"The New American Pin-up: Tattooed & Pierced" longs to be provocative and stimulating in both a cerebral and visual manner. I'm well aware that this review will not be a popular one, as it is not particularly favorable. In the book's defense, its heart is in the right place; it attempts to show that the female subjects are indeed powerful, self-assured and confident, traits which can easily scare off the more timid members of the opposite sex. It's therefore regrettable that so much potential is left on the proverbial cutting-room floor as this book serves neither as outright inspiration nor motivation for the fairer sex. There are moments in the book where the photographer and models work beautifully in tandem, daring to tease you, daring to entice you with the serene yet powerful confidence of a beautiful woman who isn't afraid to show off a naughtier side. So where does the book fall short? It only proceeds to tease and entice. The creators don't use the full potential of the book's concept. Put more directly, they just don't go there. Though the casual observer may see a convincing doppelganger for a collection of Suicide Girls, one would believe that Missy Suicide wouldn't be sufficiently satisfied with such an assembly of photographs.
It should be stated for those unfamiliar with this type of book that this collection isn't your standard assembly of hot chicks with blonde hair, D cups and tanning salon bodies. Many of the girls featured do not typify your standard look of MTV-style beauty. Rather, the visual significance is found in the artistic nature of each woman's body. Having said that though, there are collections available which better exemplify this style of artistic beauty. While the book implores you to take notice with its flamboyant takes on self-assured beauty, sadly the predominant emotion elicited is tedium.