[25 Words or Less - General Discussion]

On 4/1/2020 at 9:04 PM, Maverick said:

 I just started watching this show due to being stuck at home.   The prizes seem to rival those of a company picnic raffle (a two night vacation to the Hilton San Diego, a toaster oven), but it's a suitable diversion.  It don't get the point of Meredith setting the opening bid.   She's always in the 20s and the final bid is always at least in the teens.   This just seems like wasted time.

I agree about the bidding process and personally, I could do without all the smack talk and posturing that the celebs get so overly dramatic about. They try quite ridiculously to make it personal. Occasionally it seems as though the celebrities get so emotionally invested in winning the bid that they aren't really assessing themselves on their ability to enlighten their team. It's like macho chest beating. And they're putting the contestants' money where their mouth is. I find it laughable whenever someone folds with 15 or more words. Last night I was watching an old Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour from 1983 or thereabouts and their consolation prize was $300, so that really put 25 Words in perspective!

[S12.E16: Battle of the Sexes, Finale]

I didn't know the technical definition of "biomech" but I can deconstruct a word with the best of 'em, and bio (life) + mech (mechanical) caused me to expect something in the manner of a Borg character like Hugh (Three of Five), or the Bionic Woman, or the Terminator where you can see flesh fused with mechanical engineering. Not that which Dani did with her tattoo...it had me wondering, Is biomech a representation of anatomy from the inside out? Her skills were solid but the image was nonsensical.

I thought Laura's design looked way stronger on paper, those disks stood out more boldly in the background, than her actual execution of the tat on the canvas.

I agree that Jason's was the most legible/readable of the three.

My main complaint--mind you, I watched IM perhaps in seasons 2 and 3, not sure--Tatu Baby was in one of them and WTF did Dave bang her or not? excuse me--and then just happened to find a hole in my TV lineup that IM filled with this season. And after 13 seasons, they STILL give this hasty, rushed don't-look-too-close-now presentation of the season finale tats.

[S12.E13: Moving Pictures]

On 9/4/2019 at 9:17 PM, Charlesman said:

I was surprised the flash challenge even had a winner. I seem to remember in a previous season that when it was a challenge like that, they didn't declare any winner or loser. 

It was obvious none of the judges were going to shit on these inspirational and personally chosen canvas "murals" and thereby make the recipients feel that they'd gotten the shaft or subpar work. 

I agree with the person here who said Pon's artwork was jacked. I thought Cam's was the least impressive, but it did suit his client. It just looked pretty simplistic at this point in the game.

Dani's design was jacked--those little hooks and the squareness of the eagle's wings along with the head turned sideways, made it look like the eagle as rendered --I say this matter of factly-- in some Nazi imagery. If i could provide an example without googling "nazi eagle" I would. But some of you get what I'm talking about, i imagine. I would not have been pleased to get that, if I'd asked for an eagle.

[S12.E08: Pins and No Needles]

2 hours ago, stormy weather said:

... instead we got Woody and Bullseye from Toy Story (which no one could mention for copyright reasons, I guess?), so I'm sorry to see him go but he kind of deserved it.

Next on the list of people who kinda deserve to go home for me is Ash. Again, I'm sorry because she's very likable (apart from when she cries every 30 seconds) but she's clearly not as good as the other contestants. Her tattoo this week was alright, but the color was not blended very well and the design itself was super simple compared to everyone else's, and I feel that is an aspect that should also be taken into account by the judges.

Well observed re: Toy Story, and I completely agree about Ash. She's a tad bit naive when saying, everybody's so mean!

[S12.E08: Pins and No Needles]

Look, it's easy to see why we might get confused---but let me be clear and correct me if I am wrong:  Pon is the kinda soft spoken black guy who can't draw and had the horse riding cowboy canvas. (If you look at his 2 sample tats on the IM website, they both read simple, i.e. not elaborate or highly detailed).

Fon is the bearded white guy who is primarily a black and gray artist (?) Was his tat last night the Wizard? I joined this season about 4 episodes in so I don't have a firm grasp of everyone's talents.  

But I am SURE there was a P on the wall when Pon got sent home.

[S12.E08: Pins and No Needles]

1 hour ago, Charlesman said:

I dunno, I think Pon could have done something like the classic rearing-up pose, the human on two legs, rearing up, with his arms bent in front with the hands bent down, and the horse on his back, waving a cowboy hat in the air, like this but with the roles reversed... but... Pon can't draw. Pon could only copy a reference of what he found online. For that reason he deserved to go home... because he couldn't create an image the canvas wanted other than the horsefucking one. If he had drawing talent he could have satisfied the canvas and avoided the suggestive angle. But he could only do it head-on because he doesn't have the drawing talent needed.

I noticed that! I'm surprised none of the judges brought it up. It's not quite as egregious as misspelling the Bible book from seasons ago, but, still, something they will usually nail an artist for HARD.

Yes, I agree, the human rearing up was the way to go. Is that Dale Evans? And no argument, it is clear Pon can't draw. I just felt like his task was largely doomed from the get go.

[S12.E08: Pins and No Needles]

8 hours ago, 2727 said:

I love when Dave gets to be the deciding judge: "I don't want a tattoo of a horse fucking me!"

Hopefully more women will win TOTD now that the judges' favoritism curse has been broken. Dani continues to be robbed, but I was pleased for Ash and Alexis that they finally got positive feedback during the critique.

Fon shows what happens when someone specializes primarily in one style; this isn't Black and Gray Realism Master.

Dave got right to the essence of things with that comment. 

Here' what really bothers me, if you'll allow me some backstory. I've been a sporadic watcher of Ink Master, not seen all seasons but a few. The one that stands out in memory was the one with Tattoo Baby. Can I say pussywhipped in here? And it's frustration with the judges and their shifting priorities and inconsistent evaluations that have often left a sour taste in my mouth and sent me running to check out Skin Wars. Ok Rebecca Romijn is prettier than Dave, Chris or Oliver, too.

These guys (Dave, Chris and Oli) present the main challenge, the central parameters of each contest. They have also, over the years, emphasized "giving your canvas what they want." But when it comes time to judge the tats, pleasing the client goes out the window. It is sheerly technical application that drives their assessments. Or personal taste.

These canvases aren't chosen like lotto numbers---the producers know full well what they are asking for in a tat. I REALLY felt for Pon. I give him some degree of credit for trying to deliver AND downplay the perversion of what the guy asked for, his drawing notwithstanding. His canvas's request was a metaphor for his own scenario. I myself fail to imagine a cowboy-riding horse that doesn't result in a perversely suggestive image. Because a man has to go on all fours to be ridden by a horse..or the horse has to stand on two feet like a human.

So , for Dave to opine as he did---well, ya, this canvas is a sick mf who should move to Washington state and work for Boeing--but if your canvas wants a tat of a horse fucking a cowboy? Is the judging criteria now, Which of these tats do I like most and would most want myself?

Fair enough, the judging is often hasty and glossed over---which is why I missed the comment about the boot overlapping an existing tat. Thought Oli was talking cowboy's boot near to horse's hoof. 

Also before I wrap up this rant...most of the tats required multiple images. Jake's canvas asked for a pizza eating sushi, if I heard right. Most of the others, if not all, delivered multi aspect images. Jake's was only the melting skull pizza slice.

[Favorite and Least Favorite Episodes]

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[S12.E07: Sabotage]

On 7/24/2019 at 2:53 AM, Kelda Feegle said:

I'd rather wear Ash's than Tito's, the horns on Creepy Jason's would drive me insane- one in and one out seems like a mistake of epic proportions.

I know, right? They really glossed over those horns. It was like two left feet.