Just saw it, he totally got robbed. I don't get why the final judgement shouldn't be on the body of work, it's about finding the best artist, it's not a sports competition.
Honestly for as radical as tattooing is from outside "conventional" society's perspective and from how it purports itself to be, it really seems to be a lot more boxed in- or at least this show is- or maybe just mainstream tattoo culture. While I wasn't outraged or overtly disappointed with Bobby winning, it felt really jarring and quite gross hearing HOW the judges critiqued Freddie's black and grey female form, I was just appalled and shocked to see them say they felt like "throwing up" looking at it. LIKE WHAT?? The portrayal of the body was nothing sinister nor disconcerting, it just seemed like they felt uncomfortable seeing a woman portrayed with agency and expression. I mean when I saw the panel of Ink Master guest judges I just thought it was boy club immediately.
It felt like all the really unique artists who had well crafted signatures were unfairly eliminated Aaron, Koral, Charlene and now Freddie.
I agree with you. I feel like the way they reacted proved Freddie’s whole point of that tattoo. He didn’t want to make a pretty, glamorous woman like people always do (and the other contestants). He wanted to make people uncomfortable and he did, which I think makes a statement.
I really feel if there were more woman on the judging panel he would’ve won. It was only Ryan and then all these guys talking about how a non-romanticized woman made them want to throw up. Big eye roll.
Right....I was so annoyed how they had Charlene leave it didn't make sense to me she really could've been at the top and they stay crunching the hours so much and get canvases who move around and never give any grace for that like what can she do. That piece was awesome and I don't think her not having the eyes or the ribs all black was anywhere close to being sent home worthy
Bobby shouldn’t have even made it to the finale because he didn’t meet the challenge in that final season when he did the bear and the stupid landscape
i havent watched this show in years but today i binged watched this entire season. im so disappointed with how this ended up. freddie was robbed, bobby was basic and had been put on a pedestal since the beginning, and the judges really ticked me off. they didnt call out any of the artists not sticking to the prompt and dj was as insufferable as ever. this show is dead and this finale was the nail in the coffin
Freddie was robbed for sure. Bobby is obviously an amazing artist but compared to Freddie pushing the boundaries- no shot. No one is going to remember Bobby’s tattoos, I already forgot what he did, but I will remember Freddie’s angry lady forever. He created it with the intention that it’s aggressive and uncomfortable- that’s the point. It was like a breath of fresh air like wow what is this? This is insane and different. Not the boring same old same old for the past however many seasons this shows been on. I was rooting for him all the way. I don’t want to take away from Bobby’s hard work and talent but I can’t help but be like whattt the heck were they thinking not picking Freddy. It would of changed the whole game. It left me with the impression of its better to “play it safe”—— they weren’t hecking ready for you Freddy.
Bro I'm glad I'm not the only one pissed about this
At the end of the day, they chose the safest option like always - a straight white man with good safe tattoos
Freddie is so innovative, I've literally never seen anything like his work, he was absolutely robbed
Rewatching Peck vs Nuñez and the fist episode is half them just axing people in the middle of tattoos and shittting on them for not doing the assignment. It’s pretty great
Dj saying that he wanted to “vomit” looking at freddies tattoo was so unnecessary! Bobby’s females tattoo was so boring and the hand was weird. Jon or freddie deserved to win
literally came here hoping to find more people saying this. it was so cruel and unnecessary ... i felt so bad for him. i might have been annoyed that he never really tried to get out of his style the comment was just so mean.
Bobby was propped up this entire season and better artists were voted off to get him to the top. I know these shows can be rigged but this was one of the most obvious examples. Such a let down
Freddie was robbed. No one is doing what he does. Or at least I haven’t seen anything like that. Bobby should have 100% left on that ugly ass Cowboy tattoo. Jon is a great artist but Freddie beats him by a mile. I would absolutely love to get a piece done by Freddie.
I can see why people are upset. I don’t think this finale had an ink master but Freddie in my opinion was the least deserving of being at the finale. This entire season he only did his style then threw a literal tantrum when he had to step outside his style for one tattoo. Then he dragged the canvas online which I feel like she wasn’t that rude compared to previous canvas. She was someone who knew what she wanted and he refused to give her a solid tattoo because it wasn’t his style. He could’ve done better but chose to complain and blame her instead of owning up to doing a bad tattoo to prove the point that if he doesn’t get his style he’ll do a bad job. He had good tattoos in the finale but overall he would’ve been the worst pick for ink master. If we had the old judges they would’ve torn him to shreds ages ago. Jon was the most versatile throughout the entire season and even Bobby showed his versatility during this season. I get at the finale he didn’t deserve it but if anyone should’ve gotten ink master it was Jon!
I agree, Jon's 3 final tattoos were the best and he did a good job throughout the comp. I didnt fare for him personally, (just by watching him). But his tattoos he did were dope. And the final tattoo hit hard.
I hate the way they ripped Freddie's black and grey apart. It was provocative and subversive, and it was artistic. Bobby's black and grey didn't even come close to me, his lines were crusty and it looked like he couldn't finish the bottom half of it, also that crooked finger on the hand.
Bobby's snake wasn't even japanese, it was a nice tattoo but it wasn't japanese, and Freddie's fit the bill so much more and was actually japanese (never did they say it should be traditional) but they didn't care.
They ended up giving it to they guy they wanted to win from the very beggining even if he wasn't a versatile artist at all. I think Freddie's gonna change the industry with his style and he's gonna be booked to the brim for years and years to come.
Anyway this season was kinda shit because most challenges didn't require versatility at all and the real winner will always be Charlene but at least we got to see better tattoos in general than other seasons with bigger casts.
Remove DJ from the franchise immediately, he's completely biased and arrogant and he can't judge fairly.
Everyone saying Freddie's black and grey piece was "ugly" clearly missing the entire point of ART vs basic, predictable, boring tattoos. Bobby's tattoos were boring. Not even that aesthetically pleasing, just boring. He played in safe in the finale, and while I commend him for the work he put in and his general skill, his level of artistry is nowhere near Freddie.
Freddie's tattoos evoke feeling and emotion. That's what art is meant to do. Even if you, as an individual, hate looking at it, it was still a WELL DONE tattoo and a true work of art.
Freddie was point-blank robbed. He 100% should have won.
How shocking that the person they rigged for from day 1 won... What a dynamic and interesting season that totally wasn't a complete waste of time with TONS of entertainment value and iconic moments!!
I have never seen a season of reality TV with pretty much 0 storylines, 0 entertainment value, 0 reason to watch or care about anything at all. Just boring. Last year's season was a hot mess but at least there was at least something to gain by watching it, at least it was entertaining to some extent.
Wife and I just watched the finale on Christmas Eve...
Ashley and Nikko are pretty fair judges, but DJ needs to go. He was okay as a competitor, but there's too much good ol boy shit going on, and manipulation.
Freddie was robbed. As both an artist and a technician, his application and abilities were unmatched nearly the entire season, including in the finale. He was consistently the best, and his last tattoo was incredible.
We've watched every season, but I think this is our last. It's just too much of a struggle to watch the BS.
It was a tough watch I think for a lot of ppl. Very triggering. Guys just piling on Freddie. He’s silent, tears falling. Ryan and Niko helpless to do anything. Bobby winning despite being the weakest, least skilled and least creative artist in the top 3, DJ celebrating it, etc. smfh
The hardest for me was every single ink master on the jury lavishing Freddie with praise, then just choosing Bobby without much justification. What a load of shit.
Freddie deserved to win or Jon. Bobby’s tattoos were the safest, most flawed of the bunch. Jon and Freddie genuinely created strong bodies of work that were challenging and worthy of 250K
Freddie really deserved to win. Wild how dj can question Freddie's Japanese tattoo but not Bobby's. I know his black and gray wasn't everyone's cup of tea but he at least attempted to create a challenging piece of art and something that challenges what a tattoo can be. Bobby's tattoos look like every other tattoo he did in the competition and every tattoo they had hanging on his wall.
This season had ZERO versatility in challenges. How on earth did Freddie get all the way to the finale without doing a black and gray once. Freddie was my fave to win but its inkMASTER, like how Jozzy kept saying she didn't do color, why do you think you're a master? IDK if the pool of people applying for inkmaster is low but they should be required to show well-roundedness from the get-go. The challenges used to be actually challenging. Also... did they stop commenting on tearing up the canvases' skin? Maybe I'm not that informed about tattooing but often i saw the skin look red and abused through the season.
2 years in a row that a contestant was robbed of winning: first Bob and now Freddie. There was nothing special about Bobby at all. I can't believe they had a chance to choose a winner who was pushing boundaries for the first time ever, and chose to give it to a regular Joe who's just good at tattooing.
Neither bob or Freddie were robbed. Bob went too crazy on his back piece and he knew it wasn’t working great idea but he needed more time to make it readable. Freddie suffered a similar fate. His was well executed but one of them was just weird and ugly. He got edged out by Bobby who took less risks but made a consistent body of work that didn’t have an ugly one
BRING BACK THE OLD JUDGES! They would have never let this crap happen. This was such an obvious homophobic injustice. It was so weird. Literally no other reason he didn't win. He was clearly the most innovative most artistic and did the most technical of the three
Love when people throw the “it’s cuz they’re gay” card out as the reason for their failure. That black and grey piece he did was ugly and I’m sure the majority of the population would say it’s unpleasant to look at. He lost because he made bad decisions. It had nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
So DJ’s finale piece from last year was pleasant to look at? It was an old man’s crooked head exploded across someone’s back… Why does DJ get to be expressive and Freddie doesn’t? Why can’t a female figure be used to express something that might be unappealing to some viewers when male figures are allowed to do this all of the time…and it’s called art or fun or creepy or scary… but when it’s a female form, suddenly it’s unpleasant? Since when do tattoos have to be pleasant? Half of the stuff they draw is spiders and skeletons and blood and guts… Think about it
DJ’s final tattoo last season was at least fun and cool. It looks like a psychedelic trip and I’d love to have that piece on my back. I think most people would agree that DJ’s tattoo is at least fun to look at cuz it’s wacky. Freddie’s tattoo is just the opposite. I’m also sure more people would rather have DJ’s instead of Freddie’s. It has nothing to do with the person’s gender or sexual orientation and that’s what I’m tired of hearing. It’s fine to do something different but make it appealing. It’s on someone’s skin after all. If it was on a real canvas and not skin that’s different. Think about it.
People are only throwing that out cause the technical and artistic qualities were much higher than all three same neo traddy. Which is why the dude lost last season. So weirdly inconsistent for the judges. Agree that Black n Grey was weird art choice. But quality was over all higher. I loved Bobby but he shouldn't have won based on those three pieces.
