Untangling the Drama: Did Sausage Really Get Christian Fired on Ink Master?

Ink Master, the popular tattoo competition reality show, has provided no shortage of drama over its 13 seasons But one incident remains hotly debated among fans – did contestant Sausage actually get fellow competitor Christian fired? These two headstrong artists clashed often, leading to one of the show’s biggest controversies.

Let’s break down exactly what happened between Christian and Sausage and who was really at fault for Christian’s exit, Analyzing the evidence provides insight into how heavily produced reality shows manufacture conflict

Introducing Two Volatile Personalities

To understand this incident it helps to know the key players

Christian – A tattoo artist from Florida who displayed top-notch technical skills but an arrogant attitude. The judges often chastised him for his cockiness and lack of adaptability.

Sausage – The alias of New York-based artist Chris Blinston. Brash and unfiltered, Sausage sparred with other contestants, especially Christian.

These two larger-than-life personalities were bound to butt heads. Christian’s blunt confidence and Sausage’s refusal to edit himself made fireworks inevitable. Their volatile relationship put them at the center of the controversial alleged “firing.”

The Breaking Point – When Egos Collide

In episode 10 of season 3, things came to a head between the feuding artists during the Ink Master shop elimination challenge. Each contestant had to tattoo pre-drawn art selected by their rivals.

Christian deliberately gave Sausage a difficult biomechanical piece outside his style and implied he wanted to see Sausage fail and get sent home.

Sausage didn’t hold back in retaliating, giving Christian a intricate sacred heart design knowing he disliked religious tattoos. Their mutual sabotage highlighted the bitter animosity between them.

The Fallout – Christian Leaves the Show

In the next episode, Sausage’s work was seen as less good than the other one. But in a shock decision, the judges sent Christian home instead.

Christian furiously accused the judges of rigging his elimination because of outside influence by Sausage and the producers. He alleged Sausage’s scheming and production preferences got him unfairly fired.

But Sausage denied that anyone was working together, saying that the judges chose the weaker tattoo in that face-off based on objective criteria.

Nonetheless, Christian’s angry departure perpetuated rumors that Sausage manipulated the outcome.

Assessing Blame – Who Was Really Responsible?

Looking at the facts, it seems unlikely that Sausage actually orchestrated Christian’s firing. The judges made an independent assessment of the tattoos and opted to eliminate Christian.

But Christian’s outburst raised questions. Did producers nudge things behind the scenes for dramatic effect? Reality shows frequently guide storylines indirectly through selective editing and setting up dynamics between cast members.

While Sausage didn’t directly cause Christian’s loss in their showdown, producers may have relished the narrative of two enemies going head-to-head with Christian’s ego leading to his downfall. It made for tense TV drama.

The heated emotions and finger-pointing definitely played right into producers’ hands. But that’s the nature of how reality shows manufacture entertainment through interpersonal conflict.

Christian and Sausage – Where Are They Now?

While their time on Ink Master together ended turbulently, both Christian and Sausage have gone on to continued success.

After being eliminated, Christian returned to build his tattoo portfolio and enjoys massive popularity on social media, amassing over 600k Instagram followers. Fans are still drawn to his top-tier skills despite his ego.

Sausage has also built a successful career traveling to tattoo conventions and serving celebrity clients like basketball player JR Smith. He seems to have moved past the Ink Master controversies that shaped his persona as a confrontational loudmouth.

Lessons Learned – Manufactured Drama on Reality TV

The alleged “firing” of Christian by Sausage perfectly exemplifies how reality competitions use talent casting and selective editing to create drama. By bringing together big personalities destined to clash, fireworks are guaranteed.

But viewers should remember reality TV only shows one version of events, often distorted. While Christian and Sausage’s feud made for good TV, the full truth of their conflict and Christian’s exit remains ambiguous.

At the end of the day, both artists benefited from the exposure and continue thriving. But their time on Ink Master certainly proves how volatile relationships between ego-driven personalities produce reality show magic.