accidentally.

I consider Kat a true artist. She’s a Pisces and made for the job. I understand that even though she is “the Boss” she is watery and isn’t always able to run the tightest of ships when that ship veers off course. But how did it get this far?

Even the talented Cory Miller, Kat’s “rock,” has lost his patience with life in the shop.  or that is what we are being shown. His formerly admirable ability to flow with the feminine psyches around him seems to have vanished with the arrival of Aubry.

Who is Aubry and how did she become part of the gang?

It seems she was chosen to fill the role of the hapless,  immature, central-casting fuck-up wanna be.

I do not believe the story presented to viewers early in the season that Kat’s well meaning brother hired Aubry in Kat’s absence because the shop so desperately needed help.

I know Kat is busy and distracted dealing with a very full plate — fame, romance, multiple artistic and commercial opportunities. She’s very busy building the Kat von D empire, but isn’t she capable of hiring the people she wants and needs and why would she allow herself to be portrayed as incapable when she really means to take control?

I’ve tried to imagine scenarios for how the wheels came off the LA Ink train. The absence of Atchison and Saigh has left a big hole. I loved LA Ink’s women, Pixie, too.

Is it fair to assume that she was another victim of confused managment skills?

Kat and Cory seem to need familiar temperaments in the house. It was a tight knit group, yes, with some problems, but it worked for a while. Kat seems to hire friends and acquaintances. People she assumes she can trust. Why did she not hire more top caliber artists to fill the gap.  I assume the shop and the TV show that has stoked it’s success are priorities for her.

Anyone who has checked out High Voltage Tattoo online can see that there are many people working at the shop. There are eleven artists listed including Kat. One is a Brazilian guest artist, Camila Rocha. She is the only other female.

Did all these artists decline an invitation to work on camera thereby forcing the show to invent drama with outsiders? Is this whole Aubry, Amy, Paulie, thing a self-protective thing for the artists at High Voltage, including Kat and Cory?

Like, “Let the reality TV girl take all the heat this season so we can work.”

Did the ratings require this huge manipulation? Aren’t there enough of us who really dig the art and want to see tattoo artists do their thing to satisfy the advertisers?

I feel ripped off and I want to know who is responsible for that sour feeling.

Anybody have  any ideas?