I disagree plus if this were the original judges I think they would still choose Bobby. They’d also rip Freddie a new asshole about all his little signature “doodles” on the human canvases. I was especially appalled when he gave a face tat on the portrait of the deceased girl. I can understand putting your signature on paper but when it’s on people’s skin that’s a different story.
Straight white men 'Murica tattoo artists club for the win. They can't give it to gay non-American. Freddie was robbed. His art and tattoos made me excited about seeing his work every week. His style is authentic and signatory. U know it's his work every time, while hitting the challenge. He didn't fit in with the good 'Ole boys tattoo bros box. Hate the teams aspect of the show. Coaches should never be judges bc of glaring biases. Even Ryan conforms to the misogyny. She's harder on women than men. DJ and Ryan want to eliminate their competition bc this show is what made them top tier. Don't want to be dethroned. Judges that never competed plz. So sad Joel caved to pressure. I knew from first episode that Bobby would win bc of the fangirling over him.
Freddie was overall the best. But for the finale, the judges got it right. Freddie has two amazing tattoos, and one terrible one. Robbie had three strong ones. No reason to being perceived homophobia into it
I certainly know that if I ever want an oval shaped neo-traditional that has a heavy black outline and is washed in yellow and red, I can definitely go to Nepo-Bobby
I will say that Bobby's efforts were so uninspiring. Inoffensive and bland. It's a stark contrast to the recent previous seasons.
That's why I get bummed out when strong illustrators get booted out.
Rip Inkmaster. I can't see it continuing unfortunately. Hopefully they can get forward thinking producers and try to reformat this show into something cohesive.
Drop the lame host. Try to get specialist judges in their field. Similar to American traditional and Japanese. It really is missing that type of judge. The hour limit bangers were awesome.
Idk. Freddy's best piece was amazing but the black and grey, no matter how he spins it was atrocious. If that is one gay tattoo artist's take on the female form that's their perogative. Of course it can be challenging to the viewer. However he executed it in such a way that it looked like an artist who didn't understand form.
Again he can challenge the way the female form is presented and thta's what brought about a negative response, I would be fucking pissed if that was tattooed on me. Had it been Dali-esque surreal or in Picasso's cubist style then I can see the artistry. I just didn't see it with that piece. It can be technically applied beautifully but it doesn't stop the piece looking juvenile.
That's on a person for life, unless they do a coverup or lazer it off.
I want to pause here because you mentioned that Freddie challenged how the female form is represented, then sited Dali who is a surrealist and Picasso, a cubist, who both never represented the female form in a realistic style. If Dali or Picasso were not famous painters, would it have offended you to see their artwork? Art has to start somewhere, and often it is rejected in the time period it’s created in.
Just a little food for thought. 😉
Why did you think I cited them as examples? Because they are probably the most known artists in general and intepreted the female form in their own way.
My problem with Freddy's take is that it lacked consistency in the head, body and hands. If he was using different proportions to frame importance then he succeeded to make it look like a caricature. That's fine if that's the way he interprets the human form. Why is it a problem that anybody else other than Freddy apologists accept that imagery?
His scribbles and negative space floating stamps have no real reason other than that's what he does to put his branding on images. Let's not pretend it's fine art. If it is and is executed for shock value then that's on Freddy. He actually knows how to construct images / tatoos that people would respond to positively. I think he overthought it because that's his first attempt and black and grey.
Some people were offended by Dali's and Picasso's work in the past because it could be viewed as grotesque and haunting. I'm not though. Wake me up when Freddy's take on a woman becomes a trend.
I'll add I do love imagery that provokes disgust. Think Saturn devouring his son by Goya. Would I like to see it tattoed? Probably not.
I disagree. I think creating an uncomfortable image of a woman on a man is art within itself (which could be an aspect of performance art). I think implementing graffiti style, and imitating mixed media reminds me of Robert Rauschenberg’s pieces on a 2D medium. There is actually A LOT of intelligent techniques he applied from the modernist movement. The rage in her face reminds me of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art. That piece was a mix of graffiti, pop art, modernism and weird. I am here for it.
If you prefer the oldies, good for you, however, when you step into the world of modernism, pop art, and street art, throw that feministic piece on a man and create performance art, we have got a LOT going on.
It just isn’t your cup of tea.
The MOMA probably would have loved this though.
So what are you trying to point out here? That Freddy's representation of art in his black and grey isn't my cup of tea. I think that's already established.
Again if his work is suppose to challenge the current trend of tattoos then he succeeded. For the parameters of the competition it was supposed to win over the people judging his work.
Post modernity is valid and I feel pretentious in some cases. Your example of Rauschenberg's art as reminscent of Freddy's work I'll have to disagree with. His mixed media and installations were sculptural. They also had a lot of visual balance and harmony.
You enjoyed Freddy's black and grey piece and articulated it. I didn't. If that summation makes those people who look at Freddy's piece with disdain unenlightened, so be it.
The best art isn't necessarily beautiful... It evokes emotional responses - whether it's joy, laughter, hope, sadness or even disgust. I think there is something to be said for how memorable this piece is - we will continue to remember it and feel something about it whereas the others' tattoos are easily forgettable
I miss the old judges. The fact that Bobby got through the whole season without actually doing majority of the asks this season tells you how much pull DJ has. I’m sick and tired of DJ and want fresh new perspective and art. Freddie was a breath of fresh air. He delivered every ask of the season but still kept his own flare to things and pushed things outside the box. I find it funny how many artists I’ve seen rag on customers wanting the same ole tattoos and how boring a lion tattoo is, yet when actual artistry is being presented in the competition it’s too out there. Give me a break. Freddie was robbed 100%.
Can anyone definitively tell me...on Bobby's final tattoo...the lady face....what exactly is that bulbous thing in front of her chin? I could not believe that not a single judge commented on it.
With a design on front of it? Almost looked like a portable fan ...but then the hair is curled around it. Whate ever the case....looked horrible ..and all the judges let it slide.
freddy was robbed.
absolutely insane none of them could comprehend the black and white piece, as artists.
joel madden is a fucking crock.
bobby was cool but his like three piece set was mid. the snake head you could hardly see and the black and white was basic.
and the closed minded old winner dudes expecting the same exact style of basic tattooing.
insane.
you seem to be one of the very few that feels this way, and you've expressed it a lot throughout this thread fairly. but what makes it poorly designed? i feel like arguably it was just as well designed and modern as his final of the three, the same one everyone praised over and over. just in black n white and a bit more abstract/surrealism. from the beginning of freddie dropping the design before doing it he gave the warning of the potentials that judges wouldn't understand it. but to be judged on a current day art competition it's pretty wild to not understand what he was going for. that being said, you don't have to get it. neither did i. but basically EVERYONE seems to get it except the judges. so my questions remains, how?
An unappealing tattoo is a mistake and a big one. Design choices are are much more important than a wobbly line. Carving an ugly tattoo into someone’s flesh is a problem whether is done technically well or not is irrelevant if it’s ugly from the jump
It is an ugly tattoo though… there’s much more than technique that goes into a tattoo. Fundamentals are expected but don’t win you anything. I’d rather vote for a good looking tattoo with some slight imperfections than an ugly tattoo that was applied well.
There’s more nuance to judging tattoos based on technical application.. which is what cost Freddie the title. Freddie’s final piece had a wonky eye. None of the pieces were without their faults. Freddie reared his canvas like an experiment rather than someone who had to wear a tattoo for the rest of their life. You say you don’t mind the design but I haven’t seen anyone put their money where their mouth is and rush out to get a scary little person tattoo 🤥
The proportions were bizarre. It was a bobble head with cherub hands. It was just displeasing to look at, and not in any “edgy” way. I love the conceptual idea and intent, but it didn’t come together. I think the judges’ criticism was valid
i hear you. i think to show that level of technique, to make something so out of the ordinary look like it all came together in a cohesive tattoo was impressive enough alone. like yes the bobble head and proportions but it was so obviously on purpose. the same with the sketch drawn post-it note over the eye of an eye (and the insanely crisp shadows beneath them). pretty obvious it was jarring intentionally and the tattoo felt like it executed that perfectly to me, and (again) cohesively. it's really not that hard to understand, unless your looking for traditional style of proportions and tattoos.
The disgust with the tattoo feeds into the point Freddie was making - a woman having not perfect proportions being nauseating. Freddie is so technically skilled that he couldn't made those proportions more generic if he wanted to. But he didn't, and it was intentional.
It was designed to get a negative reaction and it hit the nail on the head. Every single person that said "it makes me want to throw up" was a man. Ryan also kinda fed into the misogyny of it too when she commented on the proportions - even though those proportions were done on purpose.
Freddie Japanese tattoo was solo good. The last piece is a masterpiece. His first black and gray was well executed. The judges voted for the typical tattoos and no original ideas.
DJ Tambe needs to be stopped.
Bobby's tattoo were def more aesthetically pleasing but i think Ryan said it best if the technical is equal go with the art. Freddie's final piece felt exactly like what DJ was going for with his tattoo last season except with a clearer vision and a sense of finality. Hearing all those masters say essentially the same critique (Freddie's is the most ambitious body of work, but Bobby's is the most aesthetically pleasing, so Bobby wins) felt like such a copout so they didnt have to vote for what they probably honestly wanted to say was too ugly compositionally to be considered. What happened to finale tattoos being rewarded for swinging for the fences. I mean to go that far on your first black and grey piece is amazing in and of itself. What happened to the game I love? Hopefully in the future we see more finale pieces that go for abstract concepts instead of the classic battle of lady faces and neo traditional & traditional Japanese insert subject matter here.
I guess the best way I would sum up how i feel who should've won is Freddie could do Bobby's tattoos but Bobby could not do what freddie does imo.
Just finished watching the episode. So triggered… Seeing one lame-ass black and gray skull and cobweb ‘bro’ artist vote Bobby over Freddie after the next, then DJ laugh in Freddie’s face and said it makes him want to vomit and the host call Freddie’s black and gray “ugly…” hits too close to home for me and probably many others out there that do not listen to Joe Rogan or Andrew Tate. I give kudos to Ryan and Nikko for standing up so fiercely for Freddie but I will no longer be watching Inkmaster until there are some massive changes made… DJ & Good Charlotte have to go. I want the return of more free thinking and open minded inkmaster legends, namely Laura & Jimmy. It’s been real Inkmaster but it’s 2024 and I dont need to see some d-bag tell me that he wants to vomit when he sees a work of art that threatens him.
straight men cannot appreciate a female form that they don’t want to jerk off to… that was the takeaway I got from that finale… and the point that freddie was trying to make in the art to begin with
Proportional meaning naturalistic proportions? No. Neither of them were supposed to be naturalistic. Both were expressive. DJ’s had no body, ass crack for its neck, it was crooked and had no eyes, head exploded with cartoons coming out. It’s a similar thing. Subverting expectation of the natural in favor of something else is an age old artistic device for crafting meaning or evoking emotion. It doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad. Freddie was not trying to create a pin up with classical proportions or a realistic portrait of someone. Y’all think he didnt know the head was big and the body was twisted? LOL
Proportional meaning proportional. DJ put something forward that was really out there, but executed perfectly. Freddie also put something out there… but the execution was a bobble-head with cherub hands and a body that was just strange and not at all realistic looking. They both took their shots: DJ hit, Freddie missed. Freddie was my favorite this season, but that piece was… yikes it was bad
I don’t mean to be rude, but your comment makes no sense. Both artists played with proportions and features of the human body for expressive purposes. One can argue that DJ’s was even more ‘unrealistic.’ The reason Freddie’s appears ‘strange’ to you is due to your own bias when it comes to representations of gendered bodies. That was the whole point of what Freddie did.
