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Tattoo Wars

(Rated TV-PG, Reality TV, Starring Nicole Alvarez, Where to watch: TLC)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 13; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fairly tame reality show approaches inking as art.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The series approaches tattooing as an historic art form. It highlights the hours of hard work and practice that go into tattoo designs before they're inked onto skin. Both men and women are shown getting tattoos; the tattoo artists are primarily male and Caucasian.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A few featured tattoo artists talk about getting hit or "roughed up" as kids.

  • Sex:

    Men and women are inked on their backs, arms, chests, and thighs. Artistic renditions of female nudity (like a postmodern cubist rendition of a woman) are occasionally visible. These images aren't sexually explicit.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Shows various tattoo parlors and studios in the U.S. and Canada. Also shows various tattoo convention venues. Tattoo-themed magazines and related businesses sometimes visible.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Occasional alcohol consumption.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Tattoo Wars

Parents need to know that, while mild compared to many other reality shows, this series is very much pro-body art and frequently shows people who have tattoos covering their whole body and/or various body piercings. The risks of the tattooing process aren't really addressed; instead, the show looks at tattooing as an art form. Adult men and women are shown being inked on various body parts (including backs, chests, and thighs). Some of the tattoo designs incorporate nudity, but it's often stylized and never sexually explicit.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about tattoos. What are some of the reasons that people get tattoos? What are they trying to communicate with their body art? Are all tattooists really artists? What are parents' and kids' opinions on tattoos? If they differ, why? Do people's opinions about body art tend to change as they get older? Why? Why is getting a piece of body art a big decision? What are some of the health issues associated with getting them? What happens if you change your mind later?
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