She got FIRED from her Tattoo Apprenticeship | Tiktok's Blueberry Apprentice

[@broadinthedaylight]

If it was something wrong she did, I’d prefer to not have that made public because she is a student, she is learning, and that may hurt her advancement as a tattoo artist and apprentice. If she wants to give an explanation for why she was fired, that’s her prerogative. I don’t think it’s fair to want him to expose her and her wrongdoings.

[@kowrtuy2996]

Then she shouldn’t have made it public, it’s pretty unfair because she knew what she did with the video

[@broadinthedaylight]

@@kowrtuy2996 again, that’s her prerogative. She made the videos, she can give the reason if she wants to. It’s not fair to expect HIM to air her dirty laundry, like he said so himself. Feels to me like she wanted the drama and backlash to fall back on the shop instead of herself, which is why she made the videos and portrayed herself as the victim, “woe is me!”

[@healgoth]

@@broadinthedaylight that opinion is unfounded, the first video didn’t say anything negative about the shop… I think it’s bad faith to ask her not to respond to hundreds/thousands of comments asking specifically about her apprenticeship at this one tattoo shop under this one person. She practically ran the shops social media presence, she was in almost all of the tiktoks and a lot of the shops followers would immediately notice her absence from the content… She could have moved on silently and never addressed her audience BUT her audience wouldn’t have moved on and the people in hate mobs who were going to attack the shop were going to do it anyways because there will never be enough reasoning for them they just want to hate, it’s not her fault because her answer wasn’t good enough for some online freaks obsessed with her after watching her from another page’s videos (they want her back on or something IDK & IDC, nothing she could’ve said would’ve stopped them from being malicious to her former employers… she didn’t direct any drama or hate she literally just answered a question that all of her audience were asking “where is she?””is she still in the industry?””what happened?””whose fault was it?””why did it happen?” she didn’t answer all of them and she was right not to!!! she would’ve made things even worse if she had been over the top and implied there would be a hate mob from her audience for all she knew she was about to get the hate directed from the much larger platform towards her budding account) TLDR; I literally just think you’re taking her videos in bad faith and not being realistic about the practical restraints in that situation from everyone’s perspective The guy could’ve chosen better words, seems like the things you’re accusing her of are because of him doing that exact thing IMHO

[@broadinthedaylight]

Refer back to my first comment, I don't want her to respond with why she got fired because people make mistakes and it will most likely hurt her career if she does make those mistakes public. And I really don't see how he could've chosen better words. He explained that she was fired for reasons she's aware of, it wasn't something he did for no reason, and it's not his place to publicly humiliate an apprentice for mistakes she made. He managed it in a professional way, behind closed doors. He's simply trying to get the internet mob off his back and explaining that she got fired for a reason and that's not his place to tell everyone. I don't think you're looking at this through a professional standpoint. @@healgoth

[@neoxochitl]

@@broadinthedaylight That is how I took it also, she could have just said, "hey I am looking for new opportunities and am not working at x anymore, please don't ask for specifics but we've grown or I think I need a better match for my style/personality" or something like that. When the tattoo artist said, he personally didnt want to say anything to give her a chance at a career, not verbatim, that was him saying she messed up to me. Her saying that she thought she was close to everyone there shows that whatever happened it seems they may have all dropped her but hey it could be they are scared to reach out and lose their job. I don't know but it has to suck to be so popular on Tiktok/IG and then lose the job you do your videos at. There is no way to escape the questions.

[@Rose_tinted_heart_eyes]

I mean if I got fired from a job, i would be embarrassed if my former boss went on tiktok and made a whole video explaining why, so I think Matt made the right decision there. If Jenna wants to share that information herself, of course she can, but no one gets fired for no reason. If she doesn’t want to talk about it, she doesn’t have to, and it wouldn’t be right for Matt to share either. Fans or not, personal matters are personal, and don’t have to be shared

[@pandap4ntz]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I do have to disagree with you that no one gets fired for no reason. It might not be common place, but I'm sure there's some folks who have been fired for no reason, or wrongly fired.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

If my former boss did that I would sue

[@healgoth]

Look up at will employment because I have to assume you literally don’t know that you can be fired for literally no reason… if you were fired as retaliation that’s different (and a crime) but they don’t even have to make up a bad excuse in a lot of states they can just not like your vibes one day and you get fired on the spot basically

[@nbucwa6621]

As someone who has worked in different industries, some technical, some service oriented, some front facing and some creative, people actually get fired for no reason all the time. An employer not having any kind of contract when taking on an employee is a huge red flag.

[@pandap4ntz]

@@nbucwa6621 I'm chuckling to myself b/c the job I've been at for the past 5yrs will literally not fire anyone, we've been having such a hard time finding reliable help after covid that the boss won't let anyone go. I mean, my coworkers are stealing, taking 5hr naps on the floor during an 8hr shift, completely ig ignoring most of their job duties, doing drugs openly, smoking weed in the building, it's outta control. Def one of the most chaotic places I've ever worked, but I work night shift by myself, so that's why I've managed to stay there for 5yrs. But I do kinda wish some of my coworkers would get the boot.

[@404JNF]

I loved Matt's response. The only person he owed an explanation to is Jenna. Whether or not she tells the world is her decision. Matt did the prudent and ethical thing by keeping things private and letting her decide what she wanted to share. Curiosity is one thing, but I think a lot of people were being pushy, demanding an explanation, and making assumptions. It's not for us to know if they don't want us to know, regardless of how public their apprenticeship was.

[@shalenmullane685]

I agree that he doesn't owe anyone but his apprentice an answer, although it would be nice to get an acknowledgement that people wanting to know is normal given how much they've posted together before explaining why an explanation isn't going to be given. "I understand why you're looking for an explanation since you've been so invested in this process with us, but I've let Jenna know the reason and I believe it's respectful to let her decide whether or not she wants to share it." I also think he should've avoided the use of words like "dirty laundry" if he wasn't going to give his reasons publicly. If you've mutually decided not to air out what happened for the public, or you've given the apprentice the option to share if she wants, it seems like describing it as "dirty laundry" undermines that. I get that he probably felt defensive if he was being attacked, but the relative neutrality of her original statement and her later statement telling people not to attack the shop's artists makes it clear she wasn't at fault for people attacking him. Ultimately people don't need to be perfect, and most people could improve the way we communicate at the best of times. I'm sure it becomes even more difficult under a spotlight. I just thought I'd share what about his statement rubbed me the wrong way despite agreeing with his overall point.

[@lilz]

I agree and disagree. I think he should have left it at I only owe an explanation to Jenna which I gave her. Matt saying that telling everyone would air out Jenna’s dirty laundry is in a way saying she did something very wrong which Celle touched on. Also calling her a failed student.

[@lilz]

@@shalenmullane685this ^. Your comment explained what I was thinking so much better

[@yuzu-tsuyu]

​@@shalenmullane685 Exactly. Personally I don't understand all the people praising him for his response when it felt more than a little passive-aggressive towards her. Even if he was frustrated with being hassled by internet randos, that's the name of the game when you're using a social media persona for advertising so you need to take a breath and maintain a bit of chill when addressing the actual subject matter. The "dirty laundry" and "failed student" comments felt rude to me and I would think pretty damaging to her future apprenticeship opportunities. But I guess what I find most off-putting is that someone as successful as him doesn't have contracts--like celle said, contracts with expectations and rules laid out *very* clearly is important for any apprenticeship/internship, but *especially* if social media labor is involved.

[@jabberdouche]

"Dirty laundry" isn't necessarily a negative statement. Theres probably a better term to use, but to think he was being mean or shitty is a bit heavy.

[@bugbug75]

Feels like a parasocial, infantilizing situation tbh. Shes a grown woman, not some child, she's fine haha.

[@susieq1279]

Yeah, I agree. The "protected at all costs" crap people say in situations like this is really weird and annoying.

[@kellylyons1038]

​@@susieq1279omg yes can we please stop saying "___ is a national treasure and needs to be protected at all costs" 🤢🤮 it's so gross, you have no idea what kind of person that is.

[@susieq1279]

@@kellylyons1038 exactly!!

[@alidelatierra]

Fr

[@IDoABitOfTrollin]

Parasocial yes. You are reaching about her style

[@kristineb6906]

As a tattooer- I treat my coworkers like coworkers, the family concept can become really unhealthy. And has been used in shops I’ve found to be the most toxic. receiving and giving critique can become less professional and more emotion based. the student teacher type environment can become confused and muddy. the craft, the job, the art needs to be the focus. Camaraderie is fine, and appreciated, but boundaries, respect, and a focus on the art form should come first- not tiktok, not family.