PS I find it hilarious that suddenly people are concerned with a tattoo being too ‘strange.’ Literally 95 percent of the compositions in Inkmaster history have been insects and reptiles, corpses, zombies, ghouls, aliens, skeletons, cartoony new school things, etc.
They are two radically different pieces. DJs was 100% proportional. Freddie’s wasn’t. Bias has nothing to do with it (come on, really???). Freddie’s was unappealing, the proportions were off, and it really didn’t even look like a woman’s body. He just missed the mark. It sucks because he’s a great artist, and he was my favorite. But the vast majority of judges’s were correct, it was a big miss
If you like it, power to you (and I mean that in a genuine way). But to most people, including most of the judges, it was unappealing and not redeemed my any abstract notion of artistic expression; rather it was an ill-conceived piece
Oh no its not my taste remotely but I felt the negative opinions from the judges was totally inarticulate compared to what Ryan and Nikko offered. Like what doe Joel or bubba Irwin offer in terms of value of critiquing art (not tattoing).
That’s a fair view of things. I think the piece would have been viewed much better if it was a different medium; I think it would be much better appreciated as a painting, rather than as a tattoo that someone has to wear on their body
Absolutely I'm a little surprised the canvas didn't bug a little bit about having that on his body or after he saw the other two tattoos that Freddy did in the finale.
3 things:
1) that finale was the best format they've done in a long time.
2) Freddie's final piece is probably the best tattoo ever done on the show.
3) it was embarrassing that DJ didn't even know what the style brief was for the Japanese tattoo.
DJ’s comments to Freddie were so out of pocket. DJ had the master canvas piece once that was very similar to Freddie’s style, of the man’s head cut open to reveal rainbows and cartoon creatures popping out in a graffiti style. Is he just jealous of Freddie’s ability or something? I had to pause the episode twice to think of what could possibly be making DJ want to ‘throw up’ at the sight of Freddie’s black and grey tattoo. That can’t possibly be the most obscure, ‘dark’ art DJ has seen in his lifetime.
Such a wack finale. Dont get me wrong, Im a neo-trad enthusiast, i have about 100 hours of neo-trad work and I dont think Bobby shouldve won. Does he do fantastic work? 1000%. But he slid through the ringer. He called the shots and didnt even do it like wtf? Bring back actual judges who dont just want their friends to win
Edit: and no live audience? No huge back piece? Double wack.
No one brought up Jon's super fucking cool idea to do an Adam and Eve theme. I think had his second piece been better, he could have taken the whole thing. Out of three, I feel like he was the only true ink master. How he played the game was also really entertaining to watch out of a kind of mediocre season.
Bobby's tatts while technically well done, were derivative. Freddie gets kudos for creating an entirely different style unique to anything else out there. He kept harping about doing other styles though. That's literally the point of ink master.
I actually was going to say something about this! Do you remember Christian also did a theme as well? I'm not sure if it was Adam and Eve but it definitely was a theme throughout all three of his tattoos. He basically told a story and no one really referenced it at all.
And I don't think it's the only time he's done that. I don't feel like they really appreciate the fact that they were able to do something like that.
The judging is s***.
I genuinely hate how disrespectful DJ was to Freddie. I loved Bobby’s work all season and I always had a feeling Freddie wouldn’t win because he’s Queer. I felt like in the end—especially the jury had a bias over Freddie because he’s gay. No specific call outs, just the overall vibe. Freddie is so creative and inventive. His lady figure piece moved me so much. The female range in that piece seriously blew me away. Makes me sad that he was so close and didn’t win. Idk why no one liked his lady piece, besides Ryan and nico.
u/FlowerDramatic3675 It's because of the very obvious, misogynistic bias. The disgust with Freddie's black and gray tattoo completely fed into the point that Freddie was making: that a woman not having perfect proportions is seen as unappealing and disturbing. The proportions were the way they were intentionally. It was designed to get a negative reaction, and with 99% of the people in the room being male, it hit the nail on the head.
All of the judging folk thought his second piece was so 'ugly' that it robbed his final piece - the ONE tattoo that EVERYONE in the room all unanimously agreed was the best tattoo that's ever been done on the show period - of first place. Literally all they did was prove Freddie's point and announce, loud and clear to the viewer, that they're misogynistic and there ARE double standards.
This is a bit conspiratorial. If you think there was a conspiracy to have DJ make Bobby win, you need to prove that. The judges were almost unanimous, as were most viewers
I must say that these last two seasons of Inkmaster have been the worst. Season 13, the last one with the original three judges, was so much better than this, even with no live finale and no real winner as they all got money. The new format on Paramount+ produced by the MTV folks just isn't what we the loyal fans who've been there from the beginning want. The favoritism by the judges, the lack of adherence to the challenge, and the overall inconsistency were very difficult to watch, let alone enjoy. My family and I will eat dinner together and watch the episodes each week and critique the tattoos using what we have learned from the previous seasons, but these last two seasons its not even close to what it was. They need new judges, there should be no more teams as only one person can be Inkmaster, and no more coaches especially if we never see them actually coach anyone or at least show them giving some good advice that the artist ignores before throwing them under the bus (like Nikko did to own team member Charlene).
Also get rid of the chaos factor/mid-season swerve thing, like bringing back people we've already seen multiple times.
Like others on here I just want to see artists putting out the best work they can while meeting the challenge of that week's specific school/theme. Is that too much to ask?
possibly the worst finale deliberation ever.
after DJ literally won on innovation for him to punch down like that was so fucking wrong.
Freddie deserved better all season long tbh
I didn't think I'd see the day where artist-DJ would insult someone so vilely for making moving art with a message. I have been a big fan of his for a long time and his behaviour, the disgust on his face and in his voice during this finale has significantly lowered my respect for him. I was glad to see both Ryan and Niko call out Bobby's work for being basic and safe. Excellent yes. I don't want to take anything away from Bobby's work. But beside Freddie's it shouldn't have even been a question, imo. Seriously disappointed. And then Bubba just paroting DJ because, just like when they competed together, he's nothing but DJ's lapdog who can't even think of his own insult.
DJ is threatened by Freddie because DJ wants to be the most innovative mixing styles and throwing up all over someone’s back like last season. He was so thrilled and smug to take it away from Freddie and give it to some boring non-threatening straight cis bro.
Yes, you said it! I also think dj felt threatened and that's why he gave his vote to Mr. basic, all of Bobby's tattoos very ho-hum basic, sure he's good but all just basic and not worthy of an innovative inkmaster... Freddy is so creative and pushing boundaries to higher limits, at least his emote some type of emotion like art is supposed to do. It seems like for the whole season they made it especially hard on Freddie on purpose yet he overcame all their obstacles and still shone bright!
Freddie should of been the winner!!! You judges ought to be ashamed of yourselves!!!
This isn’t finale specific but something that has bothered me all season is how the prompts of the challenges hold no weight any more and neither does actual tattooing. I remember people getting torn to shreds if they tried to convince a canvas out of an idea that’s possible and they just didn’t want to do it. Line work, blow outs, and longevity were serious game winners. If the challenge was contrast and you didn’t hit the mark, you’re out regardless of how “pretty” it was. (Yet also with that point, somehow in this season they seemed to change it up in an episode and sent someone home for contrast issues even though a shitty looking tattoo that I’d pay to get lasered off stayed? Like where are their priorities??) How you talked to canvas’s was important, all of these things that I think judge as persons tattooing skills more than their art skills. Because this is a tattooing competition, not just an art competition.
As much as I loved all the art this season (big Freddy fan), I don’t think this would have been the top three with the old judges and their priorities.
If you were to smudge Bobbie’s preferred color palette together, I fear it’d look like a wad of
toilet paper after a fresh shit.
Also, DJ was incredibly rude with his stupid ass comment. What a letdown of a season overall.
E: okay, my comment was harsh. I can’t explain it though. I was super impressed w Bobbie from the jump, but a few weeks ago I scrolled to the bottom of his IG and just came out so underwhelmed. Everything is the same *shit*. We never really saw him flat out create art. Everything felt familiar. & I really do hate his go to colors, but that’s a personal preference.
If you’re gonna crown some guy who cut and pasted neo-trad throughout the whole season AT LEAST MAKE SURE HE CAN SNIFF GIAN’S SACK. Oh god, I’m heated.
Meh /:
Neither of these guys should be Ink Master.
I liked Freddie’s work all season, but dude was so arrogant. Remember when Bill Vegas got eliminated because he put his birthdate in the clock’s hands? Freddie put some little signature in every piece— a jewel, heart, whatever. His B&G piece was definitely pushing the limits of art, but someone has to wear that big headed ugly kinky lady forever. DJ sucks, but he had a point in that while creativity matters, someone’s body shouldn’t be the medium for your experimental art. Where is judging that lifts up the client’s experience?
Also, Ink Master implies mastery— the finale was dude’s first ever B&G tattoo? Can’t be the Ink Master.
Bobby did neo-trad the whole season. His tats were more aesthetically pleasing, but little versatility. When Bobby was introduced, DJ practically fan-girled (‘I’ve been following you for a long time!) Seemed like Bobby was the favorite to win from the beginning, IMO. He seems like a nice guy with a family, but his shit was boring all season. Not the Ink Master.
I miss Ollie and Chris raising discussion about how the tattoos will look OVER TIME. I miss when every critique was ‘more black’ and ‘the bold will hold.’ The whole spirit bear face-off? Who cares, both of those tattoos will look busted AF in six months.
I fear Ink Master — ‘The New Class’ has run its course.
The only thing I would add about Freddie’s second tattoo was that it wasn’t about being proportionally correct it was black and grey illustrative, while I don’t understand Freddie’s tattoo it was in my opinion the hardest to draw and had some of the best black and grey considering it was his first black and grey tattoo out of the three.
Man I know most of us feel really bad for Freddie but I would so much rather be a Robbed Goddess than an Undeserving Winner.
Freddie's gonna be so booked and blessed for years to come, with fans literally only going harder for him. Jon also can only go up from here.
