How do you feel about tattoo blogs?

[Delicious]

Actually, I truly believe she was on a rant, because people kept sending in pictures of their shitty tattoos, with common motifs, she cried, Racism! and here's why.

personally, I cant stand that type of thinking, but I think that my righteous indignation at what she said, mentioning her here, is just feeding into the attention she craves. And, she doesn't know shit about tattoos, excluding the basics...

So lesson here is, if we feed the troll, other people will feed into her too

[ShawnPorter]

The only tattoo blog I am interested in is Shawn Porter's Occult Vibrations:

Occult Vibrations

Aww. Shucks. I just do it to get laid. And to hopefully eventually sell out.

Sorry about the lack of new videos. I need a new laptop :(

[Shaun1105]

Actually, I truly believe she was on a rant, because people kept sending in pictures of their shitty tattoos, with common motifs, she cried, Racism! and here's why.

personally, I cant stand that type of thinking, but I think that my righteous indignation at what she said, mentioning her here, is just feeding into the attention she craves. And, she doesn't know shit about tattoos, excluding the basics...

So lesson here is, if we feed the troll, other people will feed into her too

So I guess it's time for me to leap halfheartedly to the defense of critink. In the interest of full disclosure, I was and am a follower of her tumblr, I've probably read most of it.

I do not agree with her assessment of what makes an image 'racist' or 'appropriative' if that's even a word.

She doesn't really appreciate traditional tattoos, what she likes is much more realistic/modern and her critiques reflect that. I don't know why she doesn't get the concept of flash being awesome, and I've even had a conversation with her about that actually.

I just think the characterization of her as 'not knowing shit about tattoos' or similar sentiments is kind of off base. She certainly knows a ton more about tattoos that the average internet user who's out there getting terrible tattoos. She has a bunch of work (sleeve, at least) by Elize Nazelie (Boston, I think) whose work I could take or leave, and also by Mike Moses, whose work I quite like.

Does she know as much about tattoos as a tattooer would? No. Does she even know as much as the average member of a site like ours? Likely not. But I think she does love tattoos and she runs her blog to try and help other people get the best one they possibly can. Sure, she goes on rants and has views that we don't agree with - probably true of everyone here at one time or another.

Overall she wants to help people make better choices when it comes to being tattooed. I'm sure she's helped people avoid a shit tattoo even as another (better) critique blog, Dermagraphique, did for me when I first started getting interested in tattoos early last year.

Seems like a good thing to me. As noted earlier, all can feel free to support her or not as you feel is best :)

[DJDeepFried]

While we're defending critink (wait -- are we?) I do think her rant on whether or not Indian/Native American tattoos are racist makes a valid point. Not one that I necessarily agree with, but I have to say that if the ethnic group in question -- that being Native Americans -- are offended then maybe there's something to it. @TrixieFaux & I have been talking about this recently -- particularly in the wake of the Atlanta Braves debacle: MLB Teams Are Getting New Batting Practice Hats. Some Of Them Are Neat. One Of Them Features A Screaming Indian and the No Doubt thing: No Doubt's Native American video: why it wasn't looking hot | Music | The Guardian. Just saying that it's not quite fair to dismiss her views as "retarded" as there a lot of people who feel the same way.

[Delicious]

I can understand where you are coming from, but her righteous indignation comes from being a third party observer, not actually being effected by the perceived racism. it would be a valid point if it were coming from actual native american person, who was upset by the fetishization of their women, the appropriation of their culture... But instead it comes from a person who argues against appropriation of other people's cultures yet appropriates their anger and disgust.

For what reason should she be offended?

[TrixieFaux]

I can understand being offended for a group of people that doesn't include you. For example when someone goes on an anti-gay rant, I am offended without being gay myself. We are all human, so we can sympathize. I also think a lot of people are just very easily offended these days. When something is beautiful (like a Native American lady head tattoo) it doesn't offend me.

I think some images depicting Native Americans are more offensive than others, like this:

[Colored Guy]

i find the whole blog disturbing.

I see a blog like someone puking on the sidewalk.. and inviting people over to see the bits of corn and badly-chewed food in it.

Rob

[Delicious]

I can understand being offended for a group of people that doesn't include you. For example when someone goes on an anti-gay rant, I am offended without being gay myself. We are all human, so we can sympathize. I also think a lot of people are just very easily offended these days. When something is beautiful (like a Native American lady head tattoo) it doesn't offend me.

I think some images depicting Native Americans are more offensive than others, like this:

I feel bad when I hear racism, bigotry, gay slander, etc... and it makes me angry.

But to be angry about unintentional, unmeant "racism", which certainly is up to the individuals impacted to judge, seems a bit of a stretch of empathy. It veers on pretentiousness. People just get too sensitive

[Graeme]

I think the problem with blogs is even if you don't have to have any credentials and you can just act like an authority on a subject you know nothing about.

This. In bold.

[TrixieFaux]

I feel bad when I hear racism, bigotry, gay slander, etc... and it makes me angry.

But to be angry about unintentional, unmeant "racism", which certainly is up to the individuals impacted to judge, seems a bit of a stretch of empathy. It veers on pretentiousness. People just get too sensitive

I agree.

[MadeIndelible]

Ron Wells has one of the more interesting blogs on the internet.

laughinghyena.wordpress.com

[else]

Ron Wells has one of the more interesting blogs on the internet.

laughinghyena.wordpress.com

A while back, when the compulsion to get my legs tattooed became impossible to ignore anymore, his was one of the first tattoo blogs I came across. I was so impressed with what I saw there that it made me re-think everything I had believed about what a tattoo was. I knew I wanted tattoos as good as what he was doing... and so I started googling stuff like "how to get a really good tattoo" and ended up here. His work completely changed my impression of what is even possible with tattooing.

I owe him a beer probably! Who knows what kind of work I'd be getting if I hadn't found him and thus found you guys. I might've ended up with a marilyn monroe blow-up doll or something!

[DJDeepFried]

There's this too: According to Victoria’s Secret, There is No November | The Interrobang

[Hogrider]

I agree.

Agree and underline :-)