[@julisvega34]

Honestly this is the first thing that came to my mind. Having a “family” like relationship at work can go south really quick. I’m not a tattoo artist, but I’ve seen this at my job and it gets messy at the end

[@karenneill9109]

My first thought, too. Relationships that start out intensely tend to end intensely. Keep it professional from the start, and it will last much longer.

[@moonlightauras1]

This is why performing for social media is such a bad idea. Everyone who watches you suddenly thinks they deserve access to everything about you and you don't get to process difficult things with privacy and grace. The reason for ending her apprenticeship could literally just be they weren't comparable, despite what they showed the world. Given how much exposure she has gotten, she will probably find another apprenticeship in no time, THAT'S what social media is good for, like Matt said, it is a tool.

[@BelindaShort]

This is why when you decide to do the tiktok stuff it's a different endeavor. It's essentially advertising for the business. She became a mascot basically

[@nbucwa6621]

It sucks because it's so hard to succeed in the creative industries without performing on tiktok these days.

[@leigh7507]

Nah, her following is huge. She's got a huge potential client base despite not being experienced and she will get a ton of sponsors once she settles down in her work

[@sshaughnessy6543]

No, he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. They’re treating Jenna like she’s a baby who needs projection- parasocial relationships are such a gross thing because people take it too far. What’s unrealistic is people constantly expecting questions answer from people they know through a screen.

[@jillheldebrant1101]

Owe an explanation, no. Although he shouldn't expect people not to ask, and pester...since the apprenticeship was so big on their social media.

[@frasert8779]

He was quite explicit when he said that continuing to ask for an explanation (which she herself is informed of) is tantamount to potentially “hurting her career prospects”. That is a clear statement that she did something that was a fireable offense, and bad enough that if everyone knew then she may not be able to get another job/apprenticeship. If that’s true, which it seems to be, then good on him for leaving it up to her. It seems he was probably justified but didn’t give in to the mobs demanding the explanation, an explanation that could potentially garner support for him if she did do something fireable.

[@lilz]

So I agree with the dirty laundry thing was beyond wrong. I feel like he wanted to make Jenna look bad without making it look like he was trying to make her look bad (in my opinion). At first I thought he also meant the reason would hurt her future but I actually think the hurting career prospects could mean businesses might be hesitant to hire Jenna if she has a following that will attack in her defense. Either way it was unnecessary. I feel like that reply was defensive and out of anger. If he meant well he would have left it at ‘I only owe her an explanation which I gave her.” He could have even added “If she wants to share it she can but that’s now my place.”

[@frasert8779]

@@lilz Yeah you could be right, but truly we don’t know. If we say, hypothetically, that she did do something worth firing (but thousands of people are blowing you up demanding answers), then you might be forgiven for thinking that only saying “I explained it to her” is not going to allay the sycophants. Perhaps he viewed this as the only way to not speak specifics but to also insinuate that it was not random or unfounded (which is the implication from her video in that it was out of nowhere). IF it was her doing, and she frames it as if it wasn’t (and so many people are blowing you up), then maybe this was him trying to be tactful? Again though, no one but those two know what happened. He is saying she knows why and she has opted to not share the reason. Why she wouldn’t want to share it, when he has explicitly given her the option to do so, is an important question.

[@ssebasgoo]

I don't have the impression she did a mistake, listening to him, she seems to concentrate a lot of time on tiktok. And when you do tiktoks, you don't tattoo.

[@lord_m0th]

I just think social media should not be something a tattoo apprentice should do. They’re supposed to learn how to tattoo, not to make TikToks.

[@SuperPao]

I don't know anything about tattoo apprenticeships, but I do know about marketing. It seems like his shop got a ton of free social media marketing from her, and that feels a bit icky. Maybe that's why he terminated the apprenticeship, since having someone spend all that time on tik tok does nothing to help teach tattooing.

[@spookshow6999]

Agree

[@terrancepemberton4648]

yeahhh, seems that there might not have been a whole lot of time actually spent teaching the apprentice(s). Seems like the shop got a lot of FREE social media marketing from them tho. I wonder if anyone has really looked into it to see just how many people were actually able to complete an apprenticeship under this guy. I don't know this dude, I mean he seems nice enough for the cameras(but don't they all lol) but MAYBE he simply brings people in to waste their time for FREE advertisement of the shop lol. Who knows what might've happened tho.

[@lizzyhelena]

Amen to that!

[@taw2377]

Social media is a huge part of tattooing now

[@monicaheartsgypsy7877]

From what was said it seems to me that she was fired for a reason that she doesn’t want to disclose. I think Matt is on the defense because he’s getting a lot of hate from her fans. People can be brutal online. People are thinking she was fired for no reason out of the blue and I just don’t believe that. Matt was benefiting online from her so he wouldn’t fire her for no reason. I’m sure he also knew there would be backlash. Hopefully moving forward he will be more careful making Tik toks with his apprentices.

[@YellaBellaReno]

Yeah. For all we know it could be health reasons. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Justaperson354]

@@YellaBellaRenoyou can’t fire someone for health reasons that’s illegal

[@YellaBellaReno]

@@Justaperson354 you totally can… you just can’t SAY that you are.

[@redbunny22]

@YellaBellaReno in atwill states you can and can say so.

[@BoringTroublemaker]

@@redbunny22no, that’s absolutely against the law, even in at will states.

[@TowerJack]

The fact that people want Matt to explain why she was fired when that would be a massive data protection violation really just goes to show how the social media world does not align with the laws and ethics of the real world

[@BoringTroublemaker]

Yea, but even what he said crossed the line. If he were a manager in any “normal” job and said that publicly about a former employee, HR would call him in the next day and fire him, too. That was completely unprofessional.

[@lice.everglen]

I think wanting to know why she got fired is fine, but nobodys entitled to that. Social media skews things and has such a biased view of "justice". Being a tattoo apprentice is a job, I think privacy is important. Its a key part of professionalism. Everyone wants to know everything and be in on the gossip but thats a damaging mindset to carry with you into the workforce. I agree with her mentor. Itd be airing out her dirty laundry and really just convolute things. As an employer he has the right to let her go, and has the right to keep that between them unless she wants to come out and say why explicity its important to just mind your own business in these situations.

[@dismurrart6648]

Yeah tbh, even if she got fired because budget cuts or whatever, that could still be used against her in the future. I did an internship in college, they didn't hire me on. I did good work for them and learned a lot. "Wow, it sounds like you did a lot for them. So how come they didn't hire you?" 100% of interviews you could tell that no answer to that question would suffice.

[@new0news]

I think it was really shady of her not to say she got a reason from him and just didn't want to share it. Like she definitely made it sound like he just fired her out of nowhere for no reason and she didn't expect it at all. She doesn't owe anyone an explanation but she did owe people that there WAS an explanation she didn't want to share. Like obviously everyone is gonna run to harass the dude because she made it sound like he was the only one with answers.

[@dismurrart6648]

@@new0news yeah his response tbh sounds very much like an adult who had a childish employee manipulating the situation, and he's not playing that game

[@krookedburger]

🎀 I was fired from my first apprenticeship after 5 months. I did my first tattoo on fake skin, then they gave me my own station, and the next day I was asked to leave. Being fired like that honestly hurt more than a breakup. The second apprenticeship almost ended the same way. I've been an apprentice for 1 year, and then my mentor was fired. I'm in a limbo now, where I'm still at the shop tattooing, but I don't have a mentor anymore. I never completed or finished my apprenticeship but he decided I wasn't his apprentice (without telling me) then he decided that I was again (without telling me) then he intended to fire me (but was fired instead). Tattoo shops and artists are sometimes a difficult environment. There's alot that goes into it, and since each personality is influencing the art that's being made sometimes those personalities just don't make an efficient work environment. I don't think Matt owes an explanation, but I think if Jenna wants to talk about it she can. They could both be protecting each other out of mutual respect.