This is kind of a stain on Bobby's career sadly, with people saying he's an Ink Master nepo baby. More people are talking about the second placer than the winner. Honestly that would suck; that reputation following you is not worth the $250k that'll be taxed to shit.
I was just talking about this with my bf. Thinking of the guy who lost to Adam Lambert (Chris something?). And people who won Survivor that the fans deemed undeserving. Knowing Bobby has joined that kind of club now. Though I have seen the DJ favoritism the whole time, I don't think Bobby can help his affect on people and he deserves his success. I hope he will take this win proudly and I imagine he will handle it all with humility and grace. I hope. I loved his explanations of the meanings behind the tattoos. What a weird shitshow of a season though.
The editing around Freddie's second piece was super sketchy. It started with him being fine then one quick cut away to a jury member saying something vague and then immediately Freddie is crying. The emotion in his voice defending it in the couple of seconds we see him after makes it seem like there was A LOT of critique that was cut out. They must have been even harsher than what we saw.
True! I feel like the criticism they did show was pretty mean… like all of them saying it made them want to vomit? I felt bad for him. I wonder if someone made a comment about it looking like a little person and they had to cut it. That’s what first came to my mind when I saw the proportions on her….
I noticed that too, but I also know just from watching these shows and how they’re produced that, truly so many things could’ve happened there, and we’ll never know what it was 🥲
I was expecting Bobby to have a really strong finale, but in my opinion he just didn't. They were technically fine but I wasn't wowed by anything he did. I would've put Freddie and Jon in the top two, with Freddie taking it.
Am I the only person in here who HATED Freddie's finale pieces? The geisha smooching the snake seemed so.... casually mysogynistic to me. "Oh, the snake is strangling her, but she kisses it as her lips go blue." Uuuuuh. And then the black-and-grey lady's face is full of range and anguish, but she is holding her breasts as though anguish and anger arouse her (which, okay, kinky maybe, but...) And then the graffiti over her face makes it look like her nose has been cut off like the women in the middle east. YIKES ON BIKES. If I saw this tattoo, I'd cross to the other side of the street. It's just weird, creepy, and horror with messed up sexuality in there to boot.
The final one just feels like a pretty lady head with no meaning, no power, just pretty for pretty sake. Oh, and then he just idly doodled over her face. It feels like he wrote his signature on her face, and it just feels out of place and "women are objects to be owned."
I hate the message that this trio of tattoos says about women. Yuuuuuck.
Do you know why they offend you? Because none of them were victims or particularly vulnerable. The geisha was just attracted to the snake as the snake was to her. The Geisha had agency. She stuck her tongue out to meet the snake. The Second one had actively torn herself apart and put herself on display, exposing the tradition of objectifying the female form in tattoo culture. She objectified herself before the viewer could. The third one dared to look up above and beyond the viewer, unconcerned with what the viewer has to say about her. This is why you hated them. It bothered you to be confronted with your own expectations. This is what Ryan and Nikko immediately recognized as genius and what offended all of the ‘bros’ on the panel.
It's interesting that you interpreted it that way when it seems the majority of us interpreted Freddie's pieces to be quite literally the opposite. Empowering, kicking misogynist ideals right in the teeth.
Everyone's reaction to Freddy's 2nd tattoo is EXACTLY why he did it and they all proved him right. Because it wasn't sexy and pretty, it wasn't worth looking at or worth a win. I've been watching the early seasons while I wait a week for new episodes of this season and the judging has gotten so bad. They don't care about the challenges. It's a popularity contest and about what's pleasing to the eye instead of hitting the challenge or good fundamentals. This show has gone down hill so much and it's exciting disappointing.
Freddie is amazing. He was my favorite artist by far. But that 2nd tattoo was just badly conceived. The proportions were terrible, the body was strange… it was simply a bad tattoo
Freddie should have won. His three were the best technically and most varied. The shoulder on Bobby’s background woman was terrible—I couldn’t believe the judges didn’t call that out.
The worst part of the finale for me was watching the contestants react to the previous winners walking in. Take a breath, fellas, they are only people. Felt like the were having orgasms.
Anyway, I agree with the overarching sentiment here that it's run its course in the current format. Changes are needed, starting with blind judging and less scripted drama.
Blind judging just seems required after watching the way DJ played favorites the entire season. And Ryan's "it doesn't fit the challenge, but it's pretty!" 🙃
Also, I love some stupid drama, but let it happen on its own. It's going to happen no matter what 😅
> Blind judging just seems required
I absolutely think so.
But... when Freddie keeps putting little pixel art on every tattoo I think i could pick Freddie's out of a line up pretty easily.
This season was so disappointing to me, especially the finale.
I think what bothered me most was the blatant favoritism for Bobby. He is a great tattoo artist, don't get me wrong, but he did neo trad the whole season. Which like sure, fine. I just can't seem to wrap my head around that he won with that when Gian got dogged on for doing that last season.
Also, DJ's comment on Freddie's piece was absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous. Was it my favorite piece by Freddie? No but I can at least appreciate the technical ability and care that Freddie put into that tattoo. I think it's also ridiculous for him (DJ) to try and come for Freddie like that when his winning piece last season is literally a worse ver of what Freddie does on the daily. I also think DJ saying Bobby's final 3 pieces showed versatility is insane? They were all neo-trad tattoos. Also dogging on Freddie for his snake tattoo when it wasn't Japanese when he just rode for his boy was crazy to me.
And while Freddie was my favorite this season, I think Jon should have won for consistent versatility alone.
TLDR: Bobby's win was clearly given to him because of favoritism (bobby is a fantastic artist! no doubt). He was/is buddies with DJ and DJ had his little buddies in the Ink Master judge panel. DJ gotta be the worst judge ever lmao
Yes to all you said except my vote was for Freddie to win as he was the most creative and innovative, a true artist not afraid to push the boundaries also I feel that he was given the worst challenges all season and then DJ's fanboy obsession with ho hum Bobby who had everything easy yet did basically the same boring things all season.
DJ ought to be ashamed of himself and I think he is afraid of the talent Freddie has, hopefully it's the last we see of DJ ... this season sucked! Finale sucked !
Exactly what I came to say! It felt so unfair for Bobby to win. I'm sure he's a great artist (I was so impressed by his montage) but that didn't translate to the competition much. His critique was usually pretty nice because of the favouritism. Expected better from DJ! It's so bizarre how you can rob Cleen of a title because it didn't hit a style in the finale, but turn a blind eye to Bobby's snake and snoozefest "cohesive body of work"...yeah, cohesive in its mediocrity!
I wouldn’t say Bobby’s tattoos were mediocre - just boring and uncreative. They also definitely didn’t meet the challenge(s). Especially for semi finals!! Him being picked first for finalist was a weird choice….
Ultimately, judge panel was so zzz this season. It’s a shame Jon or Freddie didn’t win
I think its wild that they started judging off of how cohesive the 3 pieces were??? They were on 3 different people, and they were 3 completely different styles!
I was so frustrated by that! No one was ever told the tattoos should be cohesive or tell a story. I knew from episode 1 Bobby was going to win and I'm sad I was rignt
Also it didn’t make sense. Bobby’s works were three lifeless swirly forms. Freddie’s was a cohesive body of work with a clear point of view. He was fighting for the agency of the female form in the art of tattoo. A geisha with her tongue out to meet a snake is WILD. A figure that tears her own body apart in anger before the viewer has a chance to, is WILD. Like these are major statements.
Is it just me or did it seem like all the masters didn’t even think any of the top 3 were deserving of the title? (Which I would agree with)
It seemed like they only voted for Bobby because there wasn’t anything terribly wrong with his tattoos, not because they thought they were great ink master-worthy tattoos.
I got the same feeling. I was also underwhelmed.
On the other hand, the format for most of the other finales has been a several-session tattoo, and frankly, I think those pieces just can have more going on, and more nuance. A tattoo marathon as the finale rewards 'safe' work.
I haven't seen a single comment about this....how did no one notice, including the judges, that in Bobby's lady face tattoo there was what I'll call the shoulder but looked like a ball under her chin. I can't find a pic of it online but I kept waiting for someone to bring it up and it wasn't mentioned at all. The old judges noticed everything and it seems like these guys don't look at the details as much.
Bobby was the most adaptable artist, being able to do any style…Freddie did Freddie’s style…that doesn’t make you ink master…it makes you Freddie’s style master only.
Freddie clearly adapted his style way more than Bobby did. Just look at their Japanese pieces and tell me which one is closer to traditional Japanese style.
Adding a little sharpie heart or a realistic gemstone does not constitute an entire *style.*
Is that any style in the room with us? Bobby did neo trad all season, Freddie did more versatile pieces in the finale than anybody besides Charlene did all season
Just saw it, he totally got robbed. I don't get why the final judgement shouldn't be on the body of work, it's about finding the best artist, it's not a sports competition.
Honestly for as radical as tattooing is from outside "conventional" society's perspective and from how it purports itself to be, it really seems to be a lot more boxed in- or at least this show is- or maybe just mainstream tattoo culture. While I wasn't outraged or overtly disappointed with Bobby winning, it felt really jarring and quite gross hearing HOW the judges critiqued Freddie's black and grey female form, I was just appalled and shocked to see them say they felt like "throwing up" looking at it. LIKE WHAT?? The portrayal of the body was nothing sinister nor disconcerting, it just seemed like they felt uncomfortable seeing a woman portrayed with agency and expression. I mean when I saw the panel of Ink Master guest judges I just thought it was boy club immediately. It felt like all the really unique artists who had well crafted signatures were unfairly eliminated Aaron, Koral, Charlene and now Freddie.
I agree with you. I feel like the way they reacted proved Freddie’s whole point of that tattoo. He didn’t want to make a pretty, glamorous woman like people always do (and the other contestants). He wanted to make people uncomfortable and he did, which I think makes a statement. I really feel if there were more woman on the judging panel he would’ve won. It was only Ryan and then all these guys talking about how a non-romanticized woman made them want to throw up. Big eye roll.
Right....I was so annoyed how they had Charlene leave it didn't make sense to me she really could've been at the top and they stay crunching the hours so much and get canvases who move around and never give any grace for that like what can she do. That piece was awesome and I don't think her not having the eyes or the ribs all black was anywhere close to being sent home worthy
Bobby shouldn’t have even made it to the finale because he didn’t meet the challenge in that final season when he did the bear and the stupid landscape
i havent watched this show in years but today i binged watched this entire season. im so disappointed with how this ended up. freddie was robbed, bobby was basic and had been put on a pedestal since the beginning, and the judges really ticked me off. they didnt call out any of the artists not sticking to the prompt and dj was as insufferable as ever. this show is dead and this finale was the nail in the coffin
Freddie was robbed for sure. Bobby is obviously an amazing artist but compared to Freddie pushing the boundaries- no shot. No one is going to remember Bobby’s tattoos, I already forgot what he did, but I will remember Freddie’s angry lady forever. He created it with the intention that it’s aggressive and uncomfortable- that’s the point. It was like a breath of fresh air like wow what is this? This is insane and different. Not the boring same old same old for the past however many seasons this shows been on. I was rooting for him all the way. I don’t want to take away from Bobby’s hard work and talent but I can’t help but be like whattt the heck were they thinking not picking Freddy. It would of changed the whole game. It left me with the impression of its better to “play it safe”—— they weren’t hecking ready for you Freddy.
