mlieb-07263 Review of Blown Away

Blown Away (2019– )

I would have given it 10 stars were it not for the last two episodes...

[20 July 2019]

As a retired art history, art and photography teacher, I am sad to say that the artist who acted most like a child, criticizing the strong work of the most talented contestants to elevate her own work, won in the final episode. While she had a few outstanding pieces, her technique was inconsistent and her "conceptualizations" were simply overdone rhetoric used to sway the judges. The two most truly deserving contestants lost the challenge, while still being gracious toward the less skilled winner. I enjoyed this show very much until it became clear that the winner was preselected based on gender rather than skill. As a woman, I believe it is insulting to all females to see someone win a contest primarily based on gender. The genuine heart behind the work of the two strongest contestants provoked emotional responses to glass that I have never felt before! What a sad state it was to see them ousted. Please try a second season and have some more skilled and discerning judges, not as easily manipulated. I would love to see strong female and male contestants, talented in their own right without genders being pitted against one another. Please make this show more about the technical and aesthetic medium of glass blowing.