[@krookedburger]

@@rachelforshee6014 there was animosity between myself and another artist there. He had graduated his apprenticeship a few months before I started and he didn't think it was fair that I was treated differently than him. He also thought I didn't deserve my apprenticeship because I didn't go to art school like he did. He made assumptions about me based on my race, and would treat me differently when my mentor wasn't around. I defended myself, and he told the owner and my mentor that it was either him or me, and they chose him. As far as the completion, the owner of the shop that I'm at currently has said that I'm no longer an apprentice. He says I'm just an artist now. I think after a year of full tattooing the work starts to speak for itself and the clients can decide whether they are comfortable to get tattooed by you. I'm calling myself a junior artist until I feel like a real artist

[@bringinthedope5929]

​@@rachelforshee6014I had the same questions 😅

[@Enjemnsnens]

Tbh sounds like the restaurant industry in a way. I’ve been fired because someone ELSE had a bad day. So many strong personalities willing to go nuclear at any inconvenience

[@motheraiya]

Honestly, sometimes people just get fired because it doesn't work out. Maybe she wasn't meeting expectations, maybe there was workplace tension/hostility that we didn't see, maybe tons of things. Sometimes it's not a fit, we just do not know. She wished him well and asked people to leave him alone, he wished her well AND protected her privacy.

[@maymorning8504]

I’m not on TikTok and had no knowledge of this situation but imo these TikToks are full of red flags. It’s great to have a good relationship with your coworkers but from the perspective of someone who works in an office it’s so weird and uncomfortable to be making this content where they’re touching each other and picking each other up etc. Yikes. There’s an obvious power imbalance because Jenna was just an apprentice and totally new to the tattoo world and she seems like a prop in all these videos. If she were an intern in an office setting I think it would be more obvious that this was weird from the jump.

[@maymorning8504]

(Also, not accusing anyone of anything inappropriate, but this is supposed to be a professional environment and imo a workplace that functions like this is not a healthy one.)

[@a-raegun912]

I was thinking the same thing when she was talking about how close they all are... like oh boy this isn't gonna end well

[@jax422]

Not all work places are the same. A tattoo shop is not comparable to an office. Offices are a formal place, tattoo shops are not. Would you expect people that work at a water park to have the same level of professionalism as people at a law office? Different environments elicit different behaviors and relationships. And honestly this place seemed like a content creation house as much as it was a tattoo shop.

[@katesperinck1401]

@@jax422 To answer your question, yes. The only differences between a law office and a water park are responsibilities. But respect to co-workers, behaviour, showing up on time etc. applies just the same. You're right it was treated like a content creation house and that's not ok because the time and work of the apprentices weren't respected and really the girl was done a favour by being let go in the long run.

[@kowrtuy2996]

@@jax422a work place is a work place, it doesn’t matter what the business is about, a professional environment must remain professional

[@ShanaGarrett]

Matt said “she knows what she did,” implying that she was fired for cause. It may also be illegal for him to disclose the reason she was fired publicly.

[@jaqsre]

my thoughts on tiktok drama/situations is always just “why do people care?” clearly she knows why she was let go and they don’t make content bashing each other. just let them handle it privately and move on 😭 /nay

[@pinkcooky]

I agree. Huge "nothing burger" here

[@nmfitts]

I think he's being very professional, and I don't see "airing dirty laundry" as a sign she did something wrong, just that it's her private business. I've been fired and I've left before I could be fired, and the reasons feel like dirty laundry even though one of them was basically just "we don't like your autism symptoms".

[@TheWinterGrave]

yeah I don't understand why people are hearing it as anything other than he doesn't want to protentally embarass her by publicly stating something personal to the entire world?????

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

@@TheWinterGrave It could be something like she just doesnt have good application technique and he just doesnt have the time to teach her from square one like that (she doesn't have any tattoos of her own and we never saw her *actually* doing any tattooing). That's just a theory but there are so many possible good reasons that dont need to be our business

[@annataymond9529]

He called her a failed student though

[@TheWinterGrave]

@@annataymond9529 and maybe she was a terrible student? she spent all her time making tiktoks, rarely posted about art and she has zero tattoos. 😬 to me she seem more like a receptionist or something

[@annataymond9529]

@@TheWinterGrave that was literally what they asked her to do though

[@CrustyUgg]

13:31 this speaks volumes imo. When Matt said he was looking for an apprentice, he mentioned someone who likes doing art and someone who's good with social media/videos. Now, if I'm looking for someone to become a tattoo artist and learn under me I would be looking for someone who has an interest in tattooing first and foremost. Everything else is secondary.

[@lunaloveless7234]

Being good at art is secondary to being interested in it? Lmfao being interested in it goes without saying when you're applying to a tattoo apprenticeship.....

[@CrustyUgg]

@@lunaloveless7234 not necessarily white girl... plenty of people do things they arent 100% passionate about. It's called a paycheck. It's called "I tattooed my face and corporations won't hire me" ... there are plenty of people who do things without being fully interested.. like when your dad did your mom.

[@annaliesenolan7095]

I have lost an apprenticeship 2 years ago, but in the early stages. It was just a stack up of small things, and within a month he pulled me aside and let me know it wouldn’t quite work out, but he also offered me full support going forward and told me to let him know if I ever got an apprenticeship. I actually went back to that shop about a month ago, to let him know I’ve been an apprentice since April and it was so nice to go back in and see everyone. Even though that shop may not be a good fit, its still such an uplifting industry and most times they still want to see you succeed and do well

[@pennystowers6491]

Am I the only one DISGUSTED by seeing co-workers hugging each other like that? Not in a "they shouldn't be doing that" way but in a "that's so weird" way

[@Drizella9]

I feel like the people who like the her doing beat boxing blueberry audio are more of a niche. I can’t stand when grown women use baby audios to come off cute and quirky, they liked the positive comments but you can’t tell me some people didn’t find the whole beat boxing blue berry thing cringe

[@Drizella9]

The more tik toks you show the more I see examples of her acting like a silly child and it seems like they really played on that vibe. I don’t fw it

[@AM-tl1xi]

Yeah the one with a colleague having her in his arms, I don’t like it. I’m also short and girly and sometimes would become friends with people who would be like “omg I can lift you up” and it was fine as a teen but it’s infantilising when you’re an adult. Plus, boundaries in the case of a workplace even if it is a less conventional one.

[@annataymond9529]

Maybe she just thinks it’s funny? Don’t act like she’s doing something morally wrong just because you read into it to the point of being uncomfortable.

[@silentfriend369]

I think one man's cringe is another man's entertainment.

[@tubbsmom]

12:41 even if people ask, that doesnt mean you have to tell them. And hes right to call out the entitlement of people thinking he owes an explanation. And not saying why she was fired is most likely protecting Jenna

[@sageroberts2004]

It would have been really messy and unprofessional of him to explain why or what happened, I’m glad he didn’t. Honestly if I was her though I wouldn’t have announced on tiktok that I was let go. A simple, “I no longer work here but I appreciate the opportunity and wish them the best” would have sufficed.

[@zachnoe4503]

The one thing that I’m sure people are getting confused about being a tattoo apprentice is that you’re not gonna start doing any drawing until a few months after you started. You’re pretty much gonna be doing chores, food and coffee runs, cleaning their stations and setting up their station, greeting customers at the front desk, getting the stencil ready for their teacher, etc. I’d say at least by 6 months later they’ll teach you the basics from drawings to building a tattoo machine.

[@waterchestnutful]

Lmfao what is with youtube comments yall talk like you know everything it’s so weird

[@zachnoe4503]

@@waterchestnutful there’s videos of tattoo apprentices vlogging a day in the life of what the process is when they begin their journey to tattoo

[@waterchestnutful]

I’m not gonna speak to anyone’s experience so not gonna argue with anything you’ve seen other than “you don’t start drawing until ____” you can and should be drawing from the beginning, long before you get the apprenticeship. And side note, you should be getting tattooed too. Source: I tattoo.

[@zachnoe4503]

@@waterchestnutful well every tattoo apprenticeships are different I’m just stating I guess the obvious stages of what some professional tattoo artists do

[@autumnwillows7942]

exactly. and you usually don’t even start to tattoo on practice skin till months in. and then some shops you don’t even tattoo real clients until you’re like less than 3-5 months away from your actually license

[@felix-ve8jk]

This sort of shows how social media has REALLY changed the reality of tattooing. I had never heard of this Matt tattooer and I live in SoCal and have been involved in tattooing industry for about a decade. There is certainly value in marketing yourself online but a lot of this situation seems to focus way too much on social platforms. I will never understand the appeal of wanting to be a tattooer and not having any tattoos.