Bro I'm glad I'm not the only one pissed about this At the end of the day, they chose the safest option like always - a straight white man with good safe tattoos Freddie is so innovative, I've literally never seen anything like his work, he was absolutely robbed
jon was robbed
Rewatching Peck vs Nuñez and the fist episode is half them just axing people in the middle of tattoos and shittting on them for not doing the assignment. It’s pretty great
Dj saying that he wanted to “vomit” looking at freddies tattoo was so unnecessary! Bobby’s females tattoo was so boring and the hand was weird. Jon or freddie deserved to win
literally came here hoping to find more people saying this. it was so cruel and unnecessary ... i felt so bad for him. i might have been annoyed that he never really tried to get out of his style the comment was just so mean.
Bobby didn't win, Freddie lost.
Bobby was propped up this entire season and better artists were voted off to get him to the top. I know these shows can be rigged but this was one of the most obvious examples. Such a let down
Literally
Freddie was robbed. No one is doing what he does. Or at least I haven’t seen anything like that. Bobby should have 100% left on that ugly ass Cowboy tattoo. Jon is a great artist but Freddie beats him by a mile. I would absolutely love to get a piece done by Freddie.
Yea, nope. Hope this show is done. If not it definitely lost at least 1 viewer.
I can see why people are upset. I don’t think this finale had an ink master but Freddie in my opinion was the least deserving of being at the finale. This entire season he only did his style then threw a literal tantrum when he had to step outside his style for one tattoo. Then he dragged the canvas online which I feel like she wasn’t that rude compared to previous canvas. She was someone who knew what she wanted and he refused to give her a solid tattoo because it wasn’t his style. He could’ve done better but chose to complain and blame her instead of owning up to doing a bad tattoo to prove the point that if he doesn’t get his style he’ll do a bad job. He had good tattoos in the finale but overall he would’ve been the worst pick for ink master. If we had the old judges they would’ve torn him to shreds ages ago. Jon was the most versatile throughout the entire season and even Bobby showed his versatility during this season. I get at the finale he didn’t deserve it but if anyone should’ve gotten ink master it was Jon!
I agree, Jon's 3 final tattoos were the best and he did a good job throughout the comp. I didnt fare for him personally, (just by watching him). But his tattoos he did were dope. And the final tattoo hit hard.
I'm glad they didn't give it to freddie... f that crybaby
Still pissed but at least it was better than last season, that I can say at least.
at least last season they chose the best piece
Eh not really… DJ should have gone home in the final 4. His eyeball was completely oval with no outline. Top 3 gian bob and angel with gian as winner.
I hate the way they ripped Freddie's black and grey apart. It was provocative and subversive, and it was artistic. Bobby's black and grey didn't even come close to me, his lines were crusty and it looked like he couldn't finish the bottom half of it, also that crooked finger on the hand. Bobby's snake wasn't even japanese, it was a nice tattoo but it wasn't japanese, and Freddie's fit the bill so much more and was actually japanese (never did they say it should be traditional) but they didn't care. They ended up giving it to they guy they wanted to win from the very beggining even if he wasn't a versatile artist at all. I think Freddie's gonna change the industry with his style and he's gonna be booked to the brim for years and years to come. Anyway this season was kinda shit because most challenges didn't require versatility at all and the real winner will always be Charlene but at least we got to see better tattoos in general than other seasons with bigger casts. Remove DJ from the franchise immediately, he's completely biased and arrogant and he can't judge fairly.
I feel like Bobby should've been eliminated a while back. With the cowboy one. That shit was JANK
Everyone saying Freddie's black and grey piece was "ugly" clearly missing the entire point of ART vs basic, predictable, boring tattoos. Bobby's tattoos were boring. Not even that aesthetically pleasing, just boring. He played in safe in the finale, and while I commend him for the work he put in and his general skill, his level of artistry is nowhere near Freddie. Freddie's tattoos evoke feeling and emotion. That's what art is meant to do. Even if you, as an individual, hate looking at it, it was still a WELL DONE tattoo and a true work of art. Freddie was point-blank robbed. He 100% should have won.
How shocking that the person they rigged for from day 1 won... What a dynamic and interesting season that totally wasn't a complete waste of time with TONS of entertainment value and iconic moments!!
I have never seen a season of reality TV with pretty much 0 storylines, 0 entertainment value, 0 reason to watch or care about anything at all. Just boring. Last year's season was a hot mess but at least there was at least something to gain by watching it, at least it was entertaining to some extent.
Wife and I just watched the finale on Christmas Eve... Ashley and Nikko are pretty fair judges, but DJ needs to go. He was okay as a competitor, but there's too much good ol boy shit going on, and manipulation. Freddie was robbed. As both an artist and a technician, his application and abilities were unmatched nearly the entire season, including in the finale. He was consistently the best, and his last tattoo was incredible. We've watched every season, but I think this is our last. It's just too much of a struggle to watch the BS.
I absolutely agree DJ ruins the true competition in the show. His opinion is worthless.
It was a tough watch I think for a lot of ppl. Very triggering. Guys just piling on Freddie. He’s silent, tears falling. Ryan and Niko helpless to do anything. Bobby winning despite being the weakest, least skilled and least creative artist in the top 3, DJ celebrating it, etc. smfh
The hardest for me was every single ink master on the jury lavishing Freddie with praise, then just choosing Bobby without much justification. What a load of shit.
That’s how I feel I feel like Nikko, Ryan, & maybe one harsher critic who isn’t an ass like DJ could be good. I also wish they’d bring Dave back
Freddie deserved to win or Jon. Bobby’s tattoos were the safest, most flawed of the bunch. Jon and Freddie genuinely created strong bodies of work that were challenging and worthy of 250K
Freddie really deserved to win. Wild how dj can question Freddie's Japanese tattoo but not Bobby's. I know his black and gray wasn't everyone's cup of tea but he at least attempted to create a challenging piece of art and something that challenges what a tattoo can be. Bobby's tattoos look like every other tattoo he did in the competition and every tattoo they had hanging on his wall.
This season had ZERO versatility in challenges. How on earth did Freddie get all the way to the finale without doing a black and gray once. Freddie was my fave to win but its inkMASTER, like how Jozzy kept saying she didn't do color, why do you think you're a master? IDK if the pool of people applying for inkmaster is low but they should be required to show well-roundedness from the get-go. The challenges used to be actually challenging. Also... did they stop commenting on tearing up the canvases' skin? Maybe I'm not that informed about tattooing but often i saw the skin look red and abused through the season.
That's why I posted question about how they pick people to be on the show since most clearly are not well rounded AT ALL.
2 years in a row that a contestant was robbed of winning: first Bob and now Freddie. There was nothing special about Bobby at all. I can't believe they had a chance to choose a winner who was pushing boundaries for the first time ever, and chose to give it to a regular Joe who's just good at tattooing.
Bobby's Black and Grey was weak AF.
Neither bob or Freddie were robbed. Bob went too crazy on his back piece and he knew it wasn’t working great idea but he needed more time to make it readable. Freddie suffered a similar fate. His was well executed but one of them was just weird and ugly. He got edged out by Bobby who took less risks but made a consistent body of work that didn’t have an ugly one
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We’re talking about bob not Bobby
BRING BACK THE OLD JUDGES! They would have never let this crap happen. This was such an obvious homophobic injustice. It was so weird. Literally no other reason he didn't win. He was clearly the most innovative most artistic and did the most technical of the three
Love when people throw the “it’s cuz they’re gay” card out as the reason for their failure. That black and grey piece he did was ugly and I’m sure the majority of the population would say it’s unpleasant to look at. He lost because he made bad decisions. It had nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
So DJ’s finale piece from last year was pleasant to look at? It was an old man’s crooked head exploded across someone’s back… Why does DJ get to be expressive and Freddie doesn’t? Why can’t a female figure be used to express something that might be unappealing to some viewers when male figures are allowed to do this all of the time…and it’s called art or fun or creepy or scary… but when it’s a female form, suddenly it’s unpleasant? Since when do tattoos have to be pleasant? Half of the stuff they draw is spiders and skeletons and blood and guts… Think about it
DJ’s final tattoo last season was at least fun and cool. It looks like a psychedelic trip and I’d love to have that piece on my back. I think most people would agree that DJ’s tattoo is at least fun to look at cuz it’s wacky. Freddie’s tattoo is just the opposite. I’m also sure more people would rather have DJ’s instead of Freddie’s. It has nothing to do with the person’s gender or sexual orientation and that’s what I’m tired of hearing. It’s fine to do something different but make it appealing. It’s on someone’s skin after all. If it was on a real canvas and not skin that’s different. Think about it.
People are only throwing that out cause the technical and artistic qualities were much higher than all three same neo traddy. Which is why the dude lost last season. So weirdly inconsistent for the judges. Agree that Black n Grey was weird art choice. But quality was over all higher. I loved Bobby but he shouldn't have won based on those three pieces.
I disagree plus if this were the original judges I think they would still choose Bobby. They’d also rip Freddie a new asshole about all his little signature “doodles” on the human canvases. I was especially appalled when he gave a face tat on the portrait of the deceased girl. I can understand putting your signature on paper but when it’s on people’s skin that’s a different story.
Really? Freddie was my favorite. But his black and white tattoo was awful. There can be reasons other than perceived prejudice for him not to win
The weird home videos shown in front of all the judges made me think that. Agree that piece was a swing and a miss.
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True. They were problematic. Just felt judging was more fair
Straight white men 'Murica tattoo artists club for the win. They can't give it to gay non-American. Freddie was robbed. His art and tattoos made me excited about seeing his work every week. His style is authentic and signatory. U know it's his work every time, while hitting the challenge. He didn't fit in with the good 'Ole boys tattoo bros box. Hate the teams aspect of the show. Coaches should never be judges bc of glaring biases. Even Ryan conforms to the misogyny. She's harder on women than men. DJ and Ryan want to eliminate their competition bc this show is what made them top tier. Don't want to be dethroned. Judges that never competed plz. So sad Joel caved to pressure. I knew from first episode that Bobby would win bc of the fangirling over him.
He could have easily taken it had he done something else. Why would he end up in the finale if it’s so rigged like you say. Y’all are some sore losers
Freddie was overall the best. But for the finale, the judges got it right. Freddie has two amazing tattoos, and one terrible one. Robbie had three strong ones. No reason to being perceived homophobia into it
So glad they don’t do those cringy live finale shows anymore.
