- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
Squabbling over point totals aside, I can't disagree with the placement order.
It's weird that some skaters still have endorsements in spades over other skaters. Maybe two years ago it was ok when they were sort of performing, but not anymore when others have surpassed them. Karen is coming out with a book but that's all I've heard of.
Good analysis. The book title is probably where the princess myth comes from. And a little from that Tonya vs. Nancy, Athletic vs. Graceful narrative years ago. The funny thing is, I never thought Nancy was that graceful. It was just a way for the media to pit them against each other.First, I think that we can drop the "blonde" from the "Little girls in pretty boxes" syndrome. Of the 7 U.S. Olympic champions, only Tara Lipinski was blonde (sort of). What that book ("Little girls in pretty boxes" by Joan Ryan) was about, by the way, is a criticism of the gymnastics and figure skating establishments for insisting that the girls have essentially boys bodies, and that as soon as they develop breasts and hips, they are thrown on the trash heap to suffer with anorexia. Anyway, I think that the classic U.S. figure skating star is more the all-American girl next door (Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill) than the Disney Princess.
I remember in 1992 that people raised the point that Kristi Yamaguchi did not rake in the same financial benefits (from endorsements, etc.) as previous Olympic gold medallists had, especially Dorothy Hamill. Kristi being Asian American meant that she did not fit sponsers' profile so well.
However, times change. If anything, nowadays ladies' figure skating in the U.S. is perceived as essentially an Asian American sport. Mirai certainly would have been America's skating sweetheart if she had won in 2010 -- she was anyway, based on her 4th place "Carmen's little sister" performance. Now Mirai is too old to be a little girl in a pretty box. But Karen would certainly become be skating's darling, if not America's ("America" doesn't have darlings any more. They have women athletes who kick butt.)
Just my opinion, of course.
It's weird that some skaters still have endorsements in spades over other skaters. Maybe two years ago it was ok when they were sort of performing, but not anymore when others have surpassed them. Karen is coming out with a book but that's all I've heard of.
Backpedaling. Ashley is not goaded into talking about anything she doesn't want to. She wouldn't even talk about her quad strain before Worlds. Why mention changing the program unless it's serious? A hail Mary for sure. Pick her for the team, and it'll go a lot better, she promises! It's desperate.
Not punished for reusing a program, but for not skating that program well.
Well others have made such comments, even worse, for years. It has been branded "refreshing." I'm not sure why Mirai can't reap the same compliments for her confidence. I love seeing a spark in her eyes instead of that woe is me look from years past.
Was Bradie not the best? If there were truly a push for blond girls then why didn't Amber and Polina rank higher? I think people are offended that Bradie skates joyfully which somehow gets twisted into "juniorish princess." There is nothing wrong with being a princess anyway, as long as she delivers.
When one of the above competitor's placements appears to be illegitimate, due to corrupt judging and possible drug test tampering. Even though the official case is closed, it's a situation of quickly brushing it under the rug rather than a public exoneration. So rightly, many fans are going to be concerned in perpetuity.