[@goreyfantod5213]

I imagine the appeal is in getting paid to make art. I'm not an artist of any kind, but I know from friends who are either working or aspiring artists (I live in an art colony/tourist resort), that there aren't a lot of avenues to making a living at drawing & painting. The explosion in popularity of tattoos, tattooing & tattoo culture in the West has got to be appealing for artists who previously wouldn't have had many career opportunities that actually included making art that they love.

[@felix-ve8jk]

@@goreyfantod5213 well of course the money is the main draw for people wanting to make a career in art and choosing tattooing. What's the appeal in not wanting any yourself? Apprentices have better access to tattoos than anyone who doesnt work in a shop.

[@goreyfantod5213]

@@felix-ve8jk Well, I have tattoos, so I can't really tell what's in the head of someone without tattoos who wants to create them. I just think it could be as simple as: it's a possible career for visual artists that was rare/unthinkable as few as 20 years ago for most artists. Think about how many actual jobs there are for artists in the U.S. Then, how many of those jobs involve developing one's own style, vs. technical drawing and/or commissioned work like sidewalk caricatures. Prior to wide decriminalization of tattooing in the U.S. & Canada (where I grew up), the appeal was mainly in the tattoos themselves + the outsider/outlaw culture surrounding it. Tattoo artists were overwhelmingly white, male & expected to have a tough guy image. Now that those things are fading & the culture is changing, I suspect there will be more & more people who are drawn to the art aspects of tattooing more than in the past.

[@felix-ve8jk]

@@goreyfantod5213 there are lots of creative jobs that pay well. Ive been getting tattooed since 1999 and very close to completing a body suit. I am talking about the apprentice here who has no tattoos. I think all throughout your replies here there is one reason why someone would get into tattoos without wanting any: money.

[@er-ha]

@@felix-ve8jk I think the “appeal”, same as with many things, is that it is unexpected/unique. I can understand wanting to be a tattooist without wanting tattoos on your own skin but naturally that will be less common than being a tattooist with tattoos.

[@rachapach6192]

What an odd situation… it’s bizarre that she would make a video like that in the first place. She definitely made it sound like she had no idea why she got fired. “Airing her dirty laundry” she definitely did something it sounds like. Why would she want to bring attention to herself if she did something to merit getting fired? She basically made a beacon for any future possible apprenticeship. This is just really strange.

[@Justaperson354]

People were asking where she was. What was she supposed to do? Lie? Pretend to still work there? Never show herself online?

[@rachapach6192]

@@Justaperson354 I think it would have been better for her if she didn’t make a video at all and just told people in a post or something “hey, I don’t work there anymore. We had differences or we decided to end the apprenticeship for reasons I don’t really want to make public.” She obviously doesn’t want to tell people why she got fired. Or if she preferred the video method, as it seems she did, maybe be open and honest and say “hey I got fired. I don’t want to talk about the reasons as to why as that’s personal” she clearly made it sound like she didn’t know why she was fired. She said “Matt pulled me aside and said I was no longer going to be his apprentice. It was totally unexpected. It’s been an emotional few days for me” I mean cmon. Obviously by making that video and wording it the way she did people would go to Matt and ask why would you just surprise her like that??? She didn’t mention at all that he fired her or that any of this was her own doing. Matt was so nice for responding the way he did and not “airing her dirty laundry”.. just my opinion on this whole thing.

[@Justaperson354]

@@rachapach6192 you only think that because she didn’t say so, I want to hear her side before I believe him. The art community is rough and two apprentices in a short time is more so bad for him. He said he didn’t want to air her dirty laundry as it could hurt her from moving on but what makes his word gold? She handled her video perfectly fine. She’s allowed to have emotions being fired no matter what hurts and from the videos it truly was out of nowhere. He’s made his fame from publicly helping that fox lady but he too didn’t need to put that out there but he did yet she was answering a question and got hate. I don’t have a tiktok so I can only go off what I saw in this video but she never spoke ill of him she just said she was heartbroken and it was a shock to her and she will still try to be a tattooist. Never bad mouthing him, so I don’t get why she has to be super hush hush about it. When I was 20 I had an internship and I thought I gelled really well I was kind and everyone came to the shop just to joke and see me. This was before social media was everywhere so it was a big deal. Then out of the blue I was let go. I was told it wasn’t working out and that I wasn’t meeting expectations. I was hurt and devastated. When people around town asked where I went I told them what happened. It’s not always the one in power that is in the wrong but sometimes it is and sometimes it’s no one. But she has just as much a right to anyone to talk about her feelings. People complain online all the damn time

[@taylorslade961]

I'll be honest, I got the vibe that Matt was moreso looking for someone to run his social media rather than someone to teach tattooing to.

[@causeand3ff3ct]

And this is why I keep my work life offline. People need to learn to do the same. Ffs

[@causeand3ff3ct]

Matt now needing to explain himself to a bunch of randoms online... STOP UPDATING RANDOM PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET ON YOUR ISSUES AT WORK. No video on the internet/tiktok = no issue with any of this.

[@404JNF]

@@causeand3ff3ct I understand where you're coming from, but TikTok is central to his business. It's literally a part of his work. It's why he makes good money. Also, he wasn't "updating random people on the internet about his issues at work." He was just addressing a flood of comments. He wouldn't have said anything about this if people hadn't demanded it.

[@SemicolonExpected]

🎀 While Matt is probably trying to convey that he doesnt want to reveal anything she might not want revealed, his phrasing makes it sound like she did something really bad. I'm not sure if its intentional or not, but to me it sounded really shady. Like the audience isnt entitled to an explanation, but he could've just said that without implying that the reason could damage her reputation.

[@vykcryptid]

IMO his wording plus all the videos of him with his hands all over her picking her up made it seem like maybe HE did something inappropriate and fired her for it or fired her for rejecting him sexually? which does happen in the tattoo industry like other industries .... idk the tiktoks just seem really unprofessional and infantalising to me and I have heard horror stories about guys trying to use apprenticeships to get in women's pants or for free labor and firing people so they don't have to pay them then just cycling to the next victim for morre free labor so I'm likely a bit biased against him here - heck maybe SHE made a move on/ pass at him after misinterpreting 'signals' and that's why he fired her? or he has a partner who saw him with his hands all over her in the tiktoks and was like 'WTF you need to fire her'? - currently the theory I'm most leaning towards TBH maybe she's a racist or bigot and hurt a client ? Maybe she was more focused on the Tiktoks than work ? Maybe They found someone else who will work for free who they think fits in with their shop 'vibe' more and didn't want to have to pay her? we don't and can't really know without more information

[@BreakofDawn]

Yeah, honestly from the first video of him saying he was searching for an apprentice, it sounded more like he wanted someone to manage his TikTok account to make it bigger, rather than actually mentoring someone. And I feel like Jesse’s story of what it was like being his apprentice only validates that idea more. Matt’s wording of why he let her go definitely made it sound worse, like as if she definitely did something wrong, bad enough that if he publicly stated it, it would ruin her. I think he just wanted someone who had the ability to make his TikTok account go more viral, under the guise of seeking an apprentice. And then when that was done, he didn’t need them anymore and would find a reason to fire them

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

@@BreakofDawn Im gonna be honest - that theory makes no sense. If he JUST wanted a person to boost his social media, that's what he got. She was better at that than they could've possibly expected and would ONLY hurt his shop's popularity to let her go. Do I think that's appropriate? No - social media and tattooing are two ENTIRELY different skills sets, dont be cheap. That doesn't make him a bad person, though. Did you want him to say that he fired her for absolutely no reason and she's perfect?????????

[@dallasrbateman]

I ended up loosing an apprenticeship earlier this year. The mentor was "mentoring" two other artists. And he over committed himself. BUT! He decided to sit me in a room with every other artist, only to start tearing me down. Then calling me out for my pro LGBTQ+ insta story. "If you can't tell the difference between a man and a woman, you have no place in my shop." That's when I walked out. Sometimes being fired is a blessing. Now at a studio that respects me. And is actually helping me grow.

[@katesperinck1401]

would you mind sharing which shop this was? What an awful story sorry that happened to you.

[@spookshow6999]

Losing

[@SupernovaX72]

I like that guy! I support his shop!