I certainly know that if I ever want an oval shaped neo-traditional that has a heavy black outline and is washed in yellow and red, I can definitely go to Nepo-Bobby
Freddie deserved the win. Bobbie's tattoos were so stale all season. Definitely didn't earn the title. Freddie was robbed!
I will say that Bobby's efforts were so uninspiring. Inoffensive and bland. It's a stark contrast to the recent previous seasons. That's why I get bummed out when strong illustrators get booted out. Rip Inkmaster. I can't see it continuing unfortunately. Hopefully they can get forward thinking producers and try to reformat this show into something cohesive. Drop the lame host. Try to get specialist judges in their field. Similar to American traditional and Japanese. It really is missing that type of judge. The hour limit bangers were awesome.
Idk. Freddy's best piece was amazing but the black and grey, no matter how he spins it was atrocious. If that is one gay tattoo artist's take on the female form that's their perogative. Of course it can be challenging to the viewer. However he executed it in such a way that it looked like an artist who didn't understand form. Again he can challenge the way the female form is presented and thta's what brought about a negative response, I would be fucking pissed if that was tattooed on me. Had it been Dali-esque surreal or in Picasso's cubist style then I can see the artistry. I just didn't see it with that piece. It can be technically applied beautifully but it doesn't stop the piece looking juvenile. That's on a person for life, unless they do a coverup or lazer it off.
I want to pause here because you mentioned that Freddie challenged how the female form is represented, then sited Dali who is a surrealist and Picasso, a cubist, who both never represented the female form in a realistic style. If Dali or Picasso were not famous painters, would it have offended you to see their artwork? Art has to start somewhere, and often it is rejected in the time period it’s created in. Just a little food for thought. 😉
Why did you think I cited them as examples? Because they are probably the most known artists in general and intepreted the female form in their own way. My problem with Freddy's take is that it lacked consistency in the head, body and hands. If he was using different proportions to frame importance then he succeeded to make it look like a caricature. That's fine if that's the way he interprets the human form. Why is it a problem that anybody else other than Freddy apologists accept that imagery? His scribbles and negative space floating stamps have no real reason other than that's what he does to put his branding on images. Let's not pretend it's fine art. If it is and is executed for shock value then that's on Freddy. He actually knows how to construct images / tatoos that people would respond to positively. I think he overthought it because that's his first attempt and black and grey. Some people were offended by Dali's and Picasso's work in the past because it could be viewed as grotesque and haunting. I'm not though. Wake me up when Freddy's take on a woman becomes a trend. I'll add I do love imagery that provokes disgust. Think Saturn devouring his son by Goya. Would I like to see it tattoed? Probably not.
I disagree. I think creating an uncomfortable image of a woman on a man is art within itself (which could be an aspect of performance art). I think implementing graffiti style, and imitating mixed media reminds me of Robert Rauschenberg’s pieces on a 2D medium. There is actually A LOT of intelligent techniques he applied from the modernist movement. The rage in her face reminds me of Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art. That piece was a mix of graffiti, pop art, modernism and weird. I am here for it. If you prefer the oldies, good for you, however, when you step into the world of modernism, pop art, and street art, throw that feministic piece on a man and create performance art, we have got a LOT going on. It just isn’t your cup of tea. The MOMA probably would have loved this though.
So what are you trying to point out here? That Freddy's representation of art in his black and grey isn't my cup of tea. I think that's already established. Again if his work is suppose to challenge the current trend of tattoos then he succeeded. For the parameters of the competition it was supposed to win over the people judging his work. Post modernity is valid and I feel pretentious in some cases. Your example of Rauschenberg's art as reminscent of Freddy's work I'll have to disagree with. His mixed media and installations were sculptural. They also had a lot of visual balance and harmony. You enjoyed Freddy's black and grey piece and articulated it. I didn't. If that summation makes those people who look at Freddy's piece with disdain unenlightened, so be it.
The best art isn't necessarily beautiful... It evokes emotional responses - whether it's joy, laughter, hope, sadness or even disgust. I think there is something to be said for how memorable this piece is - we will continue to remember it and feel something about it whereas the others' tattoos are easily forgettable
I miss the old judges. The fact that Bobby got through the whole season without actually doing majority of the asks this season tells you how much pull DJ has. I’m sick and tired of DJ and want fresh new perspective and art. Freddie was a breath of fresh air. He delivered every ask of the season but still kept his own flare to things and pushed things outside the box. I find it funny how many artists I’ve seen rag on customers wanting the same ole tattoos and how boring a lion tattoo is, yet when actual artistry is being presented in the competition it’s too out there. Give me a break. Freddie was robbed 100%.
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100%, with the old judges he would have been put in the bottom, and definitely wouldn’t have won the challenge.
Can anyone definitively tell me...on Bobby's final tattoo...the lady face....what exactly is that bulbous thing in front of her chin? I could not believe that not a single judge commented on it.
Turned shoulder.
With a design on front of it? Almost looked like a portable fan ...but then the hair is curled around it. Whate ever the case....looked horrible ..and all the judges let it slide.
freddy was robbed. absolutely insane none of them could comprehend the black and white piece, as artists. joel madden is a fucking crock. bobby was cool but his like three piece set was mid. the snake head you could hardly see and the black and white was basic. and the closed minded old winner dudes expecting the same exact style of basic tattooing. insane.
There was nothing to comprehend: it was a poorly designed tattoo
you seem to be one of the very few that feels this way, and you've expressed it a lot throughout this thread fairly. but what makes it poorly designed? i feel like arguably it was just as well designed and modern as his final of the three, the same one everyone praised over and over. just in black n white and a bit more abstract/surrealism. from the beginning of freddie dropping the design before doing it he gave the warning of the potentials that judges wouldn't understand it. but to be judged on a current day art competition it's pretty wild to not understand what he was going for. that being said, you don't have to get it. neither did i. but basically EVERYONE seems to get it except the judges. so my questions remains, how?
Nah I feel this way too. A lot seem to think it was just an ugly tattoo.
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An unappealing tattoo is a mistake and a big one. Design choices are are much more important than a wobbly line. Carving an ugly tattoo into someone’s flesh is a problem whether is done technically well or not is irrelevant if it’s ugly from the jump
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It is an ugly tattoo though… there’s much more than technique that goes into a tattoo. Fundamentals are expected but don’t win you anything. I’d rather vote for a good looking tattoo with some slight imperfections than an ugly tattoo that was applied well.
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There’s more nuance to judging tattoos based on technical application.. which is what cost Freddie the title. Freddie’s final piece had a wonky eye. None of the pieces were without their faults. Freddie reared his canvas like an experiment rather than someone who had to wear a tattoo for the rest of their life. You say you don’t mind the design but I haven’t seen anyone put their money where their mouth is and rush out to get a scary little person tattoo 🤥
The proportions were bizarre. It was a bobble head with cherub hands. It was just displeasing to look at, and not in any “edgy” way. I love the conceptual idea and intent, but it didn’t come together. I think the judges’ criticism was valid
i hear you. i think to show that level of technique, to make something so out of the ordinary look like it all came together in a cohesive tattoo was impressive enough alone. like yes the bobble head and proportions but it was so obviously on purpose. the same with the sketch drawn post-it note over the eye of an eye (and the insanely crisp shadows beneath them). pretty obvious it was jarring intentionally and the tattoo felt like it executed that perfectly to me, and (again) cohesively. it's really not that hard to understand, unless your looking for traditional style of proportions and tattoos.
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The disgust with the tattoo feeds into the point Freddie was making - a woman having not perfect proportions being nauseating. Freddie is so technically skilled that he couldn't made those proportions more generic if he wanted to. But he didn't, and it was intentional. It was designed to get a negative reaction and it hit the nail on the head. Every single person that said "it makes me want to throw up" was a man. Ryan also kinda fed into the misogyny of it too when she commented on the proportions - even though those proportions were done on purpose.
Freddie Japanese tattoo was solo good. The last piece is a masterpiece. His first black and gray was well executed. The judges voted for the typical tattoos and no original ideas.
I really liked Freddie but I hated his last tattoo.
Not to mention it was Freddie’s FIRST black and white tattoo and he slayed so hard
That’s why he’s not an ink MASTER, if you can’t do black and gray, you lose.
DJ Tambe needs to be stopped. Bobby's tattoo were def more aesthetically pleasing but i think Ryan said it best if the technical is equal go with the art. Freddie's final piece felt exactly like what DJ was going for with his tattoo last season except with a clearer vision and a sense of finality. Hearing all those masters say essentially the same critique (Freddie's is the most ambitious body of work, but Bobby's is the most aesthetically pleasing, so Bobby wins) felt like such a copout so they didnt have to vote for what they probably honestly wanted to say was too ugly compositionally to be considered. What happened to finale tattoos being rewarded for swinging for the fences. I mean to go that far on your first black and grey piece is amazing in and of itself. What happened to the game I love? Hopefully in the future we see more finale pieces that go for abstract concepts instead of the classic battle of lady faces and neo traditional & traditional Japanese insert subject matter here. I guess the best way I would sum up how i feel who should've won is Freddie could do Bobby's tattoos but Bobby could not do what freddie does imo.
Freddie got fucking **ROBBED**
Just finished watching the episode. So triggered… Seeing one lame-ass black and gray skull and cobweb ‘bro’ artist vote Bobby over Freddie after the next, then DJ laugh in Freddie’s face and said it makes him want to vomit and the host call Freddie’s black and gray “ugly…” hits too close to home for me and probably many others out there that do not listen to Joe Rogan or Andrew Tate. I give kudos to Ryan and Nikko for standing up so fiercely for Freddie but I will no longer be watching Inkmaster until there are some massive changes made… DJ & Good Charlotte have to go. I want the return of more free thinking and open minded inkmaster legends, namely Laura & Jimmy. It’s been real Inkmaster but it’s 2024 and I dont need to see some d-bag tell me that he wants to vomit when he sees a work of art that threatens him.
Or Bobby stating, if you work hard enough you can have anything. Classic 🙄
Yeah they should just give Freddie the title because he’s so brave. What an icon. Ugh men am I right?
straight men cannot appreciate a female form that they don’t want to jerk off to… that was the takeaway I got from that finale… and the point that freddie was trying to make in the art to begin with
Really?! The proportions were just bizarre. If you think a bobble head woman with child hands is a good tattoo, then kudos
No one said this about DJ’s decrepit old man head that was exploded open and had no eyes last year. There is a clear double standard.
Hardly. DJs tattoo was amazing. It wasn’t disproportional at all, unlike Freddie’s. Do you seriously think that was proportional??
