Pottery Throwdown - 8th January

[NumbersStation]

Coming back - to channel 4. Let us hope that they don’t muller it like they did GBBO.

Melanie Sykes is hosting. I wish they’d kept Sara.

Let us hope channel 4 grab Fern and resurrect my allotment challenge too.

I really don't think it's tearing apart.... it's just a couple of things said in passing.
I think all the potters have been great, love their work, and I've enjoyed this thread

A couple of things in passing?

Rosalind seems a bit mad?

I wonder if she's just batty, or if she has learning difficulties or some other issue?

Rosalind's demented. She has a phony 'little gitrl' voice, her face is 25 years younger than her hands and she has the rictus grin of far to many facelifts.

Also, the sheep's fur? No one's that stupid, surely.

Rather weird

I cant believe I'm older than Rosalind!

that voice, the little-girl behaviour, the plastic face, the Alice-in-Wonderland hair

I am taken aback by the fact she is only 59. I am older than her and have had no work done

She just seems older to me, I honestly thought she was about 70 with a face lift.

I;mm 66 and don't think I look older than Rosalind - DH thinks she looks older than me, despite that fact that I am not nipped, ticked and botoxed to the eyeballs.

For someone who whilst quirky is clearly talented, well liked by her peers and seems a perfectly decent human. But yeah - lets just tear her appearance and mannerisms to shreds...

OK, you don't like this thread. Fine.

Actually, I agree. She has been ripped to shreds here for her appearance etc. The deleted post (which has been apologised for) was particularly nasty.

It's not about "not liking this thread"

It's not about "not liking this thread"

Exactly. Isn't the thread supposed to be about discussing the potters' talents, talking about production and general pottery chat?

Not personal attacks on a poor contestant who could well be on MN reading the vile comments made about her?

I appreciate that a couple of posts have been positive and recognised her talent and general nice-ness but there's been an awful lot of unpleasant personal comments too, which isn't really in keeping with the nature of the show and certainly isn't necessary

I've said more than once I'm in awe of all their talents. Every one of them. And we have been discussing the potters' talents. I thought anyway.

I made one comment, surprised at her age, compared to me, older, and wondered if she'd had work done. I take it back.

So any thoughts who is going to walk off with the prize this year ?

They all seem equally talented now. For me though it’s between Jacob and Claire at the moment. They both seem incredibly versatile and consistently doing well at the throwdown challenges. At this point I’d be happy with any of them to win it.

My money is on Jacob or Clair too, both are super talented.

I did love Rosalind, her work is a bit twee for my taste but she is so talented at making figures. I've also met a few women similar to her and they've all been lovely lovely maternal types so that may be skewing my judgment slightly.

I love Claire and can imagine her winning. She just seems so consistent.

If I had to take a bet I’m edging over to Claire over Jacob but only ever so slightly.

I'm hoping for Jacob or Claire. Rosa as my back up choice. Matt's good but not as good. (And I still want Rainna back, she was a blast)

@SoupDragon, I apologised and ask it be deleted. How much more do you want me to do? Travel back in time?

Rosalind wasn't criticised on the thread for her appearance alone, but because she played up a dumb, little girl vibe with a Barbie face despite being a grown woman. That rubbish undermines women and is incredibly regressive. She's on a national platform while playing up every stereotype of helpless femininity. She can be herself, but we don't need to like or respect it.

Like a previous poster, I love both the pottery throw down and the sewing bee - not only for the creativity of the craftspeople who enter, but also for the way they support and help each other. They can compete but still be friends and decent human beings.

I wish I could have a go at throwing on the wheel - I have looked to see if I could find a local class, but no joy yet.

I think my favourite week is the raku week - I love the colours they get on their pots. My mum is a big fan too - she used to be an art teacher and has done some pottery, and the raku is her favourite too, so I bought her a raku bowl for Christmas one year.

@Arthritica

Do you think you could stop with the unnecessary unkindness.

No one is asking you to personally 'like' someone that you don't know. But it is reasonable by the same token to ask you not to persist in slagging her off and making unnecessary attacks. You don't know her why be so needlessly unpleasant to someone who seems perfectly decent.
It's a show about pottery, she was an excellent potter, why not just comment on that rather than continuing to be nasty and personal?

I can't pick between the last three but actually think it will be Claire it Matt I think Jacob is cracking under pressure!

I think it will be Clare, but I dont mind if any of them win.

I wish I could disagree, @Veterinari - Jacob is my favourite - but I think you are right.

@Arthritica
And I don't want to belabour this but I do think it's important to point out that apologies aren't especially meaningful if followed immediately by repeating the behaviour you've just apologised for, and that I'm reasonably confident tearing other women apart for how they look and how they've aged isn't exactly making a positive and progressive contribution to feminism.

I do agree the pressure seems to be getting to Jacob now Veterinari which is a real shame because he’s brilliant.

I wish they’d bring Sewing Bee back. I read that it was coming back this spring but there seem to have been no updates as when. It’s just gone very quiet. I love the pottery, sewing bee, the art one (can’t remember what it was called) even though I’m absolutely hopeless at all the skills involved. I used to love Bake Off but the challenges have got so ridiculous I can’t get into it these days, biscuit chandeliers was just daft and seemed more about engineering than baking.

TBH my irritation with Rosalind was her saying that it is in God's hands whether she gets through to the next round and it depends on what he has planned for her etc. etc.

I find that particular brand of Christianity very hard to swallow - why would an omnipotent god who has created universes care a hoot about whether she gets through to the next round? It always seems very arrogant to me.

I'd like Claire to win, but I'm wondering whether the large scale challenge of producing a toilet may suit Matt better.

I apologised and ask it be deleted. How much more do you want me to do?

Reading what I said would be a good start.

Not bitching about her more would be even better.

I will be happy for any of the last ones to win. There is very little to choose between them really.

I completely agree with Veterinari about this thread

I think Rosa should win,she has been consistently good throughout.

Well I'd like to make a comment on someone's looks, if I may.

The hands in the opening titles are absolutely beautiful, could they belong to the guy in charge of the kiln etc whose name I can't remember? I really love the slow motion clay play, such lovely hands.