If outlaw biker shows like "Sons of Anarchy" get you riled up about mass media's depiction of motorcycling, National Geographic's new reality series "Rescue Ink Unleashed" might produce the exact opposite result... and it might even make you scratch your head. "In 2007," a gravelly voiceover says at the show's opening, "eight New York tough guys realized they had something in common other than tattoos and motorcycles: They all hated animal abuse."
The show's "Dirty Dozen"-style protagonists are on a mission to prevent the mistreatment of animals, and their confrontational style makes all but the toughest of pet owners reconsider their misdeeds. I sampled the show's first two episodes, and found the characters' gruff exteriors and warm, fuzzy affection for critters to be totally counterintuitive. As for motorcycles, there's barely a bike in the show, since these dudes tend to execute their missions by car. But the show's message is clear: not all tough guys are thugs, and even hardcore bikers and 75 year-olds with face tattoos can have a soft spot for animals.
"Rescue Ink Unleashed" premieres Friday, September 25 at 10PM ET/PT on National Geographic. For more, check out http://www.natgeotv.com/rescueink.
Related:
- TV Review: "Sons of Anarchy"
- "Motorcycle Crash Tech" Documentary Dissects Spills
- "Twist the Throttle" Hits Discovery HD Theater
Photos © National Geographic
I’ll be interested to see this show. My wife has worked in animal welfare for 10 years (she’s at the ASPCA here in NYC) and the abuse she’s seen is unbelievable. From puppy mills, to hoarders, dog fighting, to Michael Vick – it’s horrendous. Anything to raise awareness is good.
Your wife will be upset because they dumped Mikey Tattoo from the show it was his show and his idea. They dropped him because he wanted it to be for real not made up chicken rescues. Look Mike up on IMDB he was on HBO’S Oz for 4 years.
I live in post falls, idaho and the abuse is bad for the cats here, I feed about 20 cats everyday. They come here starving and weak and leave fed. My husband and myself can’t stand seeing these cats abondand. No one cares and they just leave them out and it snows really bad here. I’ve taken in 5 of them but I can’t take in anymore, but I can feed them. How can people be so cruel, and my husband and myself ride bikes, power to the bikers, we have hearts.
Commenting about chicken rescues, I watched the show and I think that more people might get involved and help by just being inspired by some of the stories. I’m a female rider of 35 years and I look rough also, but I do and will go out of my way to help animals or humans in need.
These guys are thugs and some of them are career criminals. Every time they trespass on private property they should be put in jail.
As if it was Mikey Tattoo’s idea, he was just a hanger on that claimed he came up with it all. He’s nothing but a poser. Mikey Tattoo has been convicted of bestiality.