NEW YORK – Oxygen Media has recently given the greenlight to a new reality TV competition series, tentatively called Best Ink.

Best Ink will feature 12 tattoo artists as they compete for a cash prize by tattooing and then being judged by a panel. The series will also watch the artists back at home as they fight to stay in the competition each week while the stakes get higher and the challenges become more difficult.

Amy Introcaso-Davis, the senior VP of original programming and development at Oxygen Media, said, “Many of our viewers choose to express themselves through the ever-growing phenomenon of body art. We hope to capture the best and brightest tattoo artists and celebrate this unique art form.”

I am genuinely excited to see how this show will pan out. I am not a real big fan of reality TV pertaining to tattooing, however, I will give this show a chance because it seems it’s a competition of sorts. The last thing the industry needs now is another egotistical artist with a little dog giving us all a bad name on national TV or a show with a bunch of hack artists competing in kitchen wizardry.

I feel defensive of tattooing as of late, as should you. It’s something I’ve held near and dear to my heart as being sacred and shouldn’t be invaded by outsiders. However, only time will tell if this show will be yet another blight on American tattoo history.