[@lauraanderson8785]

What a horrible mentor, uncompassionate and unethical too... Is that even legal to fire someone on the basis that they support the LGBT? Sounds like discrimination to me

[@aryncurry6082]

As someone with 6 years experience I can say it is very easy to become extremely close to your co-workers in a tattoo shop. You see them more than your family most of the time, not only that but your each others biggest supporters. I feel like my co-workers are basically a part of my family. But I’ve had to learn boundaries because it’s easy to get too comfortable in that kind of setting.

[@chakotay9996]

🎀 Not in the tattoo industry but this is like normal jobs. I had an internship that was a horrible 3 month ordeal and I was let go. I wasn't blindsided, it was very clear we were both not getting what we wanted. The only takeaway is to calm down and not badmouth your previous employer, and they hopefully won't badmouth you. It was a very horrible start to my career, I even reconsidered my profession. But I learned from it as well.

[@silentlyjudgingyou]

Sometimes people are set up to fail so they can be disposed of it's happened to me as well. It certainly looks like she was probably neglected at the very least.

[@AlexMartinez-nn2cm]

As someone who's hopefully starting an internship soon for my last year of uni this is actually really good advice and something I'll try to keep in mind!

[@chakotay9996]

I also want to mention that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you can really teach it. Even after my horrible internship I found another one and the guy who I was placed next to had tons of years of experience but had very little patience or willingness to teach. But I found others to help me. The tattoo mentor in the video could have bitten off more than he could chew

[@dees3179]

Regardless of industry, keeping a focus on making sure you get something of value out of the time you put in is crucial. This is the key part of the transaction for you. For the mentor, they need you to contribute something to their business of value. How those work out can be industry and site/situation specific. This may include the endlessly sticky question of finance. Do you pay them or do they pay you. Very industry specific. But you both have to get something from it, have clear goals, stepping off points, milestones , opportunities for review and an end point in mind. Both parties need this agreed and understood, and in writing. Otherwise both sides can get taken advantage of. As an intern/apprentice it’s important to try and make the most of opportunities, create opportunities where there aren’t sufficient, make connections and contacts, be efficient and effective in your learning, focus on what you want out of it, remember you are there for a reason and don’t just coast….that’s really easy to do. It’s not school. No one is holding your hand. You are an adult. The more proactive you are the more you will get out of the transaction. Having seen more than a few failures and successes over the years…. Here are a few hard learned lessons: Remember you aren’t the main character, everyone has their own problems so take a breath before reacting……..don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself……….always ask for clarification if you need it AFTER having tried to figure something out……..always try and be polite first (there’s always time to be a bitch later)……..never ask for something with your hand out. Good luck to everyone starting new journeys, wherever they lead.

[@silentlyjudgingyou]

@@dees3179 By the sounds of things when the other apprentice left the understanding and plan you talked about wasn't there. No secret why this situation ended as it did. The only question is if it was accidental or not

[@rachelr.5171]

Yes!!! I really needed a new video. Today has been awful and watching this during my lunch is going to make things a little better. Thanks for all your hard work.💕

[@celle_tattoo]

Ofc hope you enjoy the video! I’m sorry you’re having a hard day I hope things turn around ❤

[@lillianlillian]

I'm right along with you! 😅

[@SJlovesher49ers]

🎀 getting fired really sucks. It’s Such a blow to the ego. And speaking from experience, it can be very humbling, but also teach you things that you may have never learned if you had stayed where you were

[@CaulkMongler]

I think when it comes to the history of tattoo apprenticeships, it’s very… murky. I’ve heard of stories where apprentices won’t even get the right to start stencils a year in. Being 3 months deep and “feeling like you aren’t being mentored” isn’t abnormal at all.

[@lunaloveless7234]

I noticed she's dating one of her ex coworkers from the shop now too I wonder if that has anything to do with it

[@jasonerickson1753]

As an employer and small business owner, I have occasionally had to let people go. On the rare occasions we have received inquiries from clients, we don't explain why they don't work for us any longer, nor even say that they were let go. We just state that they no longer work with us and we wish them success going forward. This is important because a former employee's work records are NOT PUBLIC, and making them public could be grounds for a lawsuit. Aside from letting our clients know when we have hired a new person that they might appreciate for their skills, or to share positive reviews about current employees, we don't use social media to talk about individual employees. If Jenna had just made a video saying she was no longer an apprentice there and was looking for a great new place to grow as a tattoo artist, she might have been flooded with job offers. Instead, the video she made generated a ton of needless bullshit directed at her former employer and coworkers. That alone would prevent me from wanting to hire her. Maybe she spent too much time generating content and not enough on fundamentals like cleaning the work space? Maybe she was great with a pencil but shitty with a tattoo gun. If she can't translate good art from paper to equally good art on skin, her focus is on the wrong stuff. If that's the case, that is partly the fault of her employer/mentor. All that time spent on making videos could have been spent on turning her into a better tattoo artist. His focus was wrong, too. Maybe wait until after she's a competent tattoo artist before launching her on a parallel social media arc. Or limit posts about her to maybe once a week. Let her audience grow slowly, with weekly updates focused on showing her professional and artistic development instead of silly skits. No content generation for her own channel while she's at work until she earns promotion from intern to artist. That would help keep her focused and provide an additional reward to work for. She could still do her own thing on her own time. When entrusting my body to others, I value competence and professionalism above all else. Making silly Tiktok videos isn't the best way to demonstrate either.

[@milsthebard1085]

I haven't worked in this kind of situation but honestly this sounds like normal early career things - you don't have all the skills needed or time commitments don't work or you just don't vibe with everyone and have to move on. Both parties seem to hold no ill will, at least publicly.

[@Tripp_z137]

Her having a following doesn’t entitle her to any special treatment she was either good or not tik tok is separate from the actual career , it doesn’t matter if people care, it’s his shop his business, get over it

[@shelbyjadan]

as soon as you posted this, matt posted another tiktok about this situation, and his list of what he expects from an apprentice. if you could do a follow up that would be great!

[@herefortheshrimp1469]

Damnit. I was hoping he would just leave this alone so they all could move on

[@000carrionspice]

What's his tiktok username?

[@infantswithfirearms]

i think people asking why she was fired was okay but the moment they decided not to make it public, everyone got out of line. at the end of the day, it's none of our business

[@grawlixes]

the truth is that no one on the outside really knew anything of what their working relationship was. all that is known is what are in some silly tiktoks-for all we know she wasn't holding up her end of the apprenticeship, or vice versa. my feeling is that someone would not fire an apprentice that has so much social media clout for no reason. this also speaks to a bigger issue of people becoming "stars" in a field that they have no experience in, with a bunch of parasocial fans who know nothing about what is actually happening in reality. we will see more stuff like this happen in the future.

[@logangaston3871]

I can't speak to everyone in the shop but I do know she is good friends with the artist picking her up at 14:33 I saw them on a TikTok live and they met and know each other from outside the shop. Maybe that's how she got the gig. Since she's actually close with one of the artists irl I can see how lines can get blurred in terms of professionalism amongst their different roles at the shop.

[@judejude311]

🎀 i had 3 apprenticeships, 2 of which i was fired from for less than valid reasons (namely being "too disabled" to tattoo because of a chronic illness that is under control, and because i am autistic). unfortunately tattoo apprenticeships are very unregulated and the nature of how they've developed means they attract a certain kind of person to take on an apprentice (what kind of person do you think revels in exchanging their ✨vast knowledge✨ for free labour and admiration and no contract to hold them accountable?) unfortunately, until something big shakes the industry out of the backwards cycle it's been stuck in, i don't see tattoo apprenticeships as a safe place to learn the craft, especially for anyone that falls outside of the cishet white able-bodied male standard. the concept is good but it's been built of very problematic grounds. p.s. been tattooing professionally for just over 2 years now, and i can confirm that i was not "too disabled" to tattoo, just too disabled for them.

[@StardustDNA]

I really don’t get why people accept apprenticeships without a contract. It’s similar to schooling and there should be a paperwork trail and clear expectations of what one is paying for. Basically a contract that has a timeline syllabus (tattooing obviously but also which includes teaching how to sterilize, set up equipment, help run a shop, etc). An apprenticeship is a large sum of money and one should actually know the level of education they’ll receive in written form, with both parties signing. Also - It should be clearly written how and why the contract can be terminated. Not being a ‘good fit’ despite having paid for an education shouldn’t be one of them… Though… missing days is like missing days in college and professors can flunk you / remove you from the class despite payment for the class. Obviously with disabilities (I have an autoimmune disorder so I understand) - hopefully the mentor works with the apprentice to figure out a timely schedule that fits both, or may be kind enough to reimburse until the apprentice is back on their feet again. There is the disability act and by law places of employment have to provide ‘reasonable accommodations’. There is a government website with list of disabilities and a list of reasonable accommodation suggestions for each unique disability.