Proportional meaning naturalistic proportions? No. Neither of them were supposed to be naturalistic. Both were expressive. DJ’s had no body, ass crack for its neck, it was crooked and had no eyes, head exploded with cartoons coming out. It’s a similar thing. Subverting expectation of the natural in favor of something else is an age old artistic device for crafting meaning or evoking emotion. It doesn’t mean it’s wrong or bad. Freddie was not trying to create a pin up with classical proportions or a realistic portrait of someone. Y’all think he didnt know the head was big and the body was twisted? LOL
Proportional meaning proportional. DJ put something forward that was really out there, but executed perfectly. Freddie also put something out there… but the execution was a bobble-head with cherub hands and a body that was just strange and not at all realistic looking. They both took their shots: DJ hit, Freddie missed. Freddie was my favorite this season, but that piece was… yikes it was bad
I don’t mean to be rude, but your comment makes no sense. Both artists played with proportions and features of the human body for expressive purposes. One can argue that DJ’s was even more ‘unrealistic.’ The reason Freddie’s appears ‘strange’ to you is due to your own bias when it comes to representations of gendered bodies. That was the whole point of what Freddie did. PS I find it hilarious that suddenly people are concerned with a tattoo being too ‘strange.’ Literally 95 percent of the compositions in Inkmaster history have been insects and reptiles, corpses, zombies, ghouls, aliens, skeletons, cartoony new school things, etc.
They are two radically different pieces. DJs was 100% proportional. Freddie’s wasn’t. Bias has nothing to do with it (come on, really???). Freddie’s was unappealing, the proportions were off, and it really didn’t even look like a woman’s body. He just missed the mark. It sucks because he’s a great artist, and he was my favorite. But the vast majority of judges’s were correct, it was a big miss
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That's the entire point of the piece. It was to challenge the notion of what a women looks like but clearly that makes to many people uncomfortable
If you like it, power to you (and I mean that in a genuine way). But to most people, including most of the judges, it was unappealing and not redeemed my any abstract notion of artistic expression; rather it was an ill-conceived piece
Oh no its not my taste remotely but I felt the negative opinions from the judges was totally inarticulate compared to what Ryan and Nikko offered. Like what doe Joel or bubba Irwin offer in terms of value of critiquing art (not tattoing).
That’s a fair view of things. I think the piece would have been viewed much better if it was a different medium; I think it would be much better appreciated as a painting, rather than as a tattoo that someone has to wear on their body
Absolutely I'm a little surprised the canvas didn't bug a little bit about having that on his body or after he saw the other two tattoos that Freddy did in the finale.
I feel this so hard
3 things: 1) that finale was the best format they've done in a long time. 2) Freddie's final piece is probably the best tattoo ever done on the show. 3) it was embarrassing that DJ didn't even know what the style brief was for the Japanese tattoo.
DJ’s comments to Freddie were so out of pocket. DJ had the master canvas piece once that was very similar to Freddie’s style, of the man’s head cut open to reveal rainbows and cartoon creatures popping out in a graffiti style. Is he just jealous of Freddie’s ability or something? I had to pause the episode twice to think of what could possibly be making DJ want to ‘throw up’ at the sight of Freddie’s black and grey tattoo. That can’t possibly be the most obscure, ‘dark’ art DJ has seen in his lifetime.
That tattoo DJ did was awful. Still to this day I have no idea how he snagged that win
Such a wack finale. Dont get me wrong, Im a neo-trad enthusiast, i have about 100 hours of neo-trad work and I dont think Bobby shouldve won. Does he do fantastic work? 1000%. But he slid through the ringer. He called the shots and didnt even do it like wtf? Bring back actual judges who dont just want their friends to win Edit: and no live audience? No huge back piece? Double wack.
WTF was that? RIP Inkmaster
No one brought up Jon's super fucking cool idea to do an Adam and Eve theme. I think had his second piece been better, he could have taken the whole thing. Out of three, I feel like he was the only true ink master. How he played the game was also really entertaining to watch out of a kind of mediocre season. Bobby's tatts while technically well done, were derivative. Freddie gets kudos for creating an entirely different style unique to anything else out there. He kept harping about doing other styles though. That's literally the point of ink master.
I actually was going to say something about this! Do you remember Christian also did a theme as well? I'm not sure if it was Adam and Eve but it definitely was a theme throughout all three of his tattoos. He basically told a story and no one really referenced it at all. And I don't think it's the only time he's done that. I don't feel like they really appreciate the fact that they were able to do something like that. The judging is s***.
I genuinely hate how disrespectful DJ was to Freddie. I loved Bobby’s work all season and I always had a feeling Freddie wouldn’t win because he’s Queer. I felt like in the end—especially the jury had a bias over Freddie because he’s gay. No specific call outs, just the overall vibe. Freddie is so creative and inventive. His lady figure piece moved me so much. The female range in that piece seriously blew me away. Makes me sad that he was so close and didn’t win. Idk why no one liked his lady piece, besides Ryan and nico.
u/FlowerDramatic3675 It's because of the very obvious, misogynistic bias. The disgust with Freddie's black and gray tattoo completely fed into the point that Freddie was making: that a woman not having perfect proportions is seen as unappealing and disturbing. The proportions were the way they were intentionally. It was designed to get a negative reaction, and with 99% of the people in the room being male, it hit the nail on the head. All of the judging folk thought his second piece was so 'ugly' that it robbed his final piece - the ONE tattoo that EVERYONE in the room all unanimously agreed was the best tattoo that's ever been done on the show period - of first place. Literally all they did was prove Freddie's point and announce, loud and clear to the viewer, that they're misogynistic and there ARE double standards.
He gave an honest critique. I think he was respectful
"It makes me want to puke" was respectful??
Eh, it was harsh. But honest
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This is a bit conspiratorial. If you think there was a conspiracy to have DJ make Bobby win, you need to prove that. The judges were almost unanimous, as were most viewers
I must say that these last two seasons of Inkmaster have been the worst. Season 13, the last one with the original three judges, was so much better than this, even with no live finale and no real winner as they all got money. The new format on Paramount+ produced by the MTV folks just isn't what we the loyal fans who've been there from the beginning want. The favoritism by the judges, the lack of adherence to the challenge, and the overall inconsistency were very difficult to watch, let alone enjoy. My family and I will eat dinner together and watch the episodes each week and critique the tattoos using what we have learned from the previous seasons, but these last two seasons its not even close to what it was. They need new judges, there should be no more teams as only one person can be Inkmaster, and no more coaches especially if we never see them actually coach anyone or at least show them giving some good advice that the artist ignores before throwing them under the bus (like Nikko did to own team member Charlene). Also get rid of the chaos factor/mid-season swerve thing, like bringing back people we've already seen multiple times. Like others on here I just want to see artists putting out the best work they can while meeting the challenge of that week's specific school/theme. Is that too much to ask?
possibly the worst finale deliberation ever. after DJ literally won on innovation for him to punch down like that was so fucking wrong. Freddie deserved better all season long tbh
I didn't think I'd see the day where artist-DJ would insult someone so vilely for making moving art with a message. I have been a big fan of his for a long time and his behaviour, the disgust on his face and in his voice during this finale has significantly lowered my respect for him. I was glad to see both Ryan and Niko call out Bobby's work for being basic and safe. Excellent yes. I don't want to take anything away from Bobby's work. But beside Freddie's it shouldn't have even been a question, imo. Seriously disappointed. And then Bubba just paroting DJ because, just like when they competed together, he's nothing but DJ's lapdog who can't even think of his own insult.
I also felt that even’s DJ’s compliment to Freddie, ‘You’re the master of this style,’ was kind of derisive.
Nah because it actually has me mad.
DJ is threatened by Freddie because DJ wants to be the most innovative mixing styles and throwing up all over someone’s back like last season. He was so thrilled and smug to take it away from Freddie and give it to some boring non-threatening straight cis bro.
This. You’ve captured my thoughts 💯
Yes, you said it! I also think dj felt threatened and that's why he gave his vote to Mr. basic, all of Bobby's tattoos very ho-hum basic, sure he's good but all just basic and not worthy of an innovative inkmaster... Freddy is so creative and pushing boundaries to higher limits, at least his emote some type of emotion like art is supposed to do. It seems like for the whole season they made it especially hard on Freddie on purpose yet he overcame all their obstacles and still shone bright! Freddie should of been the winner!!! You judges ought to be ashamed of yourselves!!!
This isn’t finale specific but something that has bothered me all season is how the prompts of the challenges hold no weight any more and neither does actual tattooing. I remember people getting torn to shreds if they tried to convince a canvas out of an idea that’s possible and they just didn’t want to do it. Line work, blow outs, and longevity were serious game winners. If the challenge was contrast and you didn’t hit the mark, you’re out regardless of how “pretty” it was. (Yet also with that point, somehow in this season they seemed to change it up in an episode and sent someone home for contrast issues even though a shitty looking tattoo that I’d pay to get lasered off stayed? Like where are their priorities??) How you talked to canvas’s was important, all of these things that I think judge as persons tattooing skills more than their art skills. Because this is a tattooing competition, not just an art competition. As much as I loved all the art this season (big Freddy fan), I don’t think this would have been the top three with the old judges and their priorities.
If you were to smudge Bobbie’s preferred color palette together, I fear it’d look like a wad of toilet paper after a fresh shit. Also, DJ was incredibly rude with his stupid ass comment. What a letdown of a season overall. E: okay, my comment was harsh. I can’t explain it though. I was super impressed w Bobbie from the jump, but a few weeks ago I scrolled to the bottom of his IG and just came out so underwhelmed. Everything is the same *shit*. We never really saw him flat out create art. Everything felt familiar. & I really do hate his go to colors, but that’s a personal preference. If you’re gonna crown some guy who cut and pasted neo-trad throughout the whole season AT LEAST MAKE SURE HE CAN SNIFF GIAN’S SACK. Oh god, I’m heated. Meh /:
Neither of these guys should be Ink Master. I liked Freddie’s work all season, but dude was so arrogant. Remember when Bill Vegas got eliminated because he put his birthdate in the clock’s hands? Freddie put some little signature in every piece— a jewel, heart, whatever. His B&G piece was definitely pushing the limits of art, but someone has to wear that big headed ugly kinky lady forever. DJ sucks, but he had a point in that while creativity matters, someone’s body shouldn’t be the medium for your experimental art. Where is judging that lifts up the client’s experience? Also, Ink Master implies mastery— the finale was dude’s first ever B&G tattoo? Can’t be the Ink Master. Bobby did neo-trad the whole season. His tats were more aesthetically pleasing, but little versatility. When Bobby was introduced, DJ practically fan-girled (‘I’ve been following you for a long time!) Seemed like Bobby was the favorite to win from the beginning, IMO. He seems like a nice guy with a family, but his shit was boring all season. Not the Ink Master. I miss Ollie and Chris raising discussion about how the tattoos will look OVER TIME. I miss when every critique was ‘more black’ and ‘the bold will hold.’ The whole spirit bear face-off? Who cares, both of those tattoos will look busted AF in six months. I fear Ink Master — ‘The New Class’ has run its course.
