Lynda
During our lighthearted telephone interview, I asked the iconic Wonder Woman actress the obvious question: how did she get involved with a body-painting show?
“I get asked quite often to do these things and I say no to about 95 percent of them. I had heard of ‘Skin Wars’ and the amazing work these artists are doing. Then someone sent me a clip, and I knew Ru Paul, so I knew I would have a good time with Ru.”
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Having recently finished touring with her jazz band, the singer told me she had the time so she decided to do it.
Today, when most reality TV shows tend to get under people’s skin, I asked the one-time beauty pageant winner if she watches any reality shows. In a silky tone infused with a little humor, Carter quickly replied, “Skin Wars!” She then added that she really likes watching “Deadliest Catch,” “Survivor” and “Amazing Race.”
When I mentioned that these competition shows tend bring out the best and the worst in people, she readily admitted that one of the reasons she agreed to be a guest judge on “Skin Wars” was to see the “clashes behind the scenes.”
“It was interesting to see this during the show. Everyone is on their best behavior until one crosses another or they don’t get picked. Then you can really see some sparks fly!”
Of course, I had to ask the legendary superhero actress a fan question. A cheeky follower wanted to know if Carter would get her own body painted.
With a hearty laugh she said, “Well, maybe when I was 20. But no. I wouldn’t do it now. I would probably just do my hand or something like that.”
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Carter was very enthusiastic about one aspect she wishes will catch on as a result of the show’s focus on the art of body painting. And she was not apologetic about her opinion.
“I really hope that skin painting can actually overtake tattooing. With skin painting you can shower it off. With tattooing you are stuck!” Tattoos have become “obsessive,” Carter noted.
One thing Carter hopes contestants can take away from her presence as a guest judge is encouragement. “If you’ve seen a Cirque du Soleil show,” Carter told me, “then you’ve seen the amazing work body painters can do.”
But there’s also something in this for Carter. She hopes to hold on to the inspiration she got from watching these incredible artists work to transform skin into beautiful body art.
Though she admitted she didn’t have to do any special training to become a judge for this competition, she acknowledged that judging for this type of skin deep beauty contest is subjective.
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“Skin Wars” is a new competition show on GSN where skilled artists perform their craft and transform a person’s skin into a work of art. This is GSN’s second most-watched original series and the first-ever body painting competition. After eliminations, the winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize and will be the featured guest artist at the International Make-Up Artists Trade Show (IMATS) in New York City.
Catch Lynda Carter as a guest judge on “Skin Wars” airing Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. on GSN.