Disgruntled Letters,

Yesterday, my friend and tattoo lady Liz brought an link to my attention (via Tha 'Book). It was a link to a Newspaper piece written by an insufferable douche named Paul Carpenter. In the peice he equates having tattoos with being a Prostitute,Lowlife,etc, blames tattoo for the downfall of society and even takes quick jabs at MMA Fighting, People of the South Pacific, and Street Art (I'd hate to hear what he thinks of Jackson Pollcock).

You can find the article here.

So, Not having written a genuine disgruntled letter in a while, I e-mailed Mr. Carpenter with the following letter:

Dear Paul,

I was recently forwarded what I can only describe as a cantankerous rant you were credited with writing. I can't in good conscience use any terms that would be associated with proper journalism, such as "article" or "editorial", as it's clear to anyone that you have about all of the journalistic integrity of Fox News (which is a shorthand for "none at all").

Never have I read a piece that was so ignorant and out of touch. I mean no disrespect by calling attention to your old age, but it really shines through here. Despite seeming generally uninterested in the history of tattooing, and completely clueless towards peoples motivations, (desperately and bewilderingly grasping at straws like Mike Tyson and MMA fights) You saw fit to write about them anyway. For someone writing a piece for a newspaper about tattoo culture, wouldn't it go without saying that your job might require you to know, or atleast find out anything at all about the subject in which you're writing?

You also seem to think that clearly defined words of the english language are subject to your own opinion. They are not. An artist is an artist no matter what the medium. Just because you don't like or approve of it, doesn't make it not art. This argument is not surprising; the old generation has historically been stubbornly resistant to change. It wasn't so long ago they would argue Rock N Roll wasn't music.
But they were wrong, and so are you.

If only the criteria for "Journalist" as open as "Artist", then you might actually be one.

As for your appalling generalizations equating the tattooed to "lowlifes": Sir, it's really easy to lump large cross sections of individuals together to put them down collectively. Thats why so many uneducated people carry on such unfounded prejudices. Racists, Homophobes, Sexists, Ageists and even the Klu Klux Klan members you seem so concerned about today's youth emulating, all share the same kind of bigoted beliefs regarding certain groups of people as you do.

By the way, I noticed you have a mustache. So using your own logic, does this mean you are emulating 1970's porn stars, 19th century bare knuckle pugilists or 1980s baseball pitchers? Does growing one put you in line with Joseph Stalin, Geraldo Rivera or Adolf Hitler?

To put it another way, it could be argued that based on track record, old, rich, white men are perhaps the most despicable members of our society and so vocally spewing hate-speech about such a large tattooed demographic will only act to re-enforce to anyone else content to judge so quickly, that you, yourself are in line with the filth of our society you seem so content to blindly lump others into.
What is it they say about Glass houses, Mr. Carpenter?

I find it ironic that in the same piece you criticize the media for ignoring particular virtues such as intelligence, insight or integrity, you (the media) don't display any of them.
It's close mindedness and bigotry thats the downfall of this society Mr. Carpenter, Not a few kids getting tattoos.

Good day.

I know, maybe a bit long. Maybe something like this would have done just as well:

Dear Paul,
Fuck you up your stupid asshole.
Good Day.

But, I decided to go with the former, rather than the latter. I'll post it here if I get any reply.
Fingers crossed!