Shear Genius is a reality TV competition for successful hairdressers. They have their own hair salons and have been in the industry for ten to twenty years. Some have won prestigious competitions, worked at major fashion shows, or created new celebrity hairstyles. Chosen from over 1,000 applicants, most competitors are from America, but some are from other English-speaking countries including Canada, England, and Australia. There is a balance in the number of male and female hairdressers. Their ages range from early twenties to early forties.
Prize
They all compete for a grand prize with several components: $100,000; a Nexxus Salon apprenticeship; Magnet Agency representation; and the opportunity to style hair at an Allure magazine photoshoot. The rewards are similar to other reality TV shows: Project Runway (money); The Apprentice (apprenticeship); and America's Next Top Model (representation).
Format
The format most closely resembles another Bravo show, Project Runway, which is still going strong after eight seasons. Indeed you could call Shear Genius the hair version of Project Runway because it uses the same basic structure and success formula. They also copied Survivor by having reward and elimination challenges on each episode.
Shortcut Challenge
The Shortcut Challenge is a two-hour reward challenge. It is a cut and color competition designed to test time management skills. The contestants are told they will be judged on their "technical skills, creativity, and the overall look" of their clients. As we watch the highlights from the contest, we sometimes hear the stylists explain what they are doing or share their struggles.
When the buzzer sounds, everybody stops working, and all the new hairstyles are judged. The worst three and best three styles are announced and a winner is chosen. The winner gets first pick of the hair models at the next challenge (Elimination Challenge). This can be an advantage by allowing the stylist to work on hair he or she feels more comfortable cutting. However, the judges take into account difficult hair. For instance, the winner of one challenge was the girl who had been last to pick her model, and that model was very difficult to style.
Elimination Challenge
The Elimination Challenge is a competition wherein stylists have two hours to complete a haircutting task according to special criteria. When they are finished, there is a runway show to present the new hairstyles. While the models walk down the runway, there are voiceovers by the stylists to explain their creations. A few judges and a guest judge privately discuss all the hairstyles and make their decisions. They announce the winner and the loser. The winner is praised for work which was "shear genius" and gets immunity at the next elimination challenge. The loser is sent home.
Hosts
Jaclyn Smith, the famous actress with beautiful hair, hosted the first and second seasons, and then left. It is more likely she became bored than got fired. Smith was always very elegant, polished, and poised, but subject to a tight edit. She wasn't given much freedom to show her personality.
The new host for the third season was Brazilian model Camila Alves. She is half Smith's age, but far less well known, and has very limited TV experience. Alves is more relaxed but English isn't her first language. She is quite professional but has a thick accent and sometimes it's difficult to understand what she is saying. Her critics complain she speaks too slowly and doesn't fully enunciate her words.
She is easygoing but lacks energy and doesn't have an edgy personality that fits a show with extreme hairstyles and dominant personalities. Although she has beautiful long hair, which made her a hair model on one episode, she doesn't have a background in hairdressing. Former contestant Tabatha Coffey would fit the hosting role perfectly, but she now has her own show (Tabatha's Salon Takeover).
Judges
Shear Genius has a few of its own judges who are veterans and experts in the hair industry. Jonathan Antin, a celebrity stylist, was a salon owner and has TV judging experience. He often tries to be fair but can be tough and insulting. After a veteran hairdresser had disappointed him he exclaimed: "My three-year-old child could have done that!"
Kim Vo, a celebrity colorist, judges colors and styles. The host is also involved in judging. They are all usually fair but occasionally harsh or even snarky. Their comments can be similar to what you hear from controversial but entertaining fashion critics such as the late Richard Blackwell, i.e., funny but nasty.
Mentors
Tim Gunn is the mentor on Project Runway, and Shear Genius also has a mentor. In Season 3 it was the famous hairdresser Orlando Pita. He helps contestants by asking them questions about their vision while they are working on a challenge, and then guides them with his expert advice or gentle encouragement.
Hairdressers
The casting director chooses hairdressers who are not only professionally successful but also likely to help make the show a hit. They have big egos, strong personalities, and are colorful characters--literally and figuratively. They create drama but can make Shear Genius an eyesore. Their own hair styles, colors, and clothes can be so loud and obnoxious they are annoying.
Drama
The advertising poster for this program shows silver scissors stuck in the back of a bright red salon chair. Backstabbing is promised and provided. The competitions produce the entertainment value of unexpected creativity and original "artwork," but there is also bold trash talk, bitter rivalries, outrageous catfights, harsh judging, and temper tantrums. There is basically everything you would expect from a reality TV show with hairdressers.
Gossip
Shear Genius copies the approach of most reality TV shows first made popular by Survivor. It has raw honesty with one-on-one interviews of contestants speaking directly to the camera. They talk as if the other contestants will never see Shear Genius, and tell us how they really feel about annoying players and brutal judges. Occasionally they share the intimate details of their own deeply personal struggles.
Mature Audience
There is a warning notice before Shear Genius saying it is suitable for a mature audience due to mature content and coarse language, which is bleeped, but it can also be borderline sexual. On the premiere of the third season, for example, the elimination challenge required the contestants to create designs for runway models who were going to wear bikini bottoms only. They had to creatively style their hair to cover their chests. The style had to be "sexy and unique."
It was an accident waiting to happen. A few of the contestants did not properly cover their fashion models. As they strutted down the runway it seemed more like a strip show than a hair fashion show. Kim Vo and Camila Alves looked uncomfortable watching it.
Conclusion
At the end of the season they announce the winner and the fan favorite.
Opinion
Ginia Bellafante, the New York Times fashion critic, dismissed Shear Genius with a stroke of her pen after one episode calling it "a very dull scissor." Other critics have complained it uses a tired reality TV formula. There are many different things they could do to make it fresh and more interesting even if there is a limited talent pool for hosts, judges, and mentors.
The celebrities in this show lack the star power of those at Project Runway. Supermodel Heidi Klum is greater than fashion model Camila Alves; Tim Gunn is more well known than Orlando Pita; and fashion designer Michael Kors is bigger than both Jonathan Antin and Kim Vo.
The prize for the reward challenge could be more substantial, creative, and inspiring. Compared to other reality programs it is boring. A bigger reward would get viewers more involved in the competition. At the very least the winner could receive a financial reward like $5,000 if the producers can't think of something else besides first choice of hair models!
Shear Genius needs to become more engaging. Currently there isn't much that can get viewers emotionally invested in the show like on American Idol or Dancing With The Stars. This issue could be resolved by letting viewers vote on who should be eliminated. Even if the contestants are not allowed to cast a vote, they could be consulted in the same way Donald Trump always asks his players on The Apprentice who should be fired. Throwing competitors under the bus adds more drama and aggravation to develop rivalries.
A more exciting dynamic could be created by occasionally taking a page from Survivor or Bachelor Pad, where players make the elimination choices. Sometimes they could split the value of the votes with the judges like on Dancing With The Stars. The producers need to do something to make everything less predictable. A show that is all about creativity and asks its players to take risks should itself be more creative and daring.
Shear Genius is recommended for hairdressers because there aren't many regular TV programs for the hair industry. Its appeal may be weak for those outside the fashion or beauty industry. Viewers who love most reality TV shows may want to view it once to see if they like it, especially if they enjoy Project Runway with Heidi Klum. They will find the format and editing style familiar.
No comments:
Post a Comment