[@mxch3ll3]

Same situation for me as well!! "apprenticed" for free as well at a popular tattoo shop for 1+ year. He didn't teach his 6+ apprentices (including myself) anything. mostly foucused more on social media, he was never there, and he wanted us to be there more days than him or we would get fired. he would always have a new apprentice every 3 months or so in result of one quitting. The artists there are amazing tho!

[@bjen3273]

Sounds to me like Matt just hired two apprentices for a tik tok image and not to actually teach a new generation of tattoo artists

[@rhettnichols6978]

no idea what's going on here, but some social media people are very authentic and some are highly staged. also, basically everyone who gets fired *says* it was totally out of the blue and they have no idea why. it was part of her job do social media, so of course it all looks super cheerful & fun ... in reality she could have had many warnings, been super shitty and annoying IRL, not cared much about tattooing or done much other than social media at all, there is no telling... obviously they're not going to go on social media and be like "ok so all of that was staged - she's annoying, she's bad at her job and finally we fired her" it would not be a nice thing to do for anyone, but the "OMG I have NO IDEA why i was fired" is not necessarily true. reality check to not believe everything people say, especially when they're being paid to do advertising via tiktok.

[@fabycho6791]

I think is important to know that your coworkers are not family or friends

[@namtellectjoonal7230]

I personally really dislike the answer that Matt gave ... Like saying that you don't really want to discuss that stuff online is fine and I support it but he did more than that. He did alot of implying by calling it her "dirty laundry" and saying that it could hurt her carreer. This leaves so much room for interpretation and speculation and he made sure to direct all of it towards her since he implied that SHE did something wrong. idk ... I just feel iffy about it, especially with the TikTok of the other apprentice who left

[@CB-dj1uz]

I completely agree. It was a very manipulative answer. He masterfully deflected, put it back on her and even took some blame so he could be the good guy.

[@shayerahol6434]

​@@CB-dj1uzor... He owns a business and she's a student and saying "yeah she did this thing bad enough to get her tired" could be incredibly problematic for both sides. Truth is, it's not the internets damn business. They're not attacking each other, Matt didn't tell everyone what happened, Jenna didn't tell everyone what happened We can move on cause they probably will too. Especially because right now, to future employers, Jenna is just someone who wasn't compatible with Matt's business. If they turned it into a huge Internet drama, many future employers would likely avoid her

[@pixelcurious]

🎀 People feeling like they deserve to know what happened - just because she was public with info about her apprenticeship before - that's honestly scary to me. Nobody is entitled to information about anyone no matter what their level of public transparency is. I'm speaking as someone who was fairly open online at one time and had to dial it way back because strangers mistook my honesty as license to assume they had a right to an emotional connection that was on their side only. Whatever happened to cause Matt to fire Jenna is private unless Jenna chooses to talk about it. If you truly want to support her please do it by respecting her privacy

[@expansive4485]

This is so unfortunate, she seems sweet and talented. I also don’t have tattoos yet, and there’s something about another woman without tattoos who loves the tattoo world so much to dedicate her life to it, seeing that is so special

[@ItsOKtobeNormal]

If she loves them so much why wouldn't she get any? Unless you're allergic to the ink or something like that but it's very odd to not even have 1 decent size piece. Seems like she liked the idea of being a tattoo artist more than actually doing the job. How come her social media is just videos of her, where's her art if she's so passionate about it?

[@doylesky]

good camaraderie with your co workers doesn't necessarily equal the job is going well, especially in the fun house mirror world of social media/tiktok. I had multiple work experiences where i may have jelled with ppl and had shared senses of humor etc but that didn't outweigh larger factors, toxic work environment, idiot supervisors, unrewarding work experience, me straight up not being that great at it, so on . i've had friends via work at various points but stuff like this reminds me end of the day work isnt "family", its a means to an end, holding up anything otherwise will just hurt you and stall you out, and i've learned that the hard way.

[@dancingbymoonlt]

People blowing up about this will cost her future apprenticeships. No employer wants to deal with the potential drama and damage It’s no one’s business why they let her go. If she doesn’t want to be honest about it herself then it’s very likely it was her fault and she went public to cause a problem. I also think you’re weird for wanting to know about the reason. Legally only one person can be open about it. Employers can not speak poorly about employees.

[@parrotstories]

Human beings are curious that's completely natural. She's not weird for wanting to know at all. The weird ones are the people interfering and causing drama about it.

[@dancingbymoonlt]

@@parrotstories Being curious is fine. But when you aren’t given a reason you drop it because it’s NOT anyone’s business.

[@parrotstories]

@@dancingbymoonlt that's not how it works though. Yes you should drop it because it's none of your business but you're still going to be curious. You can't magically stop that part of your brain, maybe stop talking about it, but you can't stop thinking about it?

[@dancingbymoonlt]

@@parrotstories Ok but that is how the world works. If it’s none of your business you move on with it and go about your life. You say that like curiosity will drive someone insane.

[@parrotstories]

@@dancingbymoonlt that's not how I'm saying it at all? I'm saying that people will continue to wonder, they don't just move on, that's not how human nature works?

[@angelcorderoI]

It's a business. No one owes the public anything. It's people's own delusions for getting in their feels about a situation that doesn't affect them personally. Parasocial relationships are out of control.

[@mar_dma]

Pure speculation from what Jesse Black said, but I think the real reason they made her their apprentice was to create content and she was so committed to being there that at the end they didn’t know when she’d go… and Matt obviously only owes an explanation to Jenna, but he’s contradicting himself by saying he doesn’t want to “air her dirty laundry” and “a failed student is a failure as a teacher”, if you don’t want to say the reason then don’t be shady and say all of that lmao

[@Ponderosa518]

Also colossally untrue. A failing student is not necessarily indicative of a bad teacher. Conversely, a stellar student does not indicate a good teacher.

[@jax422]

Matt’s response was so unprofessional and made the situation worse. Saying that he would be airing her “dirty laundry” is so tacky and cringe. If he wanted the world to know it was due to her own actions, he could have just said “out of respect for Jenna’s privacy, I will not be saying why I terminated the apprenticeship publicly. Jenna can share the reason if she chooses, but I will not be sharing her private information.” That would have come across as respectful and professional. 🎀

[@Nyxxeonn]

"airing out dirty laundry" just means disclosing private information, it doesn't automatically mean something horrible. She could have been fired just for not showing up on time on multiple occations and him sharing that would still count as "airing dirty laundry" because it's a private matter.

[@jax422]

@@Nyxxeonn The phrase “dirty laundry” doesn’t just mean private, it means negative or embarrassing private info, hence the “dirty”. And to your point, it could be as simple as her not showing up, but by using dirty laundry he is making is sound scandalous and far worse than it potentially is which is tacky.

[@Nyxxeonn]

@@jax422 I still highly doubt he had any bad intention with it and just simply meant that it wasn't up to him to talk about her personal situation.

[@jax422]

@@Nyxxeonn I disagree. I think he was intentionally trying to make her look bad because public opinion was on her side and the comments section was tearing him apart. He was trying to save face and shift public support to himself. In those situations, word choice is very important, especially in our current cultural climate.

[@Nyxxeonn]

@@jax422 agree to disagree then. I do genuinely hope the best for Jenna and that she will find her path, whichever that one may be.

[@amypanddirtytoo1926]

My mom always told me that I should be a tattoo artist. I listened to her cuz I live creating art and I love getting tattoos. I became an apprentice in 1998. In New Orleans. Everything was great.......for two weeks. The secual harassment was insane. And it got so bad that I was being asked "how come you haven't fucked us yet". This was 1998 so having support from ANYONE when you are going through this was nonexistent. No social media, no #metoo, none of that. I just stopped showing up. And it sucks because it left such a bad taste in my mouth that I was scared to try a different shop and didnt want anything to do with the tattoo industry ever again. Of course, I ended up meeting wonderful tattoo artists (Marc the Shark is one of the most decent humans I have ever met) but by that time I realized that tattooing was NOT what I wanted to do. I do really weird surreal paintings and drawings. And I love to do what I want when I want. The exact opposite of a tattoo artist🤣 I didn't want to spend years building up a name for myself to where I could do what I wanted because I would lose my love for art. That's just me though and I still love getting tattoos!🎀

[@biodorkus]

🎀 They're in a no-win situation, but it sounds like Matt and the other artists still wish her well so hopefully there's no hard feelings and everyone can move on.