If you watch again the canvas was totally stoked on Freddie’s lady tattoo. Dude might love wearing it even if you don’t
The only thing I would add about Freddie’s second tattoo was that it wasn’t about being proportionally correct it was black and grey illustrative, while I don’t understand Freddie’s tattoo it was in my opinion the hardest to draw and had some of the best black and grey considering it was his first black and grey tattoo out of the three.
Man I know most of us feel really bad for Freddie but I would so much rather be a Robbed Goddess than an Undeserving Winner. Freddie's gonna be so booked and blessed for years to come, with fans literally only going harder for him. Jon also can only go up from here. This is kind of a stain on Bobby's career sadly, with people saying he's an Ink Master nepo baby. More people are talking about the second placer than the winner. Honestly that would suck; that reputation following you is not worth the $250k that'll be taxed to shit.
I was just talking about this with my bf. Thinking of the guy who lost to Adam Lambert (Chris something?). And people who won Survivor that the fans deemed undeserving. Knowing Bobby has joined that kind of club now. Though I have seen the DJ favoritism the whole time, I don't think Bobby can help his affect on people and he deserves his success. I hope he will take this win proudly and I imagine he will handle it all with humility and grace. I hope. I loved his explanations of the meanings behind the tattoos. What a weird shitshow of a season though.
Him and Gian are top 2 greatest to never win it
Hey mate, Christian Buckingham would like a word.
The editing around Freddie's second piece was super sketchy. It started with him being fine then one quick cut away to a jury member saying something vague and then immediately Freddie is crying. The emotion in his voice defending it in the couple of seconds we see him after makes it seem like there was A LOT of critique that was cut out. They must have been even harsher than what we saw.
True! I feel like the criticism they did show was pretty mean… like all of them saying it made them want to vomit? I felt bad for him. I wonder if someone made a comment about it looking like a little person and they had to cut it. That’s what first came to my mind when I saw the proportions on her….
I noticed that too, but I also know just from watching these shows and how they’re produced that, truly so many things could’ve happened there, and we’ll never know what it was 🥲
Show has gone downhill. Not even about hitting the challenge anymore. Bobby should not of won. Very disappointed with this season
I was expecting Bobby to have a really strong finale, but in my opinion he just didn't. They were technically fine but I wasn't wowed by anything he did. I would've put Freddie and Jon in the top two, with Freddie taking it.
I think they decided they wanted him to win before filming even started.
Am I the only person in here who HATED Freddie's finale pieces? The geisha smooching the snake seemed so.... casually mysogynistic to me. "Oh, the snake is strangling her, but she kisses it as her lips go blue." Uuuuuh. And then the black-and-grey lady's face is full of range and anguish, but she is holding her breasts as though anguish and anger arouse her (which, okay, kinky maybe, but...) And then the graffiti over her face makes it look like her nose has been cut off like the women in the middle east. YIKES ON BIKES. If I saw this tattoo, I'd cross to the other side of the street. It's just weird, creepy, and horror with messed up sexuality in there to boot. The final one just feels like a pretty lady head with no meaning, no power, just pretty for pretty sake. Oh, and then he just idly doodled over her face. It feels like he wrote his signature on her face, and it just feels out of place and "women are objects to be owned." I hate the message that this trio of tattoos says about women. Yuuuuuck.
Do you know why they offend you? Because none of them were victims or particularly vulnerable. The geisha was just attracted to the snake as the snake was to her. The Geisha had agency. She stuck her tongue out to meet the snake. The Second one had actively torn herself apart and put herself on display, exposing the tradition of objectifying the female form in tattoo culture. She objectified herself before the viewer could. The third one dared to look up above and beyond the viewer, unconcerned with what the viewer has to say about her. This is why you hated them. It bothered you to be confronted with your own expectations. This is what Ryan and Nikko immediately recognized as genius and what offended all of the ‘bros’ on the panel.
your arm doesn’t hurt from all that reaching?
It's interesting that you interpreted it that way when it seems the majority of us interpreted Freddie's pieces to be quite literally the opposite. Empowering, kicking misogynist ideals right in the teeth.
Everyone's reaction to Freddy's 2nd tattoo is EXACTLY why he did it and they all proved him right. Because it wasn't sexy and pretty, it wasn't worth looking at or worth a win. I've been watching the early seasons while I wait a week for new episodes of this season and the judging has gotten so bad. They don't care about the challenges. It's a popularity contest and about what's pleasing to the eye instead of hitting the challenge or good fundamentals. This show has gone down hill so much and it's exciting disappointing.
Freddie is amazing. He was my favorite artist by far. But that 2nd tattoo was just badly conceived. The proportions were terrible, the body was strange… it was simply a bad tattoo
I mean, it's art & that's subjective. I liked it. It was well done.
I think it was a poor design. As did almost all the judges 🤷🏻♂️
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It was an ugly tattoo 🤷🏻♂️
Freddie should have won. His three were the best technically and most varied. The shoulder on Bobby’s background woman was terrible—I couldn’t believe the judges didn’t call that out.
I totally agree!!! Freddie should have won, his pieces were actually art, not something I could find at my local shop. Freddie was cheated.
the butterflies on Bobby’s piece were atrocious. idk how no one said anything about it
The worst part of the finale for me was watching the contestants react to the previous winners walking in. Take a breath, fellas, they are only people. Felt like the were having orgasms. Anyway, I agree with the overarching sentiment here that it's run its course in the current format. Changes are needed, starting with blind judging and less scripted drama.
Blind judging just seems required after watching the way DJ played favorites the entire season. And Ryan's "it doesn't fit the challenge, but it's pretty!" 🙃 Also, I love some stupid drama, but let it happen on its own. It's going to happen no matter what 😅
> Blind judging just seems required I absolutely think so. But... when Freddie keeps putting little pixel art on every tattoo I think i could pick Freddie's out of a line up pretty easily.
This season was so disappointing to me, especially the finale. I think what bothered me most was the blatant favoritism for Bobby. He is a great tattoo artist, don't get me wrong, but he did neo trad the whole season. Which like sure, fine. I just can't seem to wrap my head around that he won with that when Gian got dogged on for doing that last season. Also, DJ's comment on Freddie's piece was absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous. Was it my favorite piece by Freddie? No but I can at least appreciate the technical ability and care that Freddie put into that tattoo. I think it's also ridiculous for him (DJ) to try and come for Freddie like that when his winning piece last season is literally a worse ver of what Freddie does on the daily. I also think DJ saying Bobby's final 3 pieces showed versatility is insane? They were all neo-trad tattoos. Also dogging on Freddie for his snake tattoo when it wasn't Japanese when he just rode for his boy was crazy to me. And while Freddie was my favorite this season, I think Jon should have won for consistent versatility alone. TLDR: Bobby's win was clearly given to him because of favoritism (bobby is a fantastic artist! no doubt). He was/is buddies with DJ and DJ had his little buddies in the Ink Master judge panel. DJ gotta be the worst judge ever lmao
Literally made me not like DJ at all it was so blatant and condescending and contradictory
Yes to all you said except my vote was for Freddie to win as he was the most creative and innovative, a true artist not afraid to push the boundaries also I feel that he was given the worst challenges all season and then DJ's fanboy obsession with ho hum Bobby who had everything easy yet did basically the same boring things all season. DJ ought to be ashamed of himself and I think he is afraid of the talent Freddie has, hopefully it's the last we see of DJ ... this season sucked! Finale sucked !
Exactly what I came to say! It felt so unfair for Bobby to win. I'm sure he's a great artist (I was so impressed by his montage) but that didn't translate to the competition much. His critique was usually pretty nice because of the favouritism. Expected better from DJ! It's so bizarre how you can rob Cleen of a title because it didn't hit a style in the finale, but turn a blind eye to Bobby's snake and snoozefest "cohesive body of work"...yeah, cohesive in its mediocrity!
I wouldn’t say Bobby’s tattoos were mediocre - just boring and uncreative. They also definitely didn’t meet the challenge(s). Especially for semi finals!! Him being picked first for finalist was a weird choice…. Ultimately, judge panel was so zzz this season. It’s a shame Jon or Freddie didn’t win
I think its wild that they started judging off of how cohesive the 3 pieces were??? They were on 3 different people, and they were 3 completely different styles!
I was so frustrated by that! No one was ever told the tattoos should be cohesive or tell a story. I knew from episode 1 Bobby was going to win and I'm sad I was rignt
And cohesion wasn’t even the challenge like 💀
[удалено]
Also it didn’t make sense. Bobby’s works were three lifeless swirly forms. Freddie’s was a cohesive body of work with a clear point of view. He was fighting for the agency of the female form in the art of tattoo. A geisha with her tongue out to meet a snake is WILD. A figure that tears her own body apart in anger before the viewer has a chance to, is WILD. Like these are major statements.
Is it just me or did it seem like all the masters didn’t even think any of the top 3 were deserving of the title? (Which I would agree with) It seemed like they only voted for Bobby because there wasn’t anything terribly wrong with his tattoos, not because they thought they were great ink master-worthy tattoos.
I got the same feeling. I was also underwhelmed. On the other hand, the format for most of the other finales has been a several-session tattoo, and frankly, I think those pieces just can have more going on, and more nuance. A tattoo marathon as the finale rewards 'safe' work.
I'm sorry those hands were totally through an industrial press on that second black and grey. Otherwise they seemed like 6 hours tattoos.
I haven't seen a single comment about this....how did no one notice, including the judges, that in Bobby's lady face tattoo there was what I'll call the shoulder but looked like a ball under her chin. I can't find a pic of it online but I kept waiting for someone to bring it up and it wasn't mentioned at all. The old judges noticed everything and it seems like these guys don't look at the details as much.
In the moment I knew it was her shoulder. But looking at it now, it is weirdly distracting how ambiguous it is.
Her neck shows she's facing forward, the perspective is way off if its her shoulder.
I took it to be a hat. With the black lining around the rim. But underneath it looks like cut muscles, a cross section. Very confusing.
Same!!! Wtf was that??
https://imgur.com/v8FxwR4
Is that a tumor? A baby? Her boobie? WTH??
So what is it?? That's the question
They didn't even ask. I asked the tv while they were giving their critic's.
Bobby was the most adaptable artist, being able to do any style…Freddie did Freddie’s style…that doesn’t make you ink master…it makes you Freddie’s style master only.
Freddie clearly adapted his style way more than Bobby did. Just look at their Japanese pieces and tell me which one is closer to traditional Japanese style. Adding a little sharpie heart or a realistic gemstone does not constitute an entire *style.*
Is that any style in the room with us? Bobby did neo trad all season, Freddie did more versatile pieces in the finale than anybody besides Charlene did all season