[@ykihx]

🎀 wanting to know or being curious as to why she was fired is one thing but the people demanding/blowing up tiktok wanting to know why is ridiculous

[@desireeeaton5036]

You are simply a delight to watch. As an elder millennial with 2 tattoos that are almost 20 years old, I definitely appreciate great ink. I don’t keep up with the community much, but your videos explain it so well, no details are left out. Keep up the great content!

[@skrittle555]

you're always so kind and empathetic to all parties involved in these situations. i hope to get inked by you someday!!

[@musicgrl515]

I have been through a pretty terrible internship experience, but it is similar to an apprenticeship. Essentially, I am in the healthcare field, and I had to pay thousands of dollars to do my internship so that I can finish and take my examinations. From the get-go, it was hell because there was a lot of miscommunication and not a lot of clear guidelines. I actually had one of my preceptors teach me one of the most important processes we have to do in the internship, and she was doing it completely wrong (I was told this later but didn’t realize right away). But because she was bullying me, and made me feel like shit saying that I was not meant to be in this field, I never said anything to the administrators, so I suffered through an extra four months, just because I was struggling to learn, and I was learning the wrong damn thing. Even though I am in a pretty heavily regulated field and training process for my career, there were still so many issues. I hope that everything turns out well for this apprentice and she’s able to find another shop That’s a great fit for her where she can grow and thrive

[@watersoluble5871]

Kind of wonder if she was drafted in mostly to draw some flash to beef up the shop’s options and style variations. Also the “instant” connection she mentioned sounds a bit like love-bombing.

[@aboutrainbow8614]

🎀There was a line Matt said that was basically “me giving y’all information would be airing HER dirty laundry” which….indirectly implies she might of done something really bad? Honestly, firing out of the blue is just cruel, and he can’t be surprised people respond accordingly. It’s surreal that he did this so suddenly even though the tiktok following was so huge. I’m not on Tiktok, but even just looking at their posts from this video? They structured it like a slice of life family thing, and people were hooked. People aren’t entitled to anymore than that, yes, but you also can’t entirely blame them for being genuinely concerned when you encourage and reward cheering someone on like that… only to pull the rug out from under them. This, to me, just shows that there needs to be a fine line between the creator, the content they make, and their life outside of that. Because if there’s ANY overlapping, it’s nearly guaranteed that it’ll all blow up. For better or for worse. Once you let people in, you can’t force them out. People see the things you post on social media and react to them as if they’re THERE. That’s something really crucial to remember.

[@TamagoSenshi]

Nah, if it were her wrongdoing, he could simply say misconduct toward whoever or lacking in some skill as the reason for firing. Saying she's in the wrong while acting like the bigger person by not giving a category of issue is a red flag that he's lying

[@pamelam1101]

@@TamagoSenshiagree 100%, it just felt off.

[@aboutrainbow8614]

@@TamagoSenshi You're right- that's what I said! His word choice and tone implied she did something really wrong- which is just...a weird way to respond to it all? A whole "No I don't owe you anything, however...here's a hint with no further context. How dare you be curious. :)" Sorry if it wasn't clear. LOL

[@pandap4ntz]

​@@aboutrainbow8614You were clear and I agree with you. Something feels yucky about this situation, and that something is Matt.

[@bill993]

New to the channel! Love your videos and your take on tattoos!! As an audio engennier, I couldnt help but notice the reverb in this video. It looks like you have an At-2020, it's a great mic, but i think you're speaking in to the mic a bit wrong. Try speaking in to the side, where the Audio Technica logo is, maybe this will help with all the reverb. I watched some of your other videos and it wasn't that noticeble, but your're always speaking from the top of the mic. Your videos are realy nice and i love your personality. Nice work!!

[@CalsDro18]

Excellent viewpoints and questions! Thank you for making this! ❤

[@Mac_Mixxed]

Mannnn what a day. My son broke his shoulder last night and might need surgery. Been up for 18 hours now hanging with my little man waiting to figure out if he needs surgery or not. This video gave me a few mins to get away back in to the tattoo life. Thank you celle appreciate you!

[@Rose-hh7mk]

He kind of did "air out her dirty laundry" by saying that he "didn't want to air out her dirty laundry". It automatically implies that she did something wrong.

[@Luvandrockettes]

Being fired out of the blue is awful 💔 i hope she can get to become a tattoo artist 🎀

[@parrotstories]

I doubt it actually was out of the blue though. It's bost unethical and often illegal to just fire someone without prior warnings first, unless they've done something really bad. That's why people always win lawsuits againsts employer's who do this. Also out of the blue makes it seem like there was no reason and there clearly was, we just don't know it.

[@vala.3152]

I was let go of my apprenticeship after i think 6 months almost a year or so because i couldn't afford it anymore, yes i paid for my apprenticeship which i should've know better, they never taught me how to tattoo i was drawing most of the time in a online course class and submit my work, i also did their house chores. Honestly i felt like i was scammed and gave me fake promises. i did bonded with one of the tattoos artists there and we keep and touch as much as we can. But honestly with the horrible experience i had specially with my mentors, it discouraged me to get another apprenticeship. 🎀

[@mutantmonkey2301]

Do those ppl pay their apprentices? If not this whole tattoo apprentices is even more predatory than i thought

[@Ponderosa518]

Tattoo apprentices generally do not get paid.

[@alskarmode]

You must be new

[@mutantmonkey2301]

As a german I would never work 6 month for free for something that's not even officially accepted as a learned work I get paid for every single hour of my apprenticeship And I will have an official certificate and a job title after I would feel like a horrible person letting someone work for me for free just to get to watch me work

[@irisiris7549]

The shop I work at hires apprentices but then only makes them clean and they would learn basically nothing I felt so bad for our last one cause by then I knew what was gonna happen with her, but I don't wanna lose my job by saying something so yeah a lot of shops hire apprentices for free work 😕!!!

[@sutairs]

Notification gang 🎉

[@celle_tattoo]

🤗🤗🤗

[@dCip77]

I moved to SoCal a little while back from new york and honestly met some great people, but 99% of the people I met came across as shallow social media hogs that put on fake faces and pretend to care while really only ever thinking about themselves. The art there often times fell short of being art and was just the attempt of creating something deemed as art. I moved back, but unfortunately when I saw the videos of Matt's tiktok throughout tattoo gate or whatever it was that's what I was reminded of. He's probably great to close friends but you can't pretend to be friends with everyone in the world just when its convenient and all of sudden pull back the second people ask questions. Creators really need to learn how to put up parasocial boundaries much earlier on and stick to them.

[@kellylyons1038]

🎀 this is truly dystopian to me. We used to chastise reality TV stars for putting their lives out to the public, and now seemingly everyone is putting it all on display in social media. Where are we headed as a society? Where is the line? Why do people do this in the first place and then cry about the obvious repercussions?

[@user-ud8jo3zz6h]

This kinda behavior’s why ppl want to regulate the tattoo business through tattoo schools. It sucks, I know. And btw, that tattoogate (fox thing) that he “solved” seemed like a lot of self-publicity opportunism at the time

[@catie5939]

Why not just pin a comment like, "I won't be discussing any reasons for Jenna's termination. She is free to discuss reasons if she wants to. It's not my place. Thanks for understanding." Like, that would be so much more succinct without throwing a young, aspiring artist under the bus. 🤦

[@catie5939]

Sorry, this was directed at the dude who mentored her. I don't think he's a bad guy or anything, but like.. I also don't think he used his words very well there.

[@Raijin-RyuX24]

I’ve met a few scumbag artist over the years so I wouldn’t be surprised if this was over some kind of inappropriate behavior and she was let go for saying no. But that is speculation and hopefully not even the case here. However, the whole “dirty laundry” phrase just sounds like a threat in disguise. Maybe it was just a poor choice of words. 🤷‍♂️

[@ThePinkBlush]

🎀 Your channel popped up in my recommendations recently and I’ve really been enjoying your content. You have a nice, calm demeanor when talking about these situations and you do a great job of remaining neutral.

[@kyleegrannes2631]

I recently was in the same situation. I was working at a tattoo shop as an apprentice. I was getting paid to be there full time, doing everything that was asked of me and more. I was only there for a month or so. We had finished everything for the day we were just sitting around waiting to lock the doors and leave. He looks at me and says he’s going to pay me, I was on my phone texting my sister that I’d be home soon (keep in mind I have a 1 year old at home that my sister watched while I was at the shop), I put my phone down without texting her and look at him. Then out of no where he says “this is the last time I’m paying you. You can grab your bag, give the keys back, and you can go.” He never gave me an explanation. He also did it in front of the other apprentice and tattoo artist.

[@chasingthelight8502]

I am sorry you went through this. It sounds like the guy was having an ego trip! I hope you found something better!

[@Kohana006]

I don't feel entitled to the reason why, but I do find it really strange that someone that put their apprentice front and center in their content did not have a plan for how to address the situation after. Even if it was just a silly video showing them shaking hands and parting ways with a good luck, they should have posted something together about it. There was no way, even if she quit of her own accord, that the audience they cultivated around their relationship would not demand to know more. People aren't props, so when you get people emotionally invested in this person's journey, you need to follow through to the end including the goodbye. People would still have wanted answers, but at least it would have made sense in the narrative of the story they created together.

[@TheWalkingDude27]

My first and second tattoo over 11 years ago was at this shop. I was there and went with my artist when he went to a new shop. I saw apprentices being treated fairly well and with support

[@thenoisymime1859]

🎀 I think it’s important to realize that consent can be withdrawn at any time, in any situation. So while she consented to being in videos for the shop, that doesn’t mean she consented to her personal information being shared. I think it was respectful of Matt to keep their conversation between them and allow Jenna to say what she wanted in regard to the reason she was fired.

[@hangilcp4600]

I don't know if I'm getting my feelings into this, but it seems like the students were taken advantage of, probably because of miscommunication and lack of planning. I had to deal with something similar a few months ago, It wasn't in a tattoo studio but was art-related. I realized my mentor/boss was taking advantage of me and others in the workshop. Sadly it wasn't because of miscommunication, he just wanted free labor in disguise of an apprenticeship. We only had just enough time to work on publications and social media for the workshop but not a single second to learn. Please be careful some people will take advantage of your willingness to learn and make you work to death. I ended up sick, overworked, and burned after this experience of mine and I was only 3 months there. This didn't happen to me only. I was not the first nor the last.

[@iAmNothingness]

No reason? Eh something is fishy. Everyone in that shop has a reason. They just don't wanna speak about it. There is no reason to just fire if it all was working so well. Something has to have happened.

[@404JNF]

Obviously there is a reason. It's not fishy, they're just keeping it private. Maybe you disagree, but I don't think we're owed an explanation and it's okay if they never tell us why.

[@lilyvonlicht1517]

“failed student” good lord that’s harsh

[@toddrathner]

🎀 There’s something very important to realize about Matt’s statement. He could expose himself to huge liability if he says anything about Jenna’s termination. He probably shouldn’t even have used the term “dirty laundry”. It’s her story to tell, if he tells it he could face legal ramifications.

[@karinaketcup]

I think people are blowing this out or proportion. If this was an office job or warehouse job, everyone would understand that is just normal protocol to only explain termination to the employee being terminated. They could also live in a right to work state which doesn't require companies to give you a reason for termination. It's just common sense/common laws. The girl also doesn't owe social media an explanation either🤷‍♀️

[@julieclancy9493]

i personally would not get tattooed by someone with no tattoos… 🤔

[@darknstormypodcast]

For once I disagree with making a video about something. Both of the artists involved in this situation should have said less. Nobody would care if she waited to say anything until she went to a different shop. At this point there is no drama to report. Mentor fired apprentice for some reason. We don't know anything about why she was let go. And his phrasing (although inflammatory in some ways) leads me to believe we will never know why she was let go. Leave it alone. This story would be super boring if you told it to someone who knows none of the people involved it does not have enough entertainment value to warrant a 20 minute video. Honestly.

[@annataymond9529]

I know no one in the situation, not even the the person who posted, but I was still curious enough to investigate. I thought it was a genuinely interesting exploration. Not bored at all.

[@Leoji0325]

My honest opinion is that something smells fishy, like drama. First off how the fuck can you hire an apprentice with no timeframe to secure their employment. Also it seems like Matt only wanted her for social media purposes and that's it. I don't want to assume anything about matt, he might be awesome and yk maybe it was beatboxing blueberry that started drama I'll never know I'm not in his shoes. But idk I can't help but feel like smthn is off.

[@mekareactsandreviews3026]

NO Ur Not entitled to know about anyone's personal life...No matter how public they chose to be...Cause they chose what to be public about...and for the most part on social media a public persona...is just a persona...You dont Actually know who they really are... If ppl still look at social media post and take it for face value, then ur naive... Just because they looked close doesn't mean they were. Matt handled the situation perfectly fine and did absolutely nothing wrong..

[@crosschopcostumes8782]

I won’t claim to have been invested much in this but their stuff did pop up on my instagram from time to time. I checked out her IG out of curiosity and only saw three actual posts of her work, right at the beginning of post history. The rest were TikTok reuploads. Which, as a potential client and tattoo collector, didn’t give me much confidence in her. Like, SHOW me your passion! Especially now that you’re seeking a new mentor, you should have that online portfolio presence 🤷

[@happybunny44]

So with me when i was an apprentice and some of my friends also being apprentices at the time, we had to find multiple apprenticeships bc either the shop was shady or the mentor was bad or both from what it seems talking with them. the industry has grown a lot but only the dedicated prevail in the end.

[@hethelbrooke8724]

Why tf does tattooing at home get you fired?? So me wanting to practice at home, or practicing on myself or friends or family or fake skin would get me fired?? That’s so stupid, I wanted to be a tattoo apprentice but that really makes me change my mind

[@vikkipink1288]

I think overall Matt actually did handle the situation well. Publicly shaming an employee for a mistake would a terrible idea. Considering the fact the first apprentice was able to publicly state his reason for leaving I don’t think there was anything keeping her from saying why if she wanted to. At least Matt has been upfront about him wanting people who are willing and able to do social media. Probably the best thing for him to going forward is maybe just hiring people who have a bit more experience and just need a small amount of hands on guidance and more so just need advice on how to grow. That’s just my opinion as someone that isn’t really from this industry. This has really nothing to do anything but the fact this blew up just for looking incredibly is lowkey kind of irritating. She could work literally anywhere. People who dress alternatively have so few options. That is definitely improving but it still a struggle. I had to completely give up my alternative look because it did not work for my life. I’m not even saying she should have been goth but just anything other than the most plain person I have either seen. I have absolutely no idea why people found that endearing in the slightest unless they’re just online often following tons of alternative people or they live in an area that has more people who are able to dress that way without being endlessly harassed. Like I said this is a minor complaint that is just me being a bit petty but that’s just my opinion.

[@AnnHerr]

I am Taylor Herr's grandmother and a general contractor. When I teach construction to kids or anyone the process slows me down. I have never charged and normally (as a real estate broker) I typically only do construction to homes I sell and have my client help me or do the work myself. Schools have offered to send me students to help and the schools pay for the W/C which is required for anyone working on a job. As a real estate broker I can hire agents but have to cover W/C and make sure the agents I hire follow the rules in real estate. TRUST me in Cali there are some rules...... Perhaps a school should be started for tattoo artists to learn?

[@haruhwa]

here is the thing: we have been watching her and him both. HE has been making tiktok one of his ways to relay news. its all good when ppl are following him, liking his videos, etc. but the moment we simply ask "why?" he hits us with "you can unfollow." dude???? granted i dont know what happened. for all i know she could have done something terribly bad. but this is no reason to react like he did to the ppl who ask simple questions.

[@dalaw1998]

something seems odd about it being so sudden and with the way employer privacy he wont be able to say what happened especially if she has done something wrong hopefully it was mutual or somewhat corgial

[@404JNF]

Definitely not mutual. She said it came as a surprise to her. Seems like it was at least semi-cordial though, neither of them have made content bashing the other

[@silasoconnell6413]

Not trying to villainize Matt, he's in the right in that he owes nobody an explanation, but the phrase "a failed student is a failed teacher" rubbed me the wrong way because in trying to put the blame on yourself you're calling your apprentice